The Girl from Mexico

It's almost unheard of a low-budgeted movie becoming so popular it spawned a series of feature films produced by a major Hollywood studio. That's what happened to RKO Pictures when it witnessed an unexpected phenomenon at the box office in actress Lupe Velez's June 1939's "The Girl From Mexico." Originally planned as a one and done Grade B film, the 'Mexican Spitfire' emerged as a blockbuster hit over the summer for the South of the Border singer comedian, spurring the studio to produce seven additional movies based around her fiery, yet magnetic personality.

As one of the first Mexican actresses in Hollywood, Velez broke into film in 1927, and transferred her success from silents, co-starring with Douglas Fairbanks in 1927's "The Gaucho," to sound. In one of the best skits in 1933's "Hollywood Party," she bested Laurel and Hardy in their classic egg-busting scene. Velez sang in several Broadway shows, raising her popularity while she paid a visit to her native country in 1938 to make the Mexican film "La Zandunga."

In "The Girl From Mexico," Velez is Carmelita Fuentes, a talented singer from a small Mexican town who Dennis Lindsay (Donald Woods), a scout from a New York talent agency, discovers and escorts her to the states for an audition. Dennis, who's engaged to catty Elizabeth Price (Linda Hayes), is unavailable to chaperone Carmelita around town on her first day in New York City. His uncle Matt (Leon Errol) fills in as tour guide and bends to her demands to take her to both a baseball game and a wrestling match. Carmelita yells so much at the sporting events she loses her voice, ruining her audition. While Dennis is heavily involved planning his upcoming wedding, he develops the hots for Carmelita, causing his fiancé to become jealous.

RKO used Valez's nickname, the 'Mexican Spitfire' in the titles for her next seven movies, ending with 1943's 'Mexican Spitfire's Blessed Event.' Comic Leon Errol did double duty beginning in the second in the series, 1940's 'Mexican Spitfire,' playing two characters, Uncle Matt as well as the eccentric Lord Epping, a British distiller. Director Leslie Goodwins encouraged his actors to ad lib, especially Velez and Errol, who loved to entertain the film crew with their off-the-cuff jokes. "The Girl From Mexico" contained one of Hollywood's first interracial couples. Woods remained Carmelita's on-screen husband for the first three Spitfire movies, followed by Charles 'Buddy' Rogers (Mary Pickford's husband), then actor Walter Reed. One of cinema's more fascinating trivia questions is what movie front-ended the double feature to the 1941 debut release of Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane?" Answer: 'The Mexican Spitfire's Baby,' the fourth movie in Velez's repertoire.

Once the series ran its course by 1943, Velez returned to Mexico to be in an adaptation of Emile Zola's 'Nana.' On December 13, 1944, Velez swallowed 75 Seconal pills and a glass of brandy in her Los Angeles home. She left a suicide note to her ex-boyfriend Harold Ramond, claiming she was distraught about her unwed pregnancy. The Los Angeles coroner dropped a pending investigation after her death because of the note. Ramond denied his involvement, setting off rumors on the person responsible for getting Velez pregnant, with actor Gary Cooper's name dropped in the mix. Pallbearers at her funeral included her ex-husband Johnny Weissmuller of Tarzan fame.

Just like when Ma and Pa Kettle became such a hit in The Egg And I that it became a movie series, Lupe Velez proved such a hit as the fiery and passionate Mexican singer Carmelita Fuentes that RKO did a whole series of Mexican Spitfire films. Velez who was on the downside of her career, she was no longer an A list player got her career extended a few more years. Sadly only a few years since she died by suicide in 1943.

This film which introduces the characters has Donald Woods press agent on a hunt in Mexico for a talented singer of the Latina persuasion for his boss Donald MacBride's radio station. He brings Lupe Velez and finds she's awfully hard to handle. The one she relates best to is Leon Errol who is his uncle. His aunt Elizabeth Risdon who usually played snooty old dowagers is at her snootiest here. Fiance Linda Hayes isn't too thrilled with Velez's presence either.

Velez and Errol worked well together and it was both of them that kept the Mexican Spitfire series going. Later on when Errol started playing the dual role of Uncle Matt and Lord Epping he could have spun out on a series of his own.

For better or worse this is what Lupe Velez is best remembered for cinematically as opposed to her sex life which was varied and tempestuous.

The Girl From México is not only a classic, but essential, because without it, despite being one of the great female comics of all time, Lupe Vélez would be forgotten about ( especially because too many of her films are unavailable (Wolf Song with Gary Cooper is one of the films I am looking for the most. East as West with her and Edward G. Robinson is another)). Her fiery temper, her dancing, her impressions and the ability to do physical comedy really work here. For anyone who has heard of Lupe Vélez, but has never seen her, this movie is where to start ( if you have seen her before and have not seen The Girl From Mexico what are you waiting for?). Was Lupe beautiful? Oh yea. Did she have screen presence? Without a doubt. But so did many actresses who have been forgotten about ( Betty Grable, Elsa Martinelli ( one of my favorites), Elke Sommer and Delores Del Rio ( who Lupe despised) are examples of this). But Lupe ( like Clara Bow and Jean Harlow ( other actresses from her era) she lives on. 10/10 stars.

This film, without a doubt, is the best MS film! Lupe Velez is refreshing in this role, and even gets to do some musical numbers (ala' Carmen Meranda).

As the series went on, it was reduced to Lupe constantly screaming at her hubby, & Leon Errol lurching around in the (tiresome) "Lord Epping" routine (which often over-shadowed the series). A "Must See" !!! Norm

I am watching TGFM on TCM right now. TCM has been showing all the Mexican Spitfire movies recently on Saturday mornings. This first movie was supposed to be a one shot deal but Lupe Velez and Leon Errol became so popular with their characters that RKO decided to make it into an entire series of B movies. Lupe certainly provides great entertainment with her singing and dancing. And Leon Errol would demonstrate comedic genius with his dual characters of Uncle Matt and Lord Epping. Linda Hayes stood out in the first few films as Carmelite's rival for Dennis. In this one, watch for young Ward Bond as wrestler Mexican Pete in a hilarious sequence when Carmelita and Uncle Matt go to the wrestling matches and Carmelita can't help but get involved in the action. Dennis was a major character in the first film but in the subsequent movies he drifted more and more into the background as the majority of the scenes focused on Carmelita and Uncle Matt/Lord Epping. Lupe Velez and Leon Errol certainly had great chemistry together. The entire series is out on DVD and can be found on Amazon. Don't expect too much, just sit back and enjoy the wild antics of Lupe Velez and Leon Errol.