Mexican Spitfire

By the time this B-budget comedy was made by producer Lee Marcus for the ailing studio RKO, the big-wigs there had lured radio's wunderkind Orson Welles to Hollywood with an offer of total artistic control on any film he wanted to make. Why? Why not! To understand the desperate and forlorn shape the Gower Street studio was back then, just watch this film, a typical B&W programmer of the time. Leon Errol does his bi-lingual shtick with sexy and over-the-top Lupe Valdez. Neither actor, sad to say, turned out to be any guarantee of box-office success. Those who wish to analyze Latina stereotypes in American films will find the origin of Carmen Miranda's malapropistic character in these impoverished pre-war Lupe Velez comedies... Ironically enough, many of the regular RKO studio staff who worked valiantly on this Leslie Goodwins flick back in 1940 went on a year later to collaborate with Welles on his masterpiece CITIZEN KANE.

Pros:

• Lupe Velez is a bundle of energy, and brings some diversity which has always been lacking in Hollywood.
• Leon Errol's dual performance as the uncle and the British businessman, which includes the uncle dressing up as the businessman and small differences in how he played it, is well done. Also, his combative relationship with his wife (Elisabeth Risdon) is funny in just how far they go to get on each other's nerves.

Cons:

• It's a screwball comedy so one doesn't expect the plot to be airtight or anything, but the story gets so silly that at some point I found myself thinking, 'this is just stupid', and hoping for it to end.
• Despite the attempts at zaniness, there isn't much that's original here, from the marriage the aunt wants to break up, to the impersonation (of course the real guy soon shows up), to the cake fight at the end (ok, it's not pie but...), etc
• Donald Woods is as bland as a piece of cardboard.
• As the second in a series of films, 8 total from 1939-1943(!), with the first actually being 'The Girl from Mexico', this one already has that retread / sequel feeling. I'll go back and watch the first, but not the next six.

Mexican SPITFIRE is actually the second film in the popular "B" comedy series starring Lupe Velez and Leon Errol (THE GIRL FROM Mexico was the first). This one takes over where the first one left off, with Carmelita (Lupe) and husband Denny (Donald Woods) returning from their honeymoon to be met by Woods' friendly uncle Matt (Leon Errol) and snooty aunt Della (Elisabeth Risdon). Aunt Della is still fuming her nephew married outside of society and brings along Denny's equal predatory ex-fiancée Elizabeth (Linda Hays), both determined to wreck this new marriage before it starts. Elizabeth gets Carmelita plastered with booze and then has her drop by Denny's office where he is meeting with an important client. Carmelita feigns being Denny's secretary as he meets with Lord Epling (also played by Leon Errol) of England about his advertising firm representing Lord Epling's line of liquor. While an inebriated Carmelita doesn't do so bad at the meeting, Denny is furious because he has invited Lord Epling to dine with them and now they are caught since he has met Carmelita as Denny's "secretary" (why this is just a big deal is beyond me, Carmelita is not blatantly intoxicated and shaming herself, couldn't Denny have just introduced her as his wife at the time just subbing in secretarial duties). Scheming aunt Della suggests Elizabeth pose as Denny's wife during the dinner and Carmelita and Uncle Matt have a plan of their own given Matt's remarkable resemblance to Lord Epling.

Lupe Velez is a delight as the English-fracturing Latin cutie whose moods swing like Tarzan on the vine, from loving to out for blood. Leon Errol is a good comic but the mishaps and repeated gags can make this movie seem longer than it's 67 minutes. Donald Woods is an appealing if generic romantic lead as Denny but the Aunt Della character is a little TOO bitchy and mean although Elisabeth Risdon does what she can with the character. It's a fun movie nevertheless with a Three Stoogesque slapstick finale.

Leon Errol handles his double role of Uncle Matt Lindsay and Lord Basil Epping superbly, but I have trouble liking the "Mexican Spitfire" Series because they all are contrived to produce mistaken identities, and these are telegraphed way in advance. Errol is funny as the stuffy Lord Epping, but I would have preferred a lot more wit and much less repetition.

Lupe Velez in the first of the "Mexican Spitfire" series of movies. There would be about eight of them. She plays Carmelita Lindsay, new wife of Ad man Dennis Lindsay. They are fresh back from their honeymoon in this picture when Dennis' old flame Elizabeth (also the name of Carmelita's Chihuahua by the way...) decides she sees something new in Dennis and wants to get back together with him despite his marriage to Carmelita. Lupe is wonderful in this role as a frenetic, wise-cracking bundle of energy. She makes funny faces, is very expressive, has a wonderful smile and has her hands full dealing with Elizabeth ( Not the chihuahua, the OTHER dog...). Add into the mix, Lord Epping a much-bucks client of her husband Dennis, cases of mistaken identity and you have a great movie at a little over an hour... Lupe is absolutely cute! She curses to herself under her breath in Spanish, a little comic technique later "borrowed" by Senor Desi Arnaz who was probably still in Cuba when these films came out, waiting for his big break. This movie isnt on video and is not played that often, so catch it when and where you can, hokay? Hokay!