¡Ay, qué tiempos señor don Simón!

Julio Bracho organized and directed workers in stage productions financed by the government, during the enthusiastic early years of the Mexican revolution, before he made his first film. In a strange move, Bracho directed this musical comedy that has not aged very well. "¡Ay qué tiempos señor don Simón!" illustrates the spirit of the Mexican bourgeoisie that preferred to maintain the social order during Porfirio Díaz's dictatorship, than accepting the populist winds of change that confronted their old ways.

The film was a huge success. It made fun of the Mexican urban society of late 19th century and criticized its moral values, as a widow is expelled from the League of Decency for attending a show "for men only" to spy on her suitor. In the end, everything falls into place, the discreet charm wins, and they all live happily ever after. One of many comedies that illustrates the so-called "Porfirian cinema".