Masquerade in Mexico

source: Masquerade in Mexico

This not entirely bad remake of the 1939 screwball comedy "Midnight" is still pretty second rate but has some cute, funny moments but doesn't completely satisfy. Dorothy Lamour gives her best effort to shine in Claudette Colbert's old shoes, but she doesn't fully succeed even if she's right for the re-written part of the struggling American singer who pretends to be a Spanish countess to enter the society world of Patric Knowles and his snooty socialite wife, Ann Dvorak. The magic of the original is missing as it is pretty apparent that this is a pale imitation of the original. The change in locale helps make it almost seem like a different movie even being six years after the original, with Lamour dealing with jewel thief boyfriend George Riguad who has sent her a diamond to smuggle into Mexico which she promptly puts into the pocket of the wealthy Knowles who uses her to distract his wife from the Mexican matador Arturo de Cordova. But with Dvorak onto her, it will be difficult to keep this scheme going, pretty pointless as far as the plot is concerned because the revelation occurs less than half way through the film. There are some very funny moments, particularly thanks to Mikhail Rasumny as the cab driver who picks Lamour up at the airport, basically sings all his responses to her, and later takes her around to cabaret auditions, only to discover that she has no money. Between this sequence and the next one, she's apparently found a gig but no explanation of how she found it so fast is given. The funniest scenes outside of Rasumny come when Dvorak and her gossipy pal (Natalie Schaefer) discover that Lamour is a phony and badger her while she's dancing to get her to lie more and more so they can publicly humiliate her. Knowles had earlier described Dvorak and her social circle as a bunch of empty headed nitwits with nothing constructive to do, and every action that Dvorak and this group do proves him right, although they are very funny in exposing their own empty and useless lives. The musical numbers are all pretty unremarkable, and as a whole, the film is pointless simply because the original is so well crafted. It's another attempt to promote the "Latin look" that Hollywood was doing obsessively throughout the 1940's, and overall it is weak in its ambitions. The film quickly becomes cloying, and as attractive as Lamour is, she's not magical enough on her own to shine as a solo star, missing the pairing of Hope and Crosby as well as her infamous sarong to make her stand out. Dvorak takes her stereotypical bitchy character and makes her almost more interesting than the leading lady, while de Cordova and Riguad really offer nothing in the way of shadowed, layer performances that keep their characters complete stereotypes. Long before the film is even over, the masquerade is exposed, and what's under the mask of this film is an empty headed misfire.

The films of Mitchell Leisen do have that special touch that confers them a particular brightness and interest. In this movie Dorothy Lamour plays a thief's (George Rigaud) girlfiend tricked to carry a stolen smuggling diamond to Mexico whithout her knowledge. Once there she gets rid of the jewel by putting it into a strange's pocket who happens to be Patric Knowles. A succession of events and the meeting with Mexican famous torero (Arturo de Córdova, who also appeared in Leisen's Frenchman's creek) who runs after her lead to a Mexican villa where miss Lamour sings some songs disguised as a Spanish countess. But Thomas' wife Helen (Ann Dvorak) is soon jealous of her and plans to unmask her when she discovers her true identity. Miss Lamour sings several south american songs like "Adiós mariquita linda","Noche de ronda" and "Buscándote" and she also sung Perfidia that was sadly deleted from the movie in the end. Stunning Edith Head fashions and luxurious scenography add a styling and fascinating touch to the movie. It is a pity it was not filmed in glorious technicolor. As a curiosity, actor Juan Torena (Del mismo barro) appears uncredited as master of ceremonies.

The decline in the output of Mitchell Liesen who was once the sharpest director of the Paramount house style comedies at their peak - "Midnight," "Easy Living" "Take a Letter Darling" - overwhelms this mid forties effort in which the mangled remains of the script for "Midnight" can be glimpsed. Fanciful theories have been advanced for the fall from grace of Preston Sturges who got the recognition that should have been spread over the whole Paramount dialogue comedy cycle, but the truth is that, by the end of WW2, Hollywood had lost the feel for these fluffy entertainments. The work of Sturges, Leisen, Elliot Nugent and (better) George Marshall all faltered and changed direction. "Masquerade in Mexico" reveals Leisen as the heaviest casualty with a leaden comedy which could as easily have featured any of the contract talent and remained the same picture - Betty Hutton and Brian Donlevy? Lamour is glamorously got up but no one seems to have any confidence in her, playing plot dialogue over her songs and keeping the camera at a distance which shows off the decor and Edith Head costumes rather than performance. Hard sledding this one.

Yesterday I finally received a great copy of this film I had liked on TV as a young child in the 60's. Though I am more into melodramas and suspense films, I thought I would try this one with the lush Mexico settings and lovely music. I noticed some comments here and realize that everyone has his own opinion. After watching the film all the way through, I brought out my copy of Midnight with Claudette Colbert. Yes, I am a really big Claudette fan, but came to like Dorothy in her 40's films; her lovely and gentle manner, great singing voice really enhanced this film. Yes, I like the wildly witty Midnight with Claudette, John Barrymore, and Don AMeche. But, Dorothy singing It's Love and some others was very appealing. Too bad the film had cut Perfidia. I would love to have heard her sing this song my dad had liked during WWII. But it was not in the film.

Who needed a remake of "Midnight" ? I certainly didn't ! Dorothy Lamour is a pleasant actress but cannot hold a candle to Claudette Colbert ,the "baroness" of the first version.Besides ,the songs and dances get in the way ,particularly if it's not your kind of music.The only improvement is the phone call to the "sick" little girl,with Patric Knowles providing the voice !That said ,it's certainly enjoyable enough ,but you should favor "midnight" ,out of respect for Colbert. I do not agree with the precedent user as far Leisen's "decline" is concerned :it's relative.More goodies were still to come :magnificent melodramas ("to each his own" An Oscar job by De Havilland)and the best adaptation of Irish's "I married a dead man" ("No man of her own") ,much superior to the French ("J'ai Epousé Une Ombre") or even worse American remakes ("Mrs Winterbourne" )

source: Masquerade in Mexico

The films of Mitchell Leisen do have that special touch that confers them a particular brightness and interest. In this movie Dorothy Lamour plays a thief's (George Rigaud) girlfiend tricked to carry a stolen smuggling diamond to Mexico whithout her knowledge. Once there she gets rid of the jewel by putting it into a strange's pocket who happens to be Patric Knowles. A succession of events and the meeting with Mexican famous torero (Arturo de Córdova, who also appeared in Leisen's Frenchman's creek) who runs after her lead to a Mexican villa where miss Lamour sings some songs disguised as a Spanish countess. But Thomas' wife Helen (Ann Dvorak) is soon jealous of her and plans to unmask her when she discovers her true identity. Miss Lamour sings several south american songs like "Adiós mariquita linda","Noche de ronda" and "Buscándote" and she also sung Perfidia that was sadly deleted from the movie in the end. Stunning Edith Head fashions and luxurious scenography add a styling and fascinating touch to the movie. It is a pity it was not filmed in glorious technicolor. As a curiosity, actor Juan Torena (Del mismo barro) appears uncredited as master of ceremonies.

Yesterday I finally received a great copy of this film I had liked on TV as a young child in the 60's. Though I am more into melodramas and suspense films, I thought I would try this one with the lush Mexico settings and lovely music. I noticed some comments here and realize that everyone has his own opinion. After watching the film all the way through, I brought out my copy of Midnight with Claudette Colbert. Yes, I am a really big Claudette fan, but came to like Dorothy in her 40's films; her lovely and gentle manner, great singing voice really enhanced this film. Yes, I like the wildly witty Midnight with Claudette, John Barrymore, and Don AMeche. But, Dorothy singing It's Love and some others was very appealing. Too bad the film had cut Perfidia. I would love to have heard her sing this song my dad had liked during WWII. But it was not in the film.

Who needed a remake of "Midnight" ? I certainly didn't ! Dorothy Lamour is a pleasant actress but cannot hold a candle to Claudette Colbert ,the "baroness" of the first version.Besides ,the songs and dances get in the way ,particularly if it's not your kind of music.The only improvement is the phone call to the "sick" little girl,with Patric Knowles providing the voice !That said ,it's certainly enjoyable enough ,but you should favor "midnight" ,out of respect for Colbert. I do not agree with the precedent user as far Leisen's "decline" is concerned :it's relative.More goodies were still to come :magnificent melodramas ("to each his own" An Oscar job by De Havilland)and the best adaptation of Irish's "I married a dead man" ("No man of her own") ,much superior to the French ("J'ai Epousé Une Ombre") or even worse American remakes ("Mrs Winterbourne" )