Masquerade In Mexico (1945)
Director:
Mitchell Leisen
Writers:
Karl Tunberg (screenplay), Edwin Justus Mayer (based on a story by), Franz Schulz
Stars:
Dorothy Lamour, Arturo de Córdova, Patric Knowles, Ann Dvorak, George Rigaud, Natalie Schafer
The Technicolor musical Masquerade in Mexico is Mitchell Leisen's remake of his own Midnight. Stranded in Mexico City without a dime, glamorous Angel O'Reilly (Dorothy Lamour) is rescued by wealthy Thomas Grant (Patric Knowles). But Grant's motivations are anything but altruistic. In order to get his wife Helen's (Ann Dvorak) mind off handsome bullfighter Manolo Segovia (Arturo de Cordova), Grant passes Angel off as a Contessa at a weekend party, reasoning that Segovia will switch his attentions to our heroine. Screenwriter Karl Tunberg has added a jewel-theft angle to the original Edwin Justis Mayer/Franz Spencer story. Masquerade in Mexico is admittedly a handsomer production than Midnight.