Genre: Classics, Comedy, Drama, Romance Directed By: Mervyn LeRoy Written By: Isobel Lennart In Theaters: 25 Aug. 1953 On Disc/Streaming: 30 June 1993 Studio: MGM Budget: $1,769,000 Box office: $2,089,000 | Cast: Lana Turner as Nora Taylor Ricardo Montalban as Roberto Santos John Lund as Paul Chevron Louis Calhern as Grandfather Eduardo Santos Jean Hagen as Anne Kellwood Eduard Franz as Dr. Lionel Y. Newman Beulah Bondi as Woman analyst Joaquin Garay as Zeca Archer MacDonald as Howard G. Hubbell Dorothy Neumann as Mrs. Newman Robert Burton (born 1895) as Mr. Cumberly Rita Moreno as Christina Bess Flowers as Engagement Party Guest Pat Flaherty as Jim Webson – Polo Player |
“Latin Lovers” is a Technicolor 1953 romantic musical comedy film.
Nora Taylor (Lana Turner) has a fortune worth $37 million, but fears men only want her for her money. The current man in her life is Paul Chevron, who is even wealthier than she is.
Paul delays further discussion of marriage until he returns from a trip to Brazil to play polo.
After hearing that men who go to Brazil often fall for the beautiful women there, Nora decides to fly there and surprise Paul, taking along trusty secretary Anne.
It is she who meets a new romantic interest, dashing Roberto Santos, who sweeps her off her feet.
Once again, though, Nora is concerned about whether it’s her or her riches that attracts him, so she announces her intention to give away all her money.
Roberto is unhappy about that, so Nora leaves him.
Having remained calm during Nora’s distraction with a new man, Paul returns to the U.S. and proposes marriage to her.
Nora realizes she is not in love with him and says so. Anne surprisingly declares her own love for Paul, saying when it comes to the heart, money shouldn’t matter.
Nora comes to her senses and returns to Roberto, saying she still intends to give all her money away, but to him.
Lana Turner plays Nora Taylor.
Archer Winsten from the New York Post said this about the film: “You shouldn’t be too hard on a picture of this traditional slant. When it possesses such handsome people, so well dressed and placed in such plushy surroundings, so beautifully Technicolored, you can lie back and let it surround you like a dream od sudden, enormous wealth Why not? ”
The film was also a great showcase for Turner’s costume designer, Helen Rose. She came up with an unusual idea in designing the star’s wardrobe. All of Lana’s more than 20 costumes were created in black and white, or a combination of both, and pitted against the richly Technicolored backgrounds, it resulted in a striking and unusual effect.
Here are some of the costumes created by Helen Rose:
Ricardo Montalban had been a Lana Turner fan ever since he saw her in “They Won’t Forget” and was the very model of the kind of man that attracted Lana. It looked like love in the publicity photos, yet there was no romance between them. Ricardo was very devoted to his wife and Lana respected that. She and Ricardo became good friends instead.
Lana knew it was not one of her better films. But she liked the horseback riding, the South American setting, the samba music and Ricardo.
I love the film. The music, the story, everything. 😀
Trailer:
Dance:
You can watch the film here.
Lana Turner did a lot of movies. She really loved being a moviestar.
Here are the most important films in which she starred. Just click the links for more info, photos and videos.
20 April 1937: A Star Is Born
9 Oct. 1937: They Won’t Forget
24 Oct. 1937: The Great Garrick
1 Jan. 1938: The Adventures of Marco Polo
22 July 1938: Love Finds Andy Hardy
12 Aug. 1938: Rich Man, Poor Girl
9 Dec. 1938: Dramatic School
28 April 1939: Calling Dr. Kildare
18 Aug. 1939: These Glamour Girls
29 Sept. 1939: Dancing Co-Ed
19 April 1940: Two Girls on Broadway
19 July 1940: We Who Are Young
25 April 1941: Ziegfeld Girl
12 Aug. 1941: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
2 Oct. 1941: Honky Tonk
18 Febr. 1942: Johnny Eager
27 Aug. 1942: Somewhere I’ll Find You
1 April 1943: Slightly Dangerous
19 Aug. 1943: Du Barry Was A Lady
13 Nov. 1943: The Youngest Profession
23 Aug. 1944: Marriage Is a Private Affair
8 March 1945: Keep Your Powder Dry
1 Oct. 1945: Week-End At The Waldorf
2 May 1946: The Postman Always Rings Twice
5 Nov. 1947 : Green Dolphin Street
1 Nov. 1947: Cass Timberlane
29 April 1948: Homecoming
20 Oct. 1948: The Three Musketeers
1 Sept. 1950: A Life Of Her Own
2 March 1951: Mr. Imperium
5 Sept. 1952: The Merry Widow
25 Dec. 1952: The Bad And The Beautiful
25 Aug. 1953: Latin Lovers
1 May 1954: Flame And The Flesh
7 Sept. 1954: Betrayed
13 May 1955: The Prodigal
4 June 1955: Sea Chase
14 Dec. 1955: The Rains Of Ranchipur
12 Jan. 1956: Diane
13 Dec. 1957: Peyton Place
30 Jan. 1958: The Lady Takes A Flyer
2 May 1958: Another Time, Another Place
30 April 1959: Imitation Of Life
23 June 1960: Portrait In Black
19 July 1961: By Love Possessed
2 Nov. 1961: Bachelor In Paradise
25 Dec. 1962: Who’s Got The Action?
24 Febr. 1965: Love Has Many Faces
27 April 1966: Madame X
30 April 1969: The Big Cube
7 Nov. 1974: Persecution
27 Oct. 1976: Bittersweet Love
31 Oct. 1980: Witches Brew
21 May 1982: Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid
Sources: Wikipedia, IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes, Lana’s biography “Lana, the Lady, The Legend, The Truth“, “The Films Of Lana Turner” by Lou Valentino and “Lana Turner, The Memories, The Myths and The Movies” by Cheryl Crane.