In Old Caliente (1939)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Joseph Kane

Writers:

Norman Houston (story)
Norman Houston (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

19 June 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Plot:

Americans come west to California in the hope of peaceful settlement. Roy and Gabby sing a duet: "We're...

Plot Keywords:

Horse

Cast

Roy Rogers	...	Roy Rogers
Lynne Roberts	...	Jean Marshall (as Mary Hart)
George 'Gabby' Hayes	...	'Gabby' Whittaker
Jack La Rue	...	Sujarno
Katherine DeMille	...	Rita Vargas
Frank Puglia	...	Don José Vargas
Harry Woods	...	'Curly' Calkins
Paul Marion	...	Carlos Vargas (as Paul Marian)
Ethel Wales	...	Aunt Felicia
Merrill McCormick	...	Pedro

Runtime:

USA:57 min | USA:54 min (edited version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA High Fidelity)

Certification:

USA:Approved

Filming Locations:

Agoura, California, USA

Company:

Republic Pictures (I)

Goofs:

Anachronisms: This is evidently taking place in the 1840s, at the latest the 1850s, yet all handguns are revolvers, which weren't yet invented, and the cattle we see are Herefords. That breed wasn't introduced into North America until well after the Civil War.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Don José Vargas: Here they come, these Americanos and their covered wagons. Pedro, the days of the Dons are numbered.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Golden Saddles, Silver Spurs (2000) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The Moon, She Will Be Shining Tonight

When Cowboys Sing

Apart from the singing, the roles taken by Roy Rogers and John Wayne, that other stalwart of the 30s Hollywood B-movie, were practically interchangeable. They even shared the same co-star - George 'Gabby' Hayes - in a number of flicks, and both presented depression-era audiences with a fine example of clean-cut, presentable American manhood. Even in his early days, though, Wayne was more of a presence on screen, and it's kind of interesting to watch his on-screen persona develop throughout the 30s. Rogers, however, remained pretty static in terms of screen - and career - development, and was singing on Trigger until he hung up his spurs.

He's OK in this one, a solidly built Republic programmer, the storyline of which has been described by other reviewers. Although Republic never climbed out of 'Poverty Row' status they generally devoted enough care and attention to plotting and production standards to set them apart from other low-budget studios who were churning out dozens of oaters each year (Lone Star, for example). The setting of Spanish-Californian ranchers is a fairly unusual one for this type and era of movie, enabling the film to steer clear of most of the common stereotypes and plot clichés, and a decent plot is helped by good performances from a respectable supporting cast. Good use is made of the Californian countryside and coastline - and you will probably never see in any other film, dramatic or comedic, a bunch of cowboys puzzling over a ball made of pure gold...