By Violet LeVoit
Mexican Spitfire Out West
Brief Synopsis
To punish her inattentive husband, a Latin bombshell pretends to want a divorce.
Cast & Crew
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Leslie Goodwins
Director
Lupe Velez
Carmelita Lindsay
Leon Errol
Uncle Matt Lindsay/Lord Basil Epping
Donald Woods
Dennis Lindsay
Elisabeth Risdon
Aunt Della
Cecil Kellaway
Chumley
Photos & Videos
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1 Photo
Film Details
Also Known As
Lord Epping Out West
Genre
Comedy
Adventure
Western
Release Date
Nov
29,
1940
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Distribution Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Country
United States
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 16m
Sound
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
6,840ft
(8 reels)
Synopsis
Dennis Lindsay, a busy advertising executive, will go to great lengths and do almost anything to secure a business agreement with English distiller Lord Basil Epping. As soon as Epping arrives in New York, Lindsay foils an attempt by Mr. Skinner, his chief competitor, to approach him, and then takes him to his home for safe keeping. There, he instructs his butler, Ponsby, to hide Epping's suitcase to prevent him from leaving. In order to devote all of his attention to Epping, Lindsay neglects his wife Carmelita, who soon becomes jealous over her husband's attentions to Elizabeth, the woman that his Aunt Della, wanted him to marry. Upset, Carmelita goes to Reno to get a divorce, and sends Lindsay a telegram hoping that he will follow her out there to stop her. Meanwhile, when Skinner learns that Epping is at the Lindsays', he tries to call him there. Uncle Matt answers the phone, however, and while impersonating Epping, he tells Skinner that he is a "nuisance" and that he does not wish to do business with him until he gets back from Reno. Hoping to find Epping in Reno, Skinner leaves for Nevada, while Uncle Matt goes there to save Lindsay's marriage. Back at the Lindsays', Epping manages to escape by getting drunk with a window cleaner and exchanging clothes with him, and then goes to Skinner's office, where he learns that Skinner has left for Reno. In Reno, when Uncle Matt overhears Skinner and Brown talking about Epping, he successfully impersonates the English distiller once again, thereby preventing Skinner from doing business with the real Epping. When Lindsay discovers that Epping has escaped, he and Aunt Della make haste for Reno. Shortly after, Lady Epping, the distiller's wife, who has come from England to join her husband, is told that he is in Reno, and she too heads for Nevada. There, she and all the others become entangled in a complicated web of mistaken identity. Chaos ensues until Lindsay's marriage is saved and Uncle Matt's identity is disclosed.
Director
Leslie Goodwins
Director
Cast
Lupe Velez
Carmelita Lindsay
Leon Errol
Uncle Matt Lindsay/Lord Basil Epping
Donald Woods
Dennis Lindsay
Elisabeth Risdon
Aunt Della
Cecil Kellaway
Chumley
Linda Hayes
Elizabeth
Lydia Bilbrook
Lady Epping
Charles Coleman
Ponsby
Charles Quigley
Roberts
Eddie Dunn
Skinner
Grant Withers
Withers
Tom Kennedy
Taxi driver
Gus Schilling
Desk clerk
Ferris Taylor
Thorne
Dick Hogan
Bellhop
Jack Arnold
Brown
Charles Hall
Elevator boy
Youda Hays
Maid
Frank Orth
Window cleaner
Rafael Storm
Travel clerk
Rita Owin
Public stenographer
Teddy Mangean
Page boy
Lester Dorr
Harry
Warren Jackson
Stranger
Carl Freemanson
Bartender
Sammy Stein
Cowboy
Paul Everton
Dignitary
Herta Margot
Beauty contest winner
John Sheehan
Janitor
Jan Buckingham
Secretary
Fred Kelsey
Cop
Kernan Cripps
Cop
Jane Woodworth
Crew
Albert D'agostino
Art Director Associate
Kenneth Holmes
Assistant Director
Jack Mackenzie
Director of Photography
Lee Marcus
Executive Producer
Desmond Marquette
Editing
Van Nest Polglase
Art Director
Cliff Reid
Producer
Renié
Costumes
Charles E. Roberts
Screenwriter
Charles E. Roberts
Story
Jack Townley
Screenwriter
Richard Van Hessen
Recording
Vernon L. Walker
Special Effects
Roy Webb
Music Score
Photo Collections
1 Photo
Mexican Spitfire Out West - Movie Poster
Mexican Spitfire Out West - Movie Poster
Film Details
Also Known As
Lord Epping Out West
Genre
Comedy
Adventure
Western
Release Date
Nov
29,
1940
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Distribution Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Country
United States
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 16m
Sound
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
6,840ft
(8 reels)
Articles
Mexican Spitfire Out West
Lupe Velez and Dolores Del Rio were the two manifestations of Hollywood's confusion about Latina women -- exiled from leading roles, they could either only be mysterious and elegant (Del Rio) or a hot-tempered object of fun (Velez). Del Rio's exoticism made it difficult for her to find work during ultra-patriotic World War II but Velez's lack of shame about allowing her "spicy senorita" screen persona to be the butt of the joke ensured plenty of sequels to her hit The Girl From Mexico (1939). In this, the third adventure of newlyweds Dennis (Donald Woods) and Carmelita (Velez), Carmelita has finally had it with her advertising executive husband's inattention and storms off to Reno, divorce capital of the world. When he follows her out there, wackiness ensues. Velez's intentionally broad malapropisms and pratfalls might be a contrivance, but the light, spirit and vim Velez exudes on screen is the real, unfakeable deal.
By Violet LeVoit
By Violet LeVoit
Mexican Spitfire Out West
Lupe Velez and Dolores Del Rio were the two manifestations of Hollywood's confusion about Latina women -- exiled from leading roles, they could either only be mysterious and elegant (Del Rio) or a hot-tempered object of fun (Velez). Del Rio's exoticism made it difficult for her to find work during ultra-patriotic World War II but Velez's lack of shame about allowing her "spicy senorita" screen persona to be the butt of the joke ensured plenty of sequels to her hit The Girl From Mexico (1939). In this, the third adventure of newlyweds Dennis (Donald Woods) and Carmelita (Velez), Carmelita has finally had it with her advertising executive husband's inattention and storms off to Reno, divorce capital of the world. When he follows her out there, wackiness ensues. Velez's intentionally broad malapropisms and pratfalls might be a contrivance, but the light, spirit and vim Velez exudes on screen is the real, unfakeable deal.
By Violet LeVoit
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title for this film was Lord Epping Out West. Although the picture May not have been originally intended to be a part of the "Mexican Spitfire" series, it followed Mexican Spitfire in the series. Although Hollywood Reporter production charts list actress Jane Patten in the cast, her appearance in the released film has not been confirmed. According to a November 1940 Hollywood Reporter news item, the favorable audience response to the picture prompted RKO to seek contracts with Lupe Velez and Leon Errol for future "Mexican Spitfire" films. For more information on the series, consult the catalog entry for Mexican Spitfire above.
