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[thescribe]

Came across this title in Buster's imdb listing, apparently a 1949 Mexican production. Am I the only one who never heard of this before??

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0146572/

[Hillbilly Franey]

Could it be a BOOM ON THE MOON reissue?

[Ian Elliot]

It doesn't seem so, though Ángel Garasa, Buster's co-star in BOOM/BLUEBEARD, plays the lead. Here's a review/plot precis from the L. A. Times, 11/1/49--no mention of Buster Keaton:

Comic Star of Thriller

A big handful of fun, a bit of spicy mysticism, a pinch of psychology and an idol's tooth thrown in for good measure, all mixed in a large bowl of spectacle--that's "El Colmillo De Buda" ("The Fang of Buddah[sic]"), on view at the Mayan Theater. And mixed is right, for it's a highly involved plot that trips you at every turn if you don't watch out. Setting is a mythical oriental land.

Angel Garasa is one of Mexico's best comedians, and he makes the most of his role as a timid man made brave through luck. First he vanquishes a real gorilla under the impression the animal is his friend masquerading. Afterward, having gotten possession of a stolen Buddha tooth, he is brave because he finds it protects him against wicked oriental schemers.

Comic Gets Harem

Not only has he proved to himself that he is brave, but also he has convinced the gorilla's owner, a world traveler who gives him a job as body guard and installs him in a palace complete with harem.

A subplot has an oriental prince in love with a harem gal, said prince preparing to kill the hero in order to get his girl friend. Then the hero falls in love with another beauty, but his wife, whom he has brought along, stymies that idea by stealing the tooth, and returning it only in time to keep him from being put to death. So, having returned the tooth to its rightful owner, he and his spouse return home and supposedly live happily ever after.

There are some beautiful girls, some luscious harem scenes and wriggly oriental dances. The latter, however, look wonderfully like the Cuban rumba. Consuelo G. de Luna, Mexico's popular comedienne, makes a hit as the hero's wife, and the other players are satisfactory. G. K.

[josemas]

Here's the description from David E. Wilt's THE MEXICAN FILMOGRAPHY, 1916 THROUGH 2001 (McFarland 2004). Wilt lists the film as a Comedy-Thriller and translates the title as BUDDHA'S EYETOOTH.

"Mr. Hale (Charles Rooner) has a collection of "oriental currios" including beautiful dancing girl Adjacpatra (Amalia Aguilar), a live goriila, and a tooth of the Buddha, the later object stolen from an Eastern religious sect. Benitez (Fernando Cortes) hires thief Exquisito (Angel Garasa) to work as Hale's servant and steal the tooth. Exquisito obtains the tooth, but refuses to give it up, because the tooth conveys great power to it's owner. He decides to divorce his wife Emerita (Guerrero de Luna) and marry Adjacpatra, but loses the tooth. Benitez and Exquisito are nearly killed by the sect, but Emerita sells the tooth back to its rightful owners in exchange for money to open a taco stand."


No mention of Buster at all but the cast list for the film does only name the five actors mentioned in the synopsis. It's possible Buster may have had a small cameo or bit part of some sort. The IMDB (and several other sources) list his role as "Moe".

The film's producer/director/writer Juan Bustillo Oro had a long career in Mexican films (from the mid 1930s through the late 1960s) working as an editor, writer, director and producer and worked in a variety of genres. He worked with a number of the top flight Mexican comedians including Cantinflas, Tin Tan and Joaquin Pardave.

Joe Moore

[Salvador]

"El colmillo de Buda" is a musical writted for Pedro Muñoz Seca, one writer killed in the Spanish Civil War for the Republicans.
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