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The clip is from the otherwise forgettable Esther Williams musical, Fiesta (1947). According to IMDB you’re watching Montalban’s American film debut. He was 26 at the time and would work steady for another sixty years. That gorgeous creature he’s dancing with is Cyd Charisse. We lost her in June.
Throughout his career Montalban moved easily between film and television, always making a memorable impression, most especially as one of history’s all-time great screen villains — James T. Kirk’s nemesis Khan, in the second Star Trek film.
Personally, I was always impressed with Montalban in John Ford’s Cheyenne Autumn (1964). Not his performance, but his presence. Unfortunately, there was no performance to give. Ford uncharacteristically presents his American Indian characters as one-dimensional. Noble is great, but boring when that’s all there is. Montalban registers with a personality and charm even a listless script couldn’t snuff. He also had a wonderful closing moment in John Wayne’s The Train Robbers (1973) and showed a real flair for comedy in The Naked Gun (1988). That’s just four examples of his range and talent.
Ricardo Montalban could say he danced with a goddess and nearly brought down Captain Kirk.
Not a bad career. Not bad at all.
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