El supersabio (1948) User Reviews

The Science of Comedy

[darkwebonlinedotcom · 8/10 · 11 October 2014]

Cantinflas, The Mexican Charlie Chaplin, returns as the assistant to a great scientist in another rip-roaring comedy. The old professor (Carlos Martínez Baena) is seeking a formula to convert seawater into gasoline (which he's named "Carburex"). Of course there are numerous parties interesting in the formula, including a bogus doctor who steals discoveries, the ruthless family with whom the professor lives, the cold-hearted investor funding the experiments, and the Petroleum Co., who will literally turn to murder to stop Carburex seeing the light of day.

Of course, our friend Cantinflas becomes the target of all these sinister types (they believe he has the Carbulex formula), but all he wants to do is create a formula to prolong the life of flowers, and woo beautiful journalist Perla Aguiar. After surviving various assassination attempts, he's eventually taken to court for the film's lengthy – but funny – conclusion.

The two MacGuffins add a slight sci-fi premise to proceedings, but, obviously, this is foremost a comedy, and a good one too. It's not quite up there with 'One Day with the Devil', but not miles behind either. The comedy is mainly situation based, so translates well for English-speaking audiences, although there is some of the old nonsensical Cantinflas chattering, which obviously loses effect in translation. Still, there's enough entertainment here to make you question why Cantinflas films are relatively unknown outside of Spanish-speaking countries (he still makes around $4m a year for Columbia in overseas DVD sales).

A charming and overtalking Cantinflas recital in which he plays a scientist apprentice .

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 12 January 2023]

Cantinflas is the assistant of a renowned , wonderful old, kind-hearted scientist , Prof. Arquimides Monteagudo (Spanish-born Carlos Martinez Baena). But Cantinflas has the soul of a poet rather than a serious researcher, and he wants to find the formula that achieves the immortality of the roses . Nevertheless, after the death of Prof. Monteagudo, Cantinflas will be chased by a powerful industrial corporation called Petroleum. Along the way, Cantinflas woos a beautiful girl Marisa (Perla Aguiar) who betrays him, although in a later trial she will testify in favor of him . When the scientist dies unexpectedly, -right after he finds the solution to his assistant's rose preservation problem- , the assistant becomes the target of a rapacious oil company who thinks he has the gasoline formula nickmamed ¨Carburex¨. Cantinflas, on the other hand, is ridiculed for his master's wild dreams about water to oil, and enraged he lies and tells them that Archimedes indeed finished his formula, and then of course the chase is on. Then Cantinflas is accused of the formula robbery , as he's put in prison and subsequently is submitted to a criminal court between a judge and a jury . But Cantinflas, thanks to his talking qualities, manages to turn the tables.

Cantinflas' agreeable , enticing show made in his first and better period , playing an unfortune scientist , while flirting , solving problems , being wrongly framed for a formula theft and eventually confronting ambitious people . Cantinflas gives a very sympathetic acting as an assistant to a renowned scientist who's working on a formula to transform seawater into gasoline , while pursued by a ferocious corporative group , who wants to steal the secret formula of a cheaper fuel named "carburex", because they think that our friend is the only person who knows the composition. Cantinflas show , this time a a botcher scientific helper accused of pulling off a theft and forced to find out the truth while hunting for the real culprits. Cantinflas spectacle with his usual tics , baggy pants , his two-piece moustache and talking nonsensical phrases .

Cantinflas career was very long from the Forties to Eighties. Along his fruitful career Cantinflas played good-looking and good-tempered people , mostly low-classes roles . Equally , he performed motley characters with all kinds of jobs , as he was a street cleaner, a teacher , a janitor , a doctor, an actor, an Ambassador , a teacher , a priest , a porter, an extra , an elevador operator , a scientist, a clown, fireman , a Photographer , a student, cowboy , Bellboy , magician and in El Supersabio playing a bumbling scientist apprentice whose experiments go wrong. These characters were interpreted by Cantinflas in : El Bombero Atómico, El Profe , El Padrecito , El Extra , Sube Y Baja , El Supersabio, El Mago, El Señor Doctor, Gran Hotel, Señor Fotógrafo, El Analfabeto, Por Mis Pistolas , El Circo, Conserje Para Todo, Su Excelencia , El Barrendero . Adding two succesful Hollywood appearings : Pepe and Around the World in 80 days . International audiences may know Cantiflas best for his role as Passepartout in the smash hit Around the World in 80 Days (1956), a role for which he won a Golden Globe. In the US and parts of Europe, David Niven (as Phileas Fogg) got top billing, but in all of the Hispanic world, as well as countries like Italy, France and in Eastern Europe, Cantinflas was top billed in the movie. He tried to cement his career in the United States with two other films, including Pepé (1960), for which he was nominated for another Golden Globe, but his Spanish word play got lost in translation and his films were disappointments for US critics and audiences. Nevertheless, many of his films were released and dubbed in the United States. Such was Cantinflas' brilliance, that Charlie Chaplin called him "the greatest living comedian" The motion picture was professionally directed by Miguel Maria Delgado , Cantinflas's regular, favorite filmmaker , and following his usual style, as he had knowledge enough of cinema to get a lot of entertainment and amusement .