Latin Lovers

This is highly entertaining fluff. Lana Turner looks lovely, so it is probably carping to comment on her limited acting ability. Ricardo Montalban is suitably macho. The film is saved for me by the other actors with John Lund showing a deft comic touch and making his character more than one dimensional, which it surely would have been had the earlier choice, Michael Wilding played the role. Louis Calhern steals most of his scenes as Montalban's grandfather - the fact that he was only 25 years older apparently bothered no one. There are some nice touches in the writing and the costumes and cinematography are beautiful. All in all there is plenty to enjoy.

Nora Taylor (Lana Turner) is a tough businesswoman as the head of her late pioneering father's company. The wealthy tycoon fears that every suitor wants her for her money. Despite his greater wealth, she still has concerns about her boyfriend Paul Chevron (John Lund). She follows him to Brazil where she meets Latin lover Roberto Santos (Ricardo Montalban).

This is rather stale for the first third. Lana Turner is being cold and John Lund is playing a dud. I really don't like them stating their net worth. Ricardo Montalban does bring a Latino energy to the triangle and he does some singing. It's not that spicy although there is some good hot-cold chemistry going on. At the end of the day, I don't care about her enough and Roberto is limited. On top of that, I hate listing all the dollars.

There is enough music in this film-minus the big name singers and dancers of the era-to make it a must-see musical. Although at times her hair looks like actual platinum, Lana Turner appears in so many mind-bogglingly gorgeous outfits that her wardrobe alone makes the movie worth watching. Then there is Ricardo Montalban in perhaps the sexiest (especially for those who remember him as Khan in Star Trek) film role of his career as a leading man, his singing voice dubbed by one Carlos Julio Ramírez in "A Little More of Your Amour." My favorite lines from that song: "Your samba is a stand-out, but I wish that you would hand out a little more of your amore." Turner is gorgeous throughout, and Montalban equals her sexiness on every level. Next-to-the-best treat: the great Rita Morena as the jealous Brazilian who stands in contrast to the excesses of wealth on display in the film. Bonus: Jean Hagen (of "Singin' in the Rain") as Turner's sidekick.

Shallow time-filler, directed by the estimable Mervyn LeRoy (who must have been a bit embarrassed), this picture-postcard travelogue-cum-romance should have put Ricardo Montalban on the map as a huge matinée idol. Montalban never quite broke the ethnic barrier to become a Valentino-type player in Hollywood, and filmdom certainly missed a prime opportunity. Montalban swaggers and struts and exudes mucho charisma as a horse rancher in Brazil who falls for vacationing heiress Lana Turner. Semi-musical piece of Hollywood factory gloss entertains in its fashion, but you'll be ashamed of yourself in the morning. Turner is so aloof that even Ricardo fails to melt her icy exterior, but the South American flavor is amusingly captured and the picture looks good enough to eat. ** from ****

Ricardo Montalban stepped in as last minute substitute for Fernando Lamas for this film Latin Lovers. Originally meant as a follow up for the Fernando Lamas/Lana Turner version of The Merry Widow, the breakup between Lamas and Turner was not amicable. Lana just did not want to emote for the big screen with Lamas any more.

One thing Lamas did leave behind was possibly his singing voice. Ricardo had a couple of numbers to sing and he did not sing. If you've seen The Merry Widow or Rose Marie you know that Fernando Lamas did have a strong singing voice. What comes out of Montalban's mouth sounds an awful lot like Fernando Lamas.

Lana is a wealthy woman who worries all the time that men are interested in her for her money only. To be rich and have worries like that. She's going out with John Lund who's a bit richer, but he is such a titanic bore.

Things do pick up when on a trip to Brazil she meets Montalban who also has a few shekels though the family fortune is really in the hands of his grandfather Louis Calhern. What follows are the usual romantic games people play and is the outcome ever in doubt?

Also note in the cast are Jean Hagen as Turner's girl Friday and Archer MacDonald as the nerdy American embassy employee who is giving Turner lessons in Portugese. Sadly MacDonald would be dead in two years and by his own hand.

Latin Lovers is a pleasant if not taxing piece of romantic fluff.