I sometimes will look through our channel guide and see what the Turner Classic Movie channel is playing. I read the summaries and well record movies that look interesting. I have a thing for classic movies. They rarely disappoint me. This weekend I recorded "Latin Lovers" from 1953 starring Lana Turner and a young and surprisingly handsome Ricardo Montalban.
The story is about an oil heiress. Nora Taylor has inherited $37 million from her father. Her father was a mailman who on his weekends searched for oil. He struck it rich and now Nora is a business woman with millions. Her current boyfriend Paul Chevron is also a millionaire. Nora is seeing a shrink because she her money makes her relationships confusing. Paul is about to ask Nora to marry him, she consults her shrink because even though Paul is a millionaire, she is still afraid he is after her money. Her shrink convinces her that Paul is a straightforward man, and will not ask for her hand, but demand it. This works well for Nora. What Nora doesn't know is that Paul is also seeing a shrink who convinces him to not demand her hand, but to ask her, and give her plenty of time to think. Paul takes a trip to Brazil. Instead of waiting weeks for Paul to return, Nora decides to follow Paul to Brazil, hoping to get the forceful proposal she needs. The air in Brazil makes Nora feel free and energetic and she hopes the air effects Paul in the same way. It does not. While in Brazil Paul takes Nora to a horse ranch. While viewing horses a tall dark and handsome man catches Nora's eye. She walks into the stables and without a word the tall dark and handsome man grabs her, pulls her close and lays a kiss on her that changes everything. Nora is immediately and desperately in love with this man, Roberto Santos.
And of course there is the stereotypes of the Latin lover. Roberto sings and salsas, he is macho and displays this by refusing to see her when she is late, and demanding that she not ever walk away from him or ever be late. Of course Nora loves the macho Latin man. Her only concern is what Roberto will think when he finds out about her money. She tells him and he is overjoyed. Nora begins to wonder if Roberto just loves her for her money. As they quickly become engaged, Paul, on the advice of his shrink stays Nora's friend. Nora comes up with an idea to see if Roberto really loves her. She decides to give away all her money. At the engagement party she tells Roberto that she gave all her money away. Roberto kind of freaks out says if he doesn't know if he can still marry her. Nora heads back to pack up to leave Brazil. Paul comes to her room and demands that Nora marry him. She refuses because even though they have a lot in common, she does not love Paul. Despite everything she loves Roberto. Her assistant reminds her that it is the one with the money that has to worry about it. This gives Nora an idea. She heads back to Roberto's. She yells for him at his window. She tells him that she is going to marry him, on her own terms. And she is still going to give away her millions, to him. Now it will be Roberto who will have to worry.
I enjoyed this movie, despite its negative stereotypes of Latins and women. Definitely not a politically correct film, but its what you get from 1950's films.
Money Movie Rating: $$$
