Well, it's good to know not only Britain can make dire 'B' movies. In this film it seems the Spaniards can come a cropper, too. 'El Nino y el Lobo' (1966) about a boy who helps some Franciscan monks build a church in the 13th century has a probably interesting storyline - if there were English subtitles! The adult actors are wooden and from what I could make out, the monks/friars were at least adept at felling trees. However, there is a lot of dialogue and my knowledge of Spanish is zilch. Didier plays Cotolay, a very pleasant and friendly boy who soon attracts the attention of some Franciscan monks (well he would, wouldn't he?) travelling to his village.
The film is saved from falling through the floor by the charming French boy actor, Didier Haudepin, a charm reflected in his acting. His superb reactive acting and expressions prove his wonderful ability. However, just to complicate matters, Didier is speaking Spanish which brings in the Big Question: Is Didier actually speaking or was he dubbed? If the latter, then the director, J A Nieves Conde, should have been put in the stocks for daring to besmirch His Glorious Cinematic Highness, Didier Haudepin - All Hail!
My DVD was relatively cheap which might be the reason I strongly suspect it has been cut as some of the scenes end rather abruptly. The picture quality is not of the best, either. This was proved when I saw a clip on Youtube which was clear and sharp. Whoever was responsible for the soundtrack 'music' should have gone in the stocks as well for writing such crash, bang, wallop rubbish.
Didier must have been 14 when he made Cotolay and it shows. You can see the onset of adolescence just beginning. Good looking and wearing a rather short 'skirt' he shows off his legs to great effect! He is truly one of the great boy actors but his talents were sadly wasted on this film.
I give the film 5 stars but only for Didier's illustrious presence.
So, who has seen this film and what's the whys and wherefores?