Traición de mujer

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.

Chu Chu Ramirez (Ricardo Montalban) is a proud new American citizen although he often faces racism just the same. He gets a job working on the Ames family farm. It's a small poor farm. He befriends cynical drunk Nancy (Shelley Winters). He gets into a money dispute with Mr. Ames. When Mr. Ames gets accidentally shot, Chu Chu gets the blame.

This is good although I would make a couple of changes. First, I would get rid of his friends. They do nothing great except the ending which I want to also change. He should stay with the Ames. There could be sexual tension on top of the racism. The farm would become a pressure cooker of intensity. The tension would be raised higher if Chu Chu is alone in the world. I would still keep Nancy around and quite frankly Shelley Winters' acting power. Finally, I would get rid of the Hollywood happy ending. This is still pretty good.

Chu Chu Ramirez, the Mexican immigrant has reason to feel elated: he has just become an American citizen. Ramirez believes in the fairness of his new country, after all, he complies with the law, keeps away from trouble and believes he has a future in the country.

Alas, some of the dreams and aspirations of Chu Chu take a turn for the worse, when he goes to work for a farmer that promises ninety dollars to clear a field. Ansel Ames, the landowner, has no intentions of paying him anything at the end of the month. Chu Chu feels cheated, but since he firmly believes in the legal system, where he knows he will prevail. Chu Chu has a taste in the American justice and by the end, he is vindicated for the crime he didn't commit.

William Wellman's "My Man and I" has a dated look. Perhaps at the time when the film was released it showed more impact than what it has today. Ricardo Montalban and Shelley Winters have some good moments, as well as Claire Trevor and Wendel Corey. Jack Elam plays a minor part as a friend of Chu Chu.

"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!