El Dia Que Me Quieras (1969)

In 1935, Paramount pictures made a tango musical featuring the rising Argentine star Carlos Gardel. Not long after that, Gardel, who is widely credited with popularizing Argentina's national dance, the tango, died in an airplane crash, along with many other key figures in the rise of tango music. A biography of Gardel with substantially the same name as this film was made in 1986, titled Dia Que Me Quieras. This 1969 musical is a straightforward remake of the earlier film, with new recordings of the old favorites a major feature. Given that the Argentines could be reliably counted on to be critical of any lapse in production values or failure to live up to the spirit of the original, it is significant that this film was a runaway box-office success there. The story concerns a rich man's son who is disinherited by his father when he shows more interest in music and the tango than in the family business. The boy marries a tango singer, and they live together in poverty, raising a small family. After his wife dies, the boy goes on to become a major musical success, and the story is told in flashback by the much older man. One performer reprising his role from the original film is dancer/comedian Tito Lusiardo. The star of the film, singer/actor Hugo de Carril, here marks his return to acting after several unsatisfying stints as a film director. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi