La Cucaracha

If Technicolor was ever going to be used to good effect early on, then this scenario would seem to have been a good choice. The story is all largely predicable as impresario "Sr. Martinez" (Paul Porcasi) arrives at a café for a nice supper and to watch a dancer he hopes to sign up. The resident singer "Chaquita" (Steffi Duna) overhears his plans and sees an opportunity for stardom herself. That tees us up for some flamboyant Spanish dancing from "Pancho" (Don Alvarado) and a fine rendition of the old folk song "La Cucaracha" from Miss Duna. We get the impression that dancer and singer are a bit hung up on each other, and that "Martinez" is heading for a fall, but none of that really matters here as the whole thing is really about showing us just how bright and vital the colours and costumes are when lit properly and the dancing creatively choreographed.

"La Cucaracha" is a short that features lots of singing and dancing....and about a billion choruses of the song! Yes, THAT song...the one about cockroaches. Señor Martinez comes to the cantina looking for talent for his shows. Conchita is afraid that Martinez will take away Pancho, so she spends most of the film annoying Martinez--to drive him off!

"La Cucaracha" is a film that would have been completely forgotten over the years except for one thing--it's the first color film made using true color. Let me explain. In the early part of the 20th century, a few films actually were hand-painted--and the results were color...or sorts. Later, two-color processed (such as Two Color Technicolor and Cinecolor) were developed and the results were fair. The problem was that the films looked very orange and very green and a true spectrum of colors was absent. So, for example, true blues were not possible with the films. Now when you see "La Cucaracha", you might not be very impressed with the color. It looks garish--and a lot like it's been colorized but with much more vibrant colors (particularly blues and yellows). I am not sure if this ugly look is because of the effects of time and degradation on the film stock, the quality of the new Three Color Technicolor or because the 'experts' just didn't know what they were doing since it was such a new thing. But, regardless, the film is mega-important from a historical perspective. And, by the way, some might think "Becky Sharp" was the first full-color film. It's actually the first full-color FULL-LENGTH film--"La Cucaracha" was a short. Overall, the film is mildly entertaining and moderately funny--but nothing more. It's only fair entertainment but for film buffs it's a must-see.

Señor Martinez, a famous theater owner, visits a local café in Mexico because of its reputation for good food and to audition the famous dancer who performs there.

Martinez tells the café owner that if the dancer is as good as he has heard, he will offer the dancer a contract to perform in his theater.

The café's female singer hears about this and is determined that he won't leave the café without her.

First full color live action film. Odd that they'd choose this topic.

Also odd that it came from Pioneer Pictures and not a big studio.

It's an interesting curio and not much more.

In fact, as a short, it feels like a feature and it's horribly directed.

The use of color is just OK but the entire production was out of focus.

Not sure if that's just the copy or if it was like that originally.

... even if the film is rather pointless. Made by RKO to show off the sumptuous three-strip Technicolor process for the first time (after several two-strip bits and full-length features had been made through the period of 1929-1933), La Cucaracha is very thin on story - it is mostly set in a bar with dancing, singing (the title song, obviously), and a bit of fighting.

The sound quality wasn't brilliant but the visual quality can't be faulted. This movie is on DVD as an extra to RKO's Dixiana (itself boasting beautiful two-strip colour in the final sequences) but is really on worth a look for historical interest.

Pioneer Pictures followed Warner Brothers July 1934 color short "Service With A Smile" with its own Technicolor short film a month later in August 31, 1934's "La Cucaracha." The small Pioneer studio, affiliated with RKO, was formed to produce color movies. Two Whitney-family members, large stockholders in Technicolor, believed in the company's technology. At first having ambitions to produce the first color feature film using the new process, the Whitneys, along with Merian C. Cooper ("King Kong") as the studio's vice president of production, opted for the shorter musical. In "La Cucaracha," Steffi Duma stars as a jealous singer who hears a famous theatre owner is looking to audition her dancer boyfriend in a Mexican cafe. Her attempts to derail his chances are an excuse to display Technicolor's vibrant colors to the viewing public.

"La Cucaracha" gained fame as the Academy Award winner as the Best Short Subject in a Comedy. Its success at the box office spurred interest towards financing expensive feature films. Pilgrim had spent $65,000 on the 20-minute color short, far more than the normal $15,000 black and white movie at the time.