O Bebê da Discórdia

The farewell film of the Lupe Velez-Leon Errol Mexican Spitfire series ends with this one with a lot of people getting the wrong idea that Lupe Velez is pregnant. Ironically enough when Velez died she was pregnant

In the usual tradition of these films news of the cat having kittens is misinterpreted. It's all wrapped up with negotiations with Leon Errol in his Lord Epping persona.

I didn't see the Mexican Spitfire films in any particular order so when i did see my first one I thought it non-stop hilarity. It took two more films before I realized that RKO was making the same film over and over again.

If Lupe hadn't died I suspect the series would have stopped in any event. It was incredibly repetitious as funny as Velez and Errol were.

Final movie in the Mexican Spitfire series. The plot's about Dennis thinking Carmelita is pregnant but it's really some nonsense with an ocelot. Oh don't worry, somehow the filmmakers find a way to make it all about Uncle Matt and Lord Epping again. In my other reviews for these Spitfire movies, I've noted my problems with the series as a whole so I won't go into detail on that again here. Suffice it to say the series is very repetitive and focuses more on a supporting actor than the supposed star. That does not change in this final entry nor does the series go out in a fresh and original way. More "someone getting the wrong impression" hijinks and an especially tired old routine with Leon Errol, the true star of the series, playing dual roles. They do find a way to work baby kidnapping into a comedy plot, so points for that. And hey, there's Ward Cleaver himself - Hugh Beaumont! All in all, like most entries in this series, it's a watchable movie on its own but seen after even one other Spitfire movie you're likely to be bored. Sadly, Lupe Velez would take her own life the year after this was released. Whatever issues I have with the series and her sometimes grating performance, it was groundbreaking at the time to have a film series with a Mexican actress as the lead (even if she was consistently upstaged by co-star Errol). If you really want to try out the series, I suggest starting at the beginning because the first couple of movies were the best.

OK, the Uncle Matt / Lord Epping joke had most definitely run its course at this point, and it is not unfair that this would be the last entry in the series, but it is also one of the most tolerable ones, thanks to a larger-than-usual role for Carmelita and - especially - some surprisingly racy material that the filmmakers managed to sneak through right under the censors' noses, most notable my above summary line (which is followed by a "huh??" reaction by Uncle Matt and Carmelita). **1/2 out of 4.

The series finale features another array of misunderstandings and mistaken identity. Dennis is now in the Navy but is still after a contract with Lord Epping. His rival this time for the Lord's signature is George Sharp, played by none other than the Beaver's dad, Hugh Beaumont. The blessed event mentioned in the title is actually a litter of kittens that Carmelita's cat had. But, of course, there is a big misunderstanding about that. In order to continue the deception, Carmelita disguises herself as a nurse in order to borrow (kidnap) a real human baby. Naturally, the real mother is a bit upset about these playful hijinks. Lord Epping gets mistakenly accused of the baby taking, and the sheriff (who is also the baby's father) has him dunked in a well to make him tell where the baby is. There is something of a surprise at the end to finish the final movie of the series. And one other character gets dunked in the well just before "The End" appears on the screen.

These Mexican Spitfire films are something else. Almost always the same plot and antics, but so lively that they breeze by. This series is the epitome of frantic farce. Leon Errol bounds from Uncle Matt, the sensible American, to Lord Epping, the befuddled Englishman, and brings things to a froth by consistently having Uncle Matt do impersonations of Epping. Much sputtering confusion, innuendos, door-slamming, and racing around ensues. But Errol is so effortlessly charming and game that it all goes down smoothly, no matter how high-pitched the antics get. And Errol is matched with the Spitfire herself, Lupe Velez. Sadly, this is her last Hollywood film. Her famous suicide followed at the end of the following year. It was thought she was washed up in Hollywood, but it's doubtful such a firecracker personality could have stayed unlit for long. She might have exploded on television in the fifties, if anything. But she left behind a lot of personality on screen for viewers to marvel at. She and Errol are unsung as one of the finest comedy teams in Hollywood history. The Mexican Spitfire films are worthless without their timing, talent, and inter-action. 'Blessed Event' concerns the confusion over Carmelita (Lupe) having a baby and how its existence, or non-existence, influences Lord Epping's signature on a contract for Carmelita's husband. Hugh Beaumont is competing for Epping's signature and he's well aware that the whole baby thing is a crock. But Epping goes to Arizona to find out, with Beaumont following. Inevitably, it's up to Uncle Matt to do his Epping impersonation again to save the day. Beaumont is okay, but the other cast members are wallpaper. Errol and Velez are a vortex of energy, leaving nothing to anyone else. There is one minor note: Alan Carney and Wally Brown have separate bit parts (Carney as bartender, Brown as desk clerk) but soon after in the same year would start their comedy team antics as RKO's answer to Abbott & Costello.