The Leguineche Trilogy
La trilogía de los Leguineche
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| 343
July-December of 2022
ISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978
How to cite this article:
Cañas Pelayo, M. R. (2022). e Leguineche Trilogy.
Doxa Comunicación
, 35, pp. 343-361.
https://doi.org/10.31921/doxacom.n35a1591
Marcos Rafael Cañas Pelayo.
European PhD from the University of Cordoba. Master’s Degree in Cinematography and
Texts, Documents, and Cultural Intercession. Winner of the Outstanding Achievement Award for the Final Project of his
History Degree. He teaches history and geography at Maimónides Secondary School in Córdoba. His doctoral thesis was
granted the Extraordinary Achievement Award in Humanities by the University of Cordoba in 2016. His main lines of
research include social history, lm analysis with a special focus on historical contexts, and the role of new technology
in the study of Social Sciences, especially through media channels such as lm, literature, comics, and others. In terms
of academic production, his works have been published in several high impact journals. He has also participated in
various national and international conferences and seminars, in addition to having written chapters for collective works.
Maimónides Secondary School, Cordoba, Spain
[email protected]
ORCID: 0000-0001-9010-6578
Abstract:
e Leguineche trilogy marked a key turning point in the lmography
of director Luis García Berlanga. Shot in Spain at the beginning of
the socio-political process that would later become known as the
Transition (
la Transición)
after Franco’s dictatorship, the series of
lms that comprise the saga, which include
La escopeta nacional
(e national shotgun),
Patrimonio nacional
(National Heritage), and
Nacional III
(National III), reect diverse historical moments of the
time, such as the technocracy of Opus Dei, the celebration of the 1982
World Cup, the attempted military coup on 23 February (
23F
), and
others. roughout this article, our aim has been to analyse the way in
which the screenplays of Berlanga and Rafael Azcona display the social
history of the time, as well as to observe the inuence of these lms
on their cinematic production. e characters that comprise the satires
exhibit an outdated aristocracy which, in the form of hyperbole, serves
as a metaphor for the movements and transformations that were on
the verge of taking place in the country.
Keywords
:
Aristocracy; Berlanga; satirical comedy; social context; e Spanish
Transition.
Resumen:
La trilogía de los Leguineche es un punto de inexión clave en la lmo
-
grafía del director Luis García Berlanga. Rodadas en la España que ini
-
ciaba la andadura del proceso socio-político que sería conocido como
la Transición tras la dictadura franquista, el conjunto de películas (La
escopeta nacional, Patrimonio nacional y Nacional III) que conforman
esta saga reeja distintos momentos históricos de la época (la tecnocra
-
cia del Opus Dei, la celebración del Mundial de fútbol de 1982, el intento
de golpe de estado el 23F, etc.). A lo largo del presente artículo, preten
-
demos analizar cómo el guion de Berlanga y Rafael Azcona mostró la
historia social de aquel tiempo, a la par que observar la evolución que
estas cintas marcaron en su cine. Los personajes que componen esta sá
-
tira exhiben una aristocracia caduca que, en forma de hipérbole, sirven
como metáfora de los movimientos y transformaciones que estaban por
llegar en el país.
Palabras clave:
Aristocracia; Berlanga; comedia satírica; contexto social; Transición
Española.
Received: 07/01/2022 - Accepted: 11/05/2022 - Early access: 30/05/2022 - Published: 01/07/2022
Recibido: 07/01/2022 - Aceptado: 11/05/2022 - En edición: 30/05/2022 - Publicado: 01/07/2022
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1. Introduction
A news report of the lm released by Luis García Berlanga (Valencia, 1921-Madrid, 2010) in 1978, described one of the most
remarkable cinematic creations in the world of Spanish entertainment. e Valencian lmmaker thus put an end to a ve-year
absence from lm listings and nearly a decade without making an entirely Spanish lm (Perales, 1999: 290).
Furthermore, it took place in a country very dierent from the one in which he had begun his professional career with
Novio a la
vista
(Boyfriend in sight) (1954), immersed in a process of change initiated on 20 November 1975 with the death of Francisco Franco
Bahamonde, the unquestionable head of a dictatorship that had stayed in power since the 1
st
of April, 1939.
e returning director’s lm was
La escopeta nacional
(e national shotgun), which was so well received that it paved the way for
the development of a trilogy with its main protagonists being the decadent, aristocratic
Leguineche
family. It was the rst time this
director had embarked on a lm saga.
e ctional lineage would become a hyperbolised reection of some of the issues that were changing in the debates carried out
during the Transition (
la Transición
), which was the transition from an authoritarian regime to a democracy, a historical phenomenon
that is still discussed to this day (Morán, 2015).
In the same way that Berlanga’s lms satirically reected social issues like the Christmas solidarity campaigns of the 1960s (
Plácido
,
1961), or how they expressed his ironic attitude toward the alleged divine apparitions on the peninsula (
Los jueves, milagro
) (On
ursday, a miracle, 1957), the trilogy being studied herein served as an insight into the Berlanguian vision of a historical period to
which he was also a witness.
Fortunately, there are academic publications that delve into the details involved in the making of some of Berlanga’s key works,
ranging from
Bienvenido, Míster Marshall
! (Welcome, Mr. Marshall!) (Matellano, 2007) to
El verdugo
(e executioner) (Sojo, 2016),
although as yet there have been no studies on the ctional
Leguineche
dynasty that focus exclusively on this saga. Nevertheless, we
should mention several existing sources and bibliographic references that provide valuable information in this regard.
Starting from this premise, the present article pursues two objectives. Firstly, to analyse the social dissection provided by this lm
trilogy, converting them into a testimony of a period which, disguised as ctional characters, is full of historical references. Secondly,
to highlight the lines of research opening up with regard to the Berlanguian corpus, which is currently being reappraised along with
the ctional Leguineche family, as it foreshadows many issues that are still ercely debated today.
2. Methodology
e sad news of the death of Luis García Berlanga in November of 2010 marked the turning point where bibliographic production
and research into his personality began to proliferate. Among others, we would like to highlight the recent compendium by
Notorious Ediciones
(Balmori, 2021), which includes the editorial archive of Enrique Alegrete, as well as unpublished photographs
from
Tamaño natural
(1974), provided by Julio Wizuete.
In this regard, Miguel Losada’s edition of the notebooks with unpublished annotations and illustrations by the Valencian artist
also stands out (2011). As Berlanga himself cultivated a reputation as being chaotic and disorderly in order to make traditional
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biographies of him impossible (Franco, 2010), these discoveries over the last decade have revealed previously unknown facts about
his lmography (Villena, 2021).
Likewise, lm magazines with extensive reach have published dossiers in order to allow a diverse range of specialists to analyse the
way in which black humour and absurdity converge in this unique ctional universe (Casas, 2021: 20-68). Obviously, the Leguineche
trilogy has not remained untouched by this exploration of hitherto unpublished sources. e opening of box 1034 at the
Instituto
Cervantes
during the summer of 2021 was especially fascinating, where the script of
Viva Rusia!
(Long live Russia!) was stored. ere
had been rumours on many occasions about a possible fourth instalment, but now researchers have an unabridged version of the
script that conrms the director’s interest in this thwarted epilogue that he maintained until the end.
Our contribution begins by following the main lines that emerged from the
Congreso Mediterráneo, esta y carnaval. Homenaje a
Luis García Berlanga
(Mediterranean Congress, celebration, and carnival. A tribute to Luis García Berlanga). is scientic gathering
included several conferences, papers, and round table discussions that allowed debates to be carried out that focused on the new
elds of study that have enabled a better understanding of a lm corpus that largely underpins many of the unique characteristics
of Spanish society.
Following previous models (Cañas Pelayo, 2014), we begin the analysis with an anecdote that inspired Berlanga and Rafael Azcona,
and then gradually transformed a picturesque scene into an opportunity to provide an in-depth analysis of a turbulent period.
Together with the study of the cinematographic language used, we will focus on the historical context, as well as primary and
secondary sources that have provided us with revealing data on three fundamental lms in the career of this director.
To do so, we will make use of bibliographic resources, newspaper archives, interviews with the director himself (Hidalgo and
Hernández Les, 2020), and recent productions for audio-visual markets such as DVD and Blu-ray. In this regard, the release of
the
Impala
production company stands out, which has retrieved footage of
La escopeta nacional
hitherto unknown to the general
public, as well as rst-hand testimonies from participants in the lming (Sainz de Vicuña, 2021).
3. Results: from anecdote to trilogy
3.1. e hunt
As with
El verdugo
(Cañas Pelayo, 2014: 139), the idea for
La escopeta nacional
came to Berlanga’s mind after hearing a true story
from a friend. During one of the famous hunting excursions carried out by the dictator Francisco Franco, Manuel Fraga, who was
Minister of Information and Tourism at the time, failed to shoot a low-ying partridge that passed by his post. To his misfortune, the
shot ended up hitting Carmen Franco in the backside (Hernández Les and Hidalgo, 1981: 134).
e minister himself limited the event to a brief biographical reference (Fraga, 1980), praising the good humour with which Franco
and his daughter reacted to the accident. In any case, other close sources including journalist Jaime Peñael, who covered many
of these events attended by the regime’s elite, gathered comments by the dictator in which he criticised the lack of hunting skills of
some of his guests (Peñael, 1992).
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ere were dierent versions of the event, some highly absurd, which served as an inspiration for the director, who believed that
these meetings could be an ideal microcosm (Villena, 2021: 189-207 for making a satire of the most powerful classes. Obviously,
such a project could not be carried out until Franco’s death, as censorship was the order of the day, but it was an idea that remained
in his project notebook.
As was customary in that phase of his career, he worked with scriptwriter Rafael Azcona, who was crucial in understanding an
essential part of Berlanga’s lmography. For reasons of space and the nature of this article, although we cannot dwell on the long
career of this writer (Herrera and Iglesias, 1991), we at least want to highlight the lmmaker’s own reections on how Azcona
transformed his work (Gómez Rufo, 1997: 179-184).
As they began their conversations, it became clear that the shooting gag itself was the starting point for a more complex, ensemble
comedy. e rst key decision was to forget the actual date of the Fraga incident, as it seemed more interesting to frame a hunt that
had taken place in the nal days of the Franco regime, especially in the forced, progressive hand-over of power that the Falangist
circles carried out to the benet of the technocratic sector.
Briey, we can arm that the technocracy sought to open up the system to a certain extent without questioning it, especially through
the gure of Admiral Carrero Blanco (Tusell, 1993), who was closely linked to the thriving Opus Dei group, promoting measures such
as the
Ley de Prensa
(Press Law) (1966), the
Ley del Movimiento Nacional
(National Movement Law) (1969), and others.
3.1.1. Fictional characters
When it came to locations, Berlanga’s production company, headed by Alfredo Matas, quickly realised how dicult it would be to
nd a suitable place to shoot
La escopeta nacional
. In fact, the Valencian director began to fear that lming would be greatly slowed
down by the specic paradox that the owners of such estates would be the most reluctant to provide land for a production that was
going to mock their way of life.
Journalist Jimmy Giménez-Arnau suggested to Berlanga the possibility of his contacting Francis Franco, the dictator’s grandson.
is potential collaborator not only had rst-hand accounts of the period, but he also ran a protable hunting company, and his
experience made him an ideal partner. During the interview, Berlanga did not hide the fact that his work would criticise Franco’s
system, although he made it clear that the gure of the dictator would not appear directly and there would be no personal attacks
(Gómez Rufo, 1997: 379-381).
e help of the grandson was particularly useful, especially after the
Infantado
family refused to allow the lm to be shot on their
property in Viñuelas. In the end, the production company obtained permission to shoot the lm on property that belonged to
Paloma Manzanedo (
El Rincón
), which is a magnicent house with grounds large enough to lm the hunting scenes. Specically, its
gothic palace style was highly conducive to the atmosphere of the story (Hernández Les and Hidalgo, 1981: 134).
As promised to the grandson, Franco’s character would not appear in-person in
La escopeta nacional
. Is it possible that there were
ulterior motives other than not oending an advisor on the project? Frankly, the political climate was anything but straightforward
in 1978, which journalists such as Carlos Barrera described as a situation that created a dicult path toward democratic elections
(Paredes, 2002: 877-889). Issues such as terrorism, the risk of a coup headed by the military leadership, the legalisation of the
Spanish Communist Party (
PCE
), the rise of nationalist sentiment, and other matters were being confronted. It is not implausible
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that Berlanga’s team believed that the general public would be more receptive to a production that used ctional characters and
stereotypes of the regime’s elite, which would serve as a metaphor without using real names.
is is evident in the poster that promoted the lm. ere are caricatures of dierent archetypes, including a militaristic priest,
a soldier, a young nobleman in a hunting suit, and so on. Unlike the approach used by one of his prominent cohorts of the same
generation, Juan Antonio Bardem, any sign of militancy whatsoever in Berlanga was neutral at best.
La escopeta nacional
is set
within the framework of the late Francoist period, yet it seeks a much wider scope: the corruption associated with power (Hernández
Les and Hidalgo, 1981: 134-135).
Diverse studies on Berlanga’s cinematic vision have underlined the fact that the foundation of Berlanguian cinema is based on the
diculties experienced by a single individual in the face of social pressure by the group (Perales, 1997: 11). In this case, Azcona and
Berlanga chose this type of protagonist in the gure of Jaume Canivell, an ambitious Catalan businessman who wants to patent the
installation of his automatic door entry systems on a large scale.
Figure 1. Poster of
La escopeta nacional
(1978)
consiguieron permiso en El Rincón, posesión de Paloma Manzanedo, una gran casa con
campo de proporciones adecuadas para filmar las escenas de caza. Particularmente, su
forma de palacete gótico era muy propicia para la atmósfera del relato (Hernández Les
e
Hidalgo, 1981:
134).
Tal como se había prometido al nieto, la figura de Franco no saldría en primera persona
en
La escopeta nacional
. ¿Existían ulteriores motivos que no ofender a un asesor en el
proyecto? El clima político era de todo menos sencillo en 1978, en lo que periodistas
como Carlos Barrera calificaron como un difícil camino hacia las elecciones democráticas
(Paredes, 2002:
877-889).
Se afrontaban cuestiones como el terrorismo, los riesgos
golpistas de la cúpula militar, la legalización del Partido Comunista Español (PCE), el
auge de los sentimientos nacionalistas, etc. No es improbable que el equipo de Berlanga
pensase que sería mejor acogid
a
por el público en general una obra con personajes de
retablo, estereotipos de la élite del régimen que sirviesen como metáfora antes que
nombres concretos o reales.
Eso queda patente en el cartel que promocionó la película. Caricaturas de distinto
arquetipos: el sacerdote castrense, el militar, el señorito con el traje de caza, etc. A
diferencia del enfoque de uno de sus grandes colegas de generación, Juan Antonio
Bardem, la militancia de cualquier signo en Berlanga es, como mucho, tibia.
La escopeta
nacional
se enmarca dentro del tardo
-
franquismo, pero busca un alcance más general: la
corrupción asociada al poder (Hernández Les
e
Hidalgo, 1981
:134-135).
Distintos estudios sobre el cine berlanguiano han subrayado que la base del mismo se
sustenta en las dificultades de un individuo singular ante la presión social del grupo
(Perales, 1997: 11). En este caso, Azcona y Berlanga escogen a ese tipo de protagonista
a través de la figura de Jaume Canivell, un ambicioso empresario catalán que quiere
patentar la instalación de sus porterillos automáticos a gran escala.
Figura 1: Cartel La escopeta nacional
(1978)
Fuente: Berlanga Film Museum © Generalitat Valenciana.
Para ello debe lograr apoyos gubernamentales que hagan a las antiguas viviendas con
desfasados sistemas aplicar este adelanto. José Sazartonil, actor barcelonés con amplia
trayectoria ya en ese momento, fue el escogido por Berlanga, quedando muy satisfecho
el cineasta valenciano por su desempeño
(Franco,
2005
: 1
77).
Source: Berlanga Film Museum© Valencian Regional Government
To do so, he has to obtain the support of the government in mandating that old houses with outdated systems must install this
technology. José Sazartonil, an actor from Barcelona with a long career at the time, was chosen by Berlanga, and the Valencian
lmmaker was very satised with his performance (Franco, 2005: 177).
With this actor, the comic sketch of what was destined to become a saga began: Canivell is aware that he must curry the favour of
a Francoist minister, who will send his request to
El Pardo
(Franco’s residence). To do so, he seeks out the agent Cerillo (played by
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Rafael Alonso), who tells him about a noble family in nancial straits who are willing to host a hunt with political personalities on
their estate, if the Catalonian businessman nances the event.
is is used to pose the paradox that is omnipresent throughout the lm. e real host is the industrialist, who has nanced the entire
aair. However, he is forced to defer honour to the Marquis of Leguineche, the long-standing owner of the residence, who does not
hesitate to aunt his status. Moreover, the aristocrat must conceal the fact that he has been paid to host the party. e Marquis is one
of the most relevant characters in the entire saga, played by Luis Escobar.
Of all the cast, he was Berlanga’s personal choice. Luis Escobar Kirkpatrick, Marquis of Marismas of the Guadalquivir, a multi-faceted
man of letters, who had no previous experience in this artistic medium. Yet the lmmaker was convinced that Escobar’s status as a
nobleman made him the perfect candidate to play an anachronistic, feudal lord.
His arrogance in the way he treated Canivell along with his despotic manner toward the servants reected a merciless dissection of
a privileged man who enjoyed his status. In his detailed memoirs, the Marquis of Marismas recalls both the interest and concern he
felt toward the script that Azcona and Berlanga had brought to him on 18 October 1977 (Escobar, 2000). He was especially repulsed
by the fact that his character had a fetish for the pubic hair of his mistresses.
However, the 400,000
pesetas
oered by the production company in the negotiations tempted him, as well as his own curiosity to try
acting on lm. On 31 October of the same year, the denitive agreement was signed, with the Marquis still doubting whether he had
made the right decision (Escobar, 2000).
As for the rest of the cast, Berlanga turned to names that had appeared frequently in his lms. Amparo Soler Leal would play
Chus, the unhappy daughter-in-law of the Marquis, who is married to Luis José, the incompetent heir to the Leguineche estate.
e importance of this dysfunctional marriage would grow in the subsequent instalments. José Luis López Vázquez was chosen to
play this perverted aristocrat, and he was satised with the way in which this satire allowed him to showcase Franco’s backroom
(Llorente, 2010: 237-238).
Both the marquis and his rst-born son are channels through which Berlanga leaks some of his own preferences in the eld of
eroticism, a forbidden terrain during the harshest phase of censorship during the dictatorship, which was now slowly coming to the
surface. Researchers have recently provided interesting monographs on this facet of the lmmaker, who even directed publications
such as
La Sonrisa Vertical
(e vertical smile) (Royo-Villanova, 2021).
e most obvious metaphor for the ecclesiastical establishment is found in Father Calvo (Agustín González), the irascible chaplain
of the Leguineche family who appears in the sequels. Figures very similar to him can be found in future Berlanguian lms, such as
La vaquilla
(e heifer) (1985) and
París-Tombuctú
(1999).
ere would also be a greater abundance of female roles than in previous works by this creative duo, with the gure of his secretary,
Mercedes, standing out alongside Canivell. Characterised by Mónica Randall, Berlanga recalled that she was the pseudo-intellectual
companion with aspirations, as well as the extra-marital aair of the businessman (Franco, 2005: 180). is adultery would be
relevant in the third act of the lm.
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Also worthy of mention is an attractive, aspiring actress (Bárbara Rey), the aection of whom is contested by the inuential minister
Álvaro (Antonio Ferrandis) and Luis José himself. At the other extreme is a former star, Soledad (Conchita Montes), who is now left
with only the memory of her past fame and the favouritism that remains.
La escopeta nacional
makes no secret of its intention when it starts with the guttural sounds of farm animals. In all likelihood, when it
comes to validating its social dissection, the fact of using these ctional characters rather than genuine, historical gures has allowed
the fable of Azcona and Berlanga to maintain interest by having a more generic scope.
3.1.2. A banquet without partridges
Scholars of the trilogy (Perales, 1999: 77-81) stress that there are a number of established ideas that are already rmly in place in the
rst instalment: an outdated aristocracy; absurd narration, and protagonists who resort to roguish behaviour.
Essentially, this structure is consistent in a lm in which we see Canivell trying to win favours from the inuential Álvaro at all costs.
Nothing will dissuade the businessman from doing so, including trying to help him with diculties in his love life, given that Luis
José has sequestered Vera, the young artist with whom he has become infatuated, in the storehouse of the estate.
During the outlandish mediation, an extravagant aristocrat with the title of Prince Volkonski, played by Fermín Rotaeta, is introduced.
His character is important in the plot, as he pretends to be Vera’s ancé in order to safeguard the minister’s reputation, especially
in the eyes of the Opus faction. Paradoxically, Luis Escobar recalled that Rotaeta was a person who was committed to communism,
to the point of giving lectures to the sta serving the marquise about their right to vindicate themselves during the lming that took
place in the month of November, 1977 (Escobar, 2000).
Luis José’s intentions with his mistress imply another nod from the director’s own sensual tastes. In fact, during the
Transición
,
Berlanga released the rst strictly erotic collection in Spain: the aforementioned
La Sonrisa Vertical
. We refer to a scene in which
Vera is tied up, on her knees, and naked in front of the bed. is is a completely unsubtle allusion to sadomasochism. e director
was quite insistent to Carlos Suárez, his main camera operator, about the importance of this moment (Franco, 2010: 179-186), even
though these sensual scenes were somewhat diluted by the wily, preposterous antics taking place around them (Villena, 2021:
194-207).
Without blushing at the humiliating situation that includes loud arguments between the priest and Luis José in front of everyone,
Canivell accepts the farce of posing as a lm producer who promises Vera a role if she leaves the aristocrat. It is during this speech
that he meets Segundo (Luis Ciges), one of Luis José’s most faithful, extravagant servants.
Bearing in mind the complaints by Berlanguian scholars about his notoriously poor memory in interviews (Galán, 1999), one of
the few certainties we have about his early years is the strong relationship with Ciges that he developed in his youth, as both had
participated as volunteers in the Blue Division (
la Division Azul
), a clear attempt by these young men to lessen Franco’s pressure on
their families, given their Republican background (Franco, 2005: 13-37).
Segundo is one of the townsmen who is convinced that “the marquises have done nothing but good for him!”, conrming the
perception left by the script that Spanish society is accustomed to people being either tyrants or lackeys (Franco, 2005: 175-176),
victims of a fragile memory with no middle ground. His voluntary servitude could be likened to his counterparts in
Los santos
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inocentes
(Delibes, 2013). e only dierence is that in the novel by the same name, as well as in the lm adaptation by Mario Camus
in 1984, this is portrayed as a dramatic reality, whereas Azcona and Berlanga always sought a vision of acidic humour.
roughout the hunt, Canivell is able to bear humiliation without abandoning his fraudulent politeness, be it with a deposed South
American leader or when dealing with complaints from Father Calvo, who suspects him of being a separatist, as he is Catalonian.
His only ostentatious insults are directed at Castanys (Pedro del Rey), a bank representative who once refused to give Canivell a loan.
Now closely linked to Ricardo, an inuential member of Opus Dei, he will suer various put-downs from his acquaintance.
Rumours about the content of the lm aroused misgivings. In his diary, Luis Escobar stated in November that personal friends such
as the Duke and Duchess of Cádiz spoke unfavourably of his participation in
La escopeta nacional
(Escobar, 2000). Meanwhile, he
himself claimed to feel overwhelmed by the exorbitant amount of dialogue in the script.
With curious irony, Elsa Zabala was the mute marquise who accompanied Leguineche on the estate, although Escobar regretted the
fact that she was a very talkative person in the breaks between scenes, something that made it dicult for him to memorise his lines
for the following takes.
e lm touches supercially on relevant issues such as freedom of the press, an example of which is a dinner party where it is
jokingly mentioned that journalists are out of control and should be sent to prison. In keeping with the shocking realism and
burlesque nature of the lm, the evening is cut short by a rat that invades the Leguineche’s dining room. It is quickly killed by Father
Calvo, although the shots were dicult to lm, as the rodent bit the actress Rossanna Yanni.
Just when Álvaro and his investors are most intensely seduced by Canivell’s project, including released shares and dubious
commissions, a telegram arrives announcing the success of Ricardo (Fernando Hilbeck), who is called to an emergency cabinet
meeting. is places men like his detested Castanys in a position of pre-eminence and makes the industrialist’s progress useless.
Diverse criticism highlights the complete failure of Canivell’s venture on the estate (Perales, 1999: 288). In any case, we can minimise
this issue. Bearing in mind the critical situation in which he nds himself after the dismissal, he skilfully plays his remaining cards to
forge an agreement with his former rival, the fellow countryman who dared to deny him a loan, by attending a morning mass where
he improvises as a clumsy assistant. He also forces Mercedes to go to confession and promises Castanys, who advises Canivell to
always speak in Spanish, that their extramarital aair is over.
It is not clear whether the inuential Opus Dei banker will keep his word after the religious ceremony, but he seems sincere in
promising Canivell that he will give due praise to his superiors for his negotiating skills.
As in other works by Berlanga (Cañas Pelayo, 2014: 152), the lmmaker seems to put details of his own biography into his characters.
He later admitted that the question of ministerial changes (Franco, 2010: 200) was one of the issues that most infuriated him about
Spanish politics. Any change in the organisational structure of power dragged down not only the incumbent minister, but all the
projects as well, and especially the sta involved, who were comfortably settled in their jobs. In connection with the lm, the fall of
Álvaro forces Canivell to start the operation all over again from square one.
All things considered, there were several regrets on Berlanga’s part, especially for unnecessarily highlighting the message that
Jaume and Mercedes would not live happily ever after, thereby satirising the happy endings of children’s stories. Together with the
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Christmas carol inserted at the end of
Plácido
, it was one of the scenes in which he admitted to having gone too far in his lms
(Hernández Les and Hidalgo, 1981: 181).
Specialists such as Diego Galán stress that the key to understanding the Berlanguian lm corpus is to see it as a defence of
individualism in opposition to the group (Alegre, 2009: 41), without referring to any particular ideology (Alegre, 2009: 41).
e movie theatres
Real Cinema
and
Proyecciones de Madrid
premiered the lm on 14 September. e reception by the public was
the most satisfying that Berlanga had obtained until that time, and the lm remained in the cinemas for three months (Perales, 1999:
291).
Literary personalities such as writer Francisco Umbral stressed that
La escopeta nacional
reected the transition of the Falangist
elite, which was handing over the baton to Opus Dei in a tasteless way, initiating the escape of the ruling social class from the old
regime (Hernández Les and Hidalgo, 1981: 9).
3.2. End of the saga: Patrimonio nacional
e strong box-oce results of
La escopeta nacional
convinced Berlanga that it was possible to make a sequel. However, this time
he would dispense with the character of Canivell, although his gure would be mentioned. e sequel would focus entirely on the
Leguineche lineage, and the title would be
Patrimonio nacional
.
Moreover, critics such as José Luis Guarner, in his column in the magazine
Nuevo Fotogramas,
armed that this aristocratic family
had the potential to become a television series (Perales, 1999: 292). Nevertheless, the Valencian director had a feature lm clearly in
mind, with which he could explore the realities of the time through his characteristic style of comic sketches.
3.2.1. Openness to the sepia monarchy
As on the previous occasion, the script was co-written with Rafael Azcona, and it was clear from the rst page that the intention was to
represent a social reality: the reaction of an aristocracy that had been stagnating in its outlying possessions during the Franco regime,
and was now trying to recover its courtly splendour with the reestablishment of the monarchy of Juan Carlos I of the Bourbons.
e lm is set in the spring of 1977. We see a light Citroën 11 and a Land Rover exiting the M-30 to enter one of the accesses to the City
of Madrid. Segundo is the character we previously met in the rst lm. He is one of the Marquis’s most helpful servants who looks
after the livestock on the Leguineche estate (Hernández Les and Hidalgo, 1981:141).
e purpose of this brief introduction is to quickly immerse the viewer in the new dynamic of this instalment, where the Spanish
capital is the key. e Leguineche family wants to reopen their old urban palace. However, it took Berlanga’s team a long time to nd
an appropriate residence.
e lm crew was convinced that it would not be possible to recreate the Leguineche’s house as a set. To achieve the desired
eect, they would have to nd a royal palace that would be suitable for this purpose. ere were various properties that met the
requirements, but the aristocracy that owned them were diametrically opposed to allowing the production of a lm that would be a
continuation of the severe criticism against their social class (Perales, 1999: 296), and they did not want to fall into the same trap of
La escopeta nacional
.
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Berlanga himself acknowledged that he felt profoundly discouraged in those initial weeks, as they were unable to obtain permission
to produce the crucial scenes from the rst act of the lm. Everything changed when they discovered the Linares palace, located in
the heart of Madrid, the characteristics of which were ideal. However, the negotiations for the permits were delicate.
Juan Hernández Les and Manuel Hidalgo have provided the best data in this regard, as they interviewed the lmmaker very soon after
he obtained authorisation (1981:143). In the interview, Berlanga gave exclusive details about some noteworthy support from public
gures of the time, such as Ricardo de la Cierva (Minister of Culture), Javier Tusell (Director of Artistic Heritage), and Marcelino
Oreja (Minister of Foreign Aairs).
e entire situation, together with the backing of Alfredo Matas, was fundamental in allowing the director to establish his team at
the palace. Part of the agreement included ensuring that the rich marble and artistic works in the palace’s rooms would be looked
after properly.
In total, a budget of 70 million
pesetas
was granted to the Valencian lmmaker, who took advantage of the economic endowment
to incorporate a video camera that would be connected to the lm camera; this advance allowed him to observe the results of the
lming through a small screen, frequently noting down the ideas that arose as the project developed (Hernández Les and Hidalgo,
1981: 146).
Once again, writer Francisco Umbral pointed out that the Berlanguian parody of the Leguineche family was an analysis of a
contemporary moment: in this case, the yearning dream of the old nobility, courtiers of rigaudon (Balmori, 2021: 92-95), of which
the new Crown would give rise to a sepia monarchy, thereby restoring privileges (Hernández Les and Hidalgo, 1981: 9-13).
Obstacles soon appeared. e beginning of
Patrimonio nacional
would not be that of a triumphant Leguineche family returning
to the palace. In fact, they nd themselves rejected at rst by the unexpected (for the audience) owner of the place, Eugenia (Mary
Santpere), Countess of Santagón, who is nostalgic for the Francoist period. It is revealed that the Marquis’s partner in
La escopeta
nacional
was his mistress, and that his wife stayed in Madrid while he remained in the outskirts.
3.2.2. Dysfunctional nobility in a democracy
Patrimonio nacional
is founded on the internal conicts of the lineage (Casas, 2021: 59). It soon becomes clear that the marquis’s
wife has not been idle in her romantic life either, as she has a lover who is an former aviation ocer, Nacho (Alfredo Mayo), and
another aair with one of the servants, Goyo (José Lifante), which causes a scandal among those close to her.
As an actor, Luis Escobar found himself more comfortable in this sequel, as he was already quite familiar with the type of dialogue
used in the saga, and he was satised with the greater number of scenes in which he would star. Despite his initial fears, he reected
in his memoirs on how happy he had felt when in June of 1978, during a reception organised by Giscard D’Estaing, King Juan Carlos
and Queen Soa of Greece themselves congratulated him on his performance as the Marquis (Escobar, 2000).
He was also familiar with being in the spotlight, as he was one of the prominent personalities who attended the funeral of María José
Villapadierna, a descendant of the heirs to the Linares palace, on 25 October 1979.
We can observe various allusions to key events in contemporary Spanish politics. e Marquis and his son go to one of the main
gathering places of the jet set. It is no longer about hunting grounds. Now, it is the era of golf courses. ey will be looking for support
to turn their palace into a social attraction. Politicians, bankers, and businessmen are now the new elite (Villena, 2021: 198-199).
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Accused of having had a benecial relationship with the Franco regime, the marquis boasts at the meeting that Luis José had
participated in the famous
Contubernio de Munich
(Concubinage of Munich). is is a reference to the meeting in which all the anti-
Franco forces participated in the German city, with the exception of the Spanish Communist Party (which refused to participate),
where leaders such as Salvador de Madariaga stood out.
Naturally, in line with the immoral character of Luis José, it takes no time at all for the viewer to forget about the mistake when it
is revealed that he deceived his father and spent the money that was sent to him on other pleasures, like travelling to Paris, rather
than thinking about political activism. Ironically, Berlanga did indeed have a more direct link with some of those responsible for the
meeting, including names such as Satrústegui and Raúl Morodo (Gómez Rufo, 1997: 205-206).
He met them on the ight back to the Barajas Airport, and even feared that he would be included in the detentions for interrogation
that took place at the airport upon landing. However, it must have been known that the lmmaker was returning from several
festivals in Europe and had not taken sides in the sessions of the IV Congress of the European Movement, which was the real name
of the event, as the pejorative title of
Contubernio
(Concubinage) was merely Falangist propaganda.
As on many other occasions in the trilogy, we see the characters wandering in diverse circles with a monothematic position that is
neglected, as the focus is now being placed on the historical signicance resulting from the return of the monarchy (Perales, 1999:
77-81).
López Vázquez emphasised that both he and Luis Escobar had a much greater role in the sequel than in
La escopeta nacional
(Llorente, 2010: 243), highlighting the despicable deeds of both characters. During tours of the palace, despite claims by the Marquis
that he had never made a pact with the dictatorship, his Carlist military uniform is discovered in one of the chests, which he justies
by saying that it was the only way you were able to smoke in those days.
In the end, the two must join forces to regain control of the house, as Chus soon conspires with the Countess to demand that Luis
José return to their marital life. Capitalising on her aair with Goyo, father and son consider the idea of having the aristocrat declared
incompetent due to senility.
is wretched scheme to obtain the income of a relative would be repeated by Azcona and Berlanga in
Moros y cristianos
(Moors and
Christians) (1987). A recent study on the role of Law in their lms focuses on how the law in the Leguineche trilogy ironically reects
public and private corruption (Rivaya, 2019: 293-294).
Moreover, this statement is contrasted in the lms.
La escopeta nacional
uses Franco’s decrees as a reection of the use of ministerial
inuence and chicanery to obtain perks. Here the false testimony of Luis José and his father is an attempt to appropriate Eugenia’s
money, although they need the approval of a family council to do so. Even though they boast of having connections with the Queen
of England herself, they will only be able to convince one relative.
is new character, a nephew of the Leguineche family, would be none other than José Luis de Vilallonga, IX Marquis of Castellbell,
a suitable choice because of his familiarity with the aristocratic world, yet problematic as well due to his relationship with some
members of the cast. Luis Escobar had been reluctant to work with him after he had read some statements made by Vilallonga at the
end of 1979 in the magazine
Interviú
. e statements criticised Carmen Martínez Bordiu, who was Duchess of Cádiz at the time, and
a personal friend of Escobar.
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Vilallonga played the part of Álvaro, a playboy with a certain reputation abroad who came to Madrid looking to get his piece of the
pie from the declaration of incompetence. He was accompanied by Solange, his French wife. Berlanga agreed that Vilallonga’s wife
in real life, Syliane Stella, would play the role, which was nearly an opportunity for the couple to recreate their previous lifestyle, as
they were accustomed to the world of exclusives in publications such as
Hola
!
e procedure to le for guardianship of the Countess leads to a transcendental moment in the script where the transition of power
that has taken place in Spain is clearly presented. e protagonists go to a luxurious nancial institution (lmed at the
Banco
Internacional de Comercio
) where they try to gain access to Mrs. Leguineche’s accounts.
ere the Marquis will meet again with an old acquaintance, who has now become the bank manager. e old aristocrat will be
dismayed by the fact that the men of high nance have taken everything, while he has remained “faithful to the land”. Alejandro
Araoz, who would later become a member of Parliament and Director of the Bank of Spain, gave his authorisation for a sequence to
be lmed at the location, which is a satire of nancial coldness.
Any minimal progress in these shoddy negotiations is slowed down by the new scal reality, which his guileful nature does not
take into account. As noted by Rivaya (2019: 293), within the Berlanguian corpus there are only a few scenes more absurd than the
outrageous interview of the marquis and his son by the tax inspectors after decades of not paying taxes. e countess argues that in
Franco’s time, she was never troubled by such questions.
is is a climactic moment in the second instalment. With the entire family ready to leave by car to go to a bullght, where the king is
expected to attend, the Leguineche family receive a visit from Father Calvo, whom the Marquis has summoned, “because it’s always
good to have a priest nearby”. Along with him, there is an unwelcome visit by two inspectors, who claim that they have been trying
to contact the family for a long time.
is new relationship with the tax authorities was one of the most caricatured themes in the Spanish popular imaginary of the time.
One example that comes to mind is Manuel Vázquez’s comic strip that embodies all existing fears in the tax collectors (Vargas, 2011:
262); the fear of civil servants, red tape, and bureaucracy are typical of Berlanga (Cañas Pelayo, 2014: 155).
e Leguineche family claimed not to have contributed between 1931 and 1936 because of their aversion to the Second Republic.
After the civil war, their refusal to help the state coers was due to a feeling of panic that Franco would end up supporting the Axis
Forces, due to the clan’s links with the Queen of England. It goes on and on with an outlandish monologue by Escobar in which they
learn that a good part of these tax evasion crimes were hindered by the statute of limitations. Instead of paying the remainder, Luis
José resorts to bribery.
Finally, the son of the marquis is briey imprisoned for taking part in a demonstration, yet in reality, he was only trying to seduce one
of the activists. While the attempt to bribe public ocials does not result in any legal consequences, a brief protest against private
property does. As a reprimand, his father informs him that the girl he tried to seduce is unbalanced, and even worse, she is the
daughter of a man who shared his love life with a doll for years. Here Berlanga pays tribute to the character played by Michel Piccoli
in
Tamaño natural
(1974).
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3.2.3. Funeral services
During the month of September 1980 (Escobar, 2000), one of the nal scenes of
Patrimonio Nacional
was lmed in the palace stable.
We refer to the duel between the Marquis of Leguineche and Nacho, as both feel obligated to carry out the ght due to pressure from
the Countess. Outraged at the attempt to be declared incompetent, she forces her lover to challenge her husband to a duel.
With Luis José as the master of ceremonies and Father Calvo warning that they will be denied a sacred burial, the parody of the duel
takes place in which both men shoot into the air to “safeguard” their honour, but with the extreme misfortune that a stray bullet hits
the priest in the backside. is is the second accident of its kind, as we discover that in
La escopeta nacional
, Chus has problems
in one eye because of an incident involving Luis José, clearly hinting at the Fraga incident previously mentioned (Villena, 2021:
150-151).
From their respective balconies, the Countess of Santagón and Álvaro observe the situation, bewildered. While the latter states to
Solange that “in this country, you can’t come from abroad even to inherit”, the proprietress of the palace takes out her own shotgun
to nish o both men, but with the misfortune that the weapon is defective and explodes, killing her on the spot.
Segundo goes to the monarchs’ palace to report the news of the death. ere he is attended by one of the guards, a character who
reveals to the audience the fate of Jaume Canivell. According to this Royal House worker, the Catalan industrialist is installing
automatic doors to modernise the palace. In other words, he has nally achieved his goal. For this reason, we have armed that
the defeat bestowed on him by the critics in
La escopeta nacional
is questionable. It would be dierent on a moral level, which is
something that Berlanga himself emphasises in the way in which a businessman is forced to be attering (Franco, 2010: 181-182).
On a stylistic level, Berlanga experiments with sequence shots, highlighted by the way he places the camera on a wheeled platform
to slide it anxiously through the nooks and crannies of the palace during the funeral (Perales, 1999: 298).
One of the plot devices used to keep the spectator’s interest is the doubt as to whether the Spanish monarchs will attend the funeral.
e arrival of a helicopter arouses hopeful expectations in the palace, with the Marquis at the front line to receive the guests. e
frustration is evident when they discover that the visitor is Nacho, who has come with owers for the deceased. As in
La escopeta
nacional
, the satire is equally distant from real individuals. From the late-Francoist vision that exalts him as the guarantor of orderly
continuity (López Rodó, 1977), through the classics of foreign historiography (Carr, 2003, pp. 251), and nally arriving at the current
strict revisionism of his gure (Quintans, 2016), the role of Juan Carlos I during the
Transici
ó
n
is not directly addressed in the trilogy.
Instead, the focus is on mockery aimed at outdated court circles who make an atavistic document in the style of the
Manifesto de los
Persas
, which the Marquis of Leguineche signs.
e nal closing is an eloquent scene in which Goyo allows Japanese tourists to enter the palace to have their photographs taken
with the Marquis. Together with his son, they are heralded as the “end of the saga” in a compelling epilogue where the old nobility is
conned to the role of a tourist attraction (Gómez Rufo, 1997: 383-385).
e lm received fairly modest reviews, although the reception by the public was once again high. It remained in cinemas from 30
March 1981 to 4 June of the same year, (Perales, 1999: 298).
In his notes from May of 1981 (Escobar, 2000), the Marquis of the Marismas mentioned feeling uncomfortable with the scene in
which Amparo Soler Leal’s character momentarily wins Luis José back by performing fellatio on him in the style that Solange had
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taught her, thereby obtaining his promise to go with her to
Extremadura
, the region from which she hails. Nevertheless, the lm was
selected to participate in the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, even though it did not win an award. Luis Escobar received the second
highest number of votes just after the trans-alpine actor Ugo Tognazzi.
3.3. e rise of the socialist party: Nacional III
Along with his artistic work, Berlanga combined his profession during those years with a post as Director of
Filmoteca
. He remained
there until 1982, although what lingered in the popular imaginary was the peculiar way in which he learned of his dismissal.
Shortly after the premiere of
La escopeta nacional
¸ José García Moreno, Director of Cinematography during the UCD government,
invited him to be in charge of
Filmoteca
. Even though there were complications and problems, on dierent occasions Berlanga
claimed to have enjoyed the experience, and he hosted dierent projects for the revival of regional lms and the organisation of
festivals before his unexpected dismissal (Gómez Rufo, 1997: 215).
With the triumph of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (
PSOE
), a series of changes took place in the organisational chart
of
Filmoteca
that ended up aecting Berlanga himself, especially due to the innovative focus sought by Pilar Miró, who was the
new General Director of Cinematography (Franco, 2005: 190-193). At a public event, Minister Javier Solana greeted the Valencian
lmmaker eusively and casually told him that he had signed something in the director’s name, but he could not remember exactly
what it was. According to the director himself, it was Pilar Miró who armed that the document Solana had signed was Berlanga’s
own dismissal (Gómez Rufo, 1997: 23).
He could not resist recreating this misunderstanding in
Todos a la cárcel
(Everyone to jail) (1993), though without any direct political
references. Contrary to the widespread, long-standing opinion of analysts such as Jorge Semprún, a new school of thought insists
that Berlanga’s work always aims at costumbrist comedy and reections of everyday life rather than political issues (Morán, 2017:
620). In any case, the fear that existed among the old ruling elite regarding the triumph of the PSOE at the polls (Paredes, 2022: 932-
947) was exploited by Berlanga and Azcona for what would be the nal adventure for the Leguineche family.
3.3.1. Failed coup attempt
At the beginning of
Nacional III
, the Leguineche family no longer live in their palace, but in a at with more modest dimensions,
where they still keep relics such as the urn of
Santa Irena de Roissi
. e lm crew found a location for the protagonists’ new home
at 26
Alfonso XII
Street. Luis Escobar recalled the scenes lmed there in May of 1982, pointing out that the property was owned by
Marita Morbecq (Escobar, 2000).
e rst act is set on the morning of 24 February 1981, in the nal moments of Lieutenant-Colonel Tejero’s failed coup attempt on
the Congress of Deputies in an eort to restore the old Francoist model of government (Perales, 1999: 300). Father Calvo watches the
attempted coup with great enthusiasm, while Luis José is seen in an X-rated cinema (Casas, 2021: 61).
Again, this was no coincidence. Berlanga perfectly depicted the uncertainty that he had personally felt as a result of the events in the
Congress of Deputies on 23F. Curiously, he was dubbing
Patrimonio nacional
when his production manager burst into the room to
tell them the news (Gómez Rufo, 1997: 209-210). e Valencian director stopped all activity, picked up his wife, and headed home,
recalling the strange calm and vacuum of power that seemed to preside over the Spanish capital.
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Nevertheless, his portrayal of the failed coup attempt is utterly supercial, as it was only used in the plot to open the lm. ere is
a gag about Chus’s father having died shortly after getting his hopes up about the alleged return of the old regime. e Leguineche
family decide to go to
Extremadu
ra for the funeral of Luis José’s father-in-law, seeking to prot nancially from the inheritance,
despite the fact that on his last visit, the son-in-law ed in a truckload of pigs.
As previously seen in
Patrimonio Nacional
, the nancial pressures are obvious, as the viewer sees how Chus coerced the servant
Goyo into revealing where the servants had hidden the family jewels during the assault on the palace by “the reds” during the civil
war.
When they reach
Extremadura
, the chicanery starts again. Luis José achieves his long-awaited reconciliation, something that Father
Calvo takes advantage of to attack the divorce movement. e clergyman reects a controversial issue of the time, which was the
acclaimed law that allowed marital separation (Caballero Gea, 1982).
However, the reconciliation takes place for spurious reasons. Luis José wants to be able to sell all his father-in-law’s possessions for
cash, and we later learn that Chus is pregnant from another relationship.
3.3.2. e great ight
e capital ight by former elites was not a new issue for the members of the cast. Luis Escobar recorded in his notes on April of 1978
the sadness he felt at the episode involving Carmen Villaverde, who was discovered at the Barajas Airport checkpoints with gold
medals and diamonds, which were gifts that had been given to Franco by various town halls (Escobar, 2000). Her purpose was to
take the precious stones to Geneva.
Nacional III
tries to place the Leguineche family in this endeavour, as they are determined to nd a tax haven for the money they
have left. Even Father Calvo is involved in a preposterous negotiation with a religious order that allegedly conceals such matters.
Technically speaking, Berlanga’s approach on this occasion is to make extensive use of the Steadicam with a tendency to look for
wide open spaces. e choreography of the successive ensemble dialogues was specically revealed to the cast in order to facilitate
the camera work (Valdés, 1982: 26-31). e lm reprises the situations of its predecessors (Perales, 1999: 300-307).
A unique love triangle develops between the Marquis, Viti, and Segundo, who is Viti’s husband. Chus Lampreave had been playing
the part of this servant from the rst instalment of the trilogy, yet she takes a much more prominent role in this lm. After living
together for a year, she becomes the aristocrat’s real administrator and caretaker. Nevertheless, the nobleman tries to make a deal
with Segundo so they can avoid a divorce.
By making use of old friends (most notably Paulita, played by María Luisa Ponte), the Leguineche family have an interview with a
courier (Francisco Merino), who agrees to take their undeclared income to Miami.
Beforehand, there are inferences to the period, such as the business that Luis José wants to set up to take advantage of the 1982 World
Cup by trying to patent the “World Cup Menu”, which is nothing more than a simple dish of
paella
. is is a continuation of the ideas
he had already been pursuing in
Patrimonio nacional
, including the outlandish use of Goya’s portrait,
La familia de Carlos IV
, in
order to convert it into the picture of a football team (Villena, 2021: 198).
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Unable to understand the workings of the black market, the family tries to take advantage of the steady stream of pilgrims to Lourdes
in order to hide the clan’s precious stones in plaster. On this occasion, they cannot rely on the support of Segundo, who is in a new
relationship and has set up a sleazy sex shop with a partner, which also reects the mentality of “taking the lid o” during those years.
Berlanga had not touched on the phenomenon of apparitions and miracles since
Los jueves, milagro
. However, the satire and
mockery in these scenes, lmed in the Estación del Norte of Madrid (Perales, 1999: 302-303), is always directed at the Marquis and
his son, who are capable of taking advantage of religious faith for selsh ends. Meanwhile, Chus carries other goods in the car, and is
hardly ustered by a brief police check, which reects the fact that all the eorts of her father-in-law and husband have been in vain.
López Vázquez would later recall the diculty of lming in that situation (Llorente, 2010: 247-248).
Once they arrived in France, they tried to contact Álvaro, who at the time was separated from Solange and living with his mother.
e place chosen to shoot this part of the lm in the summer of 1982 was the town of Biarritz. e plot benets from this situation in
maintaining continuity, as the Marquis had managed to enlist his nephew in declaring Eugenia incompetent in
Patrimonio Nacional
by promising him the possessions she has there.
e Crystal Palace in
El Retiro
Park became an improvised French casino during the lming (Perales, 1999: 303). ere the Leguineche
family would see that their tragic political destiny was going to continue, as it is announced to the delight of the waiters that François
Mitterrand has won the elections.
A tragi-comic diaspora ensues in which the marquis hopes to return to Madrid with Viti’s help, while Luis José and Álvaro pretend to
be in an accident to hide the money and jewels on their way to Florida. is time, the reviews and box oce takings were the lowest
of the saga (Gómez Rufo, 1997: 387-388).
Be that as it may, the lm was the most satisfying for Luis Escobar at the end of the shooting, as he stated that Berlanga had carried
out a production on a par with Fellini (Escobar, 2000). e rst installment,
La escopeta nacional
, was also distributed abroad in
November of 1983, and was well received at the New York Spanish Film Week.
4. Results and discussion: a thwarted sequel and lines of research
Berlanga and Azcona wrote a fourth script about the Leguineche saga with the provisional title of
Nacional IV
. What is known about
this instalment is that the protagonism of the marquis would be even greater than in the previous lms, so the death of Luis Escobar
in 1991 was a big setback for the project. Key collaborators such as Sol Carnicero, the competent head of production, had already
been informed about the situation (Villena, 2021: 202-203).
In spite of this, producer Andrés Vicente Gómez expressed interest in rewriting the script in which Jorge Berlanga, one of the
director’s sons, would perform. Manuel Hidalgo was oered the job of creating an adaptation, which included several meetings with
Luis Berlanga himself at the
Hotel Suecia
(Alegre, 2009: 57-58).
e potential lm was renamed ¡Viva Rusia!, as it was intended to link the Leguineche family with the fraudulent, aspiring heirs to
the Tsar, who were trying to take advantage of the dissolution of the USSR. New characters were to be added, such as one of the nieces
of the marquis, who had served as a missionary in Africa, in addition to having the main characters take part in a safari.
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Even so, production of the fourth instalment never materialised. No matter how many changes were made, the absence of Escobar
as the Marquis of Leguineche aected at least one of the characters that made up the core of the plot. Moreover, problems could be
foreseen, such as the high cost of the production, scheduling diculties due to the large ensemble cast, and the ups and downs of
the Berlanga-Azcona collaboration.
Later, Hidalgo recalled that the afterword to all of this was the refusal by the ministry on two occasions to grant a subsidy for the lm,
even though the plot received positive reviews (Lamet, 1996: 12-14).
Nevertheless, this universe would be alluded to once again in Berlanga’s subsequent lmography. us, he developed another
project,
La vaquilla
(1985), which would have been impossible to screen during the dictatorship, in which soldiers from the
Republican Zone inltrate the Nationalist Territory during the war. It was a satire about the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), which
included dierent characters, including an old marquis.
e role of this antiquated aristocrat, who was putting pressure on the Francoist commanders in his area to recover his lands, would
be played by Luis Escobar. Yet in the end, it was not possible. Nevertheless, it is easy to envision his imprint on Adolfo Marsillach’s
characterisation. In fact, one wonders why they did not try to foster the sense of a shared universe by connecting his trilogy with
La
vaquilla
, which is something that would have been easy to do if they had related this nobleman to his bloodline.
We must lament this circumstance, given the fact that without denying at any time the relevance of the Marquis, played unforgettably
by Luis Escobar in
La escopeta nacional
, we had already observed that the saga might be ceding protagonism, as Canivell ends
up passing the torch to his aristocratic hosts. A continuation of the Leguineche lineage over time would have allowed Berlanga to
maintain these characters within his social dissection, which was proven not to depend on the miseries of Franco’s regime, but
instead found ironic accommodation in Spanish society during the Transition (Casas, 2021: 35-38).
For some time now (Galindo, 2012: 152-162), new research has focused interest in comparing Berlanga’s lms during the Franco
regime with the presumed softening of his works after the dictatorial period. Nevertheless, the interrelation of these cinematic
plots with the socio-political context of the time not only shows that he maintained his validity, but also that he anticipated many
problems and dilemmas that linger in Spain today.
5. Acknowledgements
is article has been translated by Charles Edmond Arthur.
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