El carnaval del diablo


1937

Film Details

Also Known As
El diablo se divierte, La canción de los Andes, The Devil on Horseback
Release Date
Jan 1937
Premiere Information
Mexico City opening: 3 Dec 1936; Los Angeles opening: 1 Oct 1937
Production Company
Metropolitan Pictures Corp.
Distribution Company
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp.
Country
United States
Location
Hemet, California, United States

Synopsis

[The following plot summary is based on the English-language version of this film, The Devil on Horseback ; character names refer to that version.] The movie actress Diane Corday has come to the Republic of Alturas on a personal appearance tour with her fiancé, Gary Owen. Gary's father, head of the Owen Coffee Company, sponsors the tour, which includes a radio engagement for both Gary and Diane. When Gary's old school chum, Pancho Granero, hears them both speak over the air, he decides to contact them. Pancho, who has many political enemies, overtakes the train on which Gary and Diane are travelling and insists that they come to his hacienda as his honored guests. Diane's press agent sees an opportunity for a headline story and sends out a bulletin that Diane has been abducted. The news causes an uproar during which diplomatic relations with the American consul at the Alturian capital become strained. The American diplomats demand that General Valdez, the military governor, send an expedition to rescue Diane from "the devil on horseback." Meanwhile, Pancho stages an elaborate fiesta for his guests, and his attentions to Diane prompt a jealous reaction from his lover, Manuela Torres, as well as Gary. An argument ensues in which Pancho punches Gary. Just then, the troops sent to rescue Diane arrive, with Captain Triana in command. Triana has secretly received orders to kill Pancho and when Diane discovers this, she throws herself in front of Pancho to save his life. She then explains that Pancho has not abducted her and that the entire ordeal was a press agent's fiction. Later, the group rides back to the railroad, where they learn that Pancho's friends are once again in power at the capital and that a state of war exists. After goodbyes are said, Pancho and his men ride off to take their part in the fight to free Alturas.

Film Details

Also Known As
El diablo se divierte, La canción de los Andes, The Devil on Horseback
Release Date
Jan 1937
Premiere Information
Mexico City opening: 3 Dec 1936; Los Angeles opening: 1 Oct 1937
Production Company
Metropolitan Pictures Corp.
Distribution Company
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp.
Country
United States
Location
Hemet, California, United States

Quotes

Trivia

Notes

The two-color Magnacolor process used in this film was alternately listed as "Hirlicolor" and "Hirlacolor" in contemporary sources. Unlike the English-language version, The Devil on Horseback, which was produced by Regal Productions, Inc., this Spanish-language version was produced by Metropolitan Pictures Corp., a company Hirliman set up to make Spanish versions of some of his films, and was shot simultaneously with the English version. The working titles of the Spanish version were El diablo se divierte and La canción de los Andes, and the film was presented by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp. Certain sequences were shot on location in Hemet, CA and some scenes May have been shot at Republic Studios. The participation in the completed film of the last two cast members has not been confirmed. Ann Miller, in her autobiography, states that she appeared as a dancer in this film; as the Spanish version was shot simultaneously with the English version, she May have appeared in both.