Rafael Frontaura Movies

Also known as Apasionata, this Argentine drama relies heavily on the physical charms of leading lady Zully Moreno. The story concerns a widowed artist (Lopez Lagar) who falls in love with a glamorous socialite (Moreno). The artist would like to surrender himself to his sweetheart, but his concern for his crippled daughter (Susana Dupre) prevents him from making a commitment. This goes on for 115 minutes before a satisfactory denouement can be reached. Though lavishly produced, Apasionadamente is plagued by sloppy editing, with at least one character magically changing costumes from one shot to the next. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The title of this Argentine drama translates as The Mirror. Indeed, that mirror is virtually a character in itself, offering memories of the past to aging heroine Mirtha Legrand. As she gazes into the looking glass, Legrand relives all her past loves, heartbreaks, triumphs and tribulations. In so doing, she gains a new perspective on her present life. Though generally sentimental and heavily dramatic, El Espejo is leavened by moments of uproarious comedy supplied by supporting player Tito Gomez. The film was written by Carlos Olivari and Sixton Pondal Rios, who'd previous struck box-office gold with Los Martes Orquideas. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Stella is based on the popular novel by Cesar Duyan. Argentine film favorite Zully Moreno plays the orphaned daughter of a famed explorer, who goes to work as the secretary of her wealthy uncle (Florinda Ferrario). She soon becomes aware that her cousins have been depleting her uncle's financial resources, but she can do nothing to prevent it. If she blows the whistle on the cousins, she'll lose her job, which is the only source of revenue for herself and her crippled younger sister (Stella Rio). How she handles this dilemma and finds lasting happiness and contentment is elucidated in the final two reels. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Despite its lurid title, which translates as Sensational Kidnapping, this Argentine production is at heart a comedy. Fifteen-year-old Nelly Herring stars as an impressionable schoolgirl whose widowed father is on the verge of marrying a pretty schoolteacher. When the bride-to-be disappears, Herring suspects she's been kidnapped, and behaves accordingly, driving the local constabulary crazy. It's all a big misunderstanding, of course, but try telling that to our hilariously frantic heroine. Critics in 1942 admired the fact that Secustro Sensacional had slick production values comparable to a Hollywood film -- as if this were the only criteria for a "good" picture. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Some observers detected the influence of Orson Welles' Citizen Kane in Carlos Borcosque's innovational Yo Conoci Esa Mujer (I Knew That Woman) The plot revolves around a popular musical star (Libertad Lamarque) who is held responsible for the death of her husband. Also considered culpable is the doctor who attended the dying man, inasmuch as he was in love with the singer. When doctor and singer are wed, it causes a scandal of major proportions, one which has wide-ranging repercussions on the couple's physically handicapped son. Conventional enough in terms of story and characterizations, Yo Conoci Esa Mujer is chock full of bizarre camera angles and lengthy deep-focus "takes," which seem to have been as much influenced by the German silents as by Citizen Kane. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

La Quinta Calumnia (The Fifth Calumny) takes place in a huge Buenos Aires department store, about to close down because of the wartime restrictions on foreign imports. The store owner and his family return from a vacation in France unaware of their financial situation and proceed to throw a big party with a "Gallic" theme. Once he's assessed the situation, the owner hires a man he'd met abroad to pose as a phony count, thereby hoping to attract wealthy patrons to his establishment. The film is a showcase for Argentine-based comedian Ali Salem de Baraja, here cast as the bogus nobleman. A big hit in Latin America, La Quinta Calumnia didn't fare so well in the U.S. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi