The Mexican Spitfire's Baby

The 4th entry in the "Mexican Spitfie" series has plenty of stale impersonation gags and dumb misunderstandings, but Lupe Velez is still delightful, Leon Errol is still a master of the delayed reaction (although Lord Epping is an one-joke character stretched well beyond his limits - I prefer him as Uncle Matt), and there is a good comedic supporting cast (Zasu Pitts, Tom Kennedy, Fritz Feld, and Marion Martin as an early Marilyn Monroe / Jayne Mansfield prototype) to keep things tolerable. The climactic "knife" duel IS funny. **1/2 out of 4.

This was one of the "middle" chapters of Spitfire films, starring Lupe Velez. she and her fiery temper made NINE films with director Les Goodwins. in this one, she's married to Dennis (Buddy Rogers) and they decide to have child. the usual gag, where Leon Errol, is not only her uncle, but also the eccentric Lord Epping. and when he brings home the "orphan", this youngster is 25 years old Fifi (Marion Martin). this one co-stars Buddy Rogers and Zasu Pitts. Pitts is the hotel manager, who has already decided they are up to no good. the second half of the film is Velez storming, blustering, and mixing up her words. it's okay. another mexican spitfire adventure, similar to a Lucy episode. Sadly, miss Velez would die so young at 36, by suicide. and the irony of being pregnant at the time, considering the title of this film. she really had no cause to complain though, after being a movie star, and having relationships with HUGE stars Gary Cooper and John Weissmuller. that's a pretty amazing life already.

These Mexican Spitfire movies are usually little more than a collection of bits from comedy short subjects, and RKO was one of the two best studios for short subjects in this period -- Columbia was the other with the Stooges and Andy Clyde. Lupe Velez does her broken English doubletalk, Leon Errol does a bit of his crazy legs routine and alternates between his usual voice and his Lord Epping bit and the usual silliness ensues.

In this case the effort is strengthened by the addition of several wonderful comedy performers. Fritz Feld is there, clicking his heels and popping; Tom Kennedy has a small bit as the sheriff and Zasu Pitts shows up, although her role is far too small and doesn't use her as well as it might.

Plot? Plot? Of course there's a bit of plot as the Lindsays try to get Lord Epping's business by having him get them a war orphan and he shows up with girl -- a war orphan from World War One. Does it really matter?

The movie starts off with Carmelita (Lupe Velez) yelling over nothing. It's very hard to like her. Which is perhaps why she often takes a back seat to other players in her own series. Once again, as with the last two films in the series, the unofficial star is Leon Errol. He is given two roles to play (again) and given the majority of the screen time. Not to mention the funniest parts of the script, which aren't many. Charles "Buddy" Rogers has replaced Donald Woods as husband Dennis and he's every bit as bland. Perennial acquired taste Zasu Pitts is also in the film as a busybody hotel manager.

The plot is about Uncle Matt (Errol) writing to Lord Epping (also Errol) about possibly getting a war orphan for Carmelita and Dennis. Epping brings an orphan, alright, but it's an orphan from World War I. So she's a twentysomething French beauty named Fifi (Marion Martin). Fifi likes to kiss a lot (because she's French, I guess). Fearing Carmelita's reaction, Matt tries to hide Fifi away which leads to suspicions of him having an affair. Then Fifi's French boyfriend shows up and chaos ensues. I'm not a big fan of the Mexican Spitfire series. They aren't bad movies but not terribly good, either. The mistaken identity gags are pretty tired by this point if you have seen others in the series. This one at least has a different plot than the last two. Sexy Marion Martin is also a plus.

In this entry in the Mexican Spitfire series, the role of Lupe Velez's husband is now taken by Buddy Rogers. An interesting choice since both Velez and Rogers had seen their real stardom days back in the silent screen era which was now a fading memory.

There's not much plot to this thing. I'm in complete agreement with the reviewer who said that Mexican Spitfire's Baby is just an excuse for a lot of funny people to come on and do their stuff. It's a cinch you'll like the comedy of at least one of these people when the cast includes Lupe Velez, Zasu Pitts, Leon Errol, Fritz Feld, and Tom Kennedy. Five comic players with different humorous characters.

Velez and Rogers now that it's been a year since they're married would like kids and there's a lot of homeless ones due to the war in Europe. So their avuncular patron Leon Errol writes to his buddy in Great Britain, a titled lord also played by Leon Errol for a war orphan.

The titled Errol who is Lord Epping is one of those Colonel Blimp like characters who views the world between shots at his club sends him a war orphan from the First World War. She's grown up to be Marion Martin who was a Jean Harlow copycat in her career. That platinum blonde war orphan sets off problems in the Velez/Rogers marriage as well as the marriages of both characters played by Leon Errol. But none of it would have happened if a certain nosy receptionist at the hotel played by Zasu Pitts didn't start her own investigation into a 'scandal' that could wreck the good name of the respectable hotel that employs her.

Any fan of classic cinema has to like one of the players comic style, so see Mexican Spitfire's Baby.