Mexican Spitfire's Elephant

Mexican Spitfire's Elephant is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Leslie Goodwins and written by Charles E. Roberts. It is the seventh of eight in the franchise. The film stars Lupe Vélez, Leon Errol, Walter Reed, Elisabeth Risdon, Lydia Bilbrook, Marion Martin, Lyle Talbot and Luis Alberni. The film was released on September 11, 1942, by RKO Radio Pictures.

Plot

A glamorous smuggler named Diana has a valuable gem hidden inside an elephant-shaped onyx figurine. Anxious to get it past customs inspectors, she plants the figurine on the foggy Lord Epping, just arrived from England. Advertising representative Dennis Lindsay and his wife Carmelita are Epping's hosts in America. Diana and her partner-in-crime Reddy keep trying to reclaim the contraband from Epping. Carmelita gets her confidant Uncle Matt to impersonate Epping, to find out if the nobleman is being victimized. When the real Lord Epping and the fake Lord Epping constantly cross the smugglers' paths and misunderstand what's going on, Reddy and Diana are at their wits' end.

Cast

Lupe Vélez as Carmelita Lindsay
Leon Errol as Uncle Matt Lindsay / Lord Basil Epping
Walter Reed as Dennis Lindsay
Elisabeth Risdon as Aunt Della Lindsay
Lydia Bilbrook as Lady Ada Epping
Marion Martin as Diana De Corro
Lyle Talbot as Reddy
Luis Alberni as Luigi
Arnold Kent as Jose Alvarez
Keye Luke as Lao Lee, magician
Tom Kennedy as Joe the Bartender

Reception

After six Spitfire pictures, critics had noticed that the scripts were using the same situations again and again, and the reviews noted the laugh content but also noted the repetition. Mexican Spitfire's Elephant, however, received the best reviews in years. "By all odds, Mexican Spitfire's Elephant is the funniest picture of the series. The Los Angeles preview audience was kept in a constant state of merriment by the film." Variety called it "solid laugh entertainment and best of the group." Film Daily reported, "Broad comedy runs rampant again in the latest of the Mexican Spitfire series. Those who like this sort of comedy should find Mexican Spitfire's Elephant good for an hour of solid laughs. Leslie Goodwins has given the film whirlwind direction." Exhibitors generally liked it, with one advising fellow showmen, "If you need a picture to provide laughs, don't overlook this one, for our people were really all in from laughing."