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Mexican Hayride

Tom Raymond
Mexican Hayride (1948) starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Virginia Grey

In Mexican Hayride, Bud Abbott has sold phony stock to Lou Costello, leaving him holding the bag! They independently flee to Mexico ahead of the law, where they run into a lady from their earlier days. A lady who’s now a bullfighter!

Mexican Hayride (1948) starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Virginia Grey

Comedy routines

Review

Ed Mason: Keep your eyes open for a pudgy little guy who looks as if he’s always apologizing for something. Dark complexion about 5 feet 5 and fat.
Policeman at Ticket Seller’s Booth: That description fits many men. But even if I do see him how would I know him?
Tim Williams: Well that’s our trouble we don’t know him either.
Policeman at Ticket Seller’s Booth: Then how you know he’s down here?
Ed Mason: We traced him from El Paso. He won a dance marathon contest there and used the prize money to get down here. He dance the Samba for 68 hours strait and we understand he’s still a little goofy from it too.

Mexican Hayride – the cause of Lou’s dancing fits

In short, Mexican Hayride is a funny Abbott and Costello movie, with a few twists. First, Bud has conned Lou into thinking he had oil in his back yard, and Lou sold shares in the bogus oil well to his friends and neighbors. And he’s now on the lam, after Bud ran off with the money! So Lou’s fled to Mexico, to find him. In order to afford it, he entered — and won — a Samba dancing contest. Dancing for 68 consecutive hours! Now, whenever he hears the music, he starts dancing uncontrollably! A running gag throughout the movie.

Setting the stage in Mexican Hayride

Mexican Hayride begins in Mexico, where Joe Bascomb (Lou Costello) is on the run from the police in the USA. He was conned by Harry Lambert (Bud Abbott) into selling shares in a phony oil well to his friends. Including the lovely Mary, now working as Montana the bullfighter in Mexico. When she sees him, she’s so angry she throws her hat at him! Unfortunately, it’s at the moment she’s supposed to randomly choose someone to be the “Amigo Norte Americano” – a goodwill ambassador. This disrupts Harry’s schemes, causes Joe to use the “clever” alias of Humphrey Fish, and gets him into the unwanted spotlight.

Disguised Lou selling tamales to the police officers — and Bud!

Soon enough, Joe’s on the run. And he uses a variety of disguises to try and get out of trouble. At one point, he’s disguised himself as a woman, selling tamales from a food cart! At this point, Harry’s been arrested by the American police, and Joe tries to help him by giving the police very spicy tamales — which doesn’t work. But the spicy sauce literally eats through Harry’s handcuffs! And by more luck than skill, they manage to escape.

Lou Costello fighting the bull in the arena

Everything thing comes together back in the bull ring. Harry’s confederate, Dagmar, has fallen in love with Joe, and is trying to return the money from Harry’s latest swindle — to help Joe. Leading to Joe being in the bull ring with a very angry bull! In one scene, he’s trying to crawl away …. And the bull’s up on the wall divider, keeping an eye on him! The entire routine’s hilariously funny.

Happy ending in Mexican Hayride

Product Description 

Cole Porter’s 1944 Broadway musical comedy was optioned by Universal-with the music score removed-and turned into a frenzied farce for stars Abbott and Costello. When a stock scheme sends con man Harry Lambert (Bud Abbott) and fall guy Joe Bascom (Costello) south of the border, money-making schemes, berserk bullfights, and beautiful señoritas are sure to follow. With Virginia Grey, Luba Malina, Fritz Feld. 77 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English. Region Free

Cast of characters

Songs

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