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don-gilliam
Reviews
Mambo (1954)
A daring casting, considering the time
I saw this film in 1954 in Philadelphia. Was most elated to see the Katherine Dunham Company, the most famous dance company in the world at that time. Am curious as to why the U.S.A. (English) version is only 97 minutes and the Italian version is 110 minutes. What was cut from the film? I suspect it was Katherine Dunham's company performing with a mixed race company, still taboo at that time. Also not listed in the cast is Raimonda Orselli, a ballerina from the Rome Opera Ballet who joined the Katherine Dunham Company for this film. Regarding the title, it was definitely not about Mambo, which was the big dance craze in the U.S.A. at that time. Was probably titled "Mambo" to sell it. It was definitely a melodrama. Different, particularly in the casting, worthy of a study in the annals of film-making.