Search - El Inolvidable Pedro Infante: 3 Pack Musicales on DVD

3 Films, 21 Songs, in a Nice Value Package

Alejandra Vernon | Long Beach, California | 04/18/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"You get so much more than what this DVD box indicates (which is very little) on the cover: Included in this 2 disc set are 3 complete films, and you have the choice of seeing the film or just the songs from the film (individually, as after each song, it goes back to the song list, and you can pick which song you want to hear). On Disc #1 you get "Ahi Viene Martin Corona," and 9 songs, on Disc # 2 Side A, "El Enamorado," and 6 songs, and on Disc # 2 Side B, "Barca de Oro" and 6 songs. The audio and visual quality is good considering the age of the films (there are occasional millisecond "stops," and audio in "Barca de Oro" is a little flat, but otherwise no problems). If all one is interested in are the songs, there are treasures here, with not only Pedro Infante, but the 2 leading ladies, Spain's superstar Sarita Montiel, and Colombian actress/singer Sofia Alvarez, and also the legendary singer/composer Jose Alfredo Jimenez, and guitarist Antonio Bribiesca.

"Ahi Viene Martin Corona," 1952. "Humilde, valiente y sincero," Martin (Pedro Infante) helps those in need, along with his wise teacher and friend Piporro (Lalo Gonzalez), and then Rosario (Sara Montiel) arrives on the scene. She has come with her father (Florencio Castello) from Spain because she has inherited a ranch. To escape some very bad guys, she disguises herself as Carmen, "La Bellisima Cancionera Andaluza," and her stubborn and petulant temper get in the way of her love for Martin. The plot may be thin and convoluted, but the songs are fantastic:
1: "Copa tras copa" (Infante)
2: "Cartas a Eufemia" (Infante...a marvel of a song as Martin writes a letter for a friend to the friend's girlfriend Eufemia)
3: "Paloma querida," (Fabulous! with Infante, Jose Alfredo Jimenez and Antonio Bribieska...and Infante's horse trying to steal the spotlight!)
4: "Amorcito de mi vida" (Infante...this one is exquisite!)
5: "Cuando el destino" (Infante)
6: "Del mero norte" (Jose Alfredo Jimenez...this song is sung in the early part of the film as a background for some great cinematography, and again later with the camera on Jimenez)
7: "Para el carro" (Montiel)
8: "Copla en la noche" (Montiel)
9: "Cancion del ole" (Montiel)

"El Enamorado," AKA "Vuelve Martin Corona," 1952. This sequel has the same cast, and time has gone by, with Martin and Rosario now married. Her jealousy and temper have curtailed Martin's activities and people have started to say he is no longer the man he used to be. The film becomes very dramatic towards the end, with some "edge of your seat" moments. Both films share the same director, Miguel Zacarias, and the same masterful cinematographer, the great Gabriel Figueroa, whose use of light and shade, and the sheer beauty of his work is especially noticeable in the last part of the film. Song selection:
1: "Del mero norte" (Jose Alfredo Jimenez)
2: "Viejos amigos" (Infante)
3: "Siempre, siempre" (Infante)
4: "Un dia nublado" (Infante)
5: "Ahi vienen los mariachis" (Infante...I love this number!)
6: "La buenaventurera" (Montiel)

"La Barca de Oro" 1947. This is very much Sofia Alvarez' film, with Infante getting very little screen time. Alvarez plays Chabela Vargas, a tough woman who lives on a ranch with her sister Graciella (Nelly Montiel) and tio (Carlos Orellana). Chava wears the pants in the household and runs the ranch. Enter an engineer from the big city (Rene Cardona), to complicate matters. Both Chabela and Graciella are smitten, and he plays on both their affections, leaving Lorenzo (Infante) out of the running. Lorenzo is a an honest man and the only one who is macho enough for Chabela, but it takes time (and a big fight!) for Chabela to discover this. Alvarez is wonderful in this role, and is graceful even in her masculine garb (her hands are amazing!). The audio is somewhat deteriorated in this film, and you'll have to raise the volume a little more than usual. Directed by Joaquin Pardave, the Jorge Stahl cinematography is gorgeous, and gives one a feeling of what "old Mexico" was like. Manuel Esperon wrote the score and the song list is:
1: "El corrido de Chabela Vargas" (Infante)
2: "Un resbalon" (Infante)
3: "La barca de oro" (Infante)
4: Cancion #1
5: Cancion #2
6: Cancion #3 These last 3 songs are not listed by title, and are sung by Alvarez."