MovieChat Forums > Only Angels Have Wings (1939) Discussion > Name of Spanish Song near the end?

Name of Spanish Song near the end?


It sounds like a lovely song. It is accompanied with a guitar and the Spanish singer performs it with such lovely phrasing.

Anyone know what this is?

Enrique Sanchez

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I just came here to pose the exact same question. Not only a very lovely song, but sung and played beautifully.

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If you are still wondering, Enrique, the name of the song is "Adios, mariquita linda," a Mexican classic made popular by Pedro Infante.

Hold onto your sombrero, because Pedro Infante died fairly young, in an airplane crash.

Another coincidence concerning this song is that the term mariquita is now an insult to gay men. This is similar to when Cary Grant calls Jean Arthur a "queer duck" at least twice.

So, they could have translated the song as, "Goodbye, my queer little duck."

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THANK YOU, BKLYN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a wonderful message after so many years! :)

You are a nice duck... by the way...in Cuba, "pato", which means duck in English, is also an insult to gay men!

Enrique Sanchez

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Enrique, are you in Cuba now? Where?

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Not at all, Boxer...we moved here in 1962. Why do you ask?

Enrique Sanchez

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Cuba is one of my favorite places.... I was born in '62 and when a Junior in high school, my Language Arts teacher was rather obsessed with Hemingway. Then in '92, I spent two years in GTMO. Later, returned in '03 and spent eleven years in Guantanamo Bay... my kids basically grew up there... and in '13 my then 16 y.o. son and I did a Mission Trip to Santiago. You mentioned Cuba in one of your earlier posts. I know it's difficult for Cubans to get on the 'net, but thought you might have been there still. Where were you from?

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Thanks to you both. I came here for the same reason. The song was beautiful. It's a shame the information isn't available on the main page.

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You're very welcome.

Manuel Álvarez Maciste performed the song "Adiós, Mariquita Linda" in the film. As mentioned above, Pedro Infante made the most well-known recording of the song in the Spanish-speaking world. Both singers were Mexican.

Nat King Cole also included the song on his album of Latin standards. Although his pronunciation of Spanish was "creative," his renditions are excellent.

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