6/10
Sentimental and amusing Joselito movie in which he tries to get a lot of money to heal a blind girl
3 May 2019
Joselito is a naughty and rogue boy . He lives in a little town near Sevilla. Joselito is a singer boy who at school carries out antics , childish pranks , mischiefs and naughtiness . Then he meets a blind girl from his town and attempts to practice charity with her , while helps a couple (Manuel Zarzo , Vicky Lagos) to marry themselves . Later on , Joselito is helped by two American tourists , father (Archibald) and daughter( Ivy Bless) to become himself a popular singer , get fame and fortune so that he can gain money to undergo an expensive operation to the blind girl .

This is a sensitive story proceeded in simplicity , delicacy and humor by Antonio Del Amo and photographed by Juan Mariné . Here Joselito , who has a great success due to his magnificent voice , is excellently supported by an excellent plethora of secondaries as Vicky Lagos , Manuel Zarzo , Felix Briones , Aníbal Vela , among others . This is a typical children film on the pretext that Joselito sings eight songs . These are the following ones : El Tirachinas , Caudal escondido , Canción del eco , Dos luceros quieren verte , La luz de tus ojos , Anoche besé tu cara , Colombia tiene una copla , Donde estará mi vida , all of them composed by y Antonio Segovia , Lyrics by Francisco Naranjo, Camilo Murillo and Román and performed by Joselito . In fact , Joselito was introduced to the movie business in 1956 by filmmaker Antonio Del Amo , who directed him in the popular ¨Nightingale trilogy¨: El pequeño Ruiseñor , Saeta del Ruiseñor and Ruiseñor de las cumbres . His first feature was El Pequeño Ruiseñor (1957) ("The Little Nightingale"), where he earned his famous nickname . That's why he sings like the nightingales . Joselito met actor , singer/actor Luis Mariano at a recital , and he convinced him to play together in French TV and Radio shows . He was widely known in Spain when he became a widely successful child star , following to ¨El Ruiseñor De Las Cumbres¨ , ¨Saeta Del Ruiseñor¨ and ¨El Pequeño Coronel¨. The main role "Joselito" is played by himself in a phenomenal manner , can be said that he is perfectly adequate to his measure . He was a milestone in Spanish "child prodigies" under Franco along with Marisol , Pili and Mili and especially Pablito Calvo who starred the hits ¨The Bait¨ , ¨Mi Tio Jacinto¨ and ¨Marcelino Bread and Wine¨ . And the producers trying to keep them as little kids for as long as possible . Due to false advertising by the studios that made their movies, and which wanted to make him appear younger than they really were , an obsession that haunted them through the whole of their careers.

¨Saeta of the nightingale¨ is a joyful as well as fun Spanish musical/melodrama movie , professionally realized by Antonio Del Amo . This an enjoyable and feeling movie full of mirth ,entertainment , amusement , humor touches , agreeable message and in final takes places the ordinary happy end . Along the way the movie develops a brief remarks on villlage habits , Holy Week as well as gorgeous landscapes , such as meadows and the mountains from Andalucia . The scenarios in which develops the deeds are perfectly designed by Eduardo Torre de la Fuente . Gregorio Garcia Segura's musical score responds appropriately to the ambient , originating a careful atmosphere . Evocative and luminous cinematography by Juan Marimé , though a perfect remastering is necessary and filmed in Priego de Córdoba, Córdoba, Andalucía, Spain .

Of course , Joselito steals the show as the singer boy . Spanish film studios were looking for a new child star to follow the steps of Pablito Calvo, and make popular and populist folkloric movies and they found Joselito . After the international success of El Pequeño Ruiseñor , and following successful films such as ¨La Saeta Del Ruiseñor¨ , ¨Bello Recuerdo¨ , ¨Los Dos Golfillos¨, which were big box-office hits in Spain during Franco's dictatorship he became Spain's most famous child actor , outstanding his highly expressive face and eyes , enormous eyes and innocent, angelical face . His hits expanded all over the world , even Pier Paolo Pasolini included one song in his prestigious film ¨Mamma Roma¨(1962) with Anna Magnani . In his films he often sings Flamenco Cante , Saetas , Soleadas and other Folkloric songs . After several movies and records, and already a big star as a singer and an actor in Europe, the next move was trying to triumph in America, so Joselito went to Mexico where he filmed various projects, starting by ¨El Caballo Blanco¨ , ¨Aventuras de Joselito en América¨ (1960), which paired him with Mexican child star 'Cesáreo Quezadas Pulgarcito to grant local box-office . His success even reached around the world , in fact he was discovered as a singer by Luis Mariano, who got him to perform in France, pretending he was 9 at the moment of his debut, when he actually was 13 . However, life was not too glamorous for Joselito, as he was treated almost as a sideshow act by his managers, not allowing him to become an ordinary teenager , and even locking him in his room between rehearsals so he couldn't meet girls . He was forced to keep his childlike image up to 1969 (when he was in his mid-twenties) in ¨Loca Juventud¨ , ¨Falso Heredero¨ and when he appeared in his last film , ¨Prisionero En La Ciudad¨ (1969). But, as his voice had long broken, he was not successful anymore . Retired from acting at early age to become a drifter , even working as a mercenary . Disappearing from public life until it was discovered much later that he had become a heroin addict and even worked as a mercenary in Africa . An attempt of a comeback as an adult proved unsuccessful, as the tastes of the audience had changed, and his voice didn't resemble the one he had as a kid, so Joselito definitely retired from show business to his home in Utiel (Valencia), where he, now clean and sober, lives a quiet life far from movie and recording studios. Nowadays , he has reappeared doing brief TV interventions and cinema such as ¨Torrente¨ and ¨Spanish movie¨ .

The filmmaker Antonio Del Amo as well as the famous producer Cesáreo Gonzalez from his production Company : Suevia Films got a big hit in this picture , obtaining a great achievement , managing perfectly to the performers and taking advantage of them , giving the best of his acting . Antonio directs his second Joselito movie and one of his best ones. Antonio directed him in 8 out of 15 movies . Getting successes all around the world , France , South America and even Japan . The picture touched the hearts of numerous Spanish spectators by the time . Rating : Acceptable and passable for its worthwhile mingle of music , comedy , sentimentalism and good feeling .
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