The Mexican Spitfire's Baby (1941) User Reviews

What a babe

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 19 April 2014]

In this entry in the Mexican Spitfire series, the role of Lupe Velez's husband is now taken by Buddy Rogers. An interesting choice since both Velez and Rogers had seen their real stardom days back in the silent screen era which was now a fading memory.

There's not much plot to this thing. I'm in complete agreement with the reviewer who said that Mexican Spitfire's Baby is just an excuse for a lot of funny people to come on and do their stuff. It's a cinch you'll like the comedy of at least one of these people when the cast includes Lupe Velez, Zasu Pitts, Leon Errol, Fritz Feld, and Tom Kennedy. Five comic players with different humorous characters.

Velez and Rogers now that it's been a year since they're married would like kids and there's a lot of homeless ones due to the war in Europe. So their avuncular patron Leon Errol writes to his buddy in Great Britain, a titled lord also played by Leon Errol for a war orphan.

The titled Errol who is Lord Epping is one of those Colonel Blimp like characters who views the world between shots at his club sends him a war orphan from the First World War. She's grown up to be Marion Martin who was a Jean Harlow copycat in her career. That platinum blonde war orphan sets off problems in the Velez/Rogers marriage as well as the marriages of both characters played by Leon Errol. But none of it would have happened if a certain nosy receptionist at the hotel played by Zasu Pitts didn't start her own investigation into a 'scandal' that could wreck the good name of the respectable hotel that employs her.

Any fan of classic cinema has to like one of the players comic style, so see Mexican Spitfire's Baby.

Shticks

[boblipton · 6/10 · 22 November 2007]

These Mexican Spitfire movies are usually little more than a collection of bits from comedy short subjects, and RKO was one of the two best studios for short subjects in this period -- Columbia was the other with the Stooges and Andy Clyde. Lupe Velez does her broken English doubletalk, Leon Errol does a bit of his crazy legs routine and alternates between his usual voice and his Lord Epping bit and the usual silliness ensues.

In this case the effort is strengthened by the addition of several wonderful comedy performers. Fritz Feld is there, clicking his heels and popping; Tom Kennedy has a small bit as the sheriff and Zasu Pitts shows up, although her role is far too small and doesn't use her as well as it might.

Plot? Plot? Of course there's a bit of plot as the Lindsays try to get Lord Epping's business by having him get them a war orphan and he shows up with girl -- a war orphan from World War One. Does it really matter?

Much Ado About Fifi

[utgard14 · 5/10 · 20 April 2014]

The movie starts off with Carmelita (Lupe Velez) yelling over nothing. It's very hard to like her. Which is perhaps why she often takes a back seat to other players in her own series. Once again, as with the last two films in the series, the unofficial star is Leon Errol. He is given two roles to play (again) and given the majority of the screen time. Not to mention the funniest parts of the script, which aren't many. Charles "Buddy" Rogers has replaced Donald Woods as husband Dennis and he's every bit as bland. Perennial acquired taste Zasu Pitts is also in the film as a busybody hotel manager.

The plot is about Uncle Matt (Errol) writing to Lord Epping (also Errol) about possibly getting a war orphan for Carmelita and Dennis. Epping brings an orphan, alright, but it's an orphan from World War I. So she's a twentysomething French beauty named Fifi (Marion Martin). Fifi likes to kiss a lot (because she's French, I guess). Fearing Carmelita's reaction, Matt tries to hide Fifi away which leads to suspicions of him having an affair. Then Fifi's French boyfriend shows up and chaos ensues. I'm not a big fan of the Mexican Spitfire series. They aren't bad movies but not terribly good, either. The mistaken identity gags are pretty tired by this point if you have seen others in the series. This one at least has a different plot than the last two. Sexy Marion Martin is also a plus.

another chapter of bluster and misunderstandings.

[ksf-2 · 7/10 · 22 February 2021]

This was one of the "middle" chapters of Spitfire films, starring Lupe Velez. she and her fiery temper made NINE films with director Les Goodwins. in this one, she's married to Dennis (Buddy Rogers) and they decide to have child. the usual gag, where Leon Errol, is not only her uncle, but also the eccentric Lord Epping. and when he brings home the "orphan", this youngster is 25 years old Fifi (Marion Martin). this one co-stars Buddy Rogers and Zasu Pitts. Pitts is the hotel manager, who has already decided they are up to no good. the second half of the film is Velez storming, blustering, and mixing up her words. it's okay. another mexican spitfire adventure, similar to a Lucy episode. Sadly, miss Velez would die so young at 36, by suicide. and the irony of being pregnant at the time, considering the title of this film. she really had no cause to complain though, after being a movie star, and having relationships with HUGE stars Gary Cooper and John Weissmuller. that's a pretty amazing life already.

Ensemble comedy cast keeps this one going

[gridoon2024 · 6/10 · 7 May 2022]

The 4th entry in the "Mexican Spitfie" series has plenty of stale impersonation gags and dumb misunderstandings, but Lupe Velez is still delightful, Leon Errol is still a master of the delayed reaction (although Lord Epping is an one-joke character stretched well beyond his limits - I prefer him as Uncle Matt), and there is a good comedic supporting cast (Zasu Pitts, Tom Kennedy, Fritz Feld, and Marion Martin as an early Marilyn Monroe / Jayne Mansfield prototype) to keep things tolerable. The climactic "knife" duel IS funny. **1/2 out of 4.

A mixture of good and bad!

[JohnHowardReid · 5/10 · 12 May 2018]

Lupe Velez (Carmelita), Leon Errol (Lord Epping/Uncle Matt), Charles "Buddy" Rogers (Dennis Lindsay), Elizabeth Risdon (Aunt Della), Lloyd Corrigan (Cholomondely), Fritz Feld (Pierre), ZaSu Pitts (Miss Pepper), Marion Martin (Fifi), Lydia Bilbrook (Lady Epping), Vinton Haworth (aka Jack Arnold) (desk clerk at Miss Pepper's), Tom Kennedy (Sheriff Judson), Buddy Messinger, Jack Grey, James Harrison (reporters), Chester Tallman, Jack Gardner (photographers), Jack Briggs (orchestra leader), Jane Woodworth (cashier), Donald Kerr (chauffeur), Ted O'Shea (manager), Dick Rush (cop), Max Wagner (bartender).

Director: LESLIE GOODWINS. Screenplay: Charles E. Roberts, Jerry Cady. Film editor: Theron Warth. Photography: Jack Mackenzie. Art directors: Van Nest Polglase, Carroll Clark. Set decorator: Darrell Silvera. Costumes: Renié. Music directed by Constantin Bakaleinikoff. Sound recording: Corson Jowett. RCA Sound System. Producer: Cliff Reid.

Copyright 24 September 1941 by RKO-Radio Pictures, Inc. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release: 28 November 1941. Australian release: 24 December 1941. 6,121 feet. 69 minutes.

SYNOPSIS: An advertising man is persuaded to adopt a French "baby" as a publicity stunt. (Where have we heard that story before? Answer: Love Is a Headache).

COMMENT: The "baby" turns out to be the delightful Marion Martin. She's a blessing, as usual. But unfortunately this entry is saddled with both the wooden Charles "Buddy" Rogers and and the irritatingly moronic ZaSu Pitts. I am not a fan of Miss Pitts. The writers go to a lot of obvious trouble to provide extra material for her in seemingly endless exchanges with her hotel clerk, but Vinton Haworth is not exactly the most astute of straight men. The Pitts-Haworth scenes are so boring, it's hard to stay awake until Tom Kennedy's grand slam entrance at the climax. Even the normally reliable Fritz Feld is mostly a waste of time though he does have one or two grand moments. And Lloyd Corrigan is no Cholomondely. Bring back Cecil Kellaway!

The spitfire meets her match.

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 14 February 2014]

Once again setting a hotel on its ear, the same group of wacky characters are back with a few additions. This could be the reason why those characters don't ask Haven't we all been through this before? The role of Dennis Lindsay is now being played bY Buddy Rogers and he isn't any more dynamic than Donald Woods. The silly premise has Lord Epping over-hearing Rogers and Lupe Velez discussing possible adoption and he takes it upon himself to adopt a war orphan for them who turns out to be cotton-candy haired Marion Martin as a 20-something French girl! Her presence causes all sorts of confusion for the three couples involved in the plot and also involves suspicious hotel manager Zasu Pitts and Martin's jealous protector Fritz Feld. Velez has less to do than normal while plot developments give Elisabeth Risdon and Lydia Hillbrook deeper characterizations. A slapstick duel between Leon Errol and Feld concludes the film, complete with wacky sound effects.

You won't regret taking a look at this forgotten screwball romantic farce!

[estherwalker-34710 · 8/10 · 6 December 2020]

Unfortunately, I'm just discovering the 'Mexican Spitfire' film series of comedies, centered on charismatic Lupe Velez, as the Mexican Spitfire. These were technically 'B' pictures, running around 70 min. in length. After all, you couldn't have a Latino actress the star of 'A' pictures! Nonetheless, from my experience, 'B' comedy and western series were often as or more entertaining than many 'A' pictures, hence often deserve a high rating for entertainment value: something the other reviewers to date don't seem to agree with..........I don't know about the other films in this series, but I categorize this film as a screwball romantic comedy(or, more correctly: farce, if you will). The director: Leslie Goodwin, had specialized in writing and sometimes directing comedies in the silent and talky periods, originating and directing all the 'Mexican Spitfire' films..............This film shares the same basic plot with that of the 'A' picture "Sun Valley Serenade". The latter differs in that it is definitely a musical romantic comedy, not a straight screwball romantic farce. Both involve the adoption of a war orphan or refuge, who is anticipated to be a little girl, but who turns out to be a vivacious 30ish sexy blond, to the great embarasment of the male sponsors. In the present case, the rational is that she is a refugee from WWI, not WWII! .............In looks and personality, Lupe and Marion Martin, as French refugee Fifi, are polar opposites, although they are both knockouts. Whereas Lupe was characteristically bombastic, Fifi was innocently playfully sexy: very appealing, thinking nothing of going up to a middle-aged man and kissing him, or sitting on his lap, or greeting him in a revealing negligee. As you can imagine, this soon caused friction between a number of pairs of husband and wife, as well as with Fifi's boyfriend(Fritz Feld) who later arrives from France...........Eventually, a formal dual is arranged between Feld, and Lupe's uncle Matt, masquerading as Lord Epping. The dual is most unusual, long knives and swords being thrown back and forth, with Lupe and Lord Epping's wife looking on...........Another comic scene has Zasu Pitts, as the hotel manager, and Elizabeth Risden, as Uncle Matt's wife, independently, crawling under the hotel bed in Uncle Matt's room, anticipating the arrival of Fifi and Uncle Matt. Fifi arrives first, flopping on the bed, squeezing the two women out from under it, given the low clearance and very weak springs.........Lynda Bilbrook plays Lord Epping's wife. Her personality much reminded me of that of Billie Burk( witch Glenda, in "The Wizard of Oz")............I found all the main male characters appropriately amusing or otherwise fitted for their roles. .........When Zasu Pitts faints at film's end, one of the males remarks "What's this, another orphan?" Another replies "Civil War"...........It's quite tragic that the entertaining Lupe's romantic life deteriorated such that she decided to end it all, at age 36............Around this time, another Latino spitfire arrived in Hollywood, in the form of Carmen Miranda: 'the Brazilian Bombshell'. In contrast to Lupe, she was put in 'A' pictures, mostly shot in Technicolor, to take advantage of her colorful outfits. But, unlike Lupe, she was never the first-billed actress. Nonetheless, for a few years, during the war, she commanded top salaries. Although she was best known as the Hollywood queen of samba, given the opportunity, she was also a charismatic spitfire comedian, in the mold of Lupe. .............The 'Mexican Spitfire' series is available on DVD, at Amazon, for example.



l