My Man and I

"My Man and I" is a film which features a lovely performance by Ricardo Montalban as a Mexican-American named Chu Chu who has recently become a US citizen. He believes in the American Dream...and believes hard work and honesty will ultimately pay off. Unfortunately, he meets several people who test this to the limits...including a drunk lady (Shelley Winters) as well as a bully who cheats him out of a months' wages. What's next for the poor guy? See the film and find out for yourself.

I really appreciated Montalban's acting here and liked the character. My only complaint about him is that perhaps his character is too nice...too perfect. Still, it's a dandy film that explores the darker side of American life for some...even if the ending seems a bit hard to belive!

Ricardo Montalban as an upstanding, proud new immigrant to America, Wendel Corey as a cheating slimeball with a bitter, unsatisfied wife and Shelley Winters as an alcoholic floozie. Perfectly casting. You'll be impressed for its positive portrayal of immigrants and Montalban's narrow waist in ratio to his broad shoulders.

In the unforgettable "wild boys of the roads " (1933),Eddie who stands accused tells the judge about his plight ;the young actor was so convincing that he could effortlessly drive you to tears. Chu Chu did the same when he reads his letter to the president (of the US). Both believe in justice, both got a raw deal; people unfairly treated was a grave concern for the great William Welman : "the ox- bow incident"is certainly one of the most revolting films that has ever been filmed.

Chu Chu is proud to become an American citizen. He believes in the dream , in democracy and Lincoln's country cannot be wrong ; in direct contrast with him ,Nancy ,an alcoholic loser , has lost all her illusions ; but neither she nor the vilain,Ames ,can destroy Chu Chu's faith ,joie de vivre and hope for a better future .

The world can't be thoroughly black or white;even in his most desperate work, "ox -bow " ,seven people were the just against a maddening bunch ; Chu Chu is a good man who would not hurt a fly ,and the members of the jury (it's rare) do think it's a travesty of a trial ; and the way Chu Chu's friends torment Ames to awaken his conscience is pacifist, friendly persuasion, through and through ( going as far as to give a kitten to the wife)

Montalban ,Winters,Corey and Trevor are all excellent.

i was very surprised. the script was first rate. the story had a lot of twists and turns. seeing jack elam play a Mexican is reason enough to see this movie. was never much of a shelley winters fan but she was good. previously knew ricardo motalban as khan and the joker. he gives a very good performance but it is the script that is the key. some may call the story corny or idealistic but it still holds up today. the Mexican are portrayed very sympathetically probably much more so than the way they are perceived today. The movie is a commentary on the American dream circa 1952 but if you replace the mexicans with just about any non-elite group, including every day Americans it still is relevant

The ambitious Chu Chu Ramirez comes to America as a proud new citizen, only to be gypped out of money owed him by farmer Ames. At the same time, he meets downtrodden bar girl Nancy, whom he becomes romantically involved with. But her troubles are deep and difficult. Plus, farmer Ames frames him for an accidental shooting. Will Chu Chu somehow get the breaks he needs and deserves.

I'm not sure what the writers were trying to say here. It looks like something noble since Chu Chu (Montalban) is admirable in so many ways. Plus, he delivers nice little speeches about the virtues of America, suitable for the Cold War, McCarthyite year of 1952. But much of this, however well intentioned, is undone by a turgid script and an absolutely awful performance by Shelley Winters (Nancy). Her constant whining and sour expression (not a single smile) for 90-some minutes almost had me reaching for the "off" button. I realize she's a hard-luck gal, barely surviving at society's lower reaches, but did she have to spread it on so relentlessly and so thick. It made me think the sensible Chu Chu must be some kind of masochist to put up with it. Hers has got to be one of the dreariest turns in Hollywood annals.

At least there's the well-cast iceberg Wendell Corey as the heartless farmer Ames, and a de-glamorized Claire Trevor as his faithless wife. I was expecting their dark pairing to explode at any moment. At the same time, holding the film together is a handsome Montalban, quite winning as the ambitious immigrant. Looks to me like this was a B-production from Dore Schary's brief tenure as MGM head, when he tried to steer the studio away from Louis B. Mayer's relentlessly sunny film fare. Certainly, the settings and photography here are about as bleakly gray as possible. Maybe with a better, more focused script and a less dreary Nancy, the movie might have succeeded in its good intentions. But as things stand, the overall result lacks impact of any discernible kind.