Mexikanische Nächte

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.