Reel

Biography of Fidel Castro Ruz. Great 20th century historical & cultural footage of Cuba. Covers Batista's coup in 1933 & subsequent rise to power, Cuban Revolution of 1959, Bay of Pigs, Cuban Missile Crisis, etc.

LS enormous Cuban flag hanging from building, large crowd gathered in Havana to celebrate Castro's coup d' etat. TLS of FIDEL CASTRO throwing hat from balcony while surrounded by entourage. TLS Cuban crowd exuberantly waving sheets & Cuban flags in the air; MS/CUs men & women yelling happily, smiling, celebrating, cheering. L/a MS several M-14 assault rifles hoisted into air. CUs Fidel Castro delivering a fiery speech, night; angry and defiant.

DO NOT USE Opening credits and introductory comments.

Est shots of downtown Havana, Cuba, 1920s/1930s: buildings & hotels by El Malecon, Capital Building (El Capitolio), crowds in streets, etc. MS several politicians in light suits hugging and greeting each other. Panning MS several young men looking tired, hungry, angry. H/a LSs crowds running along streets, fleeing mob violence. MS dead body in street, tilt up to several Cuban soldiers gloating over it.

TLSs several U.S. battleships in docked in harbor, sailors cleaning bow on one warship. MS host of U.S. sailors & marines getting off a boat, stepping onto dock. MSs Cuban night club signs (shot during the day): Sam Souci Nite Club Casino; Tropicana. MS uniformed US sailors sitting & drinking beer at an outdoor bar; CU sailor sporting waxed moustache & manicured goatee sipping beer, winking to pal. LS/MSs rural Cuban peasant farmers toiling in cane field, harvesting sugar cane with machetes.

DO NOT USE Archival still of Castro as a young, fancy, rich boy.

MS/CUs Cuban dictator GERARDO MACHADO standing outside, chatting with non-Cuban military officers. Machado regime is toppled by Army coup, September 1933: TLSs crowds gathered in streets, supporting a general strike in Havana; TLSs crowds running from state police, some being beaten; TLSs street riots, Cubans looting, destroying, ransacking palatial home of Machado; MS man walking with chandalier; MS man carrying mattress along street; TLSs men tossing ransacked items from balcony of Heraldo de Cuba to crowd on street; MS two men destroying relief of Machado w/ hammers; TLSs street celebrations after Muchado is overthrown; MSs young Sgt. Major FULGENCIO BATISTA smiling with comrades, wiping his sweaty brow; panning MS victorious Cuban Army soldiers kneeling with rifles; MSs Batista with Dr. RAMON GRAU SAN MARTIN; CU President Martin saying cabinet & stable government is forming.

Traveling TLS Cuban cavalry charging during maneuvers; MS Colonel FULGENCIO BATISTA & aides watching. MS Col. Batista pinning medal on officer. MSs two unidentified Cuban Presidents (1934-1940). MS thuggish Col. Batista standing w/ soldiers, smoking cigarette. MSs Cuban military tribunal in session, man pleading case to officers. Est shot political prison on Isle of Pines; TLS prisoners walking down stairs, along aisles inside jail; TLSs convicts walking in files in yard. TLS/MSs US soldiers & Cuban sailors searching men at checkpoints on streets of Havana. MS/TLSs Batista playing with birds outside greenhouse; TLS Batista riding bicycle w/ young woman; TLS/MSs Batista playing with his children on patio of noble home. Election of 1940: MS "Coalition Socialista Democratica" poster at rally; MS Batista speechifying; TLS banners hanging from rafters designating Liberal, Nationalist, Democratic, Communist factions; TLS/MSs people standing in hot sun outside polling place, women fanning themselves; MS Fulgencio Batista casting his vote; TLS/MSs Batista, flanked by cronies, waving to large outdoor crowd.

DO NOT USE Still of 16 yr old Fidel Castro, 1942. Stillls of Castro playing basketball, participating in a debate. Still of moustachioed Castro as law student, 1945.

Montage of the 1948 Inter-American Conference in Bogota, Colombia: ext & int shots of venue; MS/CUs Secretary of State GEORGE MARSHALL at meeting, donning headphones; LS/MSs protests on streets of Bogota.

Batista regains power through army revolt (coup), 1952: TLS/MSs Cuban soldiers patroling Havana streets in tanks & armored vehicles; MSs heavily armed soldiers; MS/CUs President FULGENCIO BATISTA wearing white suit, flanked by cronies, giving speech; h/a TLSs large outdoor crowds. LS three USAF F-94 Starfire jet fighters flying at military show in Havana; MS Batista w/ military officers watching from bleachers; excellent panning shot 4 Starfire fighters flying in tight formation, stop at American flag flying from pole.

DO NOT USE Still of Fidel Castro as a young, moustachioed man.

DO NOT USE Bumper

TLSs young Cuban men marching in streets of Havana, some carrying Cuban flag, others effigies of Batista; young revolutionaries stage protest marches, so Batista sends in the cops; TLS/LSs police arriving in squad cars, clashing violently with protesters.

DO NOT USE Stills of Fidel Castro, young lawyer.

Est shot of Fort Moncada barracks; MSs armed soldiers patroling base after Castro's attempted coup, 1953; MSs dead bodies of fallen rebels on street.

Castro is released from prison, 1955: TLS/MSs FIDEL CASTRO exiting jail, being embraced by supporters.

Montage of early days of the Cuban Revolution, 1956: TLS/MSs Castro & armed revolutionary guerillas (Raul Castro is here somewhere) marching through jungles of Sierra Maestra Mountains; MS of CHE GUEVARA talking w/ man at rebel camp; silhouette of Castro smoking cigar in hut; MSs bearded Fidel Castro talking w/ fellow guerillas; MS Castro talking w/ country peasants; MSs rebel teaching outdoor class of peasant kids; MSs peasants; MSs Castro talking w/ children while holding a rifle in his right hand; MSs Cuban rebels inspecting a cache of automatic weapons; MSs smiling guerillas marching with rifles along country road; MS Fidel Castro writing in hut, smoking cigar; MSs rebels relaxing at jungle camp, many smoking cigars; MSs rebels patroliing jungle; MSs Castro looking over plans with leaders.

More of Cuban Revolution. MS of FIDEL CASTRO looking at watch, throwing grenade in jungle. TLS explosion in jungle, Castro guerilla in FG. MSs armed rebels patroling jungles of Sierra Maestra Mtns. TLS train of burdened pack mules at rebel camp. MS Castro giving TV interview at jungle camp. MS rebels using hand-operated printing press in jungle. MS rebel incorrectly id'ed by VO as Che. MS rebel chomping on pipe, operating communications radio. TLSs state police rounding up young men on streets of Havana. MSs people crying over death of young man; MS weeping woman being consoled; MSs men carrying casket from church & into hearse. MS FULGENCIO BATISTA & aides. LS/TLSs anti-Batista political protest in streets of Havana. 3/4 view LS of Capital Building (El Capitolio Nacional). Est shots Presidential Palace, aka Revolution Museum (Museo de la Revolucion). MS Fidel Castro sitting in regal wood chair, stroking beard. The Cuban Revolution is victorious, 1959: CU woman cheering; CU bearded FIDEL CASTRO wearing thick glasses & beret; MSs rebels carrying guns while riding trucks into Havana; MS crowd flashing the V for Victory (peace) sign; MSs crowd holding posters of Castro; MS woman smiling w/ cute child in her arms; many shots of crowd enthusiatically applauding rebel victory; MSs Fidel Castro in parade; TLS/MSs nighttime rally at Camp Colombia after coup, crowd cheering & listening to Castro speak-- incidentally, that is indeed a white dove perched on his shoulder.

Montage of Castro rebels conducting war crimes trials against Batista regime: MS military tribunal panel; MSs accused testifying before tribunal; MS 12 yr old Angelio Estrada pointing accusingly at someone (Maj. Jesus Sosa Blanco) just off-screen; TLS/MSs rebels leading "guilty" man from truck into field in Santiago, a firing squad aiming their rifles as man continues to berate the rebels up until he is executed by firing squad, falling backwards into a pit. Murder, death, execution. TLS crowd marching in Havana, carrying sign that reads, "Viva Cuba Socialista"; LSs large crowd, many anti-American signs. TLSs Soviet freighter ship unloading cargo at Cuban port. MS country peasants cutting sugar cane w/ machetes in field. MS large crowd marching in Cuba, books raised high in the air. MS/CUs FIDEL CASTRO speaking at var public engagements; consistently angry, vehement, fiery. MS Fidel Castro hugging & greeting Soviet Premier NIKITA KHRUSHCHEV by car in NYC, NYPD cops keeping crowd at bay. TLS Cuban peasants walking along shabby road; MS child posing, holding onto barbed wire. TLS/MSs military parade in Havana, people applauding, private army soldiers marching w/ shovels, hammers, rifles, Fidel, brother RAUL CASTRO & others watching on. CU paper money changing hands (payout, payoff). CU wooden box being filled w/ ammunition & combat knives.

Bay of Pigs fiasco, April 1961: WLS ship burning in water; LS ground explosion; TLS/MSs heavily armed Cuban soldiers & anti-Castro invaders marching through countryside; MS FIDEL CASTRO talking into headset in office; MSs Castro inspecting troops; TLSs mortars & howitzers firing; MSs wounded invaders on stretchers; MSs captured Cuban exiles being marched into POW camp; MS captured American military advisor; MSs Castro, wearing thick glasses, talking with officers in field; TLS several pontoon boats in Bay of Pigs.

Aerial of enormous crowd gathered in Havana on May Day, 1961; TLS enormous Cuban flag hanging from building; MSs Fidel Castro speaking to crowd, purportedly announcing that Cuba has gone Communist. TLS Soviet Hammer and Sickle emblem on steamstack of freighter; TLSs Soviet freighters docked in Cuba. Thirteen day Cuban Missile Crisis: TLS U.S. naval blockade; MS President JOHN F. KENNEDY delivering national address re: the American naval blockade ("We will not prematurely or unnecessarily risk the cost of worldwide nuclear war in which even the fruits of victory would be ashes in our mouth"); MSs soldiers arming camoflagued howitzer; aerial of Soviet freighter carrying missiles sailing for USSR. MS Castro alighting plane in Moscow, greeted by Nikita Khrushchev; MS Russian girls smiling in crowd; traveling shot of Castro & Khrushchev in speeding convertible; TLSs Moscow crowd waving Cuban flag, holding pictures of Castro & K; MS Fidel Castro, wearing ushanka w/ Soviet pin, giving a speech from Kremlin balcony; MS Fidel & Nikita applauding from Kremlin balcony.

DO NOT USE Closing comments, credits.