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Wikipedia (in portuguese) about the historical figure: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z%C3%A9_do_Telhado
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037835/
Description and introductory commentary:
José Teixeira da Silva, was a portuguese sargeant, awarded the highest medal of honor in Portugal (and still the highest to this day), who in the 19th century was expelled from the Portuguese Royal Army, and formed a criminal gang of about 40 highwaymen, with a written criminal code, which required that 10% of the robberies be given to the poor peasants. His written criminal code, acknowledged by the members of his gang, had a listing of the names of all criminals and the percentage each criminal would receive from each robbery.
This is an historical documented case of a real life "Robin Hood" person, because he was later caught by the Portuguese justice, stood trial, and was sentenced to exile in Africa. In Africa he is also considered a hero, as I will show in an Angolan video.
This 1945 historical-biographic Portuguese film, strangely, appears to have a Spaghetti-Western style, as you will observe on my trailer, you could even imagine the actor Clint Eastwood as "José do Telhado", with an Ennio Morricone soundtrack. But this story is set in an European monarchy, with a huge overseas empire, however since Portugal was the Spanish land neighbour, our style of clothes might be confused with the mexican clothes seen on american western movies. Since this is set in Portugal, you won't get "Beer for the horses, whiskey for my men" in the tabernas, instead the portuguese folks drank Red Wine and Brandy in their 19th taverns.
My trailer:
(I couldn't resist adding a cowboy tune)
Information about this historical figure (then and now)
José Teixeira da Silva was born is a small place (smaller than a village) called "Telhado" (which means roof), and as it is still a custom in Portugal we shorten the name "José" to "Zé", so he was called "Zé do Telhado" (Joe from the roof place). For example my name is also José, and my former You Tube channel was called "Zé da Adega", after You Tube banned by channel, I used the same name translated to english as a joke (Wine cellar Joe).
My avatar even looks like this historical character... My avatar is actually a portuguese 19th century political national symbol, dressed with period clothes and with a period beard, called "Zé Povinho".
José do Telhado had no education, and could barely scribble his name on a signature, later he joined the elite Queen's Lancers unit in Lisbon, where he was promoted to sergeant, due to his bravery.
These events are set after the devastating Napoleonic invasion of Portugal, where the british Duke of Wellington implemented the famous "Scorched Earth" military doctrine, starving both the french troops as well as the portuguese peasants, based on this, Russia copied the "scorched earth" doctrine and also defeated the french troops, in the same manner. Post-Napoleonic Portugal was not a happy place to be a peasant...
José do Telhado was captured in 1859 and was sentenced to exile in the portuguese colony of Angola. He died there in 1875 with smallpox.
In Angola he is also considered a folk hero, because he was a white portuguese that helped black africans, in a time when black africans were second class persons without the same rights as the white portuguese colonists who exploited them.
José do Telhado is so loved in the african town of Mucari, where his grave is kept with flowers, to this day. Here is an impressive Angolan You Tube video from 2012, with a tribute by the local mayor, and if you jump to time 4m03s, you can see his african crypt, with local african folks singing.
Similarly, here is a video with the portuguese mayor of the place where he was born (Lugar do Telhado, Castelőes de Recesinhos), that is trying to get funds to recover the house where José do Telhado lived, you can see his house in ruins at time 0m54s.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed reading this curious case of a Portuguese sergeant, that became Robin Hood, I consider the background story more interesting than the 1945 film, which won't even have any subtitles, but you might be able to find it on You Tube.
