Pachuco Style

Américo Paredes' novel George Washington Gómez features a scene in which Guálinto finds himself lost in the Jonesville barrio.  While there, he becomes involved in a knife fight with Chucho Vázquez, a real pachuco.  He also attends a baile, where he falls in love, fleetingly, with the fifteen-year-old quinceañera, Mercedes.  "These were his people, the real people he belonged with," he thinks.

Below, a link to Pachuco José, who shows off his fancy footwork.

Laughing Boy, the movie

Mexican hearthrob Ramón Novarro and "Mexican spitfire" Lupe Vélez starred in the 1934 film version of Laughing Boy, directed by the esteemed Hollywood director, W.S. Van Dyke.  Yes, that would be Novarro and Vélez as Navajos.  (Is there some sort of rationale at work here in casting the lead Native Americas with Mexican actors?)  The film bombed, and Novarro was deeply ashamed of this film.