Lupe Vélez: Palooka

Both the chapter on Lupe Vélez that appears in Tex[t]-Mex as well as the slightly different (less cool pictures!) essay version that appears in From Bananas to Buttocks: The Latina Body in Popular Film and Culture do a close reading of the "Mexican Spitfire" in a forgettable farce called Palooka, co-starring Jimmy Durante and Stuart Erwin--Jimmy Cagney's brother also is featured. Watch Velez's expression as she moves in for the femme fatale "kill" at the 7:22 point of the video! The tragedy of Velez's life, its trajectory from superstardom to the toilet (shades of Elvis) is always already worthy of careful review.