VIVA MAX

by James Lehrer ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 28, 1966

One thanks Lehrer for a fair idea for his Mexican-American farce--then groans over the banal plot mechanics. The first happy idea is that a young Mexican brigadier general named Max (after Emperor Maximilian) decides to lead his troops into Texas and recover the glory of the Alamo. Max is stationed in Nuevo Laredo when he receives an invitation from a Texas-styled American President to attend some ceremonies in the States. Max marches a hundred troops not only into Laredo (Texas), but also on to San Antonio and the Alamo. He takes it bloodlessly, sets up an occupying force, keeps some hostages. (No blood is spilt throughout the story.) The Texas Rangers object, as do the Texas National Guard, the Governor and finally the President in Washington, who calls a War Cabinet meeting. The working out of this story involves endless chapters of alerting the news media, getting TV cameras set-up, invasion by Madison Avenue, the world hanging breathlessly to see what will happen-- and Pravda taking it all seriously. The writing lacks any genuine sense of what Mexicans are like and its satire is trite. Happy farce is toothless, alas; only bitterness bites.

Pub Date: March 28, 1966

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Duell, Sloan & Pearce

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1966

Categories: FICTION