San Antonio (1945)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

David Butler
(more)

Writers:

W.R. Burnett (writer)
Alan Le May (writer)

Release Date:

29 December 1945 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Western

Tagline:

Strong Men . . . Brave Men . . . Real Americans - and their Women!

Plot:

Tough dance hall girl working for the local villain falls for a cowboy trying to clean up the town. |

Plot Keywords:

Dance Hall | Texas | Stagecoach | San Antonio Texas | Rancher

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

Errol Flynn	...	Clay Hardin
Alexis Smith	...	Jeanne Starr
S.Z. Sakall	...	Sacha Bozic (as S.Z. "Cuddles" Sakall)
Victor Francen	...	Legare
Florence Bates	...	Henrietta
John Litel	...	Charlie Bell
Paul Kelly	...	Roy Stuart
Robert Shayne	...	Capt. Morgan
John Alvin	...	Pony Smith
Monte Blue	...	Cleve Andrews
Robert Barrat	...	Col. Johnson
Pedro de Cordoba	...	Ricardo Torreon
Tom Tyler	...	Lafe McWilliams
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eddie Acuff	...	Gawking cowboy (uncredited)
Victor Adamson	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Lane Chandler	...	Cowboy (uncredited)
Wallis Clark	...	Tip Brice (uncredited)
John Compton	...	Cowboy (uncredited)
Harry Cording	...	Hawker (uncredited)
Robert Dudley	...	The telegrapher (uncredited)
James Flavin	...	Cattleman (uncredited)
Francis Ford	...	Old cowboy greeting coach (uncredited)
William Gould	...	Wild cowman (uncredited)
Henry Hall	...	Cattleman (uncredited)
Poodles Hanneford	...	Stage Coach Driver (uncredited)
Al Hill	...	Hap Winters (uncredited)
Howard Hill	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Brandon Hurst	...	Gambler (uncredited)
Si Jenks	...	Station boss (uncredited)
Arnold Kent	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Brad King	...	Cowboy (uncredited)
Chris-Pin Martin	...	Hymie Rosas (uncredited)
Don McGuire	...	Cowboy (uncredited)
Johnny Miles	...	Cowboy (uncredited)
Jack Mower	...	Wild cowman (uncredited)
Otto Norman Olsen	...	Violin player (uncredited)
Paul Panzer	...	Laredo citizen (uncredited)
'Snub' Pollard	...	Dance extra (uncredited)
Harry Semels	...	Mexican (uncredited)
Dan Seymour	...	Laredo border guard (uncredited)
Harry Seymour	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Allen E. Smith	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Ray Spiker	...	Rebel White (uncredited)
William Steele	...	Roper (uncredited)
Charles Stevens	...	Sojer Harris (uncredited)
Hal Taliaferro	...	Cowboy (uncredited)
Eddy Waller	...	Cattleman (uncredited)
Doodles Weaver	...	Entertainer (uncredited)
Dan White	...	Joey Simms (uncredited)
Blackie Whiteford	...	The shotgun (uncredited)
Chalky Williams	...	Poker Player (uncredited)
Norman Willis	...	Jay Witherspoon (uncredited)

Directed by
David Butler
Robert Florey		(uncredited)
Raoul Walsh		(uncredited)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
W.R. Burnett		writer
Alan Le May		writer

Produced by
Robert Buckner	....	producer
Jack L. Warner	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Max Steiner

Cinematography by
Bert Glennon

Film Editing by
Irene Morra

Art Direction by
Ted Smith

Set Decoration by
Jack McConaghy

Costume Design by
Milo Anderson

Makeup Department
Perc Westmore	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William Kissell	....	assistant director (as Bill Kissell)

Sound Department
Everett A. Brown	....	sound (as E.A. Brown)

Special Effects by
Willard Van Enger	....	special effects

Stunts
Dick Hudkins	....	stunts
Bob Rose	....	stunts
George Suzanne	....	stunts
Cliff Lyons	....	stunt double: Errol Flynn (uncredited)
Ray Spiker	....	stunts (uncredited)
Buster Wiles	....	stunt double: Errol Flynn (uncredited)

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	musical director
Hugo Friedhofer	....	orchestral arrangements
Max Steiner	....	composer: opening fanfare (uncredited)

Other crew
Frederick De Cordova	....	dialogue director
Leonard Doss	....	associate technicolor color director
Clyde Hudkins Jr.	....	horse wrangler
Natalie Kalmus	....	technicolor color director
LeRoy Prinz	....	choreographer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1945) (USA) (theatrical)
• ClassicLine (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:15 | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Calabasas, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Quotes:

Clay Hardin: On the level. There's a desperate character on the loose...
Jeanne Starr: And his name's Clay Hardin.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hollywood Wonderland (1947)

Soundtrack:

Some Sunday Morning

Minor western filmed in gorgeous Technicolor...

Once it was established that ERROL FLYNN could fit the mold of a western hero (even with his Australian/British accent), his studio wasted no time in putting him through the paces of several westerns, the best of which was DODGE CITY ('39). By the time he did SAN ANTONIO, all the western clichés were pretty well used up, so what we have here is a routine storyline that gives Flynn a chance to play another one of his suave western heroes who romances the local dance hall girl (ALEXIS SMITH) so we get a chance to hear a couple of pretty tunes along the way.

It's a shame that Warners had so little faith in Alexis' singing prowess that they dubbed her voice for the musical interludes. She went on to become an accomplished dancer/singer on Broadway in the years ahead. Nicest number is "Some Sunday Morning" which actually got an Oscar nomination as Best Song.

The usual cast of competent Warner contract players is evident once again: John Litel, S.Z. Sakall, Paul Kelly, Tom Tyler (wasted in a small role), Florence Bates and Victor Francen. Conspicuously missing is Alan Hale, who usually played Flynn's sidekick.

With a jaunty score by Max Steiner (who borrows his own title theme from DODGE CITY), this is the kind of western you've seen many times before, but enhanced by some of the nicest Technicolor and set decorations to be seen in any Warner film of this period.

Errol Flynn fans will enjoy it as one of his lesser excursions into the western genre. Fast moving and breezy entertainment.