Assassination and burial of José Canalejas

1912 Documentary 5 minutes Directed by Adelardo Fernández Arias

About Assassination and burial of José Canalejas

The short restages the shooting of Prime Minister José Canalejas at the Puerta del Sol on 12 November 1912. Rafael Arcos plays Canalejas. Passersby crowd the fallen man, and the actor playing the assassin, José Isbert, gets up again once the camera has the scene. A second section records the real funeral.

Cast & crew

More about Assassination and burial of José Canalejas

Spanish Wikipedia credits Enrique Blanco and Adelardo Fernández Arias as directors for Iberia Films, with Blanco producing and shooting alongside José Gaspar. The same source gives 5 minutes and calls it José Isbert's first film, at age 26. Canalejas was shot on 12 November 1912.

Themes

  • A staged assassination
  • A real funeral
  • An actor who stands up too soon
  • José Canalejas
  • Puerta del Sol
  • José Isbert
  • funeral
  • Madrid

Background

Canalejas, prime minister of Spain, was killed in the Puerta del Sol. The film mixes a reconstruction with pictures of the burial.

Look

Enrique Blanco and José Gaspar are the cameramen named on Spanish Wikipedia. The funeral section is actuality footage.

Notes

  • Manuel Pardiñas shot Canalejas on 12 November 1912.
  • The staged half and the funeral half are cut together as one short.
  • Isbert, playing the killer who is supposed to be dead, stands up in frame.

Scenes

  • Crowds bend over the actor playing Canalejas.
  • Isbert rises after playing the dead assassin.
  • The cortege of the real burial.