Post by teleadm on Jul 1, 2021 19:12:45 GMT
Robin Hood of El Dorado 1936 with Warner Baxter as Joaquin Murrieta, a real historical person, though I wouldn't call it a biopic, what real facts that might be here could be called purely incidental.
As it's directed by William A Wellman, it is a well made and rather good action western, taking place in California at the early days of the gold rush. It takes a rather sympathetic view of why Murrieta became what in more modern words could be called a Guerrilla leader fighting the Americanos. Murrieta's wife is raped, though it never mentioned as such, the indications are certainly there and there is a mass slaughter of people, so it doesn't feel like it would fit into the matinee markets of it's day, in some aspects it's too mature.
If one can overcome a few obstacles, as seen by more modern eyes, like all major latin characters are portrayed by non-latin actors. In the opening scenes the Mexicans are living a carefree life singing, dancing, kissing, drinking before the gold rush, those scenes seems more fitting or belonging to an operetta by some Viennese composer. Look at the the clothes in the pic, it's hardly warfare clothes, but could work in a Jeanette MacDonald/Nelson Eddy movie.
Yet it was actually a well crafted and rather good action western that at least took me by surprise.