A Latin American Comedy...

[feaito]

I found the official Argentinian DVD release of this charming little film "Esposa Último Modelo" (Latest Model Wife) (1950) by chance in a small store and immediately bought it because I had never seen a comedy with Argentina's legendary Mirtha Legrand, who is still active today at 83, beautiful, classy and youthful as ever. She hosts a TV programs that's been aired on TV over 40 years.

Legrand plays María Fernanda Alcántara, an extremely rich orphaned heiress raised by her grandmother (Felisa Mary) and her governess (Amalia Sánchez Ariño) who have pampered her ever since she lost her parents. The two elderly ladies are always quarreling about their mutual responsibility in relation to the young lady's recklessness and carefree ways.

But one day Alfredo Villegas, a responsible, hard-working lawyer with very high moral values (played by Ángel Magaña) appears in scene and María Fernanda falls for him. The two elderly ladies plot in order to make him propose, trying to convince him that María Fernanda will be the perfect wife and that she was raised to be an efficient housewife, when in fact she doesn't know how to cook an egg! Then trouble ensues.

A rather engaging comedy that shows Ms. Legrand beautifully coiffured and attired throughout the whole picture and her flair for comedic situations. There are some quite funny moments and Mrs. Mary and Sánchez Ariño, as the elderly ladies, are responsible for many of them.

The print I saw is not in very good shape, but then, how many Latin American films from the 1930s, 1940s or 1950s have been properly restored? Not many I bet.

[ChiO]

The print I saw is not in very good shape, but then, how many Latin American films from the 1930s, 1940s or 1950s have been properly restored? Not many I bet.

Oh, how I'd love to see the movies photographed by John Alton in Argentina when he was asked to supervise construction of a studio outside of Buenos Aires and he also trained cinematographers (1932-39). Supposedly his LOS TRES BERRETINES (aka THE THREE BUDDIES) (1932) was the first Argentine talkie. Some of the titles -- CRIMEN A LAS TRES (aka CRIME AT THREE O'CLOCK) (1935), EL MATRERO (aka THE OUTLAW) (1939), PUERTA CERRADA (aka BEHIND CLOSED DOORS) (1939) -- are a teasing glimpse of what was to come in the '40s and '50s.

[feaito]

Hi Chio, I haven't heard of those films, but they might be available in the Argentinian market, although many of the Latin American releases -of films in Castilian- do not include English subs. Oddly enough, this Mirtha Legrand feature has English subs.