Sol Madrid

Sol Madrid
Original film poster
Directed by	Brian G. Hutton
Screenplay by	David Karp
Based on	Fruit of the Poppy 1965 novel by Robert Wilder
Produced by	Hall Bartlett Elliott Kastner Jerry Gershwin (uncredited)
Starring	David McCallum Telly Savalas Ricardo Montalbán
Cinematography	Fred J. Koenekamp
Edited by	John McSweeney, Jr.
Music by	Lalo Schifrin
Production companies	Hall Bartlett Pictures Inc. Gershwin-Kastner Productions
Distributed by	MGM
Release date	February 7, 1968 (1968-02-07)
Running time	90 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Sol Madrid is a 1968 American action film produced by MGM and starring David McCallum, Stella Stevens, Telly Savalas, and Rip Torn. Pat Hingle, Paul Lukas, and Ricardo Montalbán appear in support. It was directed by Brian G. Hutton and filmed in Acapulco. Based on the 1965 novel Fruit of the Poppy by Robert Wilder, it was released in the UK as The Heroin Gang and in Australia as The Secret File of Sol Madrid.

Plot

A half a million dollars is stolen from the American Mafia by its bookkeeper Harry Mitchell, who splits it with capo di tutti capo Dano Villanova's girlfriend Stacey Woodward. Each goes separately into hiding.

Sol Madrid, an undercover US government narc, is assigned to find the pair, hoping to persuade Mitchell to testify against organized crime in court.

Madrid finds Woodward first, and, posing as the high-level drug dealer, takes her to Acapulco. Madrid approaches big time heroin dealer Dietrich and proposes going into business together, offering to smuggle Dietrich's drugs into the US for half the profits. Dietrich is playing host to Mitchell.

Americ law official Jalisco, a Mexican native, is assigned to help Madrid.

When Woodward's whereabouts are discovered by Villanova, Madrid relocate her to his yacht for safety. Villanova tracks her there, has her kidnapped, and in revenge for both her leaving him and ending up with half the stolen money, shoots her up with dope until she becomes an addict.

Dietrich expels Mitchell, who is followed and killed. At Madrid's request, Mexican authorities conduct a major raid on Dietrich's home, who is killed during it by Madrid.

Jalisco proves to be a double crosser, out for himself. Madrid kills him in cold blood.

Madrid pursues Villanova, and vice versa. Madrid drowns Villanova at the end of a running fight together.

Madrid visits Woodward in a recovery facility and apologizes for getting her more involved in Villanova's takedown than he intended.

Cast

• David McCallum as Sol Madrid
• Stella Stevens as Stacey Woodward
• Telly Savalas as Emil Dietrich
• Ricardo Montalbán as Jalisco (credited as Ricardo Montalban)
• Rip Torn as Dano Villanova
• Pat Hingle as Harry Mitchell
• Paul Lukas as Capo Riccione
• Michael Ansara as Capt. Ortega
• Michael Conrad as Scarpi

Soundtrack

Sol Madrid
Soundtrack album by Lalo Schifrin
Released	1968
Recorded	November 9 & 10, 1967 MGM Scoring Stage, Culver City, California
Genre	Film score
Length	28:22
Labels	MGM SE 4541 ST
Producer	Jesse Kaye
Lalo Schifrin chronology
Cool Hand Luke (1967) Sol Madrid (1968) The Fox (1968)

The film score was composed by Lalo Schifrin and the soundtrack album was released on the MGM label in 1968. An expanded edition of the soundtrack was released on by Film Score Monthly in 2010 as part of the five CD box set The Cincinnati Kid: Lalo Schifrin Film Scores Vol. 1 (1964-1968).

Track listing

All compositions by Lalo Schifrin

1. "Sol Madrid (Main Theme)" - 2:00
2. "Fiesta" - 1:35
3. "Stacey's Bolero" - 2:36
4. "The Burning Candle" - 2:25
5. "Adagietto" - 2:50
6. "Sol Madrid (Main Theme)" - 1:55
7. "The Golden Trip" - 2:35
8. "Charanga" - 2:20
9. "El Patio" - 2:25
10. "Villanova's Villa" - 2:10
11. "Bolero #2" - 2:07
12. "Villanova's Chase" - 2:07

Personnel

• Lalo Schifrin - composer, conductor
• Laurindo Almeida - guitar
• Robert Armbruster - orchestra conductor
• George del Barrio - orchestration

External links

• Sol Madrid at IMDb 
• Sol Madrid at the TCM Movie Database (archived)
• Sol Madrid at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films