Fiesta brava

I've just seen "Fiesta" for the first time. I was especially intrigued by Montalban's piano playing, wondering if he was really playing. If he was, he was outstanding. But what really had me wondering was: in the scenes in the bullring, someone was really 'lidiando' (leading) the bull...who was it? I've seen many bullfights in Mexico around the time that this movie was filmed, and those were excellent 'faenas' (the actual movements with the cape while leading the bull) being executed, not fake. Whoever the real matador was, he deserved to be credited. Also, in one scene there was a group of singers who were dressed in clothing typical of 'estudiantinas' (university students whose specialty is singing in a particular Spanish style)...I wondered which group was performing and couldn't find them in the credits.

Twins who grow up to be Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalban are born to Mexico's top matador Fortunio Bonanova and wife Mary Astor. Of course it's the father's dream that Montalban succeed him in the ring, but Ricardo is interested in music and is a pianist and composer. But Esther's something of a tomboy and she likes showing off in the bull ring every now and then. That is the basis for the plot of Fiesta which introduced Ricardo Montalban to the American cinema.

Though Esther takes only a small dip in the water and barely gets wet, Fiesta is a decent enough film for her even though her specialty is not really promoted. What's really promoted is Cyd Charisse who plays Montalban's girlfriend and who does some fine dancing. Also promoted is a piano concerto by Aaron Copland, Montalban's masterpiece which convinces music maestro Hugo Haas that Montalban belongs behind a piano not in front of a bull. When he's in the latter position his head's just not in the game and that can be fatal for a matador.

Since Fiesta is classified as a musical I was disappointed that John Carroll who plays a scientist and is courting Williams was not given a song in the film. Doubly disappointed because in another Latin role in Rio Rita Carroll did get to sing in that opposite Kathryn Grayson. He had a good baritone and should have sang more often in films. Possibly a number for him was cut.

Though it's hardly in the front rank of Esther Williams films, Fiesta is a good programmer for MGM and for her as well.

When "Fiesta" played in Tampa, more local Latinos went to see Montalban than the film or anyone else in it! This was because Montalban was a well known star from the many Mexican movies that played locally.

However, in Mexico he was a serious actor while in Hollywood he was a "latin lover". In his first years more time was spent making him into a musical star than giving him time to display his acting talent.(He had to loose his hair to be taken seriously!) The movie was a vehicle for Esther Williams sans swimming pool (except for one brief scene) but it was Montalban and Cherrise's dancing that made it a hit. This was odd because Montalban was never in musicals in his native country. He sang -well he carried a tune- but actually danced quite well in order to creditably partner Cherrise and later on Anne Miller.

The one dramatic scene -in which Montalban who wants to be a composer and not follow his father's footsteps in the arena - that shows off Montalban's acting. He is in a wayside saloon and on the radio he hears his composition...actually Aaron Copelands "Fantasia Mexicna"..and goes to a piano and interprets with passion, vigor and sensitivity his composition.

An entertaining film and a great vehicle to feature Montalban. Too bad that his early cinematic years did not allow him to display his serious acting ability. Oh well, "That's Hollywood"...Ay Caramba!

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.

I've viewed this film over and over and my piano training says there's no trick photography in the scenes where Montalban plays Green's adaptation of El Salon Mexico. I'm sure the beat-up old piano is not the actual sound source, but Montalban is hitting all the right keys at the right time! His technique is well above average, and anyone who could even fake that well would have to be able to play well too. Yet there's no mention of musical skill or training in any of his bios, nor does he play in any later films. Can anyone shed some light on this mysterious aspect of the multi-talented Senor Montalban?