Jacques Gelman Movies
- 1975
Cantinflas (Mario Moreno) appears in several separate stories in this film, all of which deal with bureaucrats of one sort or another. In the first episode, Cantinflas is a man who earns his living writing letters for illiterate people, an evantelista. In the second, he is a low-level government bureaucrat in situations which free him to criticize abuses. The next episode has him, hat in hand, coming to a bureaucrat for some help, and in yet another episode, he helps a deaf-mute girl. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cantinflas, Lucia Mendez, (more)
- 1969
This situation comedy finds a court-appointed attorney representing the poor and downtrodden of Mexico City against the Establishment. Justo (Cantinflas) is the dedicated lawyer who encounters a diverse and hilarious clientele. With the help of his secretary Angelica (Lupita Ferrer), in court and in bed, he fights for the rights of the underprivileged against the elite. Justo also falls for a pretty chorus girl (Susana Salvat) who is more than willing to express her amorous appreciation to her defender. This is an excellent comedy vehicle for Cantinflas, an adored comedian in the Spanish-speaking world. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cantinflas, Lupita Ferrer, (more)
- 1969
Popular Mexican comedian Cantinflas stars in this comedy about a druggist from Sonora, Mexico who travels to Arizona in search of a lost gold mine. He is helped by some friendly Indians when the bad guys try to give him trouble. The explorer tries to find the mine that he has inherited but has been lost to time and the elements. Captured and tied to a pole, he is nearly the victim of a fiery death before he endears himself to the Indian chief when he extracts a painful tooth. The Chief (Manver) lets the druggist go and it isn't long before the chief's beautiful daughter casts romantic glances towards the inept explorer in this Spanish language feature. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cantinflas, Isela Vega, (more)
The beloved Mexican comedian Cantinflas stars in this satiric comedy which pokes fun at the power struggles of international politics. Lopitos (Cantinflas) is a humble but loyal citizen of the nation of Los Cocos, who holds down a job in the country's embassy, helping to process and distribute visas. Through a series of comical errors, Lopitos is named the ambassador of Los Cocos to a powerful international tribunal, where the nations of the world have either lined up behind the "Green" nations, led by the capitalist leader of Dolaronia (Jack Kelly), or the "Red" countries, whose figurehead is the prime minister of socialist Pepeslavia (Tito Rush). With the votes divided evenly between the Red and Green factions, it becomes clear that Lopitos' vote will sway the balance of political power around the world -- which makes simple Lopitos a very popular and powerful man. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cantinflas, Sonia Infante, (more)
When an unconventional priest assumes his new post in a conservative small town, the skeptical citizens find that adjusting to the oddball clergyman's strange little quirks may take a little more getting used to than they first expected. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cantinflas, Ángel Garasa, (more)
Popular Mexican comic Cantinflas made this his homecoming film after veering off to the U.S. to appear in Pepe, his last movie in English. El Analfabeto sees him back in top form as Inocencio Prieto y Calvo (which roughly translates as: Innocent, Dark-skinned and Bald). Inocencio loses his job just as he receives a letter telling him he has inherited $160,000 from the estate of his late uncle. But Inocencio cannot read. Along the way to learning how to read, the shy Inocencio acquires a charming love interest, Blanquita (Lilia Prado) and an enemy -- a bank teller who tries to nail him with a practical joke that goes wrong. The teller gets his hands on Inocencio's letter (which no one has ever read to him) and gives it to a corrupt lawyer with the thought of swindling the illiterate out of his money. As the plot thickens, Inocencio finds himself in more hot water before he finds his letter and ultimate happiness. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lilia Prado
The beloved Mexican funnyman Cantinflas stars in this comedy as a shoeshine man who, after the death of his best friend and fellow bootblack, is put in charge of arranging the man's funeral and caring for his young son. Needing to raise some money, the shoeshine man tries to get work at a night club, but his eccentric dance act soon raises the ire of Raquel, the club's star dancer, and Cantinflas is sent packing. He next tries his luck as a life guard at a luxurious resort hotel in Acapulco, though when he gets his first emergency call, it soon becomes obvious that he doesn't know the first thing about rescuing swimmers. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cantinflas, Manola Saavedra, (more)
