La Cucaracha

It's pretty lightweight, but "La Cucaracha" is fun to watch, and it is not without a couple of clever touches to go with the colorful setting, the likable characters, and the simple story. The early Technicolor still looks pretty good, and it has held up better than the sound (as the other reviewers here have mentioned, the sound is sometimes a bit muddled). It also has a good energy level and an upbeat feel to it.

Steffi Duna stars as a café singer in love with the dancer who also performs there. She becomes worried when a visiting impresario considers taking the dancer to the city to give him his big break, so she makes plans to disrupt his visit. Duna works well in the part, since she is attractive in a mischievous sort of way, and she makes the simple character believable. Paul Porcasi, so often cast in tiny parts, gets a chance to play a larger role here, and he is well cast as Martinez.

The story is somewhat predictable, but pleasant, and it has some funny moments. The whole movie works pretty well for a short feature of its era and genre.

I sought this out because I'm on a quest to understand the influence of Spanish-speaking filmmakers. I'm really impressed with the current crop wherever they live. Surely there's a literary tradition of folding behind this: Cervantes, Borges, Cortazar...

Now this isn't quite a Spanish film, it is by gringos and only references Spanish idioms. But it is interesting nonetheless.

It is the first film made with the three strip Technicolor process, so it is an audition of sorts. And the audition is for color and spice, if you will.

So the story centers on an audition and on spice, both wrapped in Spanish trappings. That allows our performers in the show within the show to be colorful, especially with greens and blues. Very nice.

The fellow that has to be pleased has an encounter with the girl who we are to receive as sexy. He blushes and a subtle red light is used on his face. Pretty good. The folding here is that the judge in the on screen audience likes the "color." And we are meant to as well.

Then there's a bit with two warring numbers, one the title song that mentions marijuana.

Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.

Well worth finding a copy; the first live-action 3-strip Technicolor film is very pretty to watch (note in particular the beautiful blues in some of the costumes), is well-timed, and has a funny set piece in which the pompous theatre owner gets a well-deserved commupance from the fiery lady. The only problem is that the sound quality of the Roan DVD, which I have, was not very good, and made it very difficult to understand some of the dialogue. I probably would have given this a higher rating than the 7 I gave it, if the sound quality had been better. All the same, I recommend it.

This famous experimental short apparently was the first 20 minute film released in full three strip Technicolor in August 1934. However there are two other shorts possibly filmed earlier but released a month later which are equally gorgeous: GOOD MORNING EVE and SERVICE WITH A SMILE both made for Warner Bros Vitaphone. The notion that these other two were filmed earlier can be confirmed by the fact that they are Hayes code risqué whereas LA CUCARACHA made for Pioneer Pictures at RKO is a lot more tame, even though it got into cinemas a bit ahead. LA CUCARACHA is the least bouncy of the three but has a Technicolor image dripping with oil-painting richness. It is very much like DUEL IN THE SUN made in 1946. LA CUCARACHA is completely Mexican-Spanish and as a breathtaking visual depiction of a Cantina dinner/dance it makes for truly beautiful viewing. It clearly was also made to test the thoroughness of the Technicolor palette in preparation for the full length feature BECKY SHARP produced at RKO few months later. The WB pair are more fun to watch because of their snazzy vaudeville style and art deco madness. LA CUCARACHA is more serious in tone but ha equally astounding use of color. If you can see all three shorts in quick succession and in excellent DVD clarity you will quickly become a dedicated fan of 30s Technicolor. Each are a revelation. This one has studio lit greens and orange hues in a Spanish style that will have you gasping out loud.

... even if the film is rather pointless. Made by RKO to show off the sumptuous three-strip Technicolor process for the first time (after several two-strip bits and full-length features had been made through the period of 1929-1933), La Cucaracha is very thin on story - it is mostly set in a bar with dancing, singing (the title song, obviously), and a bit of fighting.

The sound quality wasn't brilliant but the visual quality can't be faulted. This movie is on DVD as an extra to RKO's Dixiana (itself boasting beautiful two-strip colour in the final sequences) but is really on worth a look for historical interest.