Romance en Puerto Rico (Pereda Films-Puerto Rico Films Prods., 1961) Exec Prod: Damián Rosa; Assoc Prod: Enrique Martínez D.; Prod (uncredited)-Dir: Ramón Pereda; Scr: no credit [Ramón Pereda]; Orig. Play: Luisa María Linares ("En poder de Barba Azul"); Photo: Raúl Martínez Solares; Music Dir: Rafael Hernández; Music Arr: Bienvenido Bustamante; Prod Mgr: Jorge Camargo; Film Ed: Alberto E. Valenzuela; Camera Op: Luis González; Makeup: Modern Hairstyling Institute; Hairstyles: Zelma Estevez; Music/Re-rec: Enrique Rodríguez; Dialog Rec: Manuel Topete; Recordist: José García; Sound Ed: Reynaldo P. Portillo; Eastmancolor and Mexiscope

 

Cast: María Antonieta Pons (Rosina), Dagoberto Rodríguez (José María Beltrán), Nelly Daren (Sonia), José Miguel Agrelot "Torito" (Gordillo (Porfirio)), Ramón Pereda (yacht captain), Bobby Capó (himself), Luis Vigoreaux (Roberto), Gilda Mirós (Berta, Rosina's sister), Rafael E. Saldaña, Lillián Hurst (Celia?), Tommy Muñiz hijo (hotel mgr.), Alicia Moreda (Rosina's mother), Julio Roberts, Adalberto Rodríguez ["Machuchal"] (Tomás), Velda González (María, Rosina's maid), Horace Dávila, Orlando Rodríguez, Zelma Estevez, Frank Vidal, Rose Rickie, Milagros Rodríguez, Annette Maynulet, Trío Vegabajeño, Polito Galíndez (himself, singer), Joe Valle (singer), Lopez Balaguer, Rafael Hernández (himself), Ángel Bussi Orchestra, Pepito Arvelo Orchestra, Mariano Artau, Pipo Grajales, Gloria Mirabal, Julito Rodríguez & Trío, El Coro de Bayamón

 

Notes: although the first part of this film is set in New York City, whether any footage was shot there by Ramón Pereda is doubtful. Aside from scenic views of the Statue of Liberty, the harbor, etc.--and some nighttime footage of Times Square, including the Warner Theatre showing Seven Wonders of the World in Cinerama (which was released in 1956, indicating this at least was stock footage)--there are only two sequences set in the city, and both are interiors (an apartment, a dance hall) which could have easily been filmed in Puerto Rico. [There is one interesting scene in which Velda González, José Miguel Agrelot and Adalberto Rodríguez introduce themselves, each from a different part of Puerto Rico, but Agrelot says "outside of Puerto Rico, we're all like the Three Musketeers, one for all and all for one!"]

 

Romance en Puerto Rico is worth watching because its cast not only features the usual pan-Latin lineup present in many Mexican films--Cuban (Pons), Spaniard (Pereda), Mexican (D. Rodríguez), Argentine (Daren)--it is also a virtual Who's Who of Puerto Rican performers of the period. Famous composer Rafael Hernández is accompanied by singer Bobby Capó and actors Velda González, José Miguel Agrelot, Machuchal, Gilda Mirós, Alicia Moreda, and others familar to Puerto Rican TV audiences. The movie is not especially entertaining--the frequent musical numbers and scenic views of San Juan hamper the pacing, the plot is weak, and Pereda's direction is tedious and pedestrian--but as a historical document it's worth a look.

 

María Antonieta Pons was in the twilight of her career, and in recent years had switched from musical comedies (which had in turn replaced melodramas as her preferred genre) to rancheras and other films with Mexican folkloric themes. Romance en Puerto Rico was a slight change of pace in this regard. She would only appear in two more movies before retiring, and her last picture was, coincidentally, also shot in Puerto Rico: Caña brava (1965). There are 10 songs in Romance en Puerto Rico (six written by Rafael Hernández) and Pons only sings/dances to three of them, leaving the rest to Puerto Rican performers. Although still fairly youthful and attractive, Pons is fairly demure here, briefly reverting to her rumbera roots for part of "El ciclón," on the spur of the moment removing her skirt (!) and dancing in a pair of tap pants (in one of her other numbers she wears a bizarre gown and tiara which make her look like a fairy or ballerina).

 

In New York City, Rosina is frustrated by her engagement to millionaire John Johnson III, a fussy, domineering, control freak. The night before her wedding, she goes out dancing with her maid María, María's husband Tomás, and their friend Gordillo, all Puerto Ricans. [Rosina's nationality is unclear: her grandmother is Mexican, but it is implied that she is Nuyorican, that is, a New Yorker of Puerto Rican heritage.] When Rosina learns Gordillo is a sailor on the yacht owned by Mexican film star José María Beltrán, she decides to stow away and sail to Mexico to be with her grandmother. Discovered by the yacht's captain while they are at sea, Rosina is forced to impersonate a male sailor ("Jacobo García") because José María has recently been jilted by his sweetheart, Argentine dancer Sonia, and now hates all women.

 

Rosina successfully impersonates "Jacobo" (except for a minor slip when "he" kisses José María!) until she's knocked out by a wave and José María tries to revive her. Learning she's a woman, he is angry and insists Rosina be put ashore at the next port...San Juan, Puerto Rico. Rosina is hired as a switchboard operator at the Caribe Hilton, where José María is staying, although José María doesn't recognize her as "Jacobo." When Sonia shows up with handsome secretary Roberto and wealthy suitor Archibaldo in tow, José María tries to make her jealous by asking Rosina for a date. Although Rosina turns him down, she is insulted when Sonia advises her to leave José María alone. "If I need advice," Rosina says, "I'll ask someone with more intelligence." As she departs, Rosina tells the other woman she'll take away Roberto, Archibaldo, and José María just to teach Sonia a lesson.

 

That night at the Club Caribe in the hotel, emcee Bobby Capó introduces Sonia and asks her to perform, but the Argentine claims she isn't prepared. Rosina steps up and dances and sings for the crowd, to great acclaim. The next day, Rosina is surprised when her sister Berta arrives. Berta says John Johnson III wanted to avoid a scandal, so when Rosina jilted him, he married her instead! They're going on a cruise for a week, but Berta gives Rosina a check for $10,000 from her new husband (and other signed, blank checks). Rosina flaunts her new-found wealth and hires the smitten Roberto away from Sonia. She also convinces Archibaldo to leave by telling him that his wife called with an inquiry about his "business trip." José María is shocked by Rosina's behavior and won't listen to her explanations, even though it is obvious they love each other.

 

When Sonia confesses she really loves Roberto, Rosina fires her new secretary and sends him back to her rival. José María becomes jealous when he sees Rosina embracing John Johnson III (back from his honeymoon), but apologizes upon learning the truth. José María and Rosina embrace.

 

Romance en Puerto Rico has a few bright bits of dialogue, but is essentially a mixture of static dialogue scenes (clearly taken from the original play--the opening sequence in Rosina's New York apartment is a perfect example, with her sister and mother, John Johnson III, maid María, Tomás, and Gordillo all entering from "off-stage" at different times, conversing with Rosina, then departing), musical numbers, and travelogue-like footage of beautiful Puerto Rico (the latter two often combined). The performances are all satisfactory but the characters remain mostly two-dimensional. This seems to have been the only Mexican film appearance of actress Nelly Daren (or Darén), but she did have a substantial film career in her native Argentina. Gilda Mirós looks quite young and slim here (with red hair)--by La vendedora de amor (1964), she looks considerably more mature--and Velda González is also youthful (I am not sure if her part here as a maid pre-dates her Puerto Rico TV role as "La Criada malcriada"). José Miguel Agrelot was one of Puerto Rico's most popular comedians, and his billing as "Torito" apparently refers to one of his stock characters (a sailor). Agrelot (and Rafael Hernández) would later appear in Preciosa (1964), shot in Mexico, New York-New Jersey, and Puerto Rico. As can be seen from the Mexican lobby card reproductions on this page, Agrelot was not prominently billed, however, the U.S. lobby cards (for Spanish-language theatres) gave him second-billing to star Pons!

 

[There is one odd facet of the script which bears brief mention. On the yacht, a sailor informs the Captain that the cook's cat turns out to be female. The Captain orders it thrown overboard (!) because his employer hates everything female (this isn't shown but is apparently carried out). Later, in Puerto Rico, Archibaldo runs in with his clothes wet and tells Sonia he had to jump into the swimming pool because her lap dogs were drowning. "Why didn't you put their life preservers on them?" she complains.]