weezeralfalfa Review of Holiday in Mexico

Holiday in Mexico (1946)

Songstress Jane Powell is yet daddy's little girl, jealous of another female entering his life

[8/10 · 8 June 2019]

Teen songstress Jane Powell's first MGM musical and first color film, although she had previously sung in the B&W non-MGM musical "Delightfully Dangerous". 30s y.o.Ilona Massey also sings at a party hosted by Jane's father Jeffrey(Walter Pigeon), American Ambassador to Mexico. In a very contrived convoluted tale, Jane grabbed the job of organizing the party, to show that she had come of age. She hired Hungarian songstress Ilona Massey(Countess Toni) who was singing for Xavier Cugat's Latin band(a strange combination!). We get to hear and see some of Cugat's nightclub show, in the process. Jane didn't know that she and her father once were lovers, which was an added inducement for Ilona. As Jane sees more of Ilona and Jeffrey together, she gets jealous, as she likes to mother her father at home. Then, Jane looks up famous Mexican(actually Spanish) concert pianist: Jose Iturbi. After hearing her sing, he agrees to perform at the party. She's about to develop a crush on him, believing that he has a romantic interest in her, he continuing to praise her singing. Roddy McDowell, playing Jane's less than impressive boyfriend, notices this change in Jane and tells her father. Her father talks to Jane's 16y.o. friend Yvette, daughter of the French ambassador about crushes by teen girls on older men, not knowing that she had a crush on him! Yvette talks to her parents, who come to see Jeffrey and talk about marriage! Not interested, Jeffrey makes up an excuse in not enough dowry to give him.. Back to Jane's infatuation, Jeffrey talks to 50yo Iturbi, who promises that he is not interested in an affair with Jane. He regards her as a good friend. This is confirmed when Jeffrey and Jane visit Iturbi's, and he shows them his grandchildren, shocking Jane, who quickly forgets any lovemaking with Iturbi. To placate Jane's jealousy of Ilona, several times , Jeffrey reiterates that she will always be the first woman in his heart..........For me, the apex of the film is the finale, featuring Jane, all in white, on a stage, singing "Ava Maria". In back of her is a huge chorus, often with the lights turned out. Each holds a candle, together making the backdrop look like a starry sky. Handsome Iturbi is conducting the orchestra, while his sister, Amparo, plays the piano. We see Jeffrey sitting next to Ilona in the front row, and Jane smiling at them..........Of course, to most people, the idea of a marriage or love affair between a 50y.o. man and a 16y.o. girl is scandalous. But, I believe, in rare instances, it may be justified. Remember that white-haired 53y.o. Charlie Chaplin's last wife was 18 when married, and they lasted until his death. True, a couple of previous marriages to a 16y.o. lasted only a few years. I didn't go to such an extreme. My wife is only 21 years younger than I, and we've been together for 30 years, so far. It didn't take long for us to sense that we were right for each other............I believe the choice of Walter Pigeon to play the ambassador was a good one. He was tall, handsome, with a classy aristocratic look, and well spoken, if a tad on the wooden side. He would again play Jane's father in her last musical for MGM "Hit the Deck", 9 years later............Like Pigeon, Iturbi still looked young and handsome at 50. Besides his piano playing and conducting, he was a speed freak, tearing around on his motorcycle or sports car, or flying his airplane to other continents, on occasion. .........Ilona was used sparingly by Hollywood, both in musicals and non-musicals. After an early career in central Europe, she moved to US, where she replaced Jeanette MacDonald in a couple of films with Nelson Eddy. Unfortunately, audiences didn't like the substitution. Interestingly, in Jane's next musical, almost forgotten Jeanette took Ilona's place.