ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author analyze how this Carmen was necessary to export a new Carmen myth as a symbol of Spain to the world. In addition, the author study how Imperio Argentina's on-screen performances, based on her distinctive voice and movement, foreshadow some main characteristics of Francoist cinema in the 1940s: the Catholic religion, the bullfighting world, goyesco Spain and the lost overseas Spanish Empire. With a clearer idea of what "authentic" Spanish cinema should look like, Rey set out on various projects with the Argentine-born actress, singer and dancer Imperio Argentina, all of them folkloric musicals, all of them enjoying a success that went beyond Spain and reaped remarkable success in Ibero-America. The film presents new characteristics that foreshadow Francoist cinema, such as the Catholic religion, the bullfighting world, goyesco Spain and the lost overseas Spanish Empire.
