Salón México (1949) Mexican Ballroom Blues

"From the peak of Epoca de oro del cine mexicano"


Directed by Emilio Fernández.

Emilio "El Indio" Fernández Romo is the most famous person in the history of Mexican movies. For an era he symbolized Mexico due to his violent machismo, rooted in the Revolution of 1910-17, and because of his staunch commitment to Mexican cultural nationalism. Born to a Mexican (Mestizo) father and a Native American Kickapoo mother, Emilio was himself the "mestizaje" (mestizo) that his films would later glorify.

Fernandez was an actor between 1928 to 1987 with 89 screen credits, and began directing between the years of 1942 to 1979 with a total of 43 films.

You all will know Emilio Fernández as an actor. He was in The Night of the Iguana as the beach bar bartender, and was also in many Westerns, The Appaloosa, Return of the Seven, The War Wagon. He was the Mexican General Mapache in The Wild Bunch, also was Paco in Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid, and He was  El Jefe who asks for the head of Alfredo Garcia in the Classic Neo Noir Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia.

Salón México was written by Emilio Fernández (story and adaptation), and Mauricio Magdaleno (story and adaptation). It was his 14th film. Cinematography was by Gabriel Figueroa and the Music was by Antonio Díaz Conde.

The film stars Marga López as Mercedes Gómez, Miguel Inclán as Lupe López, Rodolfo Acosta (also in a lot of American Westerns notably Hondo, and Rio Conchos) as Paco, Roberto Cañedo as Roberto, Mimí Derba as school principal, Carlos Múzquiz as Salon Mexico owner, and Silvia Derbez as Mercedes sister Beatriz Gómez.

Salón México was nominated for two awards in 1950, Rodolfo Acosta was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, and Marga López won the Silver Ariel Award for Best Actress.

Rodolfo Acosta as Paco and Marga López as Mercedes Gómez

Miguel Inclán as Lupe Lópe

Mimí Derba as school headmistress

Roberto Cañedo as Roberto and Silvia Derbez as Beatriz Gómez.

Mercedes (Marga Lopez) is a hooker (not at all emphasized by the way) working out of a dance hall, the Salon Mexico, a famous ballroom/club in Mexico City. Her pimp is named Paco (Acosta). He is a sleazy Mexican version of a zoot suiter with greasy hair, wearing a pinstripe killer-diller coat with a drape shape, wide shoulders and baggy trousers with a reet pleat pegged at the ankles,

Salón México

Dance contest

A reet pleat and pegged at the ankles

Mercedes lives on the roof of a Mexico City tenement. Most of her money goes to her younger sister Beatriz (Derbez) who is enrolled in an exclusive private school.

Rooftop flop

Everything unravels when Mercedes wins a dance contest with Paco at the Salon Mexico and he doesn't want to giver her share so she steals it from him while he's sleeping with another whore in his stable. Also in the mix is a friendly policeman Lupe who's had a crush on Mercedes ever since his wife died.

Stealing the 500 pesos back

Running down the stairs

Stashing the pesos in her stocking top

Beatriz doesn't know her sister is a whore. Beatriz and the son of the schools principal Roberto, a famous fighter pilot, become engaged.

It all goes slowly Noirsville.

Paco grabs Mercedes when she returns from visiting her sister at the boarding school and he beats her up until Lupe shows up, Lupe and Paco fight it out until Lupe knocks him out. Next Paco gets caught robbing a safe. When the alarm goes off he and his two accomplices grabs the money and run. Paco heads to Mercede's flop to hide but the police find him and both he and Mercedes are thrown in jail. Lupe gets Mercedes out and things are looking up until Paco escaped

Noirsville

Catholic iconography

Roberto coming home to his mothers school

pinstripe killer-diller coat with a drape shape

Removing the stash of pesos

1941 Caddy Convertible

Carlos Múzquiz as Salon Mexico owner

Emilio Fernández direction is competent, Figueroa's crisp Black & White cinematography is excellent, all the actors are believable. The story of the love affair between Beatriz and Roberto is a bit too accelerated. My only disappointment  was that whatever Mexico had that was the equivalent of the Motion Picture Production Code in place at the time the film was made, hampers the tale by sugar coating Mercedes and not depicting her real profession. 7/10