THE GIRL FROM MEXICO (1939)

Advertising executive L.B. Renner has promised a client that he'll find a sparkling new exotic singer for his radio show. Renner sends Dennis (Donald Woods) down to Mexico on a talent hunt. He has no luck until his car breaks down in the village of San Proximo and he has an encounter with a high-spirited singing waitress named Carmelita (Lupe Velez). She accidentally flings a lump of wet laundry at him, and when he flings it back, it knocks her into a fountain. When he goes to help her, she pushes him in, and, of course, we know that since they’ve "met cute," they'll soon be in love. But he has a snooty fiancée, Elizabeth, who lies to him and indulges in what we would now call "day drinking" with her high society buddies—we're not supposed to like them, but honestly, it seemed like they were having fun and I would have liked a couple more scenes with them. Dennis has promised Carmelita's family that he'll keep an eye on her back in the Big Apple, and he has her stay at his place, along with his Uncle Matt (Leon Errol), who bonds with Carmelita and takes her for a big day on the town out to ball games and wrestling matches. She enjoys herself so much, she cheers herself hoarse and fails the audition for the radio show, but she is hired as a singer by wrestler Mexican Pete for his club, and another client of Dennis's agency takes a liking to Carmelita, which makes Dennis realize that he's in love with her and not Elizabeth. But there are still a few more bumps on the road to bliss for Dennis and Carmelita.

This B-movie screwball romance became a surprise hit leading to the "Mexican Spitfire" series of movies centered on the married life of Dennis and Carmelita. Lupe Velez made a name for herself in these films, though the troubled actress committed suicide in 1944 at the age of 36. This movie, though enjoyable at times, does not make me want to see any of the other Spitfire films. A little of Velez goes a long way—she comes across like Lucille Ball on amphetamines. No one uses the word "spitfire" here, though she is referred to as a "firecracker" and a "pepper pot." Her outsized energy overwhelms poor Donald Woods playing her rather docile and naïve foil—he is reduced to standing around looking exasperated. Leon Errol is a little more able to stand up to Velez's antics, and indeed, he remained her co-star throughout the Spitfire series even as Woods was replaced after a couple of entries. My favorite line, from Velez: "Love makes your heart go bumpity-bumpity-bump, like a little baby falling down the stairs!" [TCM]