Holiday in Mexico
| Holiday in Mexico | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | George Sidney |
| Produced by | Joe Pasternak |
| Written by | William Kozlenko (story) Isobel Lennart (writer) |
| Starring |
Walter Pidgeon Roddy McDowall Ilona Massey Jane Powell José Iturbi |
| Music by | Calvin Jackson George Stoll |
| Cinematography | Harry Stradling Sr. |
| Edited by | Adrienne Fazan |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
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Release date
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Running time
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128 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2,345,000 |
| Box office | $5,723,000 |
Holiday in Mexico is a 1946 Technicolor musical directed by George Sidney, starring Walter Pidgeon, Jane Powell, and Ilona Massey.
Jeffrey Evans (Walter Pidgeon), an American ambassador to Mexico, is the sole parent to his teenage daughter, Christine (Jane Powell). She finds fulfillment in managing her father's life and spending time with him. Her father forces her to attend a party where her childhood friend, Stanley Owen (Roddy McDowell), who has just turned sixteen, awaits her. In revenge she gives Stanley one of her father's expensive, brand-new tobacco pipes. Stanley, thinking that this gift was meant to show that he is finally a man, asks Christine to be "his girl", but she insists that she is too busy for that. Yvette Baranga (Helene Stanley), the daughter of the French ambassador, begs Christine if she can attend Jeffrey Evans' upcoming party. Christine agrees, unaware that Yvette has a crush on her father. When they return home, Christine asks her father to permit her to arrange the party, to which he agrees. The next day, Stanley comes to drive her to her errands. Christine apologizes for being rude to Stanley, and says he doesn't have to drive her, but he takes her to speak with Toni Karpathy (Ilona Massey), who agrees to sing at the party. Unbeknownst to Christine, Toni was once a love interest of her father.
She then goes to meet with the piano virtuoso (Jose Iturbi). He is impressed by her skills of putting his crazy household back into place and comments that her father is lucky to have her, but he is blown away when he hears her sing and asks her to perform in his concert. She declines because she and her father will be leaving to visit her grandmother. The party is a success, however Christine misses half of it because she forgot to get herself ready. Her spirits are lifted when Jose arrives and not only performs, but gives her an expensive corsage. Stanley becomes jealous and argues with Christine.
Through the week, Jeffrey Evans spends more time with Toni. Christine, not knowing what her father is up to, calls Stanley. She has him help sneak her into the evening club to spy on her father. They successfully get past the guards, but Stanley makes a fool of himself by tripping into customers. When Christine sees her father in the club with Toni, she sadly leaves. At home she complains that no one needs her anymore. Stanley says that he needs her, but Christine puts him down saying he has his mother to take care of him. She then remembers what Jose told her and begins to dream of marrying him, though he is decades older than she is. Stanley leaves furious. Later, her father tells her that he won't go to visit Christine's grandmother. Christine also decides to stay so that she can perform in Jose's concert.
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