Le squelette de Madame Morales

Master of the macabre Arthur Machen loosely based his novel 'The Islington Mystery' on Dr. Crippen's murder of his wife Cora. Although he retained some of the circumstances he changed the characters to Mr. & Mrs. Boale. In this adaptation by screenwriter Luis Alcoriza, they have become Dr. Pablo Morales and his wife Gloria.

There seems to be an unwritten law which exists to this day that when a wife is murdered or missing, presumed dead, the prime suspect is invariably the husband. Taxidermist Morales has more cause for murder than most as his wife subjects him to relentless mental and emotional torture whilst presenting herself as the victim to her hideous relations, his brutal brother and an over-zealous Catholic priest. Morales confides to a friend early on in the film that to commit a murder, be tried for it and acquitted is the ultimate achievement. Our hero almost makes it but of course there is always the unexpected............

This is definitely for those who like their comedies 'black'(apologies to the 'woke' patrol) The camera angles, lighting effects and Raúl Lavista's score add immeasurably to the film's gruesome nature.

It is the performance of Artúro de Cordova as Morales that carries the day. He has always excelled at characters with an 'edge' and his casting here is a masterstroke. This film was made as Mexico's Golden Age, of which he was one of the brightest stars, was rapidly coming to a close and he himself in his early fifties. Sadly incapacitated by a stroke in 1967, this is, to my knowledge, the last of his great roles. The part of his insufferable spouse Gloria is a difficult one to play and Amparo Rivelles convinces as a woman who must at some stage have been an engaging partner before disease and excessive piety took their toll.

Luis Alcoriza had a fruitful working relationship with Luis Bunuel which included 'Exterminating Angel' and 'El', the latter gifting de Córdova another marvellous role. Although Rogelio A. Gonzalez does a pretty good job here one cannot help but wonder how Bunuel would have handled this material.

Both this film and the works of Arthur Machen have had a strong influence on director Guillermo del Toro. One is hardly surprised.

It's a very nice example of Mexican black humor. The story is shocking as it is original and relatable, which makes the viewer reflect on the moral dilemma presented.

Even if you're not interested in Mexican cinema this is a must see.

I love films from all over the world and I understand that this makes me kind of weird--particularly here in the United States where most folks have little tolerance for subtitles. Perhaps it's because I have seen and reviewed so many films that I often look for something different--and The Skeleton of Mrs. Morales is certainly different-- and in some very good ways.

In the past, I've written some articles about cheesy Mexican films-- such as the Aztec mummy films and the luchador (masked wrestler) films of the 60s and 70s. These films are pretty bad, but also are wonderful for a good laugh. But this does NOT mean that all Mexican films of yesterday are bad or silly--there are plenty of wonderful older Mexican movies that I've seen and I hope to see many more. For examples, the comedies of Cantinflas are quite charming and Pedro Infante's musicals are quite enjoyable--plus I am always hopeful that readers will write to me to recommend their favorites (hint, hint--PLEASE send me the names of your favorites)!

The Skeleton of Mrs. Morales is an interesting tale because it's one of the few older films I've seen that would seem to endorse murder! Like the wonderful Hollywood film The Suspect (with Charles Laughton), the story is about a nice man who is married to a truly horrible woman. However, Mrs. Morales is unusual in her awfulness because she is two-faced. To her many friends in the local church and her extended family, she is a virtual saint who is forced to live with a terrible husband who drinks too much, abuses her and is irreverent. However, this is all part of Mrs. Morales' sick personality disorder. He is actually a very good husband and tries to love her, but she is both frigid and very cruel towards him--and being married to her is impossible. She wants others to think she's a martyr for staying with such a monster and he just wants a wife who will love him and so he puts up with a lot during their long and very unhappy marriage. All the while, most audience members are hoping that Dr. Morales will either leave this woman or kill her. I was rooting for him to kill her--especially after she smashes the camera he saved up to buy for two years and then convinced her friends that HE beat her! What's next? Well, the word 'skeleton' is in the title...so you might be able to guess SOME of what will happen. However, like all wonderful dark comedies, guessing exactly what will happen is just about impossible! And it features a wonderful twist ending that made me smile.

The bottom line is that while most people are much more likely to watch a recent Hollywood movie, there are wonderful films waiting to be discovered from all over the world. And, in the case of The Skeleton of Mrs. Morales, you don't have to travel that far from Hollywood to find a classic.

Few times has the Mexican movies industry explored this type of comedy. This particular film is surprisingly very well made, specially since its 2 main characters are played by an Actor, Arturo de Cordova, and an Actress, Amparo Rivelles, whose background is in tragic and/or very formal performances. It is a story of a married couple whose life has come to the point of a disaster, basically due to the jealousness of the wife. The Husband a taxidermist announces to their friends that she has gone to another City on vacations, but keeps in his shop an skeleton. This of course is the center plot of the movie and all black humor situations are derived from this. The movie is light and keeps the viewers entertained throughout its entire length.

This film is charmingly macabre, about a taxidermist with a sincere love and lust for life, and his terrible antithesis of a wife. The performances are absolutely convincing, and the pompous catholic padre is unforgettable during the confession at the end, as is the lead character. The attention to detail makes it a pleasure to watch this film again and again.