User reviews

Leonard Maltin's mini-biography of Cyd Charisse contains a very accurate piece of text: "the producers saw to it that she made the maximum impact in the minimal amount of screen time." In FIESTA she has a painfully small role (roughly fifth or sixth billed in the credits), but when it comes time for her to do what she does best, she does not disappoint. The irony, of course, is that she more closely appears Latin (with enhanced Hollywood makeup) than does Esther Williams- and Williams has the dubious distinction of playing the twin sister (!) of Ricardo Montalban. This, of course, is not something to blame on the actors; it's simply one of those MGM premises you have to buy/accept right off the bat. Montalban's debut film shows him off very nicely as a passionate would-be toreador whose first love is composing music. The family seems to be socially prominent and the outdoor set pieces and colorful costumes enhance the south-of-the-border atmosphere quite nicely. But the highlights are undoubtedly from Montalban and Charisse playing young lovers who pause every fifteen or so minutes to dance: first in a sort of group flamenco in a local salon set to the music of "La Bamba," then in a rapturous formal duet (him in black suit and Mexican hat; her in a multi-tiered white gown). MGM must've liked them together as they paired them in no less than four different films in the late 40's: this one, THE KISSING BANDIT, MARK OF THE RENEGADE, and ON AN ISLAND WITH YOU, almost always in dance duets.

This film introduces Richardo Montalban and Cyd Charisse (to the American public). And it features much festive Mexican music. One of the highlights of the film is a dance where Charisse is electric--in my opinion outdoing some of the Rita Hayworth performances that preceded. Montalban strikes a dramatic figure on the dance floor, in the bull ring, and (surprisingly) at the piano. Other reviewers have wondered about his piano technique. It is just a guess, but I think he was a very good faker (not so good with the guitar). His timing is excellent and his fingering is even fairly credible. Just good enough to allow the director to linger on the keyboard more than directors usually do when non-pianists perform.

Yes the script is fairly predictable, but I found the film enjoyable. Esther Williams may not be at her best here, and the role certainly does not require a great range or dramatic power, but she is, as always, a beautiful breath of fresh air.

I am not a fan of bullfights. If all they did was tease the bull with a cape, bullfights might be purely artistic expressions of athleticism. But those portions of the fight that occur outside of the cape work are brutal and merely sad. Fortunately, this film only deals with the cape work. As such, I found the scenes in the ring interesting. How many times can you watch a bull charge at a cape before it become boring and repetitive? Usually, only a few times. But this film illustrates the variations in cape work and the daring of the matadors.

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?

Don Antonio Morales (Fortunio Bonanova) is a bullfighting legend who is thrilled by the birth of twin children. His daughter Maria (Esther Williams) grows to be a beautiful, headstrong woman, while his son Mario (Ricardo Montalban) becomes a gifted musician and promising matador. Their father insists that Mario concentrate on bullfighting, but Maria knows that Mario's heart is in his music, so she tries to help her brother follow his dreams, going to extremes to do so.

I was a bit torn on this one. The cast is generally likable, although I find John Carroll to be a bit weaselly. Montalban gets an "introducing" credit, and he has a lot of screen presence, and he shares a terrific dance scene with Charisse at the film's halfway point. Williams still finds a way to show up in a bathing suit, while Mary Astor is terribly wasted in a nothing role as the twins' mother. Bullfighting was still socially acceptable at this time, so it went over. Today it seems like a feature film built on the declawing of cats. The movie earned an Oscar nomination for Best Score (Johnny Green).

If you can accept the notion that ESTHER WILLIAMS and RICARDO MONTALBAN (his American film debut) are twins and that Esther could substitute for him in the bull ring--well, then you can sit back and enjoy a few of the other perks of FIESTA. It's more a drama than a musical, but the dance numbers are what give it whatever zest it has as entertainment.

It's primarily a showcase for the talented Ricardo, seen here as a man who would rather be a composer of serious music than a bullfighter. He even gets to play his "Fantasia Mexicana" (actually Aaron Copland's "El Salon Mexico") in an exciting piano arrangement that has Montalban looking as though he's actually executing the piece. And colorful too is his dance number with CYD CHARISSE, who was then a rising young star on the MGM lot and got to do some specialty dance numbers in a variety of musical films.

Frankly, Esther became a much better actress in later films. FIESTA is actually one of her weakest dramatic performances and fans only get to see her take a dip in a pool once, and briefly. Her flat reading of most lines does little to advance the notion that she was a star, even when she wasn't wet.

Despite all the trimmings, it's just not on the level with other MGM musical dramas of the era and looks and plays more like a programmer than anything else. But, oh that music!

The son of a famous bullfighter is expected to follow his father's footsteps, but he prefers composing music instead. His twin sister impersonates him and fights in the bullfighting ring.

Ranked a measly 5.9 on imdb, Fiesta is very entertaining. You need some suspension of disbelief (Esther Williams is about as Mexican as I am), but it's good fun.

There's plenty of good Mexican music, a couple of good dance numbers with Ricardo Montalban and Cyd Charisse, and some good Aaron Copland music. Montalban is good in his American film debut, while Mary Astor, John Carroll and Fortuni Bonanova are good in support. Esther Williams only has one brief swimming number, but looks as radiant as ever. Akim Tamiroff, an actor I usually don't like, is quite good.

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!

Nobody has too much fun at this fiesa -- supposedly MGM's ads proclaimed "See-Esther in Fiesta" apparently confusing a party with a nap-- which is a closer description of this improbably Mexican diversion. Esther battles bulls to redeem her brother's name (Montalban) after he flees the ring the pursue a career as a composer. The music he wrote is actually Copland's "El Salon de Mexico" -- a piece whose hokey, bloated exoticism meshes perfectly with this movie. Nice color photography, and the producers, as usual, found an opportunity for Williams to get wet.

When there is a cast like Esther Williams, Ricardo Montalban, Cyd Charisse and Mary Astor, the film in question promises much. Because all four of these people are very talented at what they do and have been rarely less than watchable in their films.

'Fiesta' is a long way from a bad film, it's colourful and it does have several good things about it. It is however a very uneven and heavily problematic film that considering the calibre of talent should have been much better than it was.

Starting with 'Fiesta's' strengths, it's very handsomely mounted and is shot in glorious Technicolor. The music is full of liveliness and makes one want to tap their toes and get up and dance, a kind of energy that the rest of the film doesn't match. Love the use of Copland's 'El Salon Mexico'.

The dance choreography is even better, the fiery dance routines with Montalban and Charisse are electrifying and 'Fiesta' is worth seeing for them alone. Montalban is as suave, dashing and charismatic as ever, while Charisse is charming and dances a dream. Astor is touching, though she deserved a bigger role and better material.

On the other hand, as radiant as Williams looks and her brief swimming scene is nice (though nowhere near one of her best routines) she does look ill at ease and any drama never rings true, her character being somehow related to Montalban severely strains credibility. John Carroll is rather bland, and there are somewhat hammy turns from Akim Tamiroff and Fortunio Bonanova.

Scripting-wise, 'Fiesta' is pretty pedestrian and contrived, not much wit here, while the story does lack momentum, is as thin as ice and credibility-straining nonsense. As for the bull scenes, for such a brutal "sport" they are pretty tame. Richard Thorpe's direction is undistinguished at best and the most energetic 'Fiesta' gets is in the scenes with Montalban and Charisse and the music.

In summary, colourful but uneven. Good for a one-time watch, but not good enough for repeat viewings. 5/10 Bethany Cox

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.

"Fiesta" is a reworking of the old story from "The Jazz Singer". The story is set in Mexico and begins with a famous bullfighter, Antonio Morales. He has a set of twins, Mario (Ricardo Montalban) and Maria (Esther Williams) and Antonio has determined that his son WILL one day become a great matador like himself. While Mario is quite good, his love is not bullfighting but music. Eventually, Mario runs away because of all the pressure and Maria dresses like Mario and fools EVERYONE (?) by going into the ring herself and becoming a great matador. What's to become of all this?

"Fiesta" is a pretty good film in some ways. It gives a nice portrait of Mexicans (though too many of the actors aren't Hispanic) and is more sensitive than many Hollywood productions. Also, being from MGM, the film looks great--with wonderful music, color and dancing. But to me the best part was watching Montalban in his first film and watching him play the piano. If the piano music wasn't being played by him, he sure faked it very, very well. However, on the down side, the film is SUPER-creepy. Maria's relationship with Mario is just creeptastic. Her vocabulary when talking about him is peppered with words like 'darling' and 'sweetheart' and she ALWAYS talks to him in a much more loving manner than when she talks to her fiancée (John Carrol). It really does make the viewer think of twincest and I cannot believe that the writers and others connected with the film didn't see this. Weird and kind of sick but despite this an enjoyable film.

By the way, the bullfighting scenes are VERY sanitized. On one hand, the viewer doesn't need to worry about all the blood and gore. But, on the other, it makes this 'sport' seem very harmless.

A famous matador raises his son to be a bullfighter like him but the boy would rather be a musician. The son's twin sister, however, enjoys bullfighting and becomes quite good at it. Eventually the son grows tired of his pushy father and abandons the ring, which leaves his sister to save the family's honor by pretending to be her brother and fighting bulls herself.

Middling semi-musical with Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalban as the unlikeliest pair of twins you'll ever see. I'm really not sure what MGM was thinking with this one. I can only assume they were hoping it would help make Ricardo Montalban a star. He does a fine job with what he's given. Esther is certainly nice to look at and plays her part well. They do manage to find a way to put Esther in a bathing suit for one scene, which I appreciated but thought amusing given how it was shoehorned in there. She also looks very cute in her matador outfit. Corny John Carroll plays Esther's boyfriend, a character named Pepe. There's a rather creepy subtext to the story as both Esther and Ricardo's love interests openly complain about the siblings' attentions toward each other. Fortunio Bonanova does well as the dad. Nice support from Mary Astor, Akim Tamaroff, and Cyd Charisse.

The most interesting part of this film's plot is that it has a woman proving herself capable of being as good as a man in a masculine "sport" at a time when such a thing was not common in movies. Yeah they cop out a little in the end but it's still pretty forward-thinking for its time. The production was a very troubled one and, unfortunately, some of the bulls were actually killed during the making of this film. Despite some lovely Technicolor and solid MGM production values, it's just such a forgettable movie that I wouldn't bother unless you were an Esther Williams completist.

Famed matador Antonio Morales (Fortunio Bonanova) has twins, Mario and Maria. Mario gets trained relentlessly by his father, but he is more taken with music supported by his mother (Mary Astor) and Maria. Maria secretly trains herself as a matador. The kids turn 21. Maria (Esther Williams) sent music composed by Mario (Ricardo Montalban) to famed conductor Maximino Contreras.

This is a non-swimming role for Esther Williams during her aquamusical years. She's also not the musical sibling. She's a bullfighter although not doing the actual bullfighting. Her physicality does a passable facsimile. I just don't think anyone can mistake her for a man especially with that skin-tight outfit. The music is old fashion Latin music and that got the movie its only Oscar nomination. Its most lasting effect may be Montalban. This is his Hollywood break. This was filmed in Mexico which led to various issues, but it also gives the movie some authenticity. There are some real bullfighting here although they don't show any killings. That's probably a good choice for Hollywood of that era.

Esther Williams was not my aunt although I had an aunt named Esther. As other reviewers have noted, Ms. Williams was miscast. I have known naturally blond Mexican women, redheaded Mexican women, etc. but they didn't look European (ancestry), like Esther. She resembles Ingrid Bergman. Had the film been set in Spain, it would have been more believable because a lot of Spaniards are fair-skinned and look a lot like Europeans and Americans.

So, what does this have to do with the overall production? Besides the mis-casting, the script is awful, the film boring and, just because an actor has a birthday, doesn't mean TCM should devote an entire day or week to his/her films. I am not young, so I remember Esther Williams, but to some she was a movie heroine. I think of Esther as being a step below Doris Day, not giving much credit to either.

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.

I applaud the Esther Williams for agreeing to be Ricardo's fraternal TWIN sister, tomboy, would-be bullfighter. An audience doesn't expect a fine tuned rendering of a story -- we kind of KNOW it's only a dramatization, not REAL life.

This was a pro-Mexico film in its day when Mexican-Americans were limited to patronage of Los Angeles movie theaters only one day of the week.

I watched from start to finish expecting to see a dance sequence found on You Tube - where Cyd Charisse and Ann Miller compete for the attention of Ricardo. Maybe it was cut from this film and released as a Music Short Suject???? Anyway it is well written, well acted, a slimmer Akim Taaaroff feigns a nice Spanish accent. Viva Esther, Cyd, and Ricardo in a nice family story -- would have been rated G.

John Carroll has always been one of my favorite actors, but Hollywood just didn't seem to notice his appeal. He was a very good looking and talented actor. I saw many of his movies and really enjoyed seeing him on the screen.