Mexican Spitfire Sees a Ghost

.....this one should not be missed. Usually limited to a few minutes of screen time as a mercurial, frustrated figure of supposed authority (cop, manager of some sort) with a very short fuse, MacBride logs many minutes here in a juicy supporting role, allowed to exhibit a seemingly full range of mugging, double-takes, arm-waving and growling. Perhaps insufferable to some, but if you care for his shtick, it is presented to great advantage here. Like Leon Errol's Lord Epping, if you are a fan you can't get too much of a good thing.

Lupe Velez is very much in the background in this entry, and Mantan Moreland, with notable comic skills, has little to do. The gangsters hiding in the basement are an awkward insertion, unrelated to the story line - such as it is. MacBride steals the show, in perhaps his greatest performance.

Lord Epping has to impress the Fitzbadden's at his country estate even though he has a hunting trip scheduled. Not a problem he thinks as he gets Dennis to host the brother & sister with his Aunt Della leaving Carmelita and Uncle Matt behind. Since Edith Fitzbadden plans to give an account to Dennis & Lord Epping, she is insulted when the latter is not their to greet them and threatens to leave. Matt (who with Carmelita have been hired as servants at the house) is talked into impersonating Lord Epping to keep the Fitzbaddens happy, but confusion reigns when Lord Epping actually arrives and drives the Fitzbaddens nuts, especially Percy, also coupled with the fact that a group of smugglers is using the house as a hideout until the police quit searching for them and they are also making things disappear. Probably the weakest of the 8 Spitfire films not because this is the umpteenth time they are using the same formula, but the fact that this could have been a fun haunted house comedy, but that element is almost non existent in the film. MacBride probably steals the show as Percy Fitzbadden going nuts at the drop of a hat and in hysterics trying to comprehend the confusion caused by Errol's dual role. Watch it only if you have to watch the entire series. Rating, 4.

Extremely poor entry in the "Mexican Spitfire" series. No story, just people yelling at each other and behaving like morons. Carmelita has become almost totally irrelevant, Donald MacBride is obnoxiously loud, and Mantan Moreland is wasted. Also there are no ghosts. * out of 4.

In this Mexican Spitfire movie we have Buddy Rogers taking the place of Donald Woods as the husband of Lupe Velez. Repeating are Leon Errol as he indulgent uncle and Elizabeth Risdon as the exasperated harriden aunt.

Other than a change in setting all the Mexican Spitfire films are alike. Lupe with her malaprops helping Errol pull off playing Uncle Matt, Uncle Matt disguised as Lord Epping and Lord Epping the rich but daft titled Englishman. They do move at a furious pace.

The action here takes place at Lord Epping's American estate all closed and boarded up and unoccupied they think. Some crooks are using it as a hideout Rogers is trying to get businessman Donald MacBride's account. Errol frantically with Lupe's help makes several changes from Epping to Matt and back.

The new element here is MacBride possessor off one of the two best slow burn comedy routines around, the other belonging to Edgar Kennedy. He's the funniest one in this comedy.

Otherwise it's Mexican Spitfire business as usual.

I'm a big fan of the "Mexican Spitfire" series, and thought that this entry would be a good "haunted house comedy". It isn't. Both Lupe Valez and Mantan Moreland are completely wasted in this film.

The only thing that saves it (and not by much!) is Leon Errol's "Lord Epping" routine, but even THAT is much better in the other "Spitfire" films. Don't waste your time with this one.