Red Zone Cuba
Encyclopedia
Red Zone Cuba, also known as Night Train to Mundo Fine, is a 1966
American
drama film
directed by Coleman Francis
, who also wrote, produced, and played the starring role. It follows the meandering adventures of an escaped convict and two ex-convicts he recruits along the way as they become involved in the 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion
, and a quest to find a hidden treasure in a tungsten
mine.
In December 1994, it was featured as an episode of the movie-mocking television series Mystery Science Theater 3000
. As of May 2011, the film is ranked number six on the "Bottom 100" list on the Internet Movie Database
with a score of 1.5/10. Francis' other two directorial efforts, Skydivers, and Yucca Flats, also appear in the higher reaches of the "Bottom 100".
Red Zone Cuba was Coleman Francis' final film as director, and his only starring role. In the other two films he helmed, The Skydivers
and The Beast of Yucca Flats
, he limited his acting to cameos. Though John Carradine
receives fourth billing in the credits, and was prominently featured in the advertising and promotional material for the film, he only appears briefly, during a framing sequence at the beginning of the film. Carradine also sings the film's opening theme song, "Night Train to Mundo Fine" .
During the course of the film, Griffin (Francis) escapes from jail, and runs into Cook (Harold Saunders) and Landis (Anthony Cardoza
). The three make their way to an airstrip run by Cherokee Jack who flies the men to a military training facility, where they will be paid to take part in the Bay of Pigs invasion. Having been deceived about the money they were to receive, the three attempt to escape, only to be recaptured and forced to invade Cuba
. They are soon captured again, this time by the Communist Cuban forces.
A lengthy sequence of executions is ended when the three escape again. They abandon their badly-wounded superior officer, Bailey Chastain (Tom Hanson), although he begs them to take him along. Desperately he informs them of his family's mine back home that contains pitchblende, tungsten
, and other precious metals. They still refuse because they cannot carry him during their escape. They find an airstrip and steal a light aircraft to return to the US.
Back on American soil, the three engage in a variety of crimes to get to the home of Chastain's wife to help her mine the metals her husband had mentioned in Cuba. They throw café owner Cliff Weismeyer (Charles F. Harter) down a well and steal his car; they also hop a train. Eventually, the law catches up with them as they and Chastain's wife Ruby (Lanell Cado) head towards the mine. Cook and Landis surrender and Griffin dies in a shootout with the police. Chastain returns alive and is reunited with his wife. As police collect the belongings Griffin was carrying at the time of death, a voice-over (Francis) somberly intones that Griffin "ran all the way to hell...with a penny and a broken cigarette" as the film ends.
. It was the second of Coleman Francis's films to be featured in the show's sixth season, following The Skydivers
and preceding The Beast of Yucca Flats
. The film was preceded by the short Speech: Platform Posture and Appearance, an educational film about public speaking. A DVD release of the MST3K cut was released on March 26, 2002.
A character named Cherokee Jack later appeared in The Office episode "Threat Level Midnight
".
The film's theme song was recently chosen as the official song of presidential candidate Ron Champion's 2012 campaign.
1966 in film
The year 1966 in film involved some significant events.-Events:Animation legend Walter Disney, well known for his creation of Mickey Mouse, died in 15 December 1966 of acute circulatory collapse following a diagnosis of, and surgery for, lung cancer...
American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Coleman Francis
Coleman Francis
Coleman C. Francis was an American actor, writer, producer, and director perhaps best-known for his film trilogy consisting of The Beast of Yucca Flats , The Skydivers , Red Zone Cuba , all three of which were filmed in the general Yucca Mountain, Nevada area and used preoccupation with light...
, who also wrote, produced, and played the starring role. It follows the meandering adventures of an escaped convict and two ex-convicts he recruits along the way as they become involved in the 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The Bay of Pigs Invasion was an unsuccessful action by a CIA-trained force of Cuban exiles to invade southern Cuba, with support and encouragement from the US government, in an attempt to overthrow the Cuban government of Fidel Castro. The invasion was launched in April 1961, less than three months...
, and a quest to find a hidden treasure in a tungsten
Tungsten
Tungsten , also known as wolfram , is a chemical element with the chemical symbol W and atomic number 74.A hard, rare metal under standard conditions when uncombined, tungsten is found naturally on Earth only in chemical compounds. It was identified as a new element in 1781, and first isolated as...
mine.
In December 1994, it was featured as an episode of the movie-mocking television series Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
. As of May 2011, the film is ranked number six on the "Bottom 100" list on the Internet Movie Database
Internet Movie Database
Internet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
with a score of 1.5/10. Francis' other two directorial efforts, Skydivers, and Yucca Flats, also appear in the higher reaches of the "Bottom 100".
Red Zone Cuba was Coleman Francis' final film as director, and his only starring role. In the other two films he helmed, The Skydivers
The Skydivers
The Skydivers is a 1963 film directed by Coleman Francis. It stars Kevin Casey as Beth, Eric Tomlin as Joe, Anthony Cardoza as Harry, and Marcia Knight as Suzy...
and The Beast of Yucca Flats
The Beast of Yucca Flats
The Beast of Yucca Flats is a B horror film released in 1961. The film stars Swedish former wrestler Tor Johnson and was both written and directed by Coleman Francis...
, he limited his acting to cameos. Though John Carradine
John Carradine
John Carradine was an American actor, best known for his roles in horror films and Westerns as well as Shakespearean theater. A member of Cecil B DeMille's stock company and later John Ford's company, he was one of the most prolific character actors in Hollywood history...
receives fourth billing in the credits, and was prominently featured in the advertising and promotional material for the film, he only appears briefly, during a framing sequence at the beginning of the film. Carradine also sings the film's opening theme song, "Night Train to Mundo Fine" .
Plot summary
In the film's opening sequence, a young reporter asks a train engineer (Carradine) about three men—Griffin, Cook and Landis—who hopped his freight train years back. "He ran all the way to hell," the engineer remarks about Griffin. The title sequence follows, and afterwards the film proper picks up.During the course of the film, Griffin (Francis) escapes from jail, and runs into Cook (Harold Saunders) and Landis (Anthony Cardoza
Anthony Cardoza
Anthony "Tony" Cardoza is an American actor and film producer. He has worked on over a dozen films, but is perhaps best known for his three collaborations with Coleman Francis in the 1960s: The Beast of Yucca Flats, The Skydivers, and Night Train To Mundo Fine...
). The three make their way to an airstrip run by Cherokee Jack who flies the men to a military training facility, where they will be paid to take part in the Bay of Pigs invasion. Having been deceived about the money they were to receive, the three attempt to escape, only to be recaptured and forced to invade Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. They are soon captured again, this time by the Communist Cuban forces.
A lengthy sequence of executions is ended when the three escape again. They abandon their badly-wounded superior officer, Bailey Chastain (Tom Hanson), although he begs them to take him along. Desperately he informs them of his family's mine back home that contains pitchblende, tungsten
Tungsten
Tungsten , also known as wolfram , is a chemical element with the chemical symbol W and atomic number 74.A hard, rare metal under standard conditions when uncombined, tungsten is found naturally on Earth only in chemical compounds. It was identified as a new element in 1781, and first isolated as...
, and other precious metals. They still refuse because they cannot carry him during their escape. They find an airstrip and steal a light aircraft to return to the US.
Back on American soil, the three engage in a variety of crimes to get to the home of Chastain's wife to help her mine the metals her husband had mentioned in Cuba. They throw café owner Cliff Weismeyer (Charles F. Harter) down a well and steal his car; they also hop a train. Eventually, the law catches up with them as they and Chastain's wife Ruby (Lanell Cado) head towards the mine. Cook and Landis surrender and Griffin dies in a shootout with the police. Chastain returns alive and is reunited with his wife. As police collect the belongings Griffin was carrying at the time of death, a voice-over (Francis) somberly intones that Griffin "ran all the way to hell...with a penny and a broken cigarette" as the film ends.
Legacy
On December 17, 1994, Red Zone Cuba was featured as the subject of an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
. It was the second of Coleman Francis's films to be featured in the show's sixth season, following The Skydivers
The Skydivers
The Skydivers is a 1963 film directed by Coleman Francis. It stars Kevin Casey as Beth, Eric Tomlin as Joe, Anthony Cardoza as Harry, and Marcia Knight as Suzy...
and preceding The Beast of Yucca Flats
The Beast of Yucca Flats
The Beast of Yucca Flats is a B horror film released in 1961. The film stars Swedish former wrestler Tor Johnson and was both written and directed by Coleman Francis...
. The film was preceded by the short Speech: Platform Posture and Appearance, an educational film about public speaking. A DVD release of the MST3K cut was released on March 26, 2002.
A character named Cherokee Jack later appeared in The Office episode "Threat Level Midnight
Threat Level Midnight
-Production:This episode was written by executive producer B. J. Novak, who also portrays Ryan Howard on the show. It was directed by Tucker Gates, his fourth directing credit of the series...
".
The film's theme song was recently chosen as the official song of presidential candidate Ron Champion's 2012 campaign.