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The Girl from Mexico

  • 1939
  • Approved
  • 1h 11m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
409
YOUR RATING
Lupe Velez and Donald Woods in The Girl from Mexico (1939)
ComedyMusicRomance

An advertising executive goes to Mexico looking for talent and finds a hot-tempered singer, who goes to New York to stay with him, his aunt and uncle, and decides to steal him from his fianc... Read allAn advertising executive goes to Mexico looking for talent and finds a hot-tempered singer, who goes to New York to stay with him, his aunt and uncle, and decides to steal him from his fiancée.An advertising executive goes to Mexico looking for talent and finds a hot-tempered singer, who goes to New York to stay with him, his aunt and uncle, and decides to steal him from his fiancée.

  • Director
    • Leslie Goodwins
  • Writers
    • Lionel Houser
    • Joseph Fields
  • Stars
    • Lupe Velez
    • Donald Woods
    • Leon Errol
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.4/10
    409
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Leslie Goodwins
    • Writers
      • Lionel Houser
      • Joseph Fields
    • Stars
      • Lupe Velez
      • Donald Woods
      • Leon Errol
    • 13User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins total

    Photos6

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    Top cast26

    Edit
    Lupe Velez
    Lupe Velez
    • Carmelita Fuentes
    Donald Woods
    Donald Woods
    • Dennis 'Denny' Lindsay
    Leon Errol
    Leon Errol
    • Uncle Matthew 'Matt' Lindsay
    Linda Hayes
    Linda Hayes
    • Elizabeth Price
    Donald MacBride
    Donald MacBride
    • L. B. Renner
    Edward Raquello
    Edward Raquello
    • Tony Romano
    • (as Eduardo Raquello)
    Elisabeth Risdon
    Elisabeth Risdon
    • Aunt Della Lindsay
    Ward Bond
    Ward Bond
    • Mexican Pete - the Wrestler
    Ernie Alexander
    • Man Throwing Confetti
    • (uncredited)
    Tom Coleman
    • Wrestling Match Spectator
    • (uncredited)
    Carlos De Valdez
    • Mexican Judge
    • (uncredited)
    Byron Foulger
    Byron Foulger
    • Delivery Entrance Guard
    • (uncredited)
    Jack Gargan
    • Casa del Toro Patron
    • (uncredited)
    Martin Garralaga
    Martin Garralaga
    • Carmelita's Relative
    • (uncredited)
    Tom Hanlon
    Tom Hanlon
    • Bicycle Race Announcer
    • (voice)
    • (uncredited)
    Sam Harris
    Sam Harris
    • Wrestling Match Spectator
    • (uncredited)
    Harry Harvey
    Harry Harvey
    • George Stuart - Romano's Aide
    • (uncredited)
    • …
    John Indrisano
    John Indrisano
    • Wrestling Match Referee
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Leslie Goodwins
    • Writers
      • Lionel Houser
      • Joseph Fields
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews13

    6.4409
    1
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    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    6ksf-2

    Energetic mexican fireball.....first chapter

    "Jumpin Butterballs!"... that's what Donald MacBride always said in the Marx Brother films. Here, he's Renner, show biz agent, trying to track down new acts and stars. Co-stars Leon Errol and Donald Woods. This was the original film, turned into a series of films starring Lupez Velez. Audiences just loved the silliness, and "Carmelita" would mix up her english and spanish sayings to turn a phrase. and the six day bicycle races! w.c. fields talked about them in "international house". who knew they were such a big deal?? although there wasn't much else to do in those days. the plot kind of goes all over the place, Carmelita comes to the U.S. and experiences everything there is. and her man-friend get so jealous. She'll make it big in radio if she doesn't get sent back to Mexico! Fun adventure.
    7Norm-30

    THE best "Mexican Spitfire" film!

    This film, without a doubt, is the best MS film! Lupe Velez is refreshing in this role, and even gets to do some musical numbers (ala' Carmen Meranda).

    As the series went on, it was reduced to Lupe constantly screaming at her hubby, & Leon Errol lurching around in the (tiresome) "Lord Epping" routine (which often over-shadowed the series). A "Must See" !!! Norm
    6bkoganbing

    The Spitfire takes off

    Just like when Ma and Pa Kettle became such a hit in The Egg And I that it became a movie series, Lupe Velez proved such a hit as the fiery and passionate Mexican singer Carmelita Fuentes that RKO did a whole series of Mexican Spitfire films. Velez who was on the downside of her career, she was no longer an A list player got her career extended a few more years. Sadly only a few years since she died by suicide in 1943.

    This film which introduces the characters has Donald Woods press agent on a hunt in Mexico for a talented singer of the Latina persuasion for his boss Donald MacBride's radio station. He brings Lupe Velez and finds she's awfully hard to handle. The one she relates best to is Leon Errol who is his uncle. His aunt Elizabeth Risdon who usually played snooty old dowagers is at her snootiest here. Fiance Linda Hayes isn't too thrilled with Velez's presence either.

    Velez and Errol worked well together and it was both of them that kept the Mexican Spitfire series going. Later on when Errol started playing the dual role of Uncle Matt and Lord Epping he could have spun out on a series of his own.

    For better or worse this is what Lupe Velez is best remembered for cinematically as opposed to her sex life which was varied and tempestuous.
    6utgard14

    "If you only could understand in English what I think of you in Spanish..."

    Wooden American publicity agent Dennis Lindsay (Donald Woods) meets loud and feisty Mexican singer Carmelita Fuentes (Lupe Velez) and brings her to the States. Carmelita quickly falls for Dennis but he only seems to have business on his mind. Plus he's engaged to a snobby socialite (Linda Hayes). So Carmelita conspires with Dennis' uncle (Leon Errol) to make Dennis jealous and win his affections. The first movie in the Mexican Spitfire series, although it wasn't intended as such. This was a surprise hit which led to the sequels. It's not a series I particularly love but I think this is my favorite of the bunch, primarily because it feels less formulaic and it's the only one where Lupe Velez actually feels like the star. In the subsequent movies Leon Errol's role would increase where he would basically become the real star, often playing more than one role in each film. Velez would just go through the motions in the subplot, which was usually a variation of the same thing: Carmelita gets angry and leaves Dennis but eventually the two reunite.

    Velez is an acquired taste for sure. She's basically a combination of Ricky and Lucy Ricardo (predating I Love Lucy, of course). I like her in this movie, though. Maybe it's because in the sequels she seemed to be repeating lines and routines in every movie but here she hadn't perfected her persona yet so it feels a bit more natural. She also sings and dances in this one, which is a nice plus. For his part Donald Woods plays to his strengths (?) as a stiff wooden leading man. It somehow works contrasted with Velez screaming half her lines. Leon Errol's Uncle Matt is fun and easily the most likable person in the movie. Linda Hayes and Elisabeth Risdon round out the main cast. Hayes is OK playing a villainess but Risdon is a tough pill to swallow. Her character is just the worst. Ward Bond has a small role as a wrestler named Mexican Pete.

    It's an enjoyable lightweight B comedy. I can see why they thought it would make a good series but it really didn't. They had no ideas and basically repeated plots and relied heavily on vaudevillian Errol to provide laughs. This first one is the best because it feels the most fresh. Still nothing exceptional.
    9djbrown-00897

    An Essential Movie.

    The Girl From México is not only a classic, but essential, because without it, despite being one of the great female comics of all time, Lupe Vélez would be forgotten about ( especially because too many of her films are unavailable (Wolf Song with Gary Cooper is one of the films I am looking for the most. East as West with her and Edward G. Robinson is another)). Her fiery temper, her dancing, her impressions and the ability to do physical comedy really work here. For anyone who has heard of Lupe Vélez, but has never seen her, this movie is where to start ( if you have seen her before and have not seen The Girl From Mexico what are you waiting for?). Was Lupe beautiful? Oh yea. Did she have screen presence? Without a doubt. But so did many actresses who have been forgotten about ( Betty Grable, Elsa Martinelli ( one of my favorites), Elke Sommer and Delores Del Rio ( who Lupe despised) are examples of this). But Lupe ( like Clara Bow and Jean Harlow ( other actresses from her era) she lives on. 10/10 stars.

    More like this

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    6.1
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    Related interests

    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy
    Prince and Apollonia Kotero in Purple Rain (1984)
    Music
    Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942)
    Romance

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      RKO wasn't planning a series while this film was being made, but the "Mexican Spitfire" series developed after it was such a big hit. In total, the studio released eight films in the series, starting with this picture, from 1939 to 1943.
    • Goofs
      The shot of the airplane depicted as flying Denny and Carmelita to the U.S. has been flipped, as evidenced by the word "American" on the plane being backwards.
    • Quotes

      Carmelita Fuentes: Love is a wonderful thing! It makes your heart go bumpety bumpety bump... like a little baby falling down the steps!

    • Connections
      Followed by Mexican Spitfire (1939)
    • Soundtracks
      Negra Consentida (Black Allowed)
      Written by Joaquín Pardavé

      Played during the opening credits

      Sung and danced to by Lupe Velez at the San Proximo hotel

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 2, 1939 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Galne mexikanaren
    • Filming locations
      • RKO Studios - 780 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA(Studio)
    • Production company
      • RKO Radio Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 11m(71 min)
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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