“The Man Who Shook the Hand of Vicente Fernandez” is an entertaining tale about an iron-willed retiree who becomes a local hero when he leads a revolt against a dishonest landlord at an old-age home.
The role of the upstart (a former disc jockey and radio personality) happens to be played by the seasoned pro Ernest Borgnine.
What makes the film so distinguishable is the fact that it was Mr. Borgnine’s last bow on screen before he passed to spirit.
Now that the film is in release, the director – Elia Petridis – is inclined to sing the celebrated actor’s praises and offer up a memorable anecdote or two about the actor.
“Ernest never left the set. He wouldn’t be caught dead in his trailer. At ninety-four he recounted to us that Jimmy Stewart had an ethic to always be on hand, near the camera, ready to shoot. And if it was good enough for Jimmy, it was good enough for him,” Petridis noted for the record.
According to the filmmaker, Borgnine - in spite of his elder years - was always tireless, spirited, and devoted to every moment of the work.
In sum, the consummate professional set the watermark and a devotional tone for the whole shoot.
By the way, when the director stumbled on the title for the feature, it was a eureka moment.
The title derives from the fact that Borgnine’s character once shook the hand of Vicente Fernandez who happened to be an icon of the character's neighbors at the Rancho Park community where the action takes place.
The director refers to the project as a homage to the spaghetti western.
“I wanted to mythologize the western. Where the genre hereto concerned itself with the white man taming America’s infant wilderness by the way of taming the savages and natives of the west, this film was about the modern wilderness taming the white man,” he noted with sincerity.
Petridis is proud of the fact that the star’s final performance was captured on glorious 35mm celluloid befitting one of the “great giants” of the industry.
Ernest Borgnine was born on January 24th in 1917 in Hamden (Connecticut).
After a short stint in the Navy (where he rose to the rank of Gunner’s Mate 1st Class) he enrolled in the Randall School of Dramatic Arts in Hartford. From there, he proceeded to carve out a niche for himself at the famous Barter Theatre in Virginia.
A role in a Broadway production of “Harvey” essentially launched his career.
Borgnine is probably best-known for his remarkable performance in the film “From Here to Eternity” in the role of Sergeant Fatso Judson and for his Oscar-winning turn as a Bronx butcher in “Marty”.
In the 60’s, the actor tried his acting chops in the arena of broad comedy and “McHale’s Navy” was the end result.
Because of that role, Borgnine’s face –and name - became instantly recognizable around the globe.
All in all, the talented thespian appeared in approximately 200 films over the years.
Borgnine was also a man of “letters”.
The articulate performer received Honorary Doctorates of Humane Letters from three major Institutions.
The Screen Actors Guild honored Mr. Borgnine with a Lifetime Achievement Award in January (2011).
The much-loved "artist" died of kidney failure in July of this year.
A review of the film – "The Man Who Shook the Hand of Vicente Fernandez” – will follow.
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