Fiesta (1941)

Best movie of this year hands down!

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

In the late 30s and early 40s, the Hal Roach Studio switched from making comedy shorts to longer-length B-movies. Most were about an hour long, though I have no idea why "Fiesta" is only 45. Regardless, it's a strange Hollywood version of life in the Mexican countryside--one that is very sanitized and full of happy peasants and singing.When the film begins, the big boss-man of the town announces a fiesta because his daughter, Cholita (Ann Ayars) is returning. However, everyone is a bit surprised when she shows up with a fiancé-- especially since poor Jose thought she was his. Soon this fiancé proves to be a real drip so Jose decides to play a trick on him and pretends to be a bandit. Can he possibly win back Cholita or is the woman destined to be married to a haughty jerk?This is a musical with a rather thin plot. The opening number is very nice but I had no idea what they were singing about as it was in Spanish. The second number, however, was awful, as the woman singing lead had a voice high pitched enough to cause dogs to bark and glass to explode! Apart from this, the rest of the songs are okay and the film a mildly entertaining affair if you have very low standards and expectations. Kind of like silly fluff, really.

Fiesta with a running time of only 43 minutes seems to fall in a never never land of film classification. Not long enough to be a feature film and too long for a short subject. It's strictly an academic question because I doubt this film would have qualified for any awards.It barely has a plot in it and what little it does concerns young Anne Ayars bringing home radio star George Givot for guardian/uncle Antonio Moreno's approval. Givot is certainly not the hero his publicity makes him out to be and Jorge Negrette spend what little time between songs and dances proving it so and winning Ayars.If you watch Fiesta you're not watching it for any story, but to enjoy the musical numbers. Latin American music was at the time making one of its periodic bursts of popularity at the time Fiesta was made and the film is an attempt to cash in on that as well.The numbers are nice, but you can hear and see the same thing watching Desi Arnaz do an occasional number on I Love Lucy.

This film probably would be of very, very little interest, were it not shot in colour. At least you can enjoy the magical reds and blues that have never been seen again since Technicolor process was replaced with cheaper and inferior ones. Amazingly enough, even as we are people from the 21st century, and are soon to celebrate Technicolor's one hundredth birthday (it began in 1917 with The Gulf Between, first two-strip Technicolor feature which has not survived), we still manage to be raptured by colour in these early films - especially if these only run for 45 minutes. The film features almost no plot, but at least a dozen songs - not bad ones - and the opportunity to see Anne Ayres, who a few years later became the leading lyrical soprano in the Metropolitain and returned to the screen only in 1951, when he was cast as Antonia in Tales of Hoffmann. Incidentally, she was the only woman in that film who actually lip-synced to her own voice. Her acting style is very sober and unassuming, so you might want to check out her other screen appearances.

The funniest thing about this colorful teeny weeny delicious pinyata of a musical is that it is 45 minutes... and it is quite funny anyway.. The best thing about it is the incredible color...Technicolor...and eye-popping art direction. It is exquisite to watch. The story? ...remember this is a 45 minute movie now.... someone turns up at the fiesta with some radio bozo and the village decides to get rid of him so she can marry someone who loves her. This takes 44 minutes. Inbetween opening and closing doors there is what seems like 55 songs and an incredible amount of parading and twirling about in the village square...which is the one big set...with rooms and doors and verandas from each side. In fact it looks exactly like the wonderful style of 20s cinemas designed by John Eberson called Atmospherics which looked like a Spanish courtyard complete with steps and balconies and a twinkling cobalt blue sky with stars overhead. Made independently in 1940, FIESTA is a charming situation comedy for rural audiences in delicious color and with authentic looking costumes of an infinitely beautiful variety. I would easily say this film is one of the most beautiful early color films yet seen... if you have seen MGM's $3 million dollar YOLANDA AND THE THIEF made in 1945 or THE PIRATE in 1948, or other as expensive big studio lush fantasy films, this small budget pic is easily as spectacular in its modest way. I have never seen the colour 30s pix LA CUCURACHA or THE DANCING PIRATE but I would suggest this lovely dance musical belongs in that bracket of tech productions. I would certainly say it was made for country and suburban audiences. What it lacks in running time it makes up for in lavish screen detail. It's not about much, but who cares? it is absolutely gorgeous to see and funny to boot. Kids would love it. 45 minutes!