The Penitentes
Cast & Crew
John Conway
Orrin Johnson
Seena Owen
Paul Gilmore
Irene Hunt
Josephine Crowell
Film Details
Synopsis
In a seventeenth century New Mexico village, after Indians attack and kill everyone except two monks and a baby named Manuel, the neighboring Penitentes, a violent, fanatical Catholic sect, lay claim to all property, including the estate belonging to Manuel's family. Years later, during a regional fiesta, Father David, the local religious leader, notices the striking Manuel, now grown, and questions the Penitentes' chief about his background. Fearing exposure, the chief induces his followers to choose Manuel as their annual sacrificial victim, to be crucified on the upcoming Good Friday. Dolores, Manuel's sweetheart, attempts to sway him from the group, but he insists on participating in the ceremony. At the urging of Father David, Colonel Banca orders his troops to stop the ceremony, and Manuel narrowly escapes crucifixion. Later, the confession of one of the old monks reveals the true identity and heritage of Manuel.
Director
John Conway
Cast
Orrin Johnson
Seena Owen
Paul Gilmore
Irene Hunt
Josephine Crowell
F. A. Turner
Charles Clary
A. D. Sears
Dark Cloud
Film Details
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
One pre-production article lists Harry Hann, Joseph Henabery and Edward Warren as cast members. According to one pre-release article, Charles F. Lummis, an historian and author, was hired to assist with details of staging in this film. A period Mexican village was recreated in Chatsworth Park, north of Los Angeles. Working titles for this film include The Penitent and The Penitents.
