Please don't spend money on this.

People are voting emotionally.

Let's be realistic.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

"Latin Lovers" is a tough movie to love. After all, the main character, Nora (Lana Turner), is very rich AND very arrogant. Through much of the film she seems to think she is entitled due to her money...yet she also is worried a man might want her for her money. Oddly, despite this, she is uninterested in marrying her long-time boyfriend (John Lund)...who is even richer than her.When the boyfriend goes to Brazil to play polo, she follows and soon is smitten with Roberto (Ricardo Montalban). She worries he, too, wants her money. And, when she tells him she's loaded, he's thrilled...futher convincing her that all men want is her cash, not her circa 1953 hot bod.In addition to Nora acting dumb and annoying through much of the film, the two men in her life aren't exactly prizes either--though you still often wonder WHAT they see in her! This is because Nora OFTEN gets angry and huffy and is as pleasant as a lion with a toothache. So, with some unlikable characters all you have left is the nice MGM gloss...which this one has in spades.

Shallow time-filler, directed by the estimable Mervyn LeRoy (who must have been a bit embarrassed), this picture-postcard travelogue-cum-romance should have put Ricardo Montalban on the map as a huge matinée idol. Montalban never quite broke the ethnic barrier to become a Valentino-type player in Hollywood, and filmdom certainly missed a prime opportunity. Montalban swaggers and struts and exudes mucho charisma as a horse rancher in Brazil who falls for vacationing heiress Lana Turner. Semi-musical piece of Hollywood factory gloss entertains in its fashion, but you'll be ashamed of yourself in the morning. Turner is so aloof that even Ricardo fails to melt her icy exterior, but the South American flavor is amusingly captured and the picture looks good enough to eat. ** from ****

This gorgeously-directed film presented Lana Turner as Nora Taylor, a lady who has everything in the world—including $37 million which she inherited from her father… Her one big problem: not even her psychoanalyst can tell her whether men love her for herself or her money… She isn't even sure of Paul Chevron (John Lund), her stuffy fiancé, who is worth $48 million in his own right… His reaction to her ardor is unenthusiastic, so when he goes off to Brazil with his polo team, she follows him in the hope that the change in climate will warm him up… Unfortunately for Nora, the land of romance does nothing for Paul, who is just as businesslike as ever…But she does meet Roberto Santos(Ricardo Montalban), a young and handsome plantation owner, who sweeps her off her feet… At first, Nora is afraid that he'll refuse to marry her when he learns about her fortune, but she's even more upset when he expresses great delight in the discovery…What follows is a game of wits, and the picture can be likened to a multicolored parfait… It's entertaining of its kind and not nearly as slight as it would have been in less capable hands… "Latin Lovers" was more a romantic comedy with music than one of MGM's traditional super-musicals of the period… It did feature five original Nicholas Brodsky—Leo Robin tunes, two of which were "sung" by Ricardo Montalban…Other music included the rippling strains of several red-hot sambas, staged by Frank Veloz…The film was still another great showcase for Turner the clotheshorse… Helen Rose, who was Oscar-nominated for her work in both "The Merry Widow" and "The Bad and the Beautiful" came up with an unusual idea in designing the star's wardrobe… All of Lana's more than twenty costumes were created in black and white—or a combination of both—and pitted against the rich1y Technicolored backgrounds, it resulted in a striking and unusual effect

This is highly entertaining fluff. Lana Turner looks lovely, so it is probably carping to comment on her limited acting ability. Ricardo Montalban is suitably macho. The film is saved for me by the other actors with John Lund showing a deft comic touch and making his character more than one dimensional, which it surely would have been had the earlier choice, Michael Wilding played the role. Louis Calhern steals most of his scenes as Montalban's grandfather - the fact that he was only 25 years older apparently bothered no one. There are some nice touches in the writing and the costumes and cinematography are beautiful. All in all there is plenty to enjoy.