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The Mambo Kings
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Synopsis
New York art dealer Arne Glimcher took his first crack at film directing with this florid, high-energy romance about two brothers who flee Cuba in the early 1950s to make it as musicians in the United States. Cynthia Cidre wrote the literate screenplay adapted from Oscar Hijuelos's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love. Cesar (Armand Assante) and Nestor Castillo (Antonio Banderas) are popular musicians on Havana's club circuit, but when they make enemies of the wrong people, they are forced to leave for New York City, the moody Nestor leaving behind his true love. In New York, the brothers work as meat-cutters during the day as Cesar tries to organize a band and make inroads into the lively New York music scene. Soon, as The Mambo Kings, they get club bookings and Cesar falls in love with a sharp-tongued cigarette girl, Lanna Lake (Cathy Moriarty), and Nestor with the beautiful Delores Fuentes (Maruschka Detmers), who wants to be a teacher. Cesar concentrates on singing and managing the band, while Nestor plays the trumpet and writes emotional songs of love. All seems to be going well until Cesar antagonizes the moneymen on the Latin nightclub circuit and they finds themselves playing bar mitzvahs. But after they're discovered by Desi Arnaz (Desi Arnaz Jr.), the group is prominently featured on I Love Lucy. Their popularity soars and they cut a successful album called "Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love." Cesar is glorying in his success, but Nestor is disappointed and longs to return to Cuba. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Cast

Desi Arnaz, Jr. Desi Arnaz, Sr.
Armand Assante Cesar Castillo
Antonio Banderas Nestor Castillo
Roscoe Lee Browne Fernando Perez
Theodora Castellanos Blanca
Celia Cruz Evalina Montoya
Vondie Curtis-Hall Miguel Montoya
Maruschka Detmers Delores Fuentes
Cathy Moriarty Lanna Lake
Lazaro Perez Pablo
Joe Petruzzi Carlo Ricci
Talisa Soto Maria Rivera

Production Crew

Steven A. Saklad Art Director
Oscar Hijuelos Book Author
Billy Hopkins Casting
Suzanne Smith Casting
Michael Peters Choreography
Michael Ballhaus Cinematographer
Jack B. Bernstein Co-producer
Carlos Franzetti Composer (Music Score)
Robert Kraft Composer (Music Score)
Ann Roth Costume Designer
Bridget Kelly Costume Designer
Gary Jones Costume Designer
Arnold Glimcher Director
Claire Simpson Editor
Claire Simpson-Crozier Editor
Arnold Glimcher Producer
Arnon Milchan Producer
Steven E. Reuther Producer
Stuart Wurtzel Production Designer
Cynthia Cidre Screenwriter
Kara Lindstrom Set Designer
Susumu Tokunow Sound/Sound Designer
Year: 1992
Runtime: 100
Country: France
MPAA Rating: R
for sensuality
Category: Feature

Genre
Drama

Color type
Deluxe color
Technicolor prints

Sound
Dolby

Produced by
Alcor Films
Canal Plus
Regency Enterprises
Warner Brothers

Release
February 28, 1992 (USA)
by Warner Brothers