Casa Mañana
Cast & Crew
Jean Yarbrough
Virginia Welles
Robert Clarke
Robert Karnes
Tony Roux
Carol Brewster
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
After Los Angeles advertising executive Larry Sawyer creates a successful talent show campaign, his conniving superior, Horace Fairchild III, takes credit for the idea and is promoted to company vice president. Disgruntled with the advertising business, Larry makes plans to reopen Casa Mañana, a defunct Los Angeles nightclub, using Horace's secretary, Linda Mason, a talented singer, as the opening act. Later that evening during the talent contest, Horace is surprised when Linda's catchy tune steals the show and, although the judges rule in Linda's favor, Horace declares another performer as the winner so he can keep his secret love out of show business. At his office the next morning, Horace argues with Larry about Linda's future, pushing the intercom button so Linda can overhear his offer of marriage while Larry protests that her talent should not be wasted. Linda busts into the office and, insulted by Horace's offer, says she is leaving for another job in show business. Later Larry takes Linda to Casa Mañana, where they find three painters lazily sleeping instead of renovating. After Linda sings them a sweet ditty, the painters, old vaudeville actors known as the Rio Brothers, insist on performing their dancing comedy act, and Larry books them for the club. Larry's jolly business partner, Pedro Gonzalez, suggests that Larry hire Pedro's talented cousin Rosarita as well, but Larry declines, wary of hiring family. Later at her apartment, Horace tries to discourage Linda from show business, but Linda insists that by the end of two weeks she will know if she can make the grade. Horace proposes that if she is not a success in two weeks that they marry, and confident of her talent and irritated by Horace's persistence, she agrees to the deal. Horace then pays crooked theatrical booking agent Maury Sanford to sell Larry his acts at such a cheap rate that Larry cannot refuse and makes plans to ruin the opening evening. Auditions continue at the club with a Latin song and dance number followed by the lanky and limber Mercer Brothers' tap routine. Meanwhile Maury has sent the Rio Brothers by train to a job in New Mexico and sealed the deal with Larry to pay $1,000 a week for all the acts. Back at Casa Mañana, sultry singer Honey performs a number bemoaning her lonely nights, looking in Larry's direction and filling Linda with jealousy. Later in her dressing room, Linda walks in just as Honey tries to seduce Larry into giving her Linda's number. Furious, Linda stomps out and announces she is quitting show business. In New Mexico the Rio Brothers discover the booking is a hoax and try to make their way back in time for the opening night at Casa Mañana, hitching rides and practicing their comedy routines along the way. At his office Horace finalizes his deal with Maury, who guarantees that Casa Mañana will not open that night. Soon after, Honey, who is secretly in league with Horace, reports to him that his plan worked and Linda has left show business for good. Just a half an hour before the show, none of the performers have arrived, and Maury accuses Larry of being broke and demands he pay up front for a full two weeks or the talent will not show. Desperate, Larry calls Horace to borrow the $2,000 but Horace refuses, bragging that he and Linda are eloping to Las Vegas that evening. On their way out of town Linda feels listless and guilty about leaving Larry in the lurch, but Horace says she is not alone, as the whole cast has quit. Suspicious of Horace, Linda insists on stopping for cigarettes and takes off with his car. Casa Mañana opens but the customers are restless for the show. When Larry finds he can no longer stall, Pedro saves the day, having prepared a backup plan using the club staff for performances. After waiters Davis and Johnson perform a whimsical tap dance, Pedro's cousin Rosarita, who turns out to be a singing and dancing sensation, goes on. The Rio Brothers then show up, dragging Maury and Horace, thoroughly beaten for their deception, behind them. The brothers perform their Tamale Kids comedy routine and are followed by a slapstick waltzing couple. Finally Linda arrives at Larry's side behind the curtain, then glides on stage, captivating the audience with the closing romantic song.
Director
Jean Yarbrough
Cast
Virginia Welles
Robert Clarke
Robert Karnes
Tony Roux
Carol Brewster
Paul Maxey
Jean Richey
The Rio Brothers
Eddie Lebaron
Spade Cooley
Yadira Jiménez
Zarco And D'lores
Mercer Brothers
Armando And Lita
Betty And Beverly
Olga Perez
Davis And Johnson
Crew
Jack Baker
William Beaudine Jr.
Otis Bigelow
Raymond Boltz Jr.
William F. Broidy
Sam Brown
Harold Cooke
George Fragos
Lloyd E. Garnell
Dick Gasparre
Ace Herman
Lou Herscher
Ruth Herscher Graham
Edward J. Kay
Tom Lambert
David Milton
Webb Overlander
Lindsley Parsons
Lindsley Parsons
Herb Pine
Silvano R. Ramos
Bill Raynor
Ben Remington
William Sickner
Ilona Vas
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
According to March 1951 Hollywood Reporter news items, Tex Ritter was originally cast as the orchestra band leader but was replaced by Spade Cooley. A March 1, 1951 Hollywood Reporter news item adds The Martell Twins and The High Hatters to the cast, but their appearance in the final film has not been confirmed. According to information in the file on the film in the MPAA/PCA Collection at the AMPAS Library, the Breen Office deemed the comic caricature of Mexican Americans, including certain treatment of the character "Pedro Gonzalez," as unacceptable, and the script was revised.
