Seven Cities of Gold (film)

Seven Cities of Gold
Directed by Robert D. Webb
Produced by
Screenplay by Richard L. Breen
Based on The Nine Days of Father Serra
by Isabelle Gibson Ziegler
Starring
Music by Hugo Friedhofer
Cinematography Lucien Ballard
Edited by Hugh S. Fowler
Distributed by Twentieth Century Fox
Release date
  • September 1955 (1955-09)
Running time
 103 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $1.5 million[1]

Seven Cities Of Gold is a 1955 historical adventure film directed by Robert D. Webb and starring Anthony Quinn, Richard Egan and Michael Rennie. It tells the story of the 18th. Century Franciscan priest, Father Junípero Serra and the founding of the first missions in what is now California. The screenplay is based on the 1951 novel The Nine Days of Father Serra by Isabelle Gibson Ziegler. The tag line of the film was “This is the story of the making ...and the forging...of California...when men chose gold or God...the sword or the Cross”.

Plot summary

In 1769, the expedition of Captain Gaspar de Portolà (Anthony Quinn) to California is in search of fabled cities of gold. Its religious advisor, peace-loving missionary Father Junipero Serra (Michael Rennie), wishes to establish good relations with the local natives and to build a string of missions, beginning at San Diego Bay. He is unexpectedly aided when Portola's prideful second in command, Lt. Jose Mendoza (Richard Egan), saves the life of Matuwir (Jeffrey Hunter), the son of the local chief. But when a supply ship fails to appear and the expedition prepares to return to Mexico a failure, Mendoza betrays Matuwir's sister Ula (Rita Moreno), whom he has seduced, resulting in her accidental death by a fall from a cliff. Threatened with annihilation by Matuwir's warriors when both Portola and Father Serra refuse to turn him over, Mendoza prevents war by surrendering himself to Matuwir for torture and execution. As the Spaniards begin to leave, the supply ship appears in the bay as if by a miracle.

Cast

See also

References

  1. ↑ Aubrey Solomon, Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History, Scarecrow Press, 1989 p249
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