Holiday In Mexico (1946)

The teenage daughter (Jane Powell in her MGM film debut) of the U.S. ambassador (Walter Pidgeon) to Mexico considers herself much more mature than her contemporaries and feels she's indispensable to her father's life. But when her father renews his romantic relationship with an old flame (Ilona Massey), she ignores the romantic overtures of the boy (Roddy McDowall in his first "grown up" role) her own age and flings herself at an older man (Jose Iturbi). Directed by George Sidney (BYE BYE BIRDIE), this slight MGM musical is a product of the Joe Pasternak unit rather than the more sophisticated Arthur Freed unit which means it lacks artistry and style but it's a pleasing if hollow Technicolor confection. Unusual for a minor musical, the film runs over the two hour mark because of the overdose of music. We're treated to Iturbi conducting classical music and playing boogie woogie on the piano, Jane Powell trilling away and Xavier Cugat serving us Latin American rhythms. If you can put up with that, the story is sweet and rather amusing. With Linda Christian, Hugo Haas, Helene Stanley and Ann Codee.