Mexican Hayride (1948)

Director:

Charles Barton

Writers:

Herbert Fields (play) and
Dorothy Fields (play) ...
(more)

Release Date:

December 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Plot:

Two con men selling phony stock flee to Mexico ahead of the law, where they run into a woman friend from their earlier days, who is now a bullfighter. |

Plot Keywords:

Stock | Mexico | Reporter | Tamale | Embassy

Cast

Bud Abbott	...	Harry Lambert
Lou Costello	...	Joe Bascom / Humphrey Fish
Virginia Grey	...	Montana the Bullfighter / Mary
Luba Malina	...	Dagmar
John Hubbard	...	David Winthrop, American Embassy
Pedro de Cordoba	...	Señor Martinez
Fritz Feld	...	Professor Ganzmeyer
Tom Powers	...	Plainclothesman Ed Mason
Pat Costello	...	Plainclothesman Tim Williams
Frank Fenton	...	Gus Adamson
Chris-Pin Martin	...	Mariachi Leader (as Chris Pin Martin)
Sid Fields	...	AP reporter (as Sidney Fields)
Flores Brothers Trio	...	Musicians Playing 'Is It Yes, or Is It No?'
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Patricia Alphin	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Salvador Baguez	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Bobby Barber	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Mary Brewer	...	Girl (uncredited)
Harry Brown	...	Businessman (uncredited)
Argentina Brunetti	...	Indian Woman (uncredited)
Marjorie L. Carver	...	Girl (uncredited)
Lucille Casey	...	Girl (uncredited)
Mary Castle	...	Girl (uncredited)
Toni Castle	...	Girl (uncredited)
Ben Chavez	...	Magician (uncredited)
Lorraine Crawford	...	Girl (uncredited)
Amapola Del Vando	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Joe Dominguez	...	Taxco Artist (uncredited)
William Elias	...	Mexican Boy (uncredited)
Robert Ellis	...	Mexican Boy (uncredited)
Lalo Encinas	...	Mexican Man (uncredited)
Rudy Germaine	...	Man (uncredited)
Yolanda González	...	Girl (uncredited)
Fred Hoose	...	Businessman (uncredited)
Reed Howes	...	Man (uncredited)
Eddie Kane	...	Mr. Clarke, Mine Buyer (uncredited)
Joe Kirk	...	Second Businessman (uncredited)
Caroline Lopez	...	Mexican Girl (uncredited)
Rose Mary Lopez	...	Mexican Child (uncredited)
Bob Lugo	...	Man (uncredited)
Donna Martell	...	Girl (uncredited)
George Mendoza	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Charles Miller	...	Mr. Lewis (uncredited)
Hans Moebus	...	Man (uncredited)
Alex Montoya	...	Man (uncredited)
Julia Montoya	...	Woman (uncredited)
Sol Murgi	...	Man (uncredited)
Alfonso Pedroza	...	Mexican Man (uncredited)
Karen Randle	...	Girl (uncredited)
Pedro Regas	...	Proprietor (uncredited)
Suzanne Ridgeway	...	Artist's Model (uncredited)
Charles Rivero	...	Ticket Taker at Bullfight (uncredited)
Julian Rivero	...	Policeman at Ticket Seller's Booth (uncredited)
Tony Roux	...	Blanket Weaver (uncredited)
Cosmo Sardo	...	Headwaiter (uncredited)
Earl Spainard	...	Bellboy (uncredited)
John Sylvester	...	Man (uncredited)
Felipe Turich	...	Taxco Silver Dealer (uncredited)
Kippee Valez	...	Girl (uncredited)
Roque Ybarra	...	Taxco Blanket Weaver (uncredited)

Directed by
Charles Barton		(as Charles T. Barton)

Writing credits
Herbert Fields		(play) and
Dorothy Fields		(play)
Oscar Brodney		(screenplay) and
John Grant		(screenplay)

Produced by
Robert Arthur	....	producer

Original Music by
Walter Scharf

Cinematography by
Charles Van Enger

Film Editing by
Frank Gross

Art Direction by
John DeCuir		(as John F. DeCuir)
Bernard Herzbrun

Set Decoration by
John P. Austin		(as John Austin)
Russell A. Gausman

Costume Design by
Yvonne Wood

Makeup Department
Carmen Dirigo	....	hair stylist
Bud Westmore	....	makeup artist
Layne Britton	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Russell Drake	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Merle Reeves	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Henry Spitz	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ralph Ceder	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Joseph E. Kenney	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Leslie I. Carey	....	sound
Robert Pritchard	....	sound

Special Effects by
David S. Horsley	....	special photography (as David Horsley)

Camera and Electrical Department
Fred Buckley	....	grip (uncredited)
James V. King	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Bill Wallace	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Lloyd Ward	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Music Department
Walter Scharf	....	conductor
Walter Scharf	....	music arranger
Daniele Amfitheatrof	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Johnny Green	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Milton Rosen	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Hans J. Salter	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Walter Schumann	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Frank Skinner	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Leith Stevens	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
Eugene Loring	....	dance director
Michael Todd	....	stage producer
Betty A. Griffin	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal International Pictures (UI)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1948) (USA) (theatrical)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (as Universal Pictures Company Inc.)

Runtime:

77 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #13428) | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Calabasas, California, USA

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

The play opened in New York City, New York, USA on 28 January 1944 and ran for 481 performances, closing 17 May 1945. The stars were June Havoc and Bobby Clark, and included Luba Malina, who is also in this movie. Because Bud Abbott and Lou Costello fans expressed annoyance about so many musical numbers in their films, none of Cole Porter's music was used in this picture.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: After the bull sends the barrel (with Lou inside) flying into the center of the bullring and it crashes, you can momentarily see the wires attached to the barrel.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The World of Abbott and Costello (1965)

Soundtrack:

Cielito Lindo

A mildly interesting diversion

This film is a bit unusual for an Abbott and Costello film in that Bud and Lou work against each other. In other words, they are not friends in the film and Lou is hiding out in Mexico. It seems that Bud is a swindler and has made it look like Lou is guilty. Naturally, Lou's goal is to get the money back so that he can pay off everyone back home and get the police to drop the case against him. Again and again throughout the film, Bud promises to give Lou all the money...in a few days.

Complicating things is that the police have just spotted Lou and are hot on his trail. But, they aren't positive it's the right guy and they are forced to back off when Lou is designated the "Guest of the People of Mexico". In other words, he was supposedly randomly chosen to be wined and dined as a sign of good will between the US and Mexico. In a very ironic scene, just when the Mexicans are set to honor Lou, the American police are ready to arrest him. What stops them is that one of the cops also matches this vague description! And, in reality, this part is played by Pat Costello--Lou's older brother in real life! Low points in the film include Luba Malina's performance. At times, she speaks with a typical American accent and in others she tries (in vain) to approximate a Mexican accent...and fails miserably. Why the director didn't bother to fix these scenes or notice is beyond me. Apparently, Malina was Russian-born and lived all around the world and if you listen, you can clearly hear this in her voice! Another is the scene late in the film where Lou is hiding out as an old lady with a tortilla wagon. His fake Spanish is really, really lame and sounds like Spanish only to someone with severe brain damage--and it's not really very funny--though the scene otherwise isn't bad at all. Could audiences back in 1948 have actually thought this was an approximation of Spanish?! High points are the lack of musical numbers and irrelevant secondary characters in the film. There is no handsome couple (unless you count Lou and Luba) and the film tends to focus exclusively on Bud and Lou.

Unfortunately, though, there aren't a ton of laughs in the film and it is a rather bland affair compared to the rest of the comedy team's work. An mildly interesting diversion and that is all.