Steinesongo Too many fans seem to be blown away

TeenzTen An action-packed slog

Ketrivie It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

Billie Morin This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

MartinHafer "Fiesta" is a reworking of the old story from "The Jazz Singer". The story is set in Mexico and begins with a famous bullfighter, Antonio Morales. He has a set of twins, Mario (Ricardo Montalban) and Maria (Esther Williams) and Antonio has determined that his son WILL one day become a great matador like himself. While Mario is quite good, his love is not bullfighting but music. Eventually, Mario runs away because of all the pressure and Maria dresses like Mario and fools EVERYONE (?) by going into the ring herself and becoming a great matador. What's to become of all this? "Fiesta" is a pretty good film in some ways. It gives a nice portrait of Mexicans (though too many of the actors aren't Hispanic) and is more sensitive than many Hollywood productions. Also, being from MGM, the film looks great--with wonderful music, color and dancing. But to me the best part was watching Montalban in his first film and watching him play the piano. If the piano music wasn't being played by him, he sure faked it very, very well. However, on the down side, the film is SUPER-creepy. Maria's relationship with Mario is just creeptastic. Her vocabulary when talking about him is peppered with words like 'darling' and 'sweetheart' and she ALWAYS talks to him in a much more loving manner than when she talks to her fiancée (John Carrol). It really does make the viewer think of twincest and I cannot believe that the writers and others connected with the film didn't see this. Weird and kind of sick but despite this an enjoyable film.By the way, the bullfighting scenes are VERY sanitized. On one hand, the viewer doesn't need to worry about all the blood and gore. But, on the other, it makes this 'sport' seem very harmless.

ilbarone139 This early Ricardo Montaban movie shows his early acting/ dramatic talents. We knew he could dance, and dance he did with one of the best Female Dancers every Cyd Charisse. So great Together they did four More dance films. Many of My favorite performers are in this movie; Fortunno Buonanova, Born In Spain a Great Opera Singer whom sang Baritone & Tenor Perfect as the Mexican Padrone former Great Matador whom had to quit early owing to injury.. Basic Plot of movie. Years Later wife Mary Astor, over rated actress,(I guess if you believe She is Mexican not too much stretch that Esther Williams is the Mexican Daughter/Twin of Ricardo's Character. Although they used makeup for Astor to enhance the 'Mexican' look, none is used for Esther & Both speak American, even some slang.A better actress would have been Rita Hayworth, although born in NYC was Mexican and can dance which would enhance the Matador Movements.This would be very unusual for Aristocratic Mexican Family even today.. The Padrone is head Master and everything he says,YOU Do.John Carroll another one of my favorites, although born in Louisianna as Julian LaFaye could effect many accents, none were utilized here, again leaving authenticity back stage. Public likes to see acting and if you are non-ethnic however can act the role it makes for a better movie. I like Akim Tamiroff as Faithful Friend of Don Antonio and he does effect the accent. I believe a better Performer such as J.Carol Naish would enhance the role, as we all know his expertise in languages. AS Lon Chaney Sr was man of 1000 faces, Naish would be man of 1000 accents,(exaggerated). The Costumes are very well done. Sequences in bull ring are above average and obviously done by professional Matadors. A little spoiler alert; When they use Esther to perform in the ring as brother Mario; come on her Bosoms especially in the Short Matador jacket and high waisted belt only further enhanced them. Ricordo always had good Physique, but not Bosoms. Even the bull was excited..THe Piano scenes in wayside tavern by Ricardo are as accurate and obviously show he can perform with piano as well.With all flaws this is a good movie, very entertaining. Imagine if the main actors had been utilized to their expert potential.

Chris Vosburg As an add to a review above which wondered whether Ricardo Montalban had any actual experience as a pianist or was just faking it, I think I can definitively answer, as a pianist myself, yes, he's a pianist (having just seen Fiesta, and the barroom scene where his character Mario Morales takes to the house upright to accompany himself, his composition having just come up on the radio).That's not him on the soundtrack, probably, but he's most definitely fingering the quite complex piece correctly (con mucho gusto!), and this means that yes, Senor Montalban has a talent many of us were previously unaware of.Discovered to my surprise the same thing about Gary Oldman, as I watched him as Ludwig Van Beethoven in Immortal Beloved, and Kyle McLachlan as Ray Manzarek in The Doors.

preppy-3 Movie designed to introduce Ricardo Montalban to American audiences. It's a drama--NOT a musical. There are a few musical numbers but that's it. This takes place in Mexico and has Montalban and Esther Williams playing twins. No--I'm not kidding! If you can swallow that you might like this. Their father is a great bullfighter and expects his son to be the same. However his son Mario (Mantalban) wants be a musician. His sister Maria (Williams) is better at bullfighting then him. You can probably guess the rest. EXTREME PLOT SPOILER IN THIS PARAGRAPH!!! Pretty forgettable as a drama. The situations are just silly, the dialogue pedestrian and you just KNOW how this is going to end. Also Williams isn't much of a dramatic actress. This film could have ended after an hour but this drags it out and gets REAL stupid during the second act. Williams has to bullfight in place of her brother--but nobody notices the difference! Seriously--everybody thought Williams was her brother???? Even for a 1940s movie that's pushing it.Still it's not completely terrible. It's done with the usual MGM gloss and is shot in bright Technicolor. Montalban, Williams and Cyd Charisse are so young and beautiful and so full of life that it rubs off on the audience. The dance sequences with Montalban and Charisse are just incredible--I never knew he could dance! Williams even has a (brief) swimming scene. There's also some good acting from Akim Taminoff as Chato and Mary Astor as Williams and Montalbans mother. So it's silly but enjoyable as a no brainer. The dancing scenes alone make this worth seeing. I give it a 6.