Viva Villa! (1934)

In this fictionalized biography, young Pancho Villa takes to the hills after killing an overseer in revenge for his father's death. In 1910, he befriends American reporter Johnny Sykes. ... See full summary »

Director:

Jack Conway

Writers:

Ben Hecht (screen play), Edgecumb Pinchon (suggested by the book by),

Stars:

Wallace Beery, Leo Carrillo, Fay Wray

Won 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Wallace Beery	...	Pancho Villa
Leo Carrillo	...	Sierra
Fay Wray	...	Teresa
Donald Cook	...	Don Felipe de Castillo
Stuart Erwin	...	Jonny Sykes
Henry B. Walthall	...	Francisco Madero
Joseph Schildkraut	...	Gen. Pascal
Katherine DeMille	...	Rosita Morales (as Katherine de Mille)
George E. Stone	...	Emilio Chavito
Phillip Cooper	...	Pancho Villa as a Boy
David Durand	...	Bugle Boy
Frank Puglia	...	Pancho Villa's Father
Ralph Bushman	...	Wallace Calloway (as Francis X. Bushman Jr.)
Adrian Rosley	...	Alphonso Mendoza
Henry Armetta	...	Alfredo Mendosa

Storyline

In this fictionalized biography, young Pancho Villa takes to the hills after killing an overseer in revenge for his father's death. In 1910, he befriends American reporter Johnny Sykes. Then a meeting with visionary Francisco Madero transforms Villa from an avenging bandit to a revolutionary general. To the tune of 'La Cucaracha,' his armies sweep Mexico. After victory, Villa's bandit-like disregard for human life forces Madero to exile him. But Madero's fall brings Villa back to raise the people against a new tyrant...

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Plot Keywords:

army | reporter | general | pancho villa | bandit | 

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Taglines:

20,000 flaming headlines leap to life as this epic drama flashes across the screens of the nation!

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Genres:

Biography | Western

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 April 1934 (USA)

Also Known As:

Viva Villa

Filming Locations:

Chihuahua, Mexico

Box Office

Budget:

$1,017,400 (estimated)

Gross:

$1,109,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min 110 min (Turner library print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

UK audiences complained about the title, misinterpreting it as being a foreign language film. An alternative title was suggested - "Robin Hood of the Rio Grande" - but David O. Selznick said no.

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Quotes

Bugle boy: [plays the "battle charge" on the bugle, and stops]
Pancho Villa: Play some more!
Bugle boy: That is all I know.
Pancho Villa: [laughs] That's okay. That's all you'll need!

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Connections

Referenced in 3 Men and a Baby (1987)

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Soundtracks

"Madre Mia"
(1934) (uncredited)
Written by Herbert Stothart
Lyrics by Henry H. Tobias
Sung by uncredited woman

User Reviews

Deleted scenes exist

In various venues, I've read some film writers' claims that the whipping of Fay Wray's character, while she laughs, was deleted due to the newly enforced production code at the time of this film's release. This claim is not accurate. The current TCM copy doesn't show this scene, however, the full whipping scene was regularly shown, in the 1960s, on either NYC station WNEW 5 or WCBS 2 whenever "Viva Villa" was aired. Another now-deleted scene showed Leo Carillo's character lining up captured federal soldiers, three at a time, front to back, and executing them with one bullet in order to save ammunition. I remember thinking how violent this film was for its time.