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

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:

Jeanne Starr: This town looks as if it's full of men who step on baby chickens.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hollywood Wonderland (1947)

Soundtrack:

Oh, My Darling Clementine

In The Alamo Ruins

After a layoff of four years from the American west, Errol Flynn returns to the western genre in a stylish film about post Civil War Texas and a man looking for some justice for himself and his fellow cattle ranchers. Errol's been in exile in Mexico, but he's back now with the evidence against cattle rustling Paul Kelly who is the local boss of the San Antonio area.

Flynn makes it to San Antonio and in the process hooks up with entertainer Alexis Smith and her two retainers Florence Bates and S.Z. Sakall, a pair of the biggest scene stealers that the movies ever had. Smith is appearing at Kelly's saloon there, courtesy of his partner Victor Francen for whom she worked back in New Orleans. Francen's an ambitious sort and wants to cash in Kelly's other businesses besides the saloon. So we've got two villains working their own agendas at cross purposes whom Flynn has to deal with.

Errol Flynn did a total of eight westerns, but only San Antonio got any kind of recognition from the Academy. San Antonio was nominated for two Oscars, for Art&Set Decoration for a color film and for Best Song with Some Sunday Morning which Alexis Smith sings in a saloon scene. The song is a good one, Dick Haymes had a record of it that sold quite a bit back in the day.

All the cast had to keep on their toes with both Florence Bates and S.Z. Sakall in the cast. Especially 'Cuddles' Sakall. Part of the plot involves Sakall witnessing the murder of Flynn's friend and ally John Litel and being intimidated by the bad guys. With his eye rolling and fractured English, Sakall is at his best in San Antonio.

For the traditional western fan there's enough gunplay and fights to satisfy anyone. Flynn has a nice triangular shootout with both Kelly and Francen at the Alamo ruins, each man trying to get the other two for their own reasons. I say ruins because the chapel had not been restored yet as a historical monument as it is now in downtown San Antonio.

As for the film, San Antonio is a most satisfying western for both fans of the genre and Errol Flynn.