The Kid from Spain (1932)

Instant Favorite.

Better than most people think

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

This is one of the two-best regarded Eddie Cantor vehicles, the other being the superior ROMAN SCANDALS (1933). In many ways, it follows the typical formula of star comedians during this era: not only does it mix the laughs with songs, but the setting goes from college to south-of- the-border and involves multiple impersonations (a convict about to be executed{!}, performing a musical routine in blackface and, most pertinent to the central plot, a torero) and the second leads' less- than-smooth romance (he is here played by the non-Latin Robert Young!).Having Busby Berkeley as choreographer and being a "Pre-Code" film, this could hardly fail to have elaborately risqué' numbers (reportedly, among the Goldwyn Girls here are Paulette Goddard, Betty Grable and Jane Wyman but I did not recognize them) – right from the opening moments (which were trimmed for subsequent reissues!) but, even if the Bert Kalmar/Harry Ruby score is quite pleasant, these definitely come off as longueurs when not involving Cantor himself. Director McCarey had started out in Laurel & Hardy comedies, and he would subsequently handle many of their rivals/successors – apart from the star of this film, the Marx Bros., W.C. Fields, Mae West, Harold Lloyd and, in more sophisticated terms, Cary Grant.Gags (and dialogue exchanges) are plentiful and generally display a very high standard of inventiveness. Among the highlights are: Cantor unwittingly acting as the getaway driver of bank robbers; his brushes with a flustered immigration official and a U.S. cop after the thieving gang; his serenading the heroine (on behalf of Young – incidentally, he is himself pursued throughout by the girl's blonde friend) sporting a gigantic sombrero; and, obviously, his being passed off as a celebrated bullfighter's son (he trains with a docile animal who can be 'controlled' with a gibberish but unwieldly word – however, the villains (including the blonde girl's fiancé J. Carrol Naish) then have it replaced with the most irate of the herd, able even to leap over the spectator barricades{!}, only for the hero to ultimately put it out of action by pure chance). For the record, the film was referenced in the Walt Disney cartoon short MICKEY'S GALA PREMIERE (1933) and can be seen to have influenced – ironically enough – the Laurel & Hardy outings SAPS AT SEA (1940; in Cantor's violent behaviour triggered by noise) and THE BULLFIGHTERS (1945), not to mention the Italian comic Toto' vehicle FIFA E ARENA (1948) and the classic "Looney Tunes" cartoon BULLY FOR BUGS (1953).

I have liked Eddie Cantor films for some time even though now in the twenty-first century he's practically forgotten. That's because even in the bad ones, his character and personality is very likable and sweet. Plus, when he is given excellent material, his films are tough to be beat--particularly FORTY LITTLE MOTHERS and Hollywood CANTEEN.Cantor was a huge name on stage and was famous for his comedic song and dance numbers. Like Al Jolson, Cantor also often performed in black-face--something that would definitely shock many people today but which was widely accepted and not criticized in the old days. This film, like a few of his others, does feature such a minstrel segment, so if you can't watch it without suffering a fatal heart attack, then this is one to skip. However, if you do, you may be missing out on a rather entertaining little comedy.Oddly, though, despite Cantor being a nice comic, the parts of the film that made me laugh the most were unintended by the producers. This is because Busby Berkeley designed and directed several huge production numbers that are so over-the-top that they are, in this day and age, funny to watch. The best of these is the opening number. It supposedly is set in a girl's dorm in college but school was never like this!! Seeing all the "Goldwyn Girls" running about in various states of undress as they performed the most complex and expensive dance number is something you won't soon forget! As for the plot, Eddie and his friend Robert Young (who plays, of all things, a Mexican) are on their way to Mexico. However, on the way, Eddie accidentally gets mixed up in a bank robbery and the police think he's part of the gang. So, once in Mexico, he pretends to be the son of a famous bullfighter to avoid being captured. In the end, of course, is the obligatory bull fight and Cantor manages to survive AND get the girl.The whole film is full of surprisingly engaging songs from Cantor and as I said above, his character is so likable you will probably find yourself having a good time--even with its various shortcomings (including a rather poorly filmed bull fight).

Wow -- with all the big names in this one, expected it to be better. Liberal use of backdrop scenery, and the general Three Stooges buffoonery keep us from getting too invested in this comedy from 1932. With Busby Berkley directing the dance numbers, like the naughty opening number where the school girls wake up, go for a swim, and get dressed, it was sure to keep the audiences watching. Eddie Cantor and Robert Young toot down to Mexico and get into trouble after getting bounced from college. Supporting cast of Noah Beery, a 16 year old Betty Grable, Paulette Goddard, and a 15 year old Jane Wyman in the chorus, if we can believe the dates on IMDb. Feels like a collection of vaudeville acts stapled together....Cantor sings a couple songs. Noah Beery's Mexican accent comes and goes. Leo McCarey had been directing films for 10 years by this time, most of them silents. The acting in this one is a little over the top, kind of like a Three's Company episode. It's okay.

I loved Cantor in this film. In fact, it was my first Eddie Cantor film. His crazy eyes and fast quips kept my attention throughout! Although, this movie is really old and seems only one step above a silent film (judging by all their facial dramatics), it shines as a funny pre-groucho marx sarcastic fun fest. Poor innocent Eddie Cantor, knee-deep in trouble as usual escapes from a girl's dormitory, he is found hiding in and gets caught up with bank robbers. Running with his friend to cross the border to Mexico, Cantor tells the border's cops that he too, is Mexican. Cantor outwits the bad guys by pretending to be a bull-fighter. Trying to escape, he encounters many hilarious characters along the way and actually has to perform in a bull-fight - hilarity ensues. Cantor is always known for his quick thinking and fast talking, so some of his best lines are thrown around in this movie. Also, there are the 1932 Goldwyn Girls including Jane Wyman, a platinum blonde Paulette Goddard, Toby Wing and a sixteen year-old named Betty Grable (not credited). This film is a real must-see!