Dos fantasmas y una muchacha (1959) in Foreign Horror Forum

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Dos fantasmas y una muchacha (1959)

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hermanthegerm	Dos fantasmas y una muchacha (1959)	Lead	[-]
Mar 4 09 9:01 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Light Mexican romantic fantasy featuring Tin-Tan (German Valdez.) I saw this in a theater when I was a kid, and liked it a lot. It's out on DVD and I'd really like to see it again to see how it aged (or how I aged.) My recollection is that two guys duel (in a theater) over a girl and are both killed. A few generations later a descendant of the lady in question (played by the same actress) starts to work at the theater, and the two ghosts, who have been a-haunting all this time, see her and start their feud again. Somebody is supposed to die at a certain time, the ghosts intervene and rescue said person, thus redeeming themselves, paving the way to a happy ending for all. I don't know if the DVD is subtitled, or even if it holds up with the best of Tin-Tan's films, but it's probably worth checking out. Does the story seem familiar to anyone? Maybe it's remake of an obscure Hollywood or European story. "There is a lot of money tied up in this film and people expect to hear a boom when something blows up, so I'll give them a boom." George Lucas as quoted by Harlan Ellison's WATCHING
luisj40		#1	[-]
Mar 10 09 11:43 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I don't think I've seen this one yet but the plot does sound familiar. I do have the Lion's Gate Double feature release so I guess I should check it out. Luis
hermanthegerm		#2	[-]
Mar 12 09 7:41 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Loco Valdez became a big TV star later on, here he's just supporting Tin Tan. I really need to get that DVD to check it out. "There is a lot of money tied up in this film and people expect to hear a boom when something blows up, so I'll give them a boom." George Lucas as quoted by Harlan Ellison's WATCHING
hermanthegerm	Dos Fantasmas y Una Muchacha (1959)	#3	[-]
Feb 17 12 12:52 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	A lighthearted macabre musical which predates Tim Burton's ghostly fantasies by decades. Two theatre patrons kill each other over a singer, balcony to balcony ( a scene right out of Disneyland's The Haunted Mansion). As punishment they are made to haunt the theater till they forgive each other and become friends. After fifty years of haunting, the theater is abandoned and the two ghosts get bored with their routine. Despite themselves they become friendly with each other, but the otherwordly voice (a master ghost?) is not convinced; it could be a passing thing. So they are given one more test: They will become mortal one hour a day and they are to await the test. In the meantime an actress/reporter decides to write an article about the decades long hauntings, while a trio of bank robbers are successful in a robbery and decide to hide out in the abandoned theater. It just so happens that the reporter is also the grand daugther of the original singer, and is also her double, so the ghosts become smitten. The bank robbers decide to use the theater's reputation and 'haunt' it themselves. Shades of Betlejuice, Corpse Bride, etc. The menage a trois end is amazingly similar to Bunuel's Viridiana, and we also get a scene right out of Superman. I can easily see this remade by the Burton/Elfman/Selick team, either as a live action or an animated feature. Since it is a musical and much of the music is lively (quite a few of them are cool dance numbers, look at Loco Valdez dance!) and quite eclectic (Witch Doctor, Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu, etc.) It could be easily replaced with Elfman's Mexican/'Pachuco' inspired rythms. Or it could be left just as is. The two actors are actually brothers, and this would have been a nice element if incorporated, dueling brothers fighting over the same woman. I did not quite remember it correctly, the redemption is done via the foiling of the bank robbers, and not much else, though I can see how it easily could have been done by selfless acts, even if it is not (since both lose their powers at a certain point of time.) The effects and actor mugging are quite dated, but the fantastique sensibility is still quite modern. Recommended. "There is a lot of money tied up in this film and people expect to hear a boom when something blows up, so I'll give them a boom." George Lucas as quoted by Harlan Ellison's WATCHING Last Edited By: hermanthegerm Feb 17 12 11:31 AM. Edited 3 times.
hermanthegerm	Dos Fantasmas Burlones (1965)	#4	[-]
Feb 27 12 10:08 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	The 'sequel' to the first movie is a messy and chaotic musical 'comedy', it does include a good callback joke to the first movie but that is about it. It recycles footage from the first film and maybe from others, but I do not recognize them. In a nutshell, two carnival 'psychics' succeed in actually conjuring two playful ghosts who cause much trouble for them. Absolutely terrible English and French accents from both. There is hardly a storyline and we basically go from one scene to the next. There is also hardly comedy, and the music itself is not very good, as the Valdez brothers, despite their pretension are not very good singers. They are good dancers, but the dance numbers are recycled. Tin Tan did the voice of Baloo in the Spanish version of The Jungle Book, but he is no Phil Harris. I think it is possible that through that Disney connection we may establish a sort of possible influence on Tim Burton. But I admit I may be way off base. This movie, however, also features a ghostly influence that makes normal mortals sing popular songs, as in Beetlejuice, in this case it is Aldila. In this one the ghosts actually stop bullets meant for a mortal, but I am sure I'd never seen this one, so my confusion about this event is probably from a third, unknown film. Much vintage Mexican babe eye candy, for those of you into it. Unfunny bits from 'Clavillazo,' who I am not familiar with at all, other than the fact that the guy is absolutely bland, characterless and forgettable, and 'Resortes' ('Springs,' due to his funky dancing.) Some bit playing from 'Don Ramon' (Chespirito,) and I absolutely missed or not recognized Maria Victoria (La Criada Malcriada.) This movie also ends in a menage a trois. Not really worth it, but if you already have the 2 movie dvd, might as well give this one a shot. I remember seeing a bit from a demonic possession movie (from the 80s?) with one of those young Mexican singers (Luis Miguel or someone like it,) with Resortes also in it, though that was apparently played straight. For those of us seeking synchronicity or (meaningless) coincidences: Two days ago we saw Nightmare Alley, yesterday we saw Dos Fantasmas Burlones, both films feature a Carnival atmosphere and fake psychic/Spiritualists who cheat people. I'd never seen either film till then and did not really know what to expect, or that I'd be getting similar story lines. A coincidence? You decide, but it seems pretty meaningless to me. Now, to complete the trilogy, we only need to see X, The Man with X-Ray Eyes, but with that one I already know what to expect. "There is a lot of money tied up in this film and people expect to hear a boom when something blows up, so I'll give them a boom." George Lucas as quoted by Harlan Ellison's WATCHING Last Edited By: hermanthegerm Feb 27 12 6:44 PM. Edited 8 times.
Torgaman2.thelatarniaforums		#5	[-]
Feb 27 12 10:14 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Tin Tan seems to have done these films to help his brother Loco Valdez get over. They have their moments and even make reference to this film in another similar comedy where they play helpful ghosts.

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