Skeleton of Mrs. Morales

The taxidermist Dr. Pablo Morales (Arturo de Córdova) is a good man that loves children and animals and to drink a few beers with his three best friends. He has been married for fifteen years with the wicked, frigid, cruel and manipulative self-righteous Gloria Morales (Amparo Rivelles), who has one leg with poliomyelitis, and turns his life into hell on Earth. She lies to the Priest Artemio Familiar (Antonio Bravo) and his nosy and gossipy neighbors and sister and brother-in-law from her congregation, telling them that Dr. Morales is an abusive man that beats her. Indeed, Dr. Morales loved her and has paid the mortgage of his old house where they live to please her and now is saving money to buy a camera that is his dream. When Gloria tries to poison his pet, their servant Meche (Rosenda Monteros), who treats Dr. Morales very nice, does not allow and is fired and expelled by Gloria. She tells her to leave the house immediately, otherwise she will accuse Meche of theft. When the seller reduces her commission to allow Dr. Morales to buy the camera, the object becomes his pride and joy. Soon Gloria breaks his camera into pieces and Dr. Morales kills her. How will he explain the absence of his wife?

"El esqueleto de la señora Morales", a.k.a. "Skeleton of Mrs. Morales", is a Mexican masterpiece of black humor. This film is a must-see for fans of this genre, since it is impossible to describe the cruel treatment of Gloria Morales to her husband. The viewer will certainly hope that he is considered not guilty in the trial. His confession to the nosy priest and the black humor in the end is very funny and unique. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "O Esqueleto da Sra. Morales" ("The Skeleton of Mrs. Morales")

Few times has the Mexican movies industry explored this type of comedy. This particular film is surprisingly very well made, specially since its 2 main characters are played by an Actor, Arturo de Cordova, and an Actress, Amparo Rivelles, whose background is in tragic and/or very formal performances. It is a story of a married couple whose life has come to the point of a disaster, basically due to the jealousness of the wife. The Husband a taxidermist announces to their friends that she has gone to another City on vacations, but keeps in his shop an skeleton. This of course is the center plot of the movie and all black humor situations are derived from this. The movie is light and keeps the viewers entertained throughout its entire length.

It's a very nice example of Mexican black humor. The story is shocking as it is original and relatable, which makes the viewer reflect on the moral dilemma presented.

Even if you're not interested in Mexican cinema this is a must see.

I've seen quite a few cheezeball Mexican dramas. This is NOT one of those - it is a fine ensemble performance, with very high technical values. Most of the acting is top-notch. Some great 'Hitchcockian' camera angles and lighting- especially close-ups.

If I were to criticize this film mildly, it's that it views like a stage play. Perhaps it started this way? Anyway, I really enjoyed it thoroughly.

Upon discovering the existence of "The Skeleton of Mrs. Morales" and being amazed at the high rating and exclusively positive reviews around here, I instantly put the film on top of my must-see list. Thank the heavens for the digital era because there's an impeccably restored version with subtitles freely available on YouTube.

I tried not to get carried away and set my expectations only medium-high, as ratings & reviews can be misleading, but it rapidly became clear that "The Skeleton of Mrs. Morales" truly deserves all the praising superlatives and love it receives. Especially for a low-budgeted movie from early sixties' Mexico, it's a uniquely original and extraordinarily intelligent combo of pitch-black comedy and atmospheric horror.

It's deeply admirable how writer Louis Alcoriza and director Rogelio A. González toy around with the common horror standards and turn the viewers' logical expectations upside down. When you read the rudimentary premise of a taxidermist who plots to murder his wife, you automatically complete the rest of the film in your mind. But you'll be wrong, I assure you, like everyone else. Protagonist Pablo Morales is not the evil animal-stuffer and wife-slayer that you picture him to be. He loves to have a drink, but he's not a violent drunk. His housemaid idolizes him, but he doesn't take advantage of her. He has a sinister profession, but he's a well-doer to all children in the community. His marriage has ended years ago already, but he keeps hoping to get lucky. In fact, Pablo Morales is one of the nicest and most likeable men to ever appear on screen.

His beautiful wife Gloria, on the other hand, is - hard as it may sound to believe - one of the meanest, most manipulative, and downright loathsome women to ever appear on screen! She's disgusted by her husband's taxidermist activities, she spreads vicious lies about him being an abusive alcoholic and adulterer, and eventually even frames him for domestic violence he didn't commit. To make it all worse and more revolving, Gloria Morales behaves like a martyr and a saint towards the outside world, and obviously the myopic Catholic community in town supports her. When Pablo finally reached his personal limit and develops a plan to murder Gloria, it comes across as a giant relief to the viewer. This might even be one of those rare films where you hope the killer will get away with it.

The performances of Arturo de Córdova and Amparo Rivelles are exquisite, and the entire supportive cast contributes a great deal as well. The script is full of clever, ingenious, and incredibly funny little details, like the lady with a severe bladder issue and the confession moment. The ending is also fabulous. You know in the back of your head that in cinema crime never goes unpunished, but this excellent film nevertheless surprises us once more with a brilliant twist.