2 reviews
Agreeable and sympathetic film with the child prodigy Joselito well accompanied by the Mexican diva Libertad Lamarque and the chubby Roberto Camardiel . Engaging drama about the famous kid , Joselito , who shows efficiently his singing skills . Set in the old Madrid , round the Plaza Mayor , at downtown , here Jose is an orphan who has lost his father and his roguish uncle rejects him , until he is aware that the boy's late daddy was not much poor , then he uses whatever means to to take his inherintance . The boy's music teacher called Lucy (Libertad Lamarque) receives the orphan in her home where lives liver along with her mother (Sara Garcia nicknameed the Mexican granny) . Lucy who was a famous actress and singer in his natal Mexico has a child who long time ago was kidnapped , but he is still alive, and the likeable granny thinks that Joselito is the return of her abducted grandson . Meanwhile , the little boy Joselito singing splendidly and along the way he enjoys with his schoolmates . But problems emerge when there is a strong argument between his wicked uncle and Ramon (Roberto Camardiel) a restaurant owner who falls for Lucy .
This is a sensitive story proceeded in simplicity and delicacy by Antonio Del Amo . In fact , Joselito was introduced to the movie business in 1956 by this filmmaker , who directed him in this first feature, El Pequeño Ruiseñor (1957) ("The Little Nightingale"), where he earned his famous nickname . He was widely known in Spain when he became a widely successful child star , following to ¨El Ruiseñor De Las Cumbres¨ , ¨Saeta Del Ruiseñor¨ and ¨El Pequeño Coronel¨. The main role "Joselito" is played by the same in a phenomenal manner , can be said that he is perfectly adequate to his measure . He was a milestone in Spanish "child prodigies" under Franco along with Marisol , Pili and Mili and especially Pablito Calvo who starred the hits ¨The Bait¨ , ¨Mi Tio Jacinto¨ and ¨Marcelino Bread and Wine¨ . And the producers trying to keep them as little kids for as long as possible . Due to false advertising by the studios that made their movies, and which wanted to make him appear younger than they really were , an obsession that haunted them through the whole of their careers .
¨Bello recuerdo¨ also titled : Así era mi madre (Mexico) , or Mon ami Josélito (France) or Il figlio rapito (Italy) or Sublime Recordação (Brazil) is a joyful as well as entertaining Spanish musical/weeper/drama movie , professionally realized by Antonio Del Amo . This an enjoyable and feeling movie full of mirth , drama , humor touches , agreeable message and in final takes places the ordinary happy end . At the same time the film gives us an ample panorama about Madrid life , its old streets , buildings and monuments . The scenarios in which develops the deeds are perfectly designed . Musical score by Manuel Parada responds appropriately to the ambient , originating a careful atmosphere . Evocative and luminous cinematography by Alfredo Fraile , though a perfect remastering is necessary . There appears notorious main and secondary actors , such as the great Roberto Camardiel who worked with Joselito in ¨El Ruiseñor de las cumbres¨, Aníbal Vela , Tito Garcia and Félix Fernández , all of them acting to perfection .
Of course , Joselito steals the show as the singer boy . Spanish film studios were looking for a new child star to follow the steps of Pablito Calvo, and make popular and populist folkloric movies and they found Joselito . After the international success of El Pequeño Ruiseñor , and following successful films such as ¨La Saeta Del Ruiseñor¨ , ¨Bello Recuerdo¨ , ¨Los Dos Golfillos¨, which were big box-office hits in Spain during Franco's dictatorship he became Spain's most famous child actor , outstanding his highly expressive face and eyes , enormous eyes and innocent, angelical face . In his films he often sings Flamenco Cante , Saetas , Soleadas and other Folkloric songs . After several movies and records, and already a big star as a singer and an actor in Europe, the next move was trying to triumph in America, so Joselito went to Mexico where he filmed various projects, starting by ¨El Caballo Blanco¨ , ¨Aventuras de Joselito en América¨ (1960), which paired him with Mexican child star 'Cesáreo Quezadas Pulgarcito to grant local box-office . His success even reached around the world , in fact he was discovered as a singer by Luis Mariano, who got him to perform in France, pretending he was 9 at the moment of his debut, when he actually was 13 . However, life was not too glamorous for Joselito, as he was treated almost as a sideshow act by his managers, not allowing him to become an ordinary teenager , and even locking him in his room between rehearsals so he couldn't meet girls . He was forced to keep his childlike image up to 1969 (when he was in his mid-twenties) in ¨Loca Juventud¨ , ¨Falso Heredero¨ and when he appeared in his last film , ¨Prisionero En La Ciudad¨ (1969). But, as his voice had long broken, he was not successful anymore . Retired from acting at early age to become a drifter , even working as a mercenary . Disappearing from public life until it was discovered much later that he had become a heroin addict and even worked as a mercenary in Africa . An attempt of a comeback as an adult proved unsuccessful, as the tastes of the audience had changed, and his voice didn't resemble the one he had as a kid, so Joselito definitely retired from show business to his home in Utiel (Valencia), where he, now clean and sober, lives a quiet life far from movie and recording studios. Nowadays , he has reappeared doing brief TV interventions and cinema such as ¨Torrente¨ and ¨Spanish movie¨ .
The filmmaker Antonio Del Amo as well as the famous prodution Company : Cesáreo González Producciones Cinematográficas succeed in this picture , obtaining a great achievement , managing perfectly to the performers and taking advantage of them , giving the best of his acting . The picture touched the hearts of numerous Spanish/Mexican spectators by the time . Rating : Acceptable and passable for its worthwhile mingle of drama , music , comedy , sentimentalism and good feeling .
This is a sensitive story proceeded in simplicity and delicacy by Antonio Del Amo . In fact , Joselito was introduced to the movie business in 1956 by this filmmaker , who directed him in this first feature, El Pequeño Ruiseñor (1957) ("The Little Nightingale"), where he earned his famous nickname . He was widely known in Spain when he became a widely successful child star , following to ¨El Ruiseñor De Las Cumbres¨ , ¨Saeta Del Ruiseñor¨ and ¨El Pequeño Coronel¨. The main role "Joselito" is played by the same in a phenomenal manner , can be said that he is perfectly adequate to his measure . He was a milestone in Spanish "child prodigies" under Franco along with Marisol , Pili and Mili and especially Pablito Calvo who starred the hits ¨The Bait¨ , ¨Mi Tio Jacinto¨ and ¨Marcelino Bread and Wine¨ . And the producers trying to keep them as little kids for as long as possible . Due to false advertising by the studios that made their movies, and which wanted to make him appear younger than they really were , an obsession that haunted them through the whole of their careers .
¨Bello recuerdo¨ also titled : Así era mi madre (Mexico) , or Mon ami Josélito (France) or Il figlio rapito (Italy) or Sublime Recordação (Brazil) is a joyful as well as entertaining Spanish musical/weeper/drama movie , professionally realized by Antonio Del Amo . This an enjoyable and feeling movie full of mirth , drama , humor touches , agreeable message and in final takes places the ordinary happy end . At the same time the film gives us an ample panorama about Madrid life , its old streets , buildings and monuments . The scenarios in which develops the deeds are perfectly designed . Musical score by Manuel Parada responds appropriately to the ambient , originating a careful atmosphere . Evocative and luminous cinematography by Alfredo Fraile , though a perfect remastering is necessary . There appears notorious main and secondary actors , such as the great Roberto Camardiel who worked with Joselito in ¨El Ruiseñor de las cumbres¨, Aníbal Vela , Tito Garcia and Félix Fernández , all of them acting to perfection .
Of course , Joselito steals the show as the singer boy . Spanish film studios were looking for a new child star to follow the steps of Pablito Calvo, and make popular and populist folkloric movies and they found Joselito . After the international success of El Pequeño Ruiseñor , and following successful films such as ¨La Saeta Del Ruiseñor¨ , ¨Bello Recuerdo¨ , ¨Los Dos Golfillos¨, which were big box-office hits in Spain during Franco's dictatorship he became Spain's most famous child actor , outstanding his highly expressive face and eyes , enormous eyes and innocent, angelical face . In his films he often sings Flamenco Cante , Saetas , Soleadas and other Folkloric songs . After several movies and records, and already a big star as a singer and an actor in Europe, the next move was trying to triumph in America, so Joselito went to Mexico where he filmed various projects, starting by ¨El Caballo Blanco¨ , ¨Aventuras de Joselito en América¨ (1960), which paired him with Mexican child star 'Cesáreo Quezadas Pulgarcito to grant local box-office . His success even reached around the world , in fact he was discovered as a singer by Luis Mariano, who got him to perform in France, pretending he was 9 at the moment of his debut, when he actually was 13 . However, life was not too glamorous for Joselito, as he was treated almost as a sideshow act by his managers, not allowing him to become an ordinary teenager , and even locking him in his room between rehearsals so he couldn't meet girls . He was forced to keep his childlike image up to 1969 (when he was in his mid-twenties) in ¨Loca Juventud¨ , ¨Falso Heredero¨ and when he appeared in his last film , ¨Prisionero En La Ciudad¨ (1969). But, as his voice had long broken, he was not successful anymore . Retired from acting at early age to become a drifter , even working as a mercenary . Disappearing from public life until it was discovered much later that he had become a heroin addict and even worked as a mercenary in Africa . An attempt of a comeback as an adult proved unsuccessful, as the tastes of the audience had changed, and his voice didn't resemble the one he had as a kid, so Joselito definitely retired from show business to his home in Utiel (Valencia), where he, now clean and sober, lives a quiet life far from movie and recording studios. Nowadays , he has reappeared doing brief TV interventions and cinema such as ¨Torrente¨ and ¨Spanish movie¨ .
The filmmaker Antonio Del Amo as well as the famous prodution Company : Cesáreo González Producciones Cinematográficas succeed in this picture , obtaining a great achievement , managing perfectly to the performers and taking advantage of them , giving the best of his acting . The picture touched the hearts of numerous Spanish/Mexican spectators by the time . Rating : Acceptable and passable for its worthwhile mingle of drama , music , comedy , sentimentalism and good feeling .
"Bello recuerdo" is probably Joselito Jimenez's most ambitious film.The screenplay is less simplistic than in the former works.There's even a very good scene,which is exceptional in Joselito's faithful director Del Amo's conventional work: the boy and the grandma are watching an old movie of the "mother" and suddenly the old woman remembers things of her past as on the screen horsemen are riding away.
Joselito (whose name in the film is "Jose",for he is 14 now)has lost his father and his wicked cousin rejects him...till he learns that the boy's late dad was not that much poor .Meanwhile,the boy's music teacher has received the orphan in her home where her mother,still alive,thinks that it's the return of her grandson,who was kidnapped when the musician was a famous singer/actress in Mexico.Too bad the script writers botch the job and write a dismal ending when,for once,they had a story which did not fall apart after the first reel.
Joselito's voice was changing:he was 14,after all,but it was still impressive whereas in the next movie "El secreto de Tomy",it would sound ravaged.
Hence the necessity to hire a singer to play opposite to him:Libertad Lamarque ,a South American star shared the top of the bill with the wiz kid -it was the first time it had happened since his debut-.They sing duets and she was certainly ideally cast since she had a long career in Mexico and Argentina behind her.(check her biography)
Joselito (whose name in the film is "Jose",for he is 14 now)has lost his father and his wicked cousin rejects him...till he learns that the boy's late dad was not that much poor .Meanwhile,the boy's music teacher has received the orphan in her home where her mother,still alive,thinks that it's the return of her grandson,who was kidnapped when the musician was a famous singer/actress in Mexico.Too bad the script writers botch the job and write a dismal ending when,for once,they had a story which did not fall apart after the first reel.
Joselito's voice was changing:he was 14,after all,but it was still impressive whereas in the next movie "El secreto de Tomy",it would sound ravaged.
Hence the necessity to hire a singer to play opposite to him:Libertad Lamarque ,a South American star shared the top of the bill with the wiz kid -it was the first time it had happened since his debut-.They sing duets and she was certainly ideally cast since she had a long career in Mexico and Argentina behind her.(check her biography)
- dbdumonteil
- Apr 18, 2007
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