The Mambo Kings (1992)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Arne Glimcher

Writers (WGA):

Oscar Hijuelos (novel)
Cynthia Cidre (screenplay)

Release Date:

28 February 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Music

Tagline:

With a suitcase full of song, Hearts filled with passion, two brothers come to America in search of a dream.

Plot:

Musician brothers Cesar and Nestor leave Cuba for America in the 1950s, hoping to hit the top of the Latin music scene...

Plot Keywords:

Cuba | Songwriter | 1950s | Musician | Latin

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 5 nominations

Cast

Armand Assante	...	Cesar Castillo
Antonio Banderas	...	Nestor Castillo
Cathy Moriarty	...	Lanna Lake
Maruschka Detmers	...	Delores Fuentes
Pablo Calogero	...	Ramon - The Mambo Kings Band
Scott Cohen	...	Bernardito - The Mambo Kings Band
Desi Arnaz Jr.	...	Desi Arnaz Sr.
Mario Grillo	...	Mario - The Mambo Kings Band
Ralph Irizarry	...	Pito - The Mambo Kings Band
Pete Macnamara	...	Johnny Bing - The Mambo Kings Band
James Medina	...	Manny - The Mambo Kings Band (as Jimmy Medina)
Marcos Quintanilla	...	Willie - The Mambo Kings Band
Tito Puente	...	Himself
J.T. Taylor	...	Frankie Suarez - The Mambo Kings Band
William Thomas Jr.	...	Xavier - The Mambo Kings Band
Yul Vazquez	...	Flaco - The Mambo Kings Band
Celia Cruz	...	Evalina Montoya
Roscoe Lee Browne	...	Fernando Perez
Vondie Curtis-Hall	...	Miguel Montoya
Talisa Soto	...	Maria Rivera
Joe Petruzzi	...	Carlo Ricci
Anh Duong	...	Ismelda Perez
Cordelia González	...	Anna Maria
Theodora Castellanos	...	Blanca
Lázaro Pérez	...	Pablo
Helena Carroll	...	Mrs. Shannon
John Herrera	...	Luis Fajardo
Colleen Fitzpatrick	...	Redhead on Bus
Jose Duvall	...	Nando
Joe Conzo	...	Killer
Millie P.	...	Killer's Girlfriend
Doug Barron	...	Mike Wells
Jose Alberto	...	Johnny Casanova
Frank Grillo	...	Machito
Ron Townson	...	Empire M.C.
June Brown	...	Portly Woman
Valerie McIntosh	...	Tracy Blair
Jonathan Del Arco	...	Young Cesar
Salvador Miranda	...	Young Nestor
Carlos Gómez	...	Creep
Adrian Martinez	...	Pablito
Rene Monteaqudo	...	Robertico
Cecelia Neal Ortiz	...	Leticia
Jessica Neal Ortiz	...	Leticia
Thomas F. Duffy	...	Mulligan
Martin Charles Warner	...	Mac
Joycelyn O'Brien	...	Gina
Diane Manzo	...	Amanda
Jessica Z. Diamond	...	Secretary
Stephanie Blake	...	Stripper
Anita Banderas	...	Anita
Ryan Howell	...	Kid with Basketball
Dawn McKinster	...	Poolside Patron
Karen Assante	...	Karen
Julie Pinson	...	Girlfriend #2
Cynthia DeCure	...	Mario's Girlfriend (as Cynthia Santos)
Susie Stillwell	...	Club Patron
Maiquel Saurez	...	Cleaning Woman
Natalie Zimmerman	...	Girlfriend #3
Debra Scott	...	Enchantment
Sonny Bravo	...	Piano Player
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tony Álvarez	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Michael Dierks	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Candace Mead	...	Child (uncredited)
Lauren Mead	...	Child (uncredited)
Josephine Powell	...	Blonde patron at ballroom and nightclub (uncredited)

Directed by
Arne Glimcher

Writing credits (WGA)
Oscar Hijuelos		(novel)
Cynthia Cidre		(screenplay)

Produced by
Jack B. Bernstein	....	co-producer
Arne Glimcher	....	producer
Arnon Milchan	....	producer
Anna Reinhardt	....	associate producer
Steven Reuther	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Carlos Franzetti
Robert Kraft

Cinematography by
Michael Ballhaus

Film Editing by
Claire Simpson
Glenn Lazzaro		(uncredited)

Casting by
Billy Hopkins
Suzanne Smith

Production Design by
Stuart Wurtzel

Art Direction by
Steve Saklad

Set Decoration by
Kara Lindstrom

Costume Design by
Gary Jones
Bridget Kelly
Ann Roth

Makeup Department
Teresa M. Austin	....	key makeup artist
Dennis Glas	....	key makeup artist (as Dennis Glass)
Medusah	....	hair department head
Josée Normand	....	key hair stylist
Valli O'Reilly	....	makeup department head

Production Management
Mark Allan	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jan Sebastian Ballhaus	....	second second assistant director (as Jan S. Ballhaus)
Simone Farber	....	dga trainee
Benjamin Rosenberg	....	first assistant director
Michael Samson	....	second assistant director

Art Department
John P. Bruce	....	set designer
Patrick Cassidy	....	leadman
Emily Ferry	....	property master
Ted Haigh	....	graphic designer
Debe Hale	....	assistant art director
Ted Hardwick	....	swing gang
Kalina Ivanov	....	storyboard artist
Roger Meryett	....	construction foreman (as Roger D. Meryett)
Chuck Roseberry	....	swing gang
Patti Safian	....	art department coordinator
John H. Samson	....	construction coordinator
Ernest M. Sanchez	....	on-set dresser
Monti Santilli Rainbolt	....	swing gang (as Monti Rainbolt)
Jesse Siono Jr.	....	stand-by painter (as Jesse Siono)
Joy Taylor	....	assistant property master
Philip Toolin	....	set designer
Greg Wilkinson	....	assistant props
Helen Wilson	....	set dresser
Timothy O'Brien	....	carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Albert Aquino	....	boom operator
Elisha Birnbaum	....	foley artist
David Boulton	....	adr engineer
Kristine Bulakowski	....	assistant adr editor
Vince Caro	....	additional recording engineer
Anthony J. Ciccolini III	....	sound editor (as Anthony Ciccolini III)
Elliot Deitch	....	sound editor
Lee Dichter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Eugene Gearty	....	sound effects editor
Neil L. Kaufman	....	sound editor
Richard King	....	assistant sound editor (as Richard Q. King)
Michael Kirchberger	....	supervising sound editor
George A. Lara	....	foley mixer
Antonio Martínez	....	adr editor
Tony Martinez	....	group adr editor
Jane McCulley	....	supervising adr editor
Eytan Mirsky	....	assistant sound editor
Bitty O'Sullivan-Smith	....	sound editor
Harry Peck Bolles	....	adr editor
Josephine Powell	....	sound track consultant
Michael Shore	....	assistant sound editor
Joel Shryack	....	cable person
Paul P. Soucek	....	assistant sound editor
Dominick Tavella	....	foley mixer
Susumu Tokunow	....	sound mixer
Brian Vancho	....	foley artist
Susan M. Wagner	....	assistant sound editor

Special Effects by
Kam Cooney	....	special effects coordinator (as M. Kam Cooney)
Edward Kennedy	....	special effects assistant

Stunts
Paul Baxley	....	stunt coordinator
Kurt D. Lott	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Ismael Araujo Jr.	....	grip
Florian Ballhaus	....	first assistant camera
James F. Cornick	....	rigger
J. Patrick Daily	....	key grip
David M. Dunlap	....	camera operator
Sam Emerson	....	still photographer (as Sam Young Emerson)
Kent H. Jorgensen	....	dolly grip
Gábor Kövér	....	director of photography: second unit
Michael McGuire	....	rigging key grip
Charlie McIntyre	....	rigging gaffer (as Charles H. McIntyre III)
Lowell Peterson	....	camera operator: "b" camera
John 'Fest' Sandau	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Cricket Sloat	....	dimmer board operator
Jeffrey Thorin	....	second assistant camera
James R. Tynes	....	chief lighting technician
Tom West	....	best boy grip (as Tom W. West)
Eric Whitehead	....	grip
Mark Mele	....	rigging electrician (uncredited)
Randy Nolen	....	Steadicam operator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Ann Goulder	....	casting associate: New York
David H. Kramer	....	adr voice casting
Rick Montgomery	....	additional casting
Dan Parada	....	additional casting
Dixie Webster	....	additional casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Cheryl Beasley Blackwell	....	costumer
Bruce Ericksen	....	costume supervisor
Donna Maloney	....	costumer
David Mayreis	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Gary Burritt	....	negative cutter
Nancy Frazen	....	first assistant editor: Los Angeles
Clare Larson	....	first assistant editor
David Orr	....	color timer
John Reul	....	assistant editor: Los Angeles
Judy Silberstein	....	associate editor

Music Department
David Carbonara	....	music editor
Thomas S. Drescher	....	music editor (as Thomas Drescher)
Michael Farrow	....	music recording engineer
Michael Golub	....	music recording engineer
Christopher Kennedy	....	music editor
Dan Korintus	....	additional music editor
Robert Kraft	....	executive music producer
Pete Macnamara	....	musician: trumpet coach
Shawn Murphy	....	song recordist
Johnny Pacheco	....	music consultant
Ray Santos	....	music consultant
Robin Urdang	....	music coordinator
Frank Wolf	....	music recording engineer

Transportation Department
Bo Falck	....	transportation captain
Michael Forte	....	driver: Antonio Banderos
Bruce Hauer	....	transportation captain
Dusty Saunders	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Lester Ayala	....	production assistant
Edward Bates	....	production assistant
Shauna Beal	....	assistant: Mr. Milchan
Kim Blank	....	dancer
Robert Chambers	....	assistant location manager
Bryan Constans	....	production assistant
Patrick Ewald	....	assistant: Ms. Reinhardt
Ellen Glimcher	....	production assistant
Barbara A. Hall	....	production coordinator
Adam Ivers	....	assistant: Mr. Bernstein
Eric Jacobson	....	production assistant (as Eric R. Jacobson)
Lynn Mackey	....	production secretary
Bill McLaren	....	production assistant
Brian McMillan	....	head animal trainer
Leigh A. Miller	....	production coordinator
Carlos Montaner	....	production assistant
Nancy Beth Orr	....	choreographer
Sharon Perl-Collins	....	production controller (as Sharon Perl)
Michael Peters	....	choreographer
Josephine Powell	....	consultant to producer
Luke Reichle	....	production assistant
Seth Riggs	....	voice coach
Lolita Ritmanis	....	additional arrangement
Eric Roberts	....	craft service
Judith Saunders	....	script supervisor
Debra Scott	....	assistant: Mr. Reuther
Diane Seniw	....	assistant production accountant (as Diane M. Seniw)
James D. Solomon	....	associate: Arne Glimcher
Karen White	....	location manager
Nancy Willen	....	unit publicist

Production Companies

• Alcor Films
• Canal+
• Regency Enterprises
• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures
• Warner Bros. (Spain)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (video)

Special Effects

• Pacific Title

Other Companies

• DeLuxe Laboratories  color (as Deluxe)
• Effects House, The  additional opticals
• Elektra Records  soundtrack
• Henry Medina Archives  film and photographic library
• Hollywood Rental Company  grip and electric equipment
• Pacific Title  titles
• Technicolor  prints
• The Casting Group  extras casting

Also Known As:

Les mambo kings (France)

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

France | USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Iceland:L | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Tower Theatre - 802 S. Broadway, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Alcor Films

Trivia:

'Banderas, Antonio' couldn't speak English when this movie was filmed, and thus performed all his lines phonetically. Armand Assante couldn't speak Spanish and thus performed all his lines phonetically.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: It is 1952 and the family is watching an episode of the TV series "Cheyenne" (1955) which did not premiere until 1955.

Quotes:

Anna Maria: He thinks he's the last Coca Cola in the desert.
Lanna Lake: Honey, he is.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Critic: Marty's First Date (#1.2)" (1994)

Soundtrack:

Guantanamera

Good film, good mambo

I didn't expect to like this film, but I thought it was quite good. Latin music really isn't my cup of tea, but it was good here, set the tone just right. Armand Assante was great as Cesar Castillo. I haven't seen too much of his work, but I was very impressed. Antonio Banderas was pretty good here, not great. However, if it's really true that he couldn't speak English then, and learned his lines phonetically, then you'd have to compliment him on that. You really couldn't tell. Maruschka Detmers was also very good in a low-key role. I've been a fan of hers since "Hanna's War" Check that out if you haven't seen it. The ending was just a little off, but overall this movie was very entertaining.