Santa on AllMovie

Santa was based on the incredibly popular novel by Mexican author Don Federico Gamboa. So beloved was the original novel that audiences were predisposed to adore the film, whether it was any good or not. The story concerns the romantic travails of the homely pianist (Carlos Orellana) of a seedy house of "ill repute." The hero harbors a seemingly hopeless love for the house's prettiest inhabitant, played by the curvaceous Lupita Tovar. When the girl is injured in an accident, the pianist sacrifices his all to finance a life-saving operation -- but will his grand gesture turn out to be futile? Santa represented the first directorial effort of Spanish film idol Antonio Moreno.