6/10
Luis Mariano vehicle in this enjoyable and colorful Spanish/French co-production
18 January 2022
Luis Mariano show in which he plays Vincent Etchebar (Luis Mariano), a Basque singer who is spotted by the impresario named Cartoni (Manolo Morán) , then Vincent leaves his little town and along with his friend Biloy (Bourvil) go to Paris to seek fame and fortune . They arrive in Paris and a wealthy spectacle entrepreneur gives him the opportunity to break into the popular city , but he has actually been hired to pose as another singer , Miguel Morano (Luis Mariano himself in double role but with moustache) , to go to Mexico as the famous chanteur de Mexico , but there he's pursued by a former abandoned bride with whom Morano got engaged and now she wants revenge . Then nothing will go as planned.

Luis Mariano recital with humor , dances , songs and including spectacular musical numbers , while being well accompanied by the always hilarious Bourvil . Stars the great Luis Mariano Eusebio González García (1914-1970), also known as Luis Mariano who was a popular tenor of Spanish origin who showed interest in singing as a child . His family moved to France at the start of the Spanish Civil War and settled in Bordeaux where he studied at the Conservatoire, and also sang in cabarets. Jeanne Lagiscarde, who was in charge of the classical department of a record store in Bordeaux, took Mariano under her wing, and gave up her job to nurture his talent in Paris. To earn a living, he sang in stage shows and appeared in films, starting with 'L'escalier sans fin' in 1943. That year he auditioned for the role of Ernesto in Don Pasquale, and sang in the opera at the Palais de Chaillot and later at the Théâtre des Variétés, with Vina Bovy, recording excerpts from the opera. He also left many recordings of popular song and operetta. He continued to appear in other films from 1946, including a singing role in Napoléon and a film adaptation of Lehar's Der Zarewitsch . He was a singing idol of French operetta of the post-war stage and screen who achieved celebrity in 1946 with "La belle de Cadix" ("The Beautiful Lady of Cadix") an operetta by Francis Lopez. He appeared in the 1954 film Adventures of the Barber of Seville and Le Chanteur de Mexico (1957) and became popular in France as well as his native Spain . In Le chanteur de Mexico(1956) Mariano sings some attractive songs such as ¨Mexico¨, Music by Francis Lopez, lyrics by Raymond Vincy , performed by Luis Mariano and ¨Quand on est deux Amis¨music by Francis Lopez , lyrics by Raymond Vincy , performed by Luis Mariano and Bourvil.

The motion picture was lavishly produced by the powerful Spanish producer Benito Perojo and professionally directed by Richard Pottier , but without much emotion , no enthusiasm . Filmmaker Ricard Pottier broached various genres along his long career , so consistently mixed the good with the mediocre that it became quite impossible to know what to expect from him next . He was a solid artisan and certainly did not deserve the critics' contempt . He directed all kind of genres , such as comedies : "Si J'Etais Le Patron" , adventures : "Les Secrets De La Mer rouge", Sci -Fi : "Le Monde Tremblera" , Peplum and Historical : ¨David and Goliath¨ , ¨Romulus and the Sabines¨, detective films : "Picpus" , musicals : "Violettes Imperiales" , ¨Bella Otero¨, ¨Le chanteur de Mexico¨ , melodramas : "Defense D'Aimer" , among others . Rating : 6/10 . Decent musical comedy for Luis Mariano fans .
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