Mexican Spitfire at Sea (1942) User Reviews

"This is The Camel That Broke The Straw!"

[HarlowMGM · 6/10 · 24 May 2011]

Mexican SPITFIRE AT SEA is a typical door-slamming, vaudevillesque comedy for the fairly popular film series, an endless string of malapropisms, mistaken identities, and double-crossing pushed with gusto by a talented cast working hard to ring out every possible laugh. Carmelita and Dennis (Lupe Velez, Charles Buddy Rogers) are on a cruise ship on what she believes will be a second honeymoon but is actually an attempt to gain the business account of the social climbing George Skinners (Eddie Dunn, Florence Bates), eager to meet Uncle Matt's friend, Lord Basil Epping (both roles played by Leon Errol). When Carmelita learns the truth she throws a fit and threatens to leave and Skinner mistakenly believes blonde bombshell Fifi (Marion Martin) is actually Dennis' wife forcing him to continue the fib. Uncle Matt meanwhile believes Lord Epping is not onboard and is forced to impersonate him - with passenger ZaSu Pitts, a stagestruck wanna-be actress, persuaded to impersonate Lady Epping.

The comedy is frantic and often quite funny, particularly Lupe and her fractured tirades (informed Dennis has "another wife" she screams, "That's bigotry!") Veteran character comic Leon Errol gets the lion's share of screen time in the dual role of Uncle Matt and Lord Epping and while he's funny, many of the scenes seem like repeats from scenes just moments before and it can be a bit much. The role of Carmelita's husband is always a thankless one and it's disappointing to see the appealing Charles Buddy Rogers wasted in the smallish part (which would eventually be played by no less than three actors in the seven film series). Character actress Elisabeth Risdon is around as usual as Matt's rather haughty wife who can't stand Carmelita and she's very good, as is the excellent comedienne Florence Bates as a barge of a social climber.

More of the same, but added gags make this one a must.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 4 April 2014]

Carmelita and Uncle Matt are at it again, and this time they are at sea as to what to do about her latest marital earthquake. Scheming Aunt Della utilizes friction between Carmelita and Dennis to pair him with returning French sexpot Fifi in order to pull off the latest deal with Lord Epping. A galaxy of surprise guests add to the confusion, and the result is a 72 minute slapstick delight that is guaranteed to provide a gamaray of giggles.

Down to the wire in the sixth entry in this eight film series, Lupe Velez still has what it takes to get a laugh by having a temper tantrum (or just showing off her sexy gams), and rubber-legged Leon Errol is back to his old tricks as well. Whether tossing insults at wife Elisabeth Risdon while in his Lord Epping disguise or confusing a business rival with ridiculous suggestions for the Epping family crest, Errol is a droll delight. Marion Martin is back for the second of three appearances as "Mexican Spitfire's Baby", a calmer French version of Velez's Carmelita, whose fractured English with a French twist is as humorous as Velez's constant Ricky Ricardo like assassination of the English language.

Among those who drop in for this entry are portly Florence Bates as a social climbing wife of Dennis's latest client (Harry Holman), proving just how phony polite society can be, and Zasu Pitts as a hammy playwright and actress who is delightful camping it up as a truly lousy thespian. Watch Pitts' reaction as she deals with the group making faces at her while screaming (thinking she is deaf) and Risdon's spotting of Errol (whom she believes to be her husband) with the very droll Lady Epping.

The story is as far from original as practically every other entry, but the farcical moments are more abundant and the result is one of the series' better entries. Buddy Rodgers as Dennis is better than both the original (Donald Woods) or his own replacement (Walter Reed), and so the sparring between him and Velez comes off with more heat, as does their romance when the two aren't fighting.

silly, silly, caper

[ksf-2 · 7/10 · 14 August 2018]

Lupe Velez is "the Mexican Spitfire" in the follow up, but it's everyone else that makes this chapter fun. My personal favorite is Florence Bates.. she made a limited number of films, and every one is a gem (Rebecca !) Bates has such an interesting life story. then there's Zasu Pitts who had started in silents, moved into talkies, and finished with Mad, Mad World. Character actor Leon Errol. The plot is too goofy to explain, and i don't think even the actors really knew what the plot was, but the whole idea is for Leon Errol to pretend to be someone else, and then the caper can began. Mistaken identies, clever one and two liners, and much muttering jokes under one's breath. and of course the usual language mixups by Carmelita (Velez). It's all very silly, but the word play keeps it interesting, like a Marx Brothers film. Directed by Les Goodwins, who had directed so many Spitfires with Velez. Shows now and then on Turner Classics. It's a fun one!

Genuinely Funny

[jimlee225 · 4 September 2002]

This little gem is one part the Marx Brothers' Monkey Business and another part a backwards I Love Lucy.

It is a model "B" film- short, inexpensive, but a clever script and some good work by an experienced cast.

I haven't seen any other of the "Mexican Spitfire" series but I will be looking for them. You might give them a try.

Disappointing!

[JohnHowardReid · 4/10 · 12 May 2018]

Lupe Velez (Carmelita), Leon Errol (Lord Epping/Uncle Matt), Charles "Buddy" Rogers (Dennis Lindsay), Elizabeth Risdon (Aunt Della), Eddie Dunn (Skinner), Harry Holman (Baldwin), Florence Bates (Mrs Baldwin), ZaSu Pitts (Miss Pepper), Marion Martin (Fifi), Lydia Bilbrook (Lady Epping), Marten Lamont (purser), Mary Field (Agnes), Ferris Taylor (Captain Nelson), Julie Warren (maid at party), Warren Jackson (reporter), John Maguire (First Officer Reynolds), Richard Martin, Wayne McCoy (stewards), Lew Davis (waiter).

Director: LESLIE GOODWINS. Screenplay: Charles E. Roberts, Jerry Cady. Film editor: Theron Warth. Photography: Jack Mackenzie. Art directors: Albert S. D'Agostino, Walter E. Keller. Set decorator: Darrell Silvera. Costumes: Edward Stevenson. Music directed by Constantin Bakaleinikoff. Sound recording: Earl A. Wolcott. RCA Sound System. Producer: Cliff Reid.

Copyright 1 January 1942 by RKO-Radio Pictures, Inc. U.S. release: 13 March 1942. New York opening at the Palace: 25 June 1942. Australian release: 14 May 1942. 6,689 feet. 72 minutes.

COMMENT: The worst of the series, this slapstick melange has little recommend it. It starts promisingly too, but even normally reliable players like Florence Bates (who grossly over-acts), Marion Martin (miscast here as a "good girl" though she still displays some of her siren appeal), and Eddie Dunn (good in small parts, but sad to say that Eddie can't manage the sizable role he's handed here) prove very disappointing. Only Mary Field manages to rise above her mediocre material and Mr Goodwins' lax direction.

Witless

[gridoon2024 · 5/10 · 8 May 2022]

The fifth entry in the "Mexicn Spitfire" series consists mostly of aimless running around without going anywhere, and people behaving like collective morons; despite the ship setting, it is almost totally static as well. Lupe Velez is still funny, but wasted in a minor supporting (!) role. It is obvious to anyone that this series is operating on fumes at this point - and even the fumes are getting exhausted. ** out of 4.

Won't you let me take you on a sea cruise?

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 14 August 2018]

You know if I was honeymooning with Lupe Velez and had Marion Martin giving me the come on while on the same boat, the last thing I would have on my mind is some business deal. Then again Buddy Rogers was one of Hollywood's better known closet cases in real life.

And apparently in this film because he's taking the trip because a couple of nouveau rich marrieds, Florence Bates and Harry Holman, are on the voyage and he wants to land their account.

So with all these on board, Leon Errol as both Lord Epping and Rogers's Uncle Matt, Elizabeth Risdon as Uncle Matt's wife and Zasu Pitts as an aspiring playwright it's the usual Mexican Spitfire comedy of errors.

I have to say Zasu Pitts really should have been a regular in this series. She has just the right touch of zaniness.

More of the Same

[utgard14 · 5/10 · 28 April 2014]

Dennis (Charles "Buddy" Rogers) takes Carmelita (Lupe Velez) on a trip to Hawaii for their second honeymoon. All Dennis really wants is to land some big contract. So he brings along Uncle Matt (Leon Errol) to pretend to be Lord Epping but, of course, the real Lord Epping is also on the ship. Because what would a Mexican Spitfire movie be without Leon Errol as the star? When Carmelita finds out the real reason for the trip, she becomes enraged and threatens, once again, to leave Dennis.

Honestly this series tires me out. Watching Carmelita shout and carry on like a child with a tantrum in front of a whole crowd of people is not funny. It just makes me want to fast forward to whenever she's not on the screen anymore. Don't even get me started on stupid Dennis, who apparently has no sex drive. But with the way he parts his hair I'm not surprised. There are some characters from the last movie that are shoehorned into this one. I might complain about Zasu Pitts but I would never complain about any excuse to look at beautiful Marion Martin again. Elisabeth Risdon also returns as Uncle Matt's wife, who remains just about one of the most unlikable people ever. It's a very repetitive series with the same material recycled over and over. If you have never seen a Mexican Spitfire movie, then this one is no better or worse than any other. But if you have seen others, you'll find yourself bored because of the lack of originality.