Joselito vagabundo (1966) Poster

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6/10
Hilarious and fun Mexican/Spanish co-production starred by a teen Joselito singing a great number of songs
ma-cortes17 June 2019
Hilarious and fun Mexican/Spanish co-production starred by a teen Joselito singing a great number of songs

Sentimental and amusing Joselito movie in which he is disguised as a wealthy heir . René (Joselito) is a naughty and rogue boy . The street orphan René lives in San Juán , Puerto Rico , he works as a swindler for a nasty crook nicknamed Johnny el 'men' (Ángel Álvarez) . Then , he is threatened by the boss of the gang of stealers and Joselito escapes . Later on , a rich heir meets him and he proposes to change his life by posing as the wealthy heir to see his stranged aunt Doña Guadalupe (Sara Garcia) who lives in Mexico D.F. and she has a big fortune that two mean people attempt to take it .

This is a sensitive story proceeded in simplicity , delicacy and humor by Miguel Morayta and photographed by Manuel Merino . Here Joselito , who has a great success due to his magnificent voice , is well supported by a good plethora of Mexican secondaries as Angel Alvarez , Blanca Sánchez , Fernando Luján , Marichal , Chaves , David Reynoso , Agosti , and the prodigy child Cesáreo Quezadas 'Pulgarcito' , among others . And special mention for the legendary "granny of Mexican cinema" , Sara Garcia ; as her early experiences in movies lead her to a career in stage. She only made one film between 1918 and 1933. She returned to the screen in Vuelo de la muerte, El (1933) and began a very long career of 148 films. Almost from the beginning, Sara García specialized in portraying mothers and grandmas, then her nickname. This specialization began when she dared to remove her entire teeth to get the role of a granny in Allá en en trópico (1940). After that tremendous tour-de-force her entire career, with very few exceptions, was devoted to this kind of roles. She co-starred with almost the entire cast of Mexican movie stars from the 30s to the 70s .This is a typical children/teenager film on the pretext that Joselito sings a lot of songs . In fact , Joselito was introduced to the movie business in 1956 by filmmaker Antonio Del Amo , who directed him in the popular ¨Nightingale trilogy¨: El pequeño Ruiseñor , Saeta del Ruiseñor and Ruiseñor de las cumbres . His first feature was El Pequeño Ruiseñor (1957) ("The Little Nightingale"), where he earned his famous nickname . That's why he sings like the nightingales . In his films Joselito is usually a singer boy who carries out antics , childish pranks , mischiefs and naughtiness . Joselito met actor , singer/actor Luis Mariano at a recital , and he convinced him to play together in French TV and Radio shows . 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 himself 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.

¨Joselito vagabundo¨ or ¨El falso heredero¨ is a joyful as well as fun Mexican/Spanish musical/melodrama movie , professionally realized by Miguel Morayta . This an enjoyable and feeling movie full of mirth ,entertainment , amusement , humor touches , agreeable message and in final takes places the ordinary happy end . Here Joselito sings Rancheras and and dressed in Mariachi style , and even he falls in love . Along the way the movie develops a brief remarks on Mexican habits . The scenarios in which develops the deeds are adeqaute and well designed . Rubén Fuentes and Luis Hernández Bretón's musical score respond appropriately to the ambient , originating a careful atmosphere . Luminous cinematography by Manuel Merino , though a perfect remastering is necessary and filmed in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico .

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 .. Getting successes all around the world , France , South America and even Japan . His pictures touched the hearts of numerous spectators by the time .His hits expanded all over the world , even Pier Paolo Pasolini included one song in his prestigious film ¨Mamma Roma¨(1962) with Anna Magnani . 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 Miguel Morayta as well as the famous producer Cesáreo Gonzalez from his production Company : Suevia Films got a big hit in this picture , obtaining a great achievement in South America , managing perfectly to the performers and taking advantage of them , giving the best of his acting . Morayta was a good Mexican craftsman . A prolific director who made a lot of movies , such as : Laberinto de pasiones , El sonambulo , Hermanos de sangre , Capulina contra los monstruos , Juan el desalmado , Las tres magnificas , Princesa y vagabunda , Dos gemelas estupendas , La guerrillera de Villa , Desnudarse y morir , Los tres mosqueteros de Dios , Juan Guerrero , Doctor Satán , El falso heredero , Los reyes del volante , ¡Ay, Jalisco no te rajes! , El vampiro sangriento and many others . Rating : Acceptable and passable for its worthwhile mingle of music , comedy , sentimentalism and good feeling .
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