Masquerade in Mexico
Cast & Crew
Mitchell Leisen
Dorothy Lamour
Arturo De Córdova
Patric Knowles
Ann Dvorak
George Rigaud
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
On a plane to Mexico City, American nightclub entertainer Angel O'Reilly slips a stolen diamond into the pocket of her airsick seat mate, banker Tom Grant. Tom is detained in Mexico City when customs officials find the famous diamond in his pocket, and Angel breaks off her engagement to Boris Cassall, who coerced her into transporting the diamond across the border. Angel slips away from Boris, who has taken her wallet to keep her from escaping, and is driven into the city by kindly taxi driver Pablo, who dreams of being an opera singer. After Angel fails to get work on her own, Pablo tells the owner of a posh nightclub that she is the Condessa of Costa Mora from Spain, and she is hired to perform. Angel is horrified when she sees Tom at the nightclub the first time she sings, but Tom insists that she join him, as well as his estranged wife Helen, and Helen's suitor, Mexican bullfighter Manolo Segovia, for drinks. Pleased that Manolo has become smitten by Angel, Tom reveals that he is aware that she framed him, and insists that she maintain her pretense as a countess and lure Manolo away from Helen, who has left Tom for the bullfighter. Tom underwrites Angel's luxurious hotel room and expensive clothes, and Angel succeeds in making Helen extremely jealous. One afternoon, Boris sees them at the bullfight, and learns that Angel is pretending to be a countess. Later, Tom invites Angel to his country home, where Helen is planning to premiere a ballet she has created. Helen discovers that Angel is an impostor after her houseguest, Irene Denny, claims to know the condessa's best friend. Just as Helen is about to announce publicly that Angel is a fraud, she is interrupted by the arrival of Boris, who announces himself as the Condé of Costa Mora. As this seems to confirm that Angel is the real thing, Helen drops her accusation. Manolo then intensifies his romantic pursuit of Angel, but Angel falls in love with Tom because he has been honest and supportive. Angel has no intention of marrying Manolo or Boris, and reassures Tom that she was not a willing participant in the jewel theft. On the eve of the ballet's premiere, Tom pays Boris to leave for good. Before going, however, Boris steals Helen's diamond necklace while proclaiming his love for her. Angel finds them together and, disgusted by Helen's loose morals, decides to leave with Boris. After Helen discovers that her necklace has been stolen, Manolo follows Boris and Angel, chasing their car off the road and knocking out Boris. Manolo then retrieves the necklace and Angel tells him her true identity on the way back to the Grant mansion. Although Manolo still wants to marry her, Angel does not love him. Helen, meanwhile, tells Tom she is definitely suing for divorce despite his efforts to revive their relationship. After Manolo returns Helen's diamonds, Tom has renewed hope for the future, and goes to see Angel while Manolo flirts with a pretty dancer.
Director
Mitchell Leisen
Cast
Dorothy Lamour
Arturo De Córdova
Patric Knowles
Ann Dvorak
George Rigaud
Natalie Schafer
Mikhail Rasumny
Billy Daniels
The Guadalajara Trio
Martin Garralaga
Lester Luther
Dina Smirnova
Enrique Valadez
Rita Lupino
Mimi Doyle
Lucille Porcette
Tony Roux
Sam Appel
Elias Gamboa
Al Haskell
Leo Martin
Art Felix
Ray Beltram
Roque Ybarra
Eddie Laughton
William Newell
James Flavin
Charles A. Hughes
Robert Middlemass
George Anderson
Kernan Cripps
Nell Craig
Perc Launders
Grace Gillern
Frank Faylen
Don Avalier
Juan Torena
Tony Paton
Felipe Turich
Pepito Perez
Leon Lombardo
Primo Lopez
Joaquin Elizondo
Albert Baldo
Nina Borget
Enrique Acosta
Rudolfo Hoyos Jr.
Rudolfo Hoyos Sr.
Eva Puig
Jerry Martin
Jose Portugal
Leon Lenoir
Paulita Arviza
Frank Leyva
John Laurenz
Guy Zanette
Ted Rand
Charles Teske
Allen Pinson
Gordon Arnold
John Marlowe
Jean Acker
Roberta Jonay
Mae Busch
Stan Johnson
Miriam Franklin
Julia Faye
Ernest Hilliard
Virginia Doffy
Rosalie Miller
Betty Jean Orth
Jean De Briac
Julian Rivero
Alfonso De Larios
Charles Stevens
Crew
Pancho Aliati
Roland Anderson
Neal Beckner
Jack Bishop
Dick Brandow
Douglas Bridges
Charley Burner
Salvatore Cammarano
Fay Chaney
John Coonan
Irving Cooper
Rex Coover
John Cope
Billy Daniels
Ruth Davis
Joe Dominguez
Gaetano Donizetti
Hans Dreier
Josephine Earl
Farciot Edouart
George Erlinger
Arthur Franklin
Miriam Franklin
Jack Golden
Frances Grant
Loyal Griggs
Tex Harris
Edith Head
Hayden Hohstadt
Gordon Jennings
Marcos A. Jiménez
Jack Koffman
Augustín Lara
María Teresa Lara
Sam Ledner
Mitchell Leisen
Joseph J. Lilley
Lionel Lindon
Eddie Lisbona
Phyllis Loughton
Alma Macrorie
Noel Madison
Nellie Manley
Al Mann
Edwin Justus Mayer
Bob Mayo
Don Mckay
Ray Moyer
Bob Musel
Ben Raleigh
Ed Ralph
Elaine Ramsey
Francisco Reves
Bob Rogers
Ernesto A. Romero
Leonora Sabine
Floyd Simonton
W. C. Smith
Franz Spencer
Alice Thomas
Karl Tunberg
Karl Tunberg
Darrell Turnmire
J. Vincent
James M. Walters
Bernie Wayne
Wally Westmore
Stanley Williams
Victor Young
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Information in the MPAA/PCA Collection at the AMPAS Library reveals that in December 1944, the PCA rejected an early draft of this film's script, calling it "both basically and in detail...completely unacceptable" due to the "thoroughly unacceptable treatment of marriage, which is further complicated by the suggested relationship between "Helen" and Tito [later called "Manolo"]. The PCA also objected to "the unacceptable sex suggestiveness which is inescapable, in the several scenes having to do with the attempts to have Boris and Angel occupy the same room." In the original script, "Angel" and "Boris" are partners in crime, and she slips the stolen diamond into "Tom Grant's" pocket to avoid a customs search. The original story then continues in the same vein as the film; however, Grant and his wife have not separated, and he seeks to prevent a split-up by using Angel as a distraction for Manolo. In the end, both Boris and Angel are arrested, but Tom gets Angel paroled into his custody after his divorce. After several conferences, Paramount agreed to change the story, and a December 21, 1944 PCA memo noted that "[a]s they now propose to re-write it, it will be a story of a marriage which has already broken up, before the play gets under way, and it will really be the story of the attempt on the part of a married man to regain his marriage." Furthermore, the file noted that "the Dorothy Lamour character would not be shown as a criminal and consequently, it will not be necessary to 'punish' her."
According to a Hollywood Reporter news item, Paulette Goddard was initially considered for the lead role. Hollywood Reporter news items also noted that actresses Margaret Field and Beverly Johnson were cast in the film, but their appearance in the final film has not been confirmed. Writers Edwin Justus Mayer and Franz [Schulz] Spencer also wrote the original story for the 1939 film Midnight, on which this film was based (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1931-40; F3.2853). According to information in the Paramount Collection at the AMPAS Library, some scenes were shot on location in Brownsville, TX and Mexico City, Mexico.
