Los caballeros de la cama redonda

Well, this is the movie that started it all. In the early 70´s the argentine film business made just two kind of movies: european art house films and sex romps in the "Carry On" tradition. Those who dared to film stuff like the sex comedies were labeled as "smut peddlers" (like the national Russ Meyer, Armando Bó). But then you had a very creative subgenre, the "motel comedies", set in -well...- motels. In 1973 two tv writers, Hugo and Gerardo Sofovich decided to change the formula a little bit and made this one. "Los Caballeros de la Cama Redonda" ("The Knights of the Round Bed") was hardly an original screenplay. Roughly based on Billy Wilder´s "The Apartment" (1960), the movie follows four shoes salesmen in their search for an empty flat. ¿Their goal? To get an apartment in order to get laid. Things get worse every day - the "macho" is a dominated male, the fat guy only wants to have dinner...

"Los Caballeros..." is a so-so pic if you want to analize it from a film standpoint. But it´s masive success changed everthing around - the film industry went in that sex farce direction, and the movie partnered argentina´s two most beloved comedians (Alberto Olmedo and Jorge Porcel) for first time. They remained together as a film couple for 13 years, until Olmedo´s ultimately and tragic death. And if you enjoy polyester suits, bad jokes and the classical argentinian sense of disrespect for the authority, church, state and marriage, this movie is for you. All others, go home. Now.

This is the best Argentine comedy of all time. Four protagonists in their prime (Olmedo, Porcel, Tristán and Chico Novarro) together with a cast of splendid secondary figures: Adolfo García Grau, Mariquita Gallegos (beautiful), Moria Casán (in her splendor), Javier Portales, Fidel Pintos, Marcos Zucker , etc. Not only is the cast remarkable, but the script allows a hackneyed idea to become a representation of the local cool men of those years. The story not only makes you laugh but has a significant moral; As in any happy story, mischief is not rewarded. Extremely recommended in every way. You will get much more than you expect.