Los martes, orquídeas

Los martes, orquídeas (On Tuesdays, Orchids) is a 1941 Argentine black and white comedy film directed by Francisco Múgica and starring Mirtha Legrand, Enrique Serrano, Juan Carlos Thorry and Nuri Montsé. It won the Argentine Best Picture award for 1941. It was remade as the Hollywood classic You Were Never Lovelier (1942), starring Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth.[2][3]

Los martes, orquídeas
Theatrical release poster[1]
Directed byFrancisco Múgica
Screenplay byFrancisco Oyarzábal
Story byCarlos A. Olivari
Sixto Pondal Ríos
StarringMirtha Legrand
Enrique Serrano
Juan Carlos Thorry
CinematographyAlfredo Traverso
Music byEnrique Delfino
Production
company
Distributed byLumiton
Release date
Running time
84 minutes
CountryArgentina
LanguageSpanish

In a survey of the 100 greatest films of Argentine cinema carried out by the Museo del Cine Pablo Ducrós Hicken in 2000, the film reached the 27th position.[4] In 2022, the film was included in Spanish magazine Fotogramas's list of the 20 best Argentine films of all time.[5]

Synopsis

Elenita, the youngest of four sisters in a well-off family, is a shy, romantic and lonely lady. To try to bring her to life, her father sends her a bouquet of orchids each week, so she will think she has a secret admirer.[6] At the same time, her father hires a young, unemployed actor to pose as the wealthy suitor. Comic situations start to slowly develop, as he dresses in fancy clothes, rides a horse and attends a party thrown by Elenita's family. By the time the ruse comes to light, the young couple have fallen in love and decided to marry. The father expects that his daughter will reject the young man when she learns he is poor and of Italian origin, but to his dismay she accepts him as he is.[7]

Cast
L-R: Zully Moreno, Mirtha Legrand, Nuri Montsé and Silvana Roth in a publicity shot for the film.

The full cast was:[8]

Production

Los martes, orquídeas was produced by Lumiton studios. The script, written by Francisco Oyarzábal, was based on a simple yet effective story by Carlos A. Olivari and Sixto Pondal Ríos.

Although the stars were Enrique Serrano, Juan Carlos Thorry and Nuri Montsé, the film introduced Mirtha Legrand as Elenita, in her first leading role, which catapulted her to fame.[6]

Reception

Los martes, orquídeas was considered the best comedy that had been made in Argentina to date. It launched the career of the young Mirtha Legrand,[9] and remains a classic in the country's film history.

Awards

The Argentine Academy of Cinematography Arts and Sciences gave a number of awards for the film:[10]

  • Best Film: Lumiton
  • Best original story: Pondal Sixto Ríos and Carlos Olivari
  • Special mention: Mirtha Legrand

Remakes

Columbia Pictures used the film as the basis for You Were Never Lovelier (1942), starring Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth.[2][3] It was also remade as the mexican romantic drama Una joven de 16 años ("A Sixteen Year Old Girl", 1963).[3]

References
  1. "Los martes, orquídeas" (in Spanish). Lumiton. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  2. Parkinson 2007, p. 44.
  3. The return of Los martes orquídeas, but without Mirtha 06-02-2018, La Nación (in Spanish)
  4. "Las 100 mejores del periodo 1933-1999 del Cine Argentino". La mirada cautiva. Buenos Aires: Museo del Cine Pablo Ducrós Hicken (3): 6–14. 2000. Archived from the original on 21 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022 – via Encuesta de cine argentino 2022 on Google Drive.
  5. Borrull, Mariona (17 July 2022). "Las 20 mejores películas argentinas de la historia". Fotogramas (in Spanish). Madrid: Hearst España. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  6. Los martes orquideas, Todo Argentina.
  7. Karush 2012, p. 131.
  8. On Tuesdays, Orchids, IMDb.
  9. Plazaola 1989, p. 142.
  10. ARCHIVO · Premios Anuales 1941 - 1953.

Sources
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