In this lavish musical coming-of-age story, Jane Powell stars as Christine Evans, the teenage daughter of the U.S. ambassador to Mexico. Christine throws herself into planning a huge party for her father, Jeffrey (Walter Pidgeon), securing bandleader Jose Iturbi (playing himself) as one of the entertainers. But her father's growing involvement with an old flame makes Christine feel neglected, and she convinces herself she's fallen in love with the much older Iturbi while ignoring the affections of her young friend Stanley (Roddy McDowall).
Powell's beautiful voice is showcased in a number of songs, including "Ave Maria," Iturbi gets ample opportunity to demonstrate his mastery of the piano, Xavier Cugat and his band set fire to several high-energy Latin numbers, and future Cuban leader Fidel Castro shows up as a teenager in a crowd scene. Director George Sidney (VIVA LAS VEGAS) orchestrates HOLIDAY IN MEXICO with characteristic flair, adding another sparkling, fun-filled production to his canon of colorful musical extravaganzas.