Santiago (1956)

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Santiago, is a 1956 American Warnercolor adventure film directed by Gordon Douglas and starring Alan Ladd, Rossana Podestà and Lloyd Nolan. It is set in 1898 Cuba against the background of the Cuban War of Independence. Martin Rackin wrote the screenplay, based on his unpublished novel, as well as producing the film. Ladd also co-produced the film that was made and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Production

The project was first announced in July 1955 and was originally known as The Greater Courage. It was based on an unpublished novel by Martin Rackin, who also acted as producer. Although Ladd had his own production company, Jaguar Productions, who released movies through Warner Bros. Pictures, he made this movie for Warners solely as actor.

"The principal difficulty, whether you take a salary from a studio or are in business for yourself, is finding the right story", said Ladd. "Once the story is set, the operation follows a pattern, so you may as well own a piece of the negative – even if you have to beg, borrow or steal to get your hands on it."

Martin Rackin hired John Twist to work on the script. Female lead Rossana Podestà had just made Helen of Troy.

The jungle set cost $125,000. The film's sets were designed by the art director Edward Carrere.

The celebrated Cuban poet, philosopher, and revolutionary patriot José Martí (Ernest Sarracino) also makes an appearance, although the real Martí had been dead and buried for three years by 1898, when this yarn takes place. We never see Antonio Maceo Grajales, the high-ranking liberation fighter supposedly waiting for the munitions in the Cuban village of Santiago, but again, the actual Maceo died in battle near the end of 1896.

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