Paloma Fair

A charming, romantic Spanish musical of 1935, this lighthearted example of zarzuela recalls such early musicals as Under the Roofs of Paris, Love Me Tonight, and The Love Parade in its graceful employment of the medium: one song is sung in superimposed images, another gets passed around an urban neighborhood like a fluffy piece of gossip. Also known as Our Lady of the Dove, Benito Perojo’s movie is set in 1893 and moves around a wedding, a dressmaker’s shop, a printing press, a pharmacy, and the city fair of the title; flamenco dancing is featured in one of the numbers, and a 30s emphasis on working-class labor is often present. With Charito Leonis, Miguel Ligero, and Raquel Rodrigo. (JR)

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