''Mexican Spitfire at Sea'' is a 1942 American

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by

Leslie Goodwins Leslie Goodwins (17 September 1899 – 8 January 1969) was an English film director and screenwriter. He directed nearly 100 films between 1926 and 1967, notably 27 features and shorts with Leon Errol, including the Mexican Spitfire series. ...

and written by Charles E. Roberts and

Jerry Cady Jerry may refer to: Animals * Jerry (Grand National winner), racehorse, winner of the 1840 Grand National * Jerry (St Leger winner), racehorse, winner of 1824 St Leger Stakes Arts, entertainment, and media * Jerry (play), a 1914 American play * ...

. It is the fourth film in the ''Mexican Spitfire'' series, which began in 1939. The film stars

Lupe Vélez María Guadalupe "Lupe" Villalobos Vélez (July 18, 1908 – December 14, 1944) was a Mexican actress, singer, and dancer during the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema. Vélez began her career as a performer in Mexican vaudeville in the early 1920s ...

Leon Errol Leon Errol (born Leonce Errol Sims, July 3, 1881 – October 12, 1951) was an Australian-American comedian and actor in the United States, popular in the first half of the 20th century for his appearances in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in film ...

Charles "Buddy" Rogers Charles Edward "Buddy" Rogers (August 13, 1904 – April 21, 1999) was an American film actor and musician. During the peak of his popularity in the late 1920s and early 1930s, he was publicized as "America's Boyfriend". Life and career Earl ...

ZaSu Pitts ZaSu Pitts (; January 3, 1894 – June 7, 1963) was an American actress who, in a career spanning nearly five decades, starred in many silent film drama film, dramas, such as Erich von Stroheim's 1924 epic ''Greed (1924 film), Greed'', along wi ...

Elisabeth Risdon Elisabeth Risdon (born Daisy Cartwright Risdon; 26 April 1887 – 20 December 1958) was an English film actress. She appeared in more than 140 films from 1913 to 1952. A beauty in her youth, she usually played in society parts. In later yea ...

, and

Florence Bates Florence Bates ( Rabe; April 15, 1888 – January 31, 1954) was an American film and stage character actress who often played grande dame characters in supporting roles. Life and career Bates was the second child born to Jewish immigrant p ...

. The film was released on March 13, 1942, by

RKO Radio Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Kei ...

Plot

Carmelita Lindsay (Lupe Vélez) believes she's finally going away on a honeymoon, which she has been unable to arrange due to her husband Dennis's constant business deals. Dennis (Charles "Buddy" Rogers) secretly intends to use this ocean voyage to sell advertising to the well-to-do Baldwins (Florence Bates and Harry Holman), with help from his Uncle Matt and Aunt Della (Leon Errol and Elisabeth Risdon). On the cruise, a quarrel with Carmelita results in Dennis being thrown out of his cabin and into another occupied by Parisian blonde Fifi Russell (Marion Martin). The Baldwins, assuming that Dennis and Fifi are man and wife, insist on arranging a meeting with British nobleman Lord Epping. Mistaken identities multiply thereafter, as Carmelita recruits Uncle Matt to pose as Lord Epping, and they both prevail upon passenger Emily Pepper (ZaSu Pitts) to impersonate Lady Epping. Further complicating matters, Carmelita and Dennis's business rival (Eddie Dunn) make Dennis jealous. The multiple motives and identities become so scrambled that Uncle Matt is cornered. He desperately sounds an alarm, evacuating the passengers so he can escape in the confusion.

Cast

as Carmelita Lindsay *

as Uncle Matt Lindsay / Lord Basil Epping *

as Dennis Lindsay *

as Emily Pepper *

as Aunt Della Lindsay *

as Minerva Baldwin *

Marion Martin Marion Suplee (June 7, 1909 – August 13, 1985), known professionally as Marion Martin, was an American film and stage actress. Biography Martin was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the daughter of a Bethlehem Steel executive. She became an ...

as Fifi Russell *

Lydia Bilbrook Lydia Bilbrook (born Phillis Lydia Macbeth; 6 May 1888 – 4 January 1990), sometimes credited as "Bilbrooke", was an English actress whose career spanned four decades, first as a stage performer in the West End, and later in films. She is best ...

as Lady Ada Epping * Eddie Dunn as George Skinner *

Harry Holman Harry James Holman (March 15, 1862 – May 3, 1947) was an American actor. He appeared in approximately 130 films from 1923 to 1947. Biography Born in Conway, Missouri, Holman dropped out of school in the ninth grade and began seeking w ...

as Joshua Baldwin * Marten Lamont as Purser *

Mary Field Mary Field (born Olivia Rockefeller; June 10, 1909 – June 12, 1996) was an American film actress who primarily appeared in supporting roles. Early life She was born in New York City. As a child, she never knew her biological parents; ...

as Agnes, the Epping Maid

Reception

''Variety'' called it "a two reeler padded out to 76 minutes."

References

External links

*
''Mexican Spitfire at Sea'' at AllMovie
* * 1942 films American black-and-white films RKO Pictures films Films directed by Leslie Goodwins 1942 comedy films Films produced by Cliff Reid American comedy films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films {{1940s-US-comedy-film-stub