Linbeymusol
Wonderful character development!
Doomtomylo
a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.
Yash Wade
Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.
Hayleigh Joseph
This is ultimately a movie about the very bad things that can happen when we don't address our unease, when we just try to brush it off, whether that's to fit in or to preserve our self-image.
bkoganbing
Just like when Ma and Pa Kettle became such a hit in The Egg And I that it became
a movie series, Lupe Velez proved such a hit as the fiery and passionate Mexican
singer Carmelita Fuentes that RKO did a whole series of Mexican Spitfire films.
Velez who was on the downside of her career, she was no longer an A list player
got her career extended a few more years. Sadly only a few years since she died
by suicide in 1943.This film which introduces the characters has Donald Woods press agent on a
hunt in Mexico for a talented singer of the Latina persuasion for his boss
Donald MacBride's radio station. He brings Lupe Velez and finds she's awfully
hard to handle. The one she relates best to is Leon Errol who is his uncle.
His aunt Elizabeth Risdon who usually played snooty old dowagers is at her
snootiest here. Fiance Linda Hayes isn't too thrilled with Velez's presence either.Velez and Errol worked well together and it was both of them that kept the
Mexican Spitfire series going. Later on when Errol started playing the dual
role of Uncle Matt and Lord Epping he could have spun out on a series of his
own.For better or worse this is what Lupe Velez is best remembered for cinematically as opposed to her sex life which was varied and tempestuous.
ksf-2
"Jumpin Butterballs!"... that's what Donald MacBride always said in the Marx Brother films. Here, he's Renner, show biz agent, trying to track down new acts and stars. Co-stars Leon Errol and Donald Woods. This was the original film, turned into a series of films starring Lupez Velez. Audiences just loved the silliness, and "Carmelita" would mix up her english and spanish sayings to turn a phrase. and the six day bicycle races! w.c. fields talked about them in "international house". who knew they were such a big deal?? although there wasn't much else to do in those days. the plot kind of goes all over the place, Carmelita comes to the U.S. and experiences everything there is. and her man-friend get so jealous. She'll make it big in radio if she doesn't get sent back to Mexico! Fun adventure.
mlevans
When I was 9 or 10 I received a book, 'Immortals of the Screen,' which had photos and short bios of some 30 A-list and B-list stars and some major supporting actors from the 1920s through the 1950s. It was apparently done by a former Hollywood crew hand of some sort, picking and choosing either the stars he had actually worked with or those whose royalty fees he could afford to pay. In any case, I dug it out during the past year to see if there were still any actors I didn't know, my knowledge of classic cinema having grown exponentially during the past decade. One who captured my attention was Lupe Velez. It had stills from four or five of her "Mexican Spitfire" movies. I tried finding her on Netflix (usually a good source for older movies and TV shows), but came up empty. Recently I happened to find a four-DVD set on amazon.com with all eight Spitfire movies. This one, of course, is the film that launched the series. I opted to grab it, although I must admit I had some trepidation. I know Ms. Velez wasn't an A-list star and had no idea what level of acting, directing, writing, etc. her films might contain. Just like many movies today are dogs, films from Hollywood's golden age obviously had clinkers, too. I was absolutely delighted today when I watched the brief 71-minute 'The Girl From Mexico.' It is a totally charming little film. Ms. Velez is adorable and also quite enticing as "spitfire" Carmelita Fuentes, sort of a cross between Ricky and Lucy Ricardo. In this film she meets New York ad executive Dennis Lindsay (Donald Woods), who is in Mexico seeking singing talent. He takes her back to NYC, getting much more than he bargained for. She breaks up his impending marriage, nearly gets him fired and gets into all sorts of Lucy-like mischief with Lindsay's eccentric uncle Matt (Leon Errol), whom she quickly wraps around her little finger. In the end, Lindsay's wedding takes place as planned, only with Carmelita as the bride, thus setting up the next seven films. Obviously films' pacing were different in 1939 than they are today. Yet I never found the film to be dragging. It had a handful of laugh-out-loud (at least for me) moments and lots of wholesome cuteness. It was a very enjoyable little film and I look forward to viewing 'The Mexican Spitfire' (its sequel) and the rest of the series.
Norm-30
This film, without a doubt, is the best MS film! Lupe Velez is refreshing in this role, and even gets to do some musical numbers (ala' Carmen Meranda).As the series went on, it was reduced to Lupe constantly screaming at her hubby, & Leon Errol lurching around in the (tiresome) "Lord Epping" routine (which often over-shadowed the series). A "Must See" !!! Norm