Mystery in Mexico (1948)

65-66 mins | Drama | 1 July 1948

Director:

Robert Wise

Producer:

Sid Rogell

Cinematographer:

Jack Draper

Production Designer:

Gunther Gerszo

Production Company:

RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
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HISTORY

HR news items add the following information about the production: In Jan 1947, RKO announced that the film was to be a "bi-lingual" release, produced by J. Robert Bren, but no information about a Spanish language version has been found. Technical advisor Pepe Romero was a foreign correspondent and columnist for the Mexico City Herald. Exterior scenes were shot in Cuernavaca and other locations in Mexico; interiors were filmed in RKO's Churubusco Studios in Mexico City, as well as in the studio's Hollywood facilities. ...

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HR news items add the following information about the production: In Jan 1947, RKO announced that the film was to be a "bi-lingual" release, produced by J. Robert Bren, but no information about a Spanish language version has been found. Technical advisor Pepe Romero was a foreign correspondent and columnist for the Mexico City Herald. Exterior scenes were shot in Cuernavaca and other locations in Mexico; interiors were filmed in RKO's Churubusco Studios in Mexico City, as well as in the studio's Hollywood facilities.

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GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS
PERSONAL & COMPANY INDEX CREDITS
HISTORY CREDITS
CREDIT TYPE
CREDIT
General (mod):
SOURCE CITATIONS
SOURCE
DATE
PAGE
Box Office
3 Jul 1948
---
Daily Variety
23 Jun 1948
p. 3
Film Daily
28 Jun 1948
p. 6
Hollywood Reporter
16 Jan 1947
p. 1
Hollywood Reporter
18 Feb 1947
p. 11
Hollywood Reporter
7 Aug 1947
p. 11
Hollywood Reporter
22 Sep 1947
p. 4
Hollywood Reporter
30 Sep 1947
p. 9
Hollywood Reporter
31 Oct 1947
p. 4
Hollywood Reporter
7 Nov 1947
p. 15
Hollywood Reporter
23 Jun 1948
p. 6
Motion Picture Herald Product Digest
26 Jun 1948
p. 4214
Variety
23 Jun 1948
p. 6
CAST
PRODUCTION CREDITS
NAME
PARENT COMPANY
PRODUCTION COMPANY
DISTRIBUTION COMPANY
NAME
CREDITED AS
CREDIT
DIRECTORS
Asst dir
PRODUCERS
Prod
Assoc prod
PHOTOGRAPHY
Dir of photog
ART DIRECTOR
Art dir
FILM EDITOR
COSTUMES
Renié
Gowns
MUSIC
C. Bakaleinikoff
Mus dir
VISUAL EFFECTS
Spec eff
PRODUCTION MISC
Tech adv
SOURCES
SONGS
"Ven Aqui," words by Mort Greene, music by Leigh Harline.
SONGWRITER/COMPOSER
DETAILS
Release Date:
1 July 1948
Production Date:
29 Sep--late Oct 1947 at RKO's Estudios Churubusco, Mexico City; early Nov--mid Nov 1947
Copyright Info
Claimant
Date
Copyright Number
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
27 June 1948
LP1728
Physical Properties:
Sound
RCA Sound System
Black and White
Duration(in mins):
65-66
Length(in feet):
5,909
Countries:
Mexico, United States
Language:
English
PCA No:
12770
SYNOPSIS

As he removes a diamond necklace from the safe of the Versailles nightclub in Mexico City, a bartender is accosted by gun-wielding men, who shoot at him as he flees with the jewels. Later, in Los Angeles, insurance investigator Steve Hastings discusses the theft with Powers, his boss, and learns that the bartender is actually fellow detective Glenn Ames, who was sent to Mexico to track down the stolen necklace. Concerned that Glenn may be double-crossing the company, Powers assigns Steve to follow Glenn's sister Victoria, a singer who has booked a flight to Mexico. At the airport, Steve flirts with the attractive Victoria and, during the flight to Mexico, tries to gather information from her about Glenn. Victoria, however, resists Steve's advances and is reticent to talk about Glenn. After Victoria falls asleep, Steve searches her belongings and finds a telegram from Glenn, directing her to a certain address in Mexico City. Once landed, Victoria gives Steve a calculated kiss goodbye, then tries to rid herself of him by rushing off in a taxi. Steve, however, follows close behind in a cab driven by accomodating taxi driver Carlos. The address from the telegram belongs to a deserted villa, and as Victoria wanders from room to room, she becomes increasingly nervous. Just as Victoria is about to panic with fear, Steve surprises her. Grateful for Steve's timely intrusion, Victoria sends him to search the study. There Steve is attacked by two men, but is soon rescued by the vigilant Carlos, who shoots after the men and brings the police. At the police station, Steve reveals his mission to the local ...

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As he removes a diamond necklace from the safe of the Versailles nightclub in Mexico City, a bartender is accosted by gun-wielding men, who shoot at him as he flees with the jewels. Later, in Los Angeles, insurance investigator Steve Hastings discusses the theft with Powers, his boss, and learns that the bartender is actually fellow detective Glenn Ames, who was sent to Mexico to track down the stolen necklace. Concerned that Glenn may be double-crossing the company, Powers assigns Steve to follow Glenn's sister Victoria, a singer who has booked a flight to Mexico. At the airport, Steve flirts with the attractive Victoria and, during the flight to Mexico, tries to gather information from her about Glenn. Victoria, however, resists Steve's advances and is reticent to talk about Glenn. After Victoria falls asleep, Steve searches her belongings and finds a telegram from Glenn, directing her to a certain address in Mexico City. Once landed, Victoria gives Steve a calculated kiss goodbye, then tries to rid herself of him by rushing off in a taxi. Steve, however, follows close behind in a cab driven by accomodating taxi driver Carlos. The address from the telegram belongs to a deserted villa, and as Victoria wanders from room to room, she becomes increasingly nervous. Just as Victoria is about to panic with fear, Steve surprises her. Grateful for Steve's timely intrusion, Victoria sends him to search the study. There Steve is attacked by two men, but is soon rescued by the vigilant Carlos, who shoots after the men and brings the police. At the police station, Steve reveals his mission to the local chief, who agrees that Victoria should be watched. Still playing the part of the ardent admirer, Steve registers her in a hotel room next to his, then makes a date with her for later that evening. After learning that the telegram was sent from the Versailles club, Steve discovers that Victoria is not in her hotel room. Concerned, Steve searches for Victoria, then heads for the Versailles with Carlos. To Steve's surprise, Victoria is there singing, having just been hired by club owner Joe Norcross. From a tense conversation he has with Benny, a bartender who knew Glenn, Steve deduces that Norcross is involved in Glenn's disappearance. Unable to talk freely with Benny, Steve decides to escort the unsuspecting Victoria to a garden party at Norcross' country estate, where Benny has been hired to tend bar. Upon arriving, however, Steve and Victoria learn that Benny has just been killed in an automobile accident. Suspicious, Steve questions Norcross' jealous girl friend, Dolores Fernandez, who is the club's regular singer, and finds himself becoming jealous of Norcross' attentions to Victoria. Anxious to upset Norcross, Dolores openly kisses Steve, who is then rebuffed by an equally jealous Victoria. Steve drives the angry Victoria back to the hotel and finally confesses his mission to her. After Victoria bids Steve a curt goodbye, Carlos, who has been waiting for her return, telephones Norcross. A Norcross spy, Carlos then intercepts Pancho Gomez, a peasant boy who is delivering a package to Victoria, and learns of Glenn's whereabouts. The boy takes Victoria and Carlos to his family's farm house, where Glenn has been recuperating from a gunshot wound he suffered while fleeing from the club. Carlos calls Norcross at the club just as Steve is questioning him about Benny. As Carlos tells Norcross where Glenn is hiding, Steve listens in on an extension, but is quickly knocked out by Norcross' men. Steve awakens at the farm house, where Norcross is holding Victoria prisoner and is torturing Glenn to reveal the whereabouts of the stolen jewels. Glenn refuses to talk, but communicates silently to Steve that the necklace is inside a doll owned by Pancho's little sister Floracita. To stall, Steve convinces Norcross that the jewels are in the package that Pancho delivered to the hotel, and Norcross sends Carlos to retrieve them. Just after Carlos returns empty-handed, Norcross sees Floracita playing with the necklace and starts to grab it when Luis Otero, a local policeman assigned to watch Victoria, bursts in and shoots Norcross. After a shootout with the police, the rest of the gang is apprehended, and Glenn is cleared of all suspicion. By pretending that Dolores wants to hire him, Steve then tricks Victoria into agreeing to a quick wedding.

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Legend
Viewed by AFI
Partially Viewed
Offscreen Credit
Name Occurs Before Title
AFI Life Achievement Award

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