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Drama

Machete (1958): Cast & Plot

Machete (1958) movie poster

Machete is a 1958 drama directed by Kurt Neumann, starring Mari Blanchard as Jean Montoya, Lee Van Cleef and Carlos Rivas. It runs 1 hour 15 minutes.

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Machete (1958) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 15m (75 min)
Director
Kurt Neumann
Genre
Drama
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Machete About?

The premise of Machete without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Set amid a Caribbean jungle, this 1959 film‑noir adaptation of Othello follows flirtatious Jean (Mari Blanchard) who marries the wealthy plantation owner Don Luis for security, only to fall for his charismatic foster son Carlos. Greedy cousin Miguel schemes, poisoning Luis and exposing Jean’s affair to secure the inheritance. Luis hunts Miguel.

Machete Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • caribbean sea
  • betrayal
  • drunkenness
  • woman skinny dipping
  • harvesting sugar cane
  • fistfight
  • backhanded
  • woman with a past
  • man rejects a woman's advances
  • female star appears in swimsuit
  • compromising situation
  • serenade
+38 more
  • passed out drunk
  • stepmother adult stepson relationship
  • cadillac series 62
  • sexual tension
  • implied female nudity
  • seductress
  • attacked with a machete
  • b movie
  • seductive woman
  • douglas dc 7
  • older man younger woman marriage
  • stepmother sexually harasses stepson
  • cousins relationship
  • platinum blonde
  • sugar cane plantation
  • woman smoking
  • jealous girlfriend
  • adoptive father adopted son relationship
  • husband suspects his wife of cheating
  • woman wears a bathing suit
  • dancing
  • stepmother attracted to stepson
  • jealous husband
  • whipped with a riding crop
  • pan american airlines
  • father son romantic rivalry
  • sugar cane
  • adoptive mother adopted son relationship
  • family affairs
  • bongo drums
  • husband wife kiss
  • woman wears only a man's shirt
  • sabotage
  • drunken man
  • sugar mill
  • woman wears a negligee
  • agricultural workers
  • drinking rum
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Cast & crew

Machete Cast & Characters

Mari Blanchard leads the cast as Jean Montoya, with Lee Van Cleef as Miguel and Carlos Rivas as Carlos. Directed by Kurt Neumann; 6 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in Machete

· 2 more
From the director

More from Kurt Neumann

More films directed by Kurt Neumann, best-rated first: The Fly, Counterplot, Watusi and The Deerslayer.

Full filmography
Plot

Machete Plot Summary

What happens in Machete from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 1-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Don Luis Montoya [Albert Dekker] marries in New York and brings his bride, Jean Montoya [Mari Blanchard], back to Puerto Rico, unaware that she wed him only for his money. Their friends at a San Juan honeymoon hotel recognize her as a notorious party girl, so Jean begs her husband to take her home immediately, even before the marriage is consummated.

At the plantation, Jean’s arrival is met with distrust from Luis’s longtime aide and confidant, Carlos [Carlos Rivas], and from Luis’s cousin, Miguel [Lee Van Cleef], who help run the business. A drunken Miguel insults Jean and is slapped by Carlos. In retaliation, Miguel later attacks Carlos with a machete.

Full summary

The whole story of Machete, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Machete?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Where do Don Luis Montoya and Jean get married?

Cars

Cars in Machete

6 cars on screen, including the 1956 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible and the 1953 Willys Jeep CJ-3B.

All 6 cars
  • 1956 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible in Machete 1956 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Important role
  • 1953 Willys Jeep CJ-3B in Machete 1953 Willys Jeep CJ-3B Important role
  • Caterpillar D4 in Machete Caterpillar D4 Background role
  • 1941 GMC CCKW 353 in Machete 1941 GMC CCKW 353 Background role
Details

Machete Also Known As

4 alternative titles, including “Nas Selvas das Caraíbas” and “Çiftlik Yosması”.

Also known as
  • Nas Selvas das Caraíbas
  • Çiftlik Yosması
  • The Witches from Another World
  • Na Selva dos Caraíbas

Seen Machete?

FAQ

Machete FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Machete, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Machete?

Machete runs 1 hour 15 minutes (75 minutes).

When was Machete released?

Machete was released on December 1, 1958.

Who directed Machete?

Machete was directed by Kurt Neumann.

More films by Kurt Neumann

Who is in the cast of Machete?

Machete stars Mari Blanchard as Jean Montoya, Lee Van Cleef as Miguel and Carlos Rivas as Carlos, among 6 credited actors.

Does Machete have a post-credit scene?

No. Machete has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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