And Starring Pancho Villa As Himself -

: The actual silent film produced, The Life of General Villa , was the first American feature-length movie; today, the original is lost, with only unedited battle fragments surviving. Cast and Crew

: The story is told through the eyes of Frank Thayer (Eion Bailey), a young, inexperienced film executive sent to negotiate with Villa. And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself

The 2003 HBO film is a historical drama that explores the "strange-but-true" 1914 alliance between Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa and early Hollywood filmmakers. Directed by Bruce Beresford and written by Larry Gelbart , the film details Villa’s attempt to fund his revolution by selling the exclusive movie rights of his actual battles to the Mutual Film Corporation. Production and Plot Overview : The actual silent film produced, The Life

: Facing a lack of funding and negative American press, Villa (played by Antonio Banderas ) signs a $25,000 contract to allow a film crew to document his military campaign. Directed by Bruce Beresford and written by Larry

: To accommodate the cameras, Villa reportedly agreed to fight battles only during daylight hours and even restaged some events for the lens.