简介：Late one night in Mexico City, Americans Karen Harrison, Mark Russell and Mona and Jody Wilton are surprised to see famous matador Luis Santos entering a church. Karen’s friend, former matador Jesús “Chucho” Solórzano, comments that it is unusual for Luis to be out so late the night before a fight, and explains that he might be upset because tomorrow he is to appear with young bullfighter Rafael Reyes, who could possibly challenge his supremacy someday. Karen, who has long admired Luis, enters the church and overhears him begging the Virgin Mary to send him a sign, but he rudely brushes past Karen as he leaves. In the morning, Luis quarrels with his aide, Miguel, about presenting Rafael as a matador at El Toreo, Mexico City’s premier bullfighting ring, and insists that at eighteen, Rafael is too young to face the ferocious animals fought by professionals. Uncharacteristically, Luis then attends the drawing of the bulls, at which specific bulls are assigned to the fighters, and is disturbed by the fierce animal drawn for Rafael. Karen is also there and is surprised by Luis’ emotional response, and soon after, when she returns to her hotel, distractedly dismisses Mark’s marriage proposal. Mark cynically remarks that Karen is only interested in bullfighters, and annoyed by his boorish behavior, Karen storms out. As she is leaving, Karen sees Luis, who is staying at the same hotel, drive off. Amazed that he is dressed in civilian clothing rather than his matador regalia, Karen jumps in her car and follows as he speeds into the countryside. Finally, Luis stops and questions Karen, who assumes that he has fled because he has lost his courage and can no longer face the bulls. Karen offers him the quiet haven of her country hacienda in Cuernavaca, and Luis, who will not reveal his reasons for fleeing, accepts. There, Karen’s servant Ignacio is awed to meet Luis, who is simply called “Matador” by his fans, but Luis is irritated to learn about the nationwide uproar following his failure to appear at El Toreo. That night, Luis observes that Karen has a large painting of him, and accuses her of wanting to add him to her “collection.” He rejects Karen’s attempts to kiss him and after getting drunk, barges into her bedroom. When Karen angrily pushes Luis away and asks if he has to be drunk to face the bulls, too, he retorts that at least he respects the bulls. Karen is crushed, and a recalcitrant Luis apologizes and leaves. The next morning, Luis again apologizes, and Karen reveals that she fell in love with him after seeing him perform in Spain. Karen’s sincerity wins over Luis and the couple kisses. When they return to the hacienda, they discover that Jody, Mona and Mark have arrived, and Mark taunts Luis about being “the most unpopular man in Mexico.” Mark’s provocations continue into the evening, until Luis hits him and Karen orders Mark to leave. Later, in Mexico City, Rafael meets with Miguel and various businessmen, including Don David, the supplier of El Toreo’s bulls, and insists that he wants no matador other than Luis to present him to the public. After the others leave, Mark spots Rafael and slips him a note telling him that Luis is with Karen. Rafael drives to the hacienda, and reveals that the drunken Mark had been making lascivious insinuations about Karen's relationship with Luis. Karen assures Rafael that she had nothing to do with Luis’ decision not to fight, and Rafael explains his lifelong dream to appear in the ring beside Luis. Before leaving, Rafael warns Karen that Mark will tell others of Luis’ whereabouts, and soon after, Luis and Karen leave for Pasteje, the ranch owned by Don David. Don David welcomes the couple warmly and takes them on a tour of the ranch, during which Karen falls from her horse while jumping a fence into an enclosed pasture. Unknown to Karen, the pasture contains a cantakerous bull, and after Luis fights the animal into submission, Karen is thrilled, for Luis’s actions prove that he is not a coward. Having fallen in love with Karen, Luis finally admits to her that the reason he left Mexico City was not out of fear for himself but for Rafael, his illegitimate son. Luis reveals that long ago, he was deeply in love with his childhood sweetheart, and upon discovering that she was pregnant, intended to marry her. He had to leave on his first tour, however, and while he was away, she received erroneous information that he had been killed, and, overcome, died during childbirth. In order to prevent Rafael from living with the shame of being illegitimate, Luis placed him with a good family and told only Don David about his birth. Karen pleads with Luis to tell Rafael the truth and return to the ring with his son, and so Luis goes back to Mexico City, where he meets Rafael in a café. Luis is surprised by Rafael’s casual revelation that Don David told him long ago about his parentage, but overcomes his surprise to give his son a hearty embrace. Soon after, despite his nervousness, Luis presents Rafael at El Toreo, and Karen watches with the roaring crowd as the glamorous matadors battle the bulls. Rafael uses the arena’s public address system to dedicate his bull to Luis, “the man who will always be the number one,” and Luis in turn publicly acknowledges Rafael as his son. While a proud Karen and Luis watch Rafael combat the bull with grace and skill, she comments that the number one will always be a Santos.
