Mexican Spitfire's Blessed Event (1943)

Too much of everything

Must See Movie...

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Final movie in the Mexican Spitfire series. The plot's about Dennis thinking Carmelita is pregnant but it's really some nonsense with an ocelot. Oh don't worry, somehow the filmmakers find a way to make it all about Uncle Matt and Lord Epping again. In my other reviews for these Spitfire movies, I've noted my problems with the series as a whole so I won't go into detail on that again here. Suffice it to say the series is very repetitive and focuses more on a supporting actor than the supposed star. That does not change in this final entry nor does the series go out in a fresh and original way. More "someone getting the wrong impression" hijinks and an especially tired old routine with Leon Errol, the true star of the series, playing dual roles. They do find a way to work baby kidnapping into a comedy plot, so points for that. And hey, there's Ward Cleaver himself - Hugh Beaumont! All in all, like most entries in this series, it's a watchable movie on its own but seen after even one other Spitfire movie you're likely to be bored. Sadly, Lupe Velez would take her own life the year after this was released. Whatever issues I have with the series and her sometimes grating performance, it was groundbreaking at the time to have a film series with a Mexican actress as the lead (even if she was consistently upstaged by co-star Errol). If you really want to try out the series, I suggest starting at the beginning because the first couple of movies were the best.

While actress Lupe Velez's life would not end up on a happy note, the series and character for which she is best remembered would tie things up, hopefully happy. It was the end of Carmelita but not for Lord Epping who, with Leon Errol repeating the part, ended up as a short film several years later.The film here starts off with confusion for Dennis Lindsay, now in the Merchant Marines, and on leave to finalize some business with Lord Epping. Errol is in more scenes here as both Uncle Matt and Lord Epping, although they are never in the same frame at the same time, only with a double as Uncle Matt while the camera is focused on Lord Epping. A telegram arrives for Dennis to notify him from Carmelita that they have just had a "little blessed event". Believing that Carmelita just had a baby, they rush to the Arizona resort where she's staying, unaware that the "blessed event" is a tiger kitten, not a human baby.Of course, this gets one of Dennis's business rivals scheming to get Lord Epping to sign a contract, and this is where Uncle Matt must disguise himself as the British nobleman one more time. Every time this happens though, Carmelita reminds him of "the time you put on the goat face". The time? He did it several times in each of the 8 movies in the series, utilizing his rubber-legged comical ability over and over again. When Carmelita colors an Indian wig blonde, she refers to the "dyed" hair as "dead", one of the best malapropisms in the film.This isn't as funny as previous entries, but of course, it is a bit more touching knowing that Velez would never play this part again, and there's a very funny scene towards the end where Errol, as Lord Epping, not Matthew in disguise as the business rival thought, is dunked in a well as part of punishment for the supposed kidnapping of the local sheriff's new baby. Then, Carmelita comes in to make her announcement, which proves that's all's well that ends well. Of course, Uncle Matt gets his own revenge here against the business rival, the storyline which seems straight out of something you'd see on "Bewitched".

The last of the series, and not the best, but kudos to Lupe Velez, who was unique and never better than in this series. Leon Errol's rather nondescript film career was capped by his brilliant comic creation of Lord Epping. What an unlikely pair...but they are terrific together.

This was the 2nd MEXICAN SPITFIRE film that I saw and, although I loved MEXICAN SPITFIRE OUT WEST (my 1st)this film and every other subsequent MEXICAN SPITFIRE seemed like I already saw it... talk about beating a dead horse. Lupe Valez is comic as can be as Carmelitta, and teaming her up with Leon Errol makes for a great comedy team. It is a shame that the Lord Epping theme was over worked or this entire series would rate an 8 with me. If you've seen one, You've seen them all.