Contra la corriente
Cast & Crew
José Caraballo
Luana Alcañiz
Alma Real
Ramón Guerrero
Marina Ortiz
Luis Díaz Flores
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
At the 1932 Olympic games in Los Angeles, Rosalía Martin, a wealthy, local society girl, is attracted to Argentina's swimming champion, Alberto Dortel, who wins the world championship. Rosalía's suitor, Carlos Marco, introduces the two, and when Rosalía invites Alberto to a cocktail party at her home, he shyly refuses. The next day, his friend, through a prank, gets Alberto to enter the house, and Rosalía brings him into the party. He comes the following day to give her a swimming lesson, and they engage in a serious conversation about life. Later, Rosalía suggests that they go to a nightclub, but Alberto says he does not have enough money to take her there and will not allow her to treat him. Instead, they dance to music from the club over the radio and embrace. She kisses him and he tries to tell her that he loves her, but she asks him not to talk about it until the next day. Alberto returns to the Olympic Village and finds out that his team is to leave the next evening. The next day, Alberto tells Rosalía that he must leave and confesses that he also loves her. He worries that his poverty will stand in the way of their love, and before he boards his train, Rosalía gives him a book of love poems. Alberto, however, decides to remain in Los Angeles and surprises Rosalía as she returns to her limousine. Rosalía's father, realizing the two are in love, gives Alberto a job as a chauffeur without her knowledge. He and Rosalía almost have a collision one day, and when she realizes his position, she angrily says he should get another one. Her father then sees that Alberto is the type of man he wants for Rosalía and suggests that they marry. After the wedding, they honeymoon in Paris and London, then return to Los Angeles. Following the birth of their child, Alberto and Rosalía drift apart, as he does not care for her social life and spends much time working. At a party in their home, after an argument between Rosalía and Alberto, Carlos tries to flirt with her. Alberto then tells his father-in-law that he wants to give Rosalía her freedom. Greatly upset, Mr. Martin tells his daughter, who cries on his shoulder when she realizes Alberto's feelings. Rosalía complains that Alberto never forbids her to do anything or go anywhere and wonders why her husband does not slap her once in awhile. Meanwhile, in a nightclub, Alberto overhears Carlos brag to two of his pals that he will be able to win Rosalía in a week. Alberto punches Carlos, and soon the police break up their fight. Rosalía wants to ask her husband's forgiveness, but he does not come home because he is jailed. The next day, they argue and he slaps her. Rosalía then cries, and when he threatens divorce, she begs him on her knees to stay. They embrace, and she puts a note on the door saying that the house is quarantined for smallpox, so that they can be alone together.
Cast
José Caraballo
Luana Alcañiz
Alma Real
Ramón Guerrero
Marina Ortiz
Luis Díaz Flores
Nena Sandoval
Carmen Samaniego
Luz F. Morán
John Pérez
Corazón Montes
José Peña "pepet"
Crew
Profesor Juan Aguilar
Jerry Ash
Ethel Davey
Ramón Novarro
Ramón Novarro
Ramón Novarro
Ramón Novarro
Ernesto Piedra
Antonio Samaniego
Eduardo Samaniego
Edward Snyder
Stephen Stepanian
Karl Zint
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
One reel was missing from the print viewed. Some plot information was taken from a synopsis in the copyright descriptions. News items refer to this film under its English-language title Against the Current. This was actor Ramón Novarro's first film as a producer, director and writer. According to a Film Daily news item, this was to be the first of six of Novarro's productions, and he originally planned to shoot it at the old Tiffany studios. Eventually the film was shot at the Talisman studios over a sixteen-day shooting period. Additional photography took place in and around Los Angeles. Final dubbing occurred in mid-July under Novarro's supervision. Sources disagree concerning the cost. A New York Times article states that Novarro spent $200,000, while the Hollywood Reporter review says the film had a "reputed cost of $60,000." According to Film Daily, José Caraballo was the champion swimmer of Argentina and Spain, and Luana Alcañiz was a premier Spanish dancer. The Hollywood Reporter review noted that preceding the picture, Novarro appeared on screen to give a tribute to Rex Ingram, the director who discovered him, and to ask his audience to support Contra la corriente. According to New York Times, Novarro planned for the premiere to take place in the small Mexican town in which he spent his boyhood. No information has been located, however, concerning any showing of the film before its opening in New York in March 1936, other than a private preview in August 1935. The film had its Los Angeles premiere on July 24, 1936, with Novarro making a personal appearance. According to an ad, the film was distributed in South America by Radio Films, S.A.E. It is not known if RKO was involved in the distribution of the film in the U.S. Although the copyright register states that the film is eleven reels in length, the print at the Library of Congress is ten reels and does not contain Novarro's introductory dedication. In a July 1935 New York Times article, Novarro indicated that he was happy to be free from studio obligations and that he had just written a play critical of Hollywood.
