Welcome Mr. Marshall!

Welcome Mr. Marshall! is a Spanish comedy set in the small Castilian town of Villar del Río, where life is quiet until word arrives that American diplomats will soon visit. With the Marshall Plan in mind, the townspeople hope the stopover will bring them financial aid, and the mayor, Don Pablo, proposes dressing the town up in Andalusian style to make an impression on the guests. Flamenco performer Carmen Vargas, arriving in the village just as the news breaks, becomes part of the preparations, which include unfamiliar costumes and a general redecoration. The visitors' arrival remains uncertain as the town waits.

The film is directed by Luis García Berlanga, who wrote the screenplay with Juan Antonio Bardem and Miguel Mihura. It is the second feature in his directing career, following El circo, and predates Placido, The Executioner and El sueño de la maestra. José Isbert stars as the mayor alongside Manolo Morán, Lolita Sevilla, Alberto Romea, Elvira Quintillá and Luis Pérez de León. The credited cast runs to thirty-four performers.

Released in April 1953 and running seventy-eight minutes, the film holds a rating of 7.9 out of 10 on IMDb from about 5,200 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 7.4 from 126 votes. The larger and more sustained IMDb sample suggests a solid and widely shared appreciation across the decades, with the smaller TMDB group somewhat more reserved.