Thin Like Tortillas

An original TV drama presented by the Speech and Drama Department of San Jose State College and broadcast live at 4:30pm on November 14, 1954 by KPIX-TV. Set among Mexican migrant workers in the Santa Clara Valley during the Depression years of 1935-36, we follow idealistic lovers Maria (played by Sandra Teboe) and Salvador (played by Joe LoBue), as they fall in love, get married, and face personal tragedy, brought on by Salvador's congenital heart disease and love of playing music. This production was the first to employ some of the new equipment recently installed at KPIX's studios on Van Ness, in San Francisco. There was an intensive, 5-week rehearsal schedule and the 8 sets designed by Rollin Buckman were transported from San Jose to KPIX. This drama was written by Olive Engwicht, directed by Robert I. Guy and the rest of the cast were also played by students: Bob Shehtanian; Orza Williams; Dan Douglas; Jeri Welch; Frank Tehan; Janet Elser; George Priest; Bill Ingalls; Tom Bonetti; Bob Weis; Joan Bambauer; Gay Muse; Miki Murphy; Gretchen Given; Honey Putz; Gary Waller; Waltert Robinson; Matt Mattingly; Jim Houston and Wanita Wilent (sourced from the Peninsula Times Tribune). The title is taken from a line spoken at the start of this drama, by Maria's mother: "Believe me, music makes very thin tortillas." Maria, who has already fallen in love with fiddle player Salvador, replies: "Music isn't dreaming. Well, it's life and hope and a kind of wild happiness." Thanks to the Director of San Jose State's Special Collections and Archives Craig Simpson, who provided useful background context for this production, sourced from local newspapers and their student newspaper. Note that the opening 30-seconds of dialogue are spoken in Spanish, before it switches to being spoken exclusively in English. Opening graphic designed by Carrie Hawks. This 16mm b&w kinescope film print was scanned in 4K (4096 x 2970) using a Lasergraphics ScanStation film scanner, in September 2026.