Inocencio Prieto y Calvo receives a letter telling him he is the heir to his uncle's fortune of two million pesos. Not being able to read he has no idea of who sent the letter or its content. So he goes to the drugstore because the pharmacist can read the letter to him. But while waiting to be helped he sees that a young girl can read. He figures he has to be able to discover the letter's content by himself and decides he will save the letter and go to school, and wait to read the letter on his own.
Acting
Cantinflas's physical comedy and rapid-fire wordplay at peak form.
Writing
Sharp social satire disguised as broad comedy.
Director
Miguel M. Delgado
Cantinflas
Inocencio Prieto y Calvo
Lilia Prado
Blanca Morales
Sara García
Doña Epifanita
Ángel Garasa
Don Romulo González
Miguel Manzano
Don Fermín
Carlos Agostí
Licenciado Aníbal Guzmán
María Teresa Rivas
Refugio González
Daniel Herrera
El Poca Luz
Fernando Soto
'El Sapo'
Guillermo Orea
Comisario
Óscar Ortiz de Pinedo
Jesús López, notario público
Carlos Martínez Baena
Profesor
Luis Manuel Pelayo
Ministerio Público
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Cantinflas was Mexico's biggest box office draw; this film helped establish literacy campaigns as national priorities.
The 'analfabeto' courtroom defense became iconic—Cantinflas improvised much of the speech, Delgado kept rolling.
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