Build a movie plot around this: How was the horse frightened? by a turtle
Set in an indeterminate year of the 1840s, the film opens in a villa in Madrid, Spain, where Don Diego de la Vega (George Hamilton), the archetypal Spanish Don Juan, is in bed with a beautiful woman who, we learn shortly, is not his wife, but someone else's. The couple are caught by her husband, Garcia, who "is not in Barcelona", as they had previously thought. Diego, with considerable panache, fights Garcia and his five brothers with swords. During the fight, Diego's mute servant Paco (Donovan Scott) reads a letter (via gestures) from Diego's father requesting that Diego return to California [then a part of Mexico]. Diego and Paco escape by jumping from a high wall directly into a waiting carriage.Diego and Paco arrive in Los Angeles, where they are met by Diego's childhood friend Esteban (Ron Leibman), who has become capitan of the local guard. We also learn that Esteban has married Florinda (Brenda Vaccaro), for whom the men competed when they were boys.Esteban delivers the sad news that Diego's father was killed in a riding accident, when his horse was frightened by a turtle. Esteban is acting alcalde in the senior de la Vega's stead until a new one can be chosen by the dons (landowners) of the area.At the meeting of the dons, each introduces himself and where he resides. Each Don's surname is that of a well-known city in California, but none of the surnames and place-names match, with amusing results:Don Diego from San FernandoDon Francisco from San JoseDon Fernando from San DiegoDon Jose from San BernardinoDon Luis Obispo from Bakersfield, who wears an ascotEsteban is elected alcalde, via an obviously fixed election, and gives his inaugural speech to the assembled peasants in the village plaza. He is interrupted mid-speech by Charlotte Taylor-Wilson (Lauren Hutton), a wealthy political activist from Boston. She and Diego meet, and despite their political differences, there is an immediate attraction.Relaxing at the de la Vega villa, Diego receives an invitation to a masked ball to celebrate...