A Message to Garcia (1936)

Based on the actual event of Rowan's carrying a message from President McKinley to Garcia in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. The parts of Dory and Raphalita are added.

Director:

George Marshall

Writers:

Gene Fowler, Sam Hellman,

Stars:

Wallace Beery, Barbara Stanwyck, John Boles

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Wallace Beery	...	Sgt. Dory
Barbara Stanwyck	...	Raphaelita Maderos
John Boles	...	Lt. Andrew Rowan
Alan Hale	...	Dr. Ivan Krug
Herbert Mundin	...	Henry Piper
Mona Barrie	...	Spanish Spy
Enrique Acosta	...	General Calixto García
Juan Torena	...	Luís Maderos
Martin Garralaga	...	Rodríguez
Blanca Vischer	...	Chiquita
José Luis Tortosa	...	Pasquale Castova
Lucio Villegas	...	Commandant
Frederick Vogeding	...	German Stoker
Pat Moriarity	...	Irish Stoker
Octavio Giraud	...	Spanish Commandant

Storyline

Based on the actual event of Rowan's carrying a message from President McKinley to Garcia in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. The parts of Dory and Raphalita are added.

---

Plot Keywords:

spanish american war | cuba | melodrama | 19th century | sergeant | 

---

Genres:

Drama | Romance

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 April 1936 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die Botschaft an Garcia

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

20th Century Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

77 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The real life incident on which the film is supposedly based, but to which it bears no factual resemblance whatsoever, involved Lieutenant Rowan's relatively safe trip to Cuba carrying an oral (not written) message to General Garcia from President McKinley that the United States was declaring war on Spain and was eager to have Garcia's cooperation.

---

Goofs

Barbara Stanwyck, though supposedly Cuban, speaks Spanish with an American accent, and English with no accent whatsoever.

---

Connections

Version of A Message to Garcia (1916)

User Reviews

I think the person in charge of casting this film was out of his mind!!

"A Message to Garcia" has the sort of insane casting that was not very uncommon during Hollywood's golden age. Think about it--Barbara Stanwyck plays a Cuban woman! And, Wallace Beery plays an American living in Cuba for ten years...which sounds plausible except that he knows almost no Spanish at all!!! What was the studio thinking?! Surely they could have gotten some folks more suited to these roles! And, surely Stanwyck could have at least tried to put on some sort of non-American accent!!

This film is set in the period just before the Spanish-American War in 1898. The President of the US has sent an emissary (John Boles) to Cuba on a secret mission to deliver a message to the leader of the Cuban rebel army led by General Garcia. The problem is locating the guy. After all, it's not like Garcia wants anyone to find him--otherwise the Spanish army would have quickly captured him! Once in Cuba, Boles is assisted both by Stanwyck and Beery during a long trek through the jungle. Oddly, folks seem to die several times during this journey--only to amazingly appear later in the movie! Pretty weird! Overall, this is a dopey movie. Surprisingly, its best aspect is Beery's broad acting because he does bring some energy and humor to the film--two things otherwise lacking in the movie. A rather limp film in most ways--surely the studio could have done better.

By the way, after writing this review I listened to Robert Osborne (of Turner Classic Movies) talk about this film. Apparently it was a bomb at the box office--reviewers and the public just wouldn't accept Stanwyck in such a ridiculous role! I would rank this one up there with John Wayne as Genghis Khan and Clark Gable as the Irish leader, Charles Stewart Parnell, or Katharine Hepburn as a Chinese woman in "Dragon Seed". It's a film she clearly should have been ashamed of, as she was the worst thing about it.