Behold A Pale Horse
Original Theatrical poster
Directed by	Fred Zinnemann
Produced by	Fred Zinnemann
Written by	J.P. Miller , Emeric Pressburger (novel)
Starring	Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, Omar Sharif
Release date(s)	1964
Running time	118 mins.
Language	English
IMDb profile

Behold A Pale Horse is a film loosely based on the life of the Spanish anarchist guerrilla, Francisco Sabaté Llopart‎. Released in 1964, the film stars Gregory Peck and Anthony Quinn. The film is the story of a Spanish guerrilla exiled in France after the Spanish Civil War returning to Spain to visit his mother. Fred Zinnemann (April 29, 1907—March 14, 1997) was a noted film director. ... Fred Zinnemann (April 29, 1907—March 14, 1997) was a noted film director. ... Emeric Pressburger in Paris. ... Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an Oscar-winning American film actor. ... Anthony Quinn Anthony Quinn (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001) was a two-time Academy Award-winning Mexican-American actor, as well as a painter and writer. ... Omar Sharif (Arabic: عمر الشريف; April 10, 1932), also known as Omar al-Sharif or Omar Ash-Sharif, is an Egyptian-born actor (of Lebanese and Syrian origin) who has starred in many Hollywood films. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Anarchism has historically gained the most support and influence in Spain, especially in the seventy or so years before Francisco Francos victory in the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939. ... Francisco Sabaté Llopart (March 30, 1915 LHospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain – January 5, 1960 Sant Celoni, Catalonia, Spain), also known as El Quico, was a Spanish libertarian anarchist involved in the resistance against the fascist regime of Franco. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an Oscar-winning American film actor. ... Anthony Quinn Anthony Quinn (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001) was a two-time Academy Award-winning Mexican-American actor, as well as a painter and writer. ... Combatants Spanish Republic With the support of: Soviet Union Spanish Nationalists With the support of: Fascist Italy Nazi Germany Commanders Manuel Azaña Francisco Largo Caballero Juan Negrín Francisco Franco Casualties Hundreds of thousands The Spanish Civil War, which lasted from July 17, 1936 to April 1, 1939, was...

Plot

Opening on shots from the Spanish Civil War, and a line of Spanish refugees crossing the border into France after defeat by the Francoists, we see Manuel Artiguez turn away from the border and back towards Spain. But his friends stop him, saying "Manuel, the war is over!". The story returns twenty years later, to a young boy named Paco, who asks a man named Pedro why Artiguez has stopped his guerrilla raids against the Francoists in Spain. Pedro sends Paco into France to find his uncle and Artiguez. When Paco finds Artiguez, he tells him he wants him to kill Viñolas, a Francoist police officer, for killing his father. Paco lets Artiguez know that his father was killed because he wouldn't tell the police where to find Artiguez. Meanwhile, Viñolas has learned that Artiguez's mother is dying, and sets a trap at the hospital to capture Artiguez, presuming that he will come to see his mother. In return for information about the layout of the hospital and surrounding area, Paco tells Artiguez to "bump into Viñolas" for him. After Viñolas has laid his trap, Artiguez's mother dies (after asking a priest to warn her son not to come), but Viñolas sends a spy to convince Artiguez otherwise, and to come visit her. When the priest shows up at Artiguez's house, he's out, so the priest tells Paco to pass on the message that his mother is dead, and not to go to San Martin. But, for his selfish reasons, Paco rips up the letter and doesn't pass on the message. Afterwards, Paco recognizes the man (Carlos) in Artiguez's house as an informer, and tells Artiguez about the priest's message. Trying to clear up the mess, Artiguez takes Paco and Carlos to Lourdes to find the priest, but he's not there, and they let Carlos go. However, on the way back, they see the priest, and take him to Artiguez's house. When Carlos returns for his rucksack, he senses the trap, and escapes. After much internal debate, Artiguez then decides to go to San Martin anyway, presumably with the mission of killing Viñolas. Once in San Martin, Artiguez encounters a Francoist sniper on the roof of the hospital, and attacks him, sending him to his death. However, once inside the hospital, he kills a few officers, but is finally shot himself. Francisco Franco Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco y Bahamonde Salgado Pardo de Andrade (December 4, 1892 – November 20, 1975), abbreviated Francisco Franco Bahamonde and sometimes known as Generalísimo Francisco Franco, was dictator of Spain from 1939 until his death in 1975. ...

See also

Killing a Mouse on Sunday, the novel the film was based on, by E. Pressburger