Rose of the Rio Grande (1938)

Director:

William Nigh

Writers:

Johnston McCulley (story)
Ralph Gilbert Bettison (screenplay)

Release Date:

16 March 1938 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Music | Romance | War | Western

Tagline:

Thrill to Songs of Romance --- "Song of the Rose" - Ride, Amigos, Ride" - "What Care I" (original poster)

Plot:

It is Mexico in the 1830's...a Mexico torn by warfare, whose rightful aristocratic rulers are trying to wrest it back from its conquerors...

Plot Keywords:

Mexico | Victory | Warfare | Rebel | Looting

Cast

  (Credited cast)

John Carroll	...	El Gato
Movita	...	Rosita del Torre
Antonio Moreno	...	Captain Lugo
Don Alvarado	...	Don Jose del Torre
Lina Basquette	...	Anita
George Cleveland	...	Pedro
Duncan Renaldo	...	Sebastian
Gino Corrado	...	Castro
Martin Garralaga	...	Luis
Rosa Turich	...	Maria

Runtime:

61 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Finland:K-16

Company:

Monogram Pictures

Soundtrack:

What Care I?

John (Zorro Rides Again-1937) Carroll plays "Zorro" as "El Gato" this time out.

Republic still had the rights to Johnston McCulley's "Zorro" character but that posed no problem for author McCulley...just re-work the story and change the character name...and now 1938 Monogram has their own version, albeit "El Gato" fights for the silk-shirt aristocrats this time out: It is Mexico in the 1830's...a Mexico torn by warfare, whose rightful aristocratic rulers(say what?) are trying to wrest it back from its peon conquerors (say what, again.) But, alas, efforts are in vain as the rebels, headed by the bandit, Captain Lugo (Antonio Moreno), ravage the countryside, burning, looting, spreading terror and death. But....HOPE lives again as a new leader rises, with a song of victory on his lips. He is "El Gato" (John Carroll)---champion of the oppressed, unmerciful to those without mercy...and ruthless in his determination to rid his native land of her spoilers.

But when the 'del Torre hacienda' is burned and "El Gato" saves the life of young Don Jose Torre (Don Alvarado), he learns that Jose's sister, Rosita (Movita), is on the way to the border with the del Torre jewels. Knowing she must pass the rebel camp at Cuedabra, "El Gato" ambushes a high general, Castro (Gino Corrado) of the peon army, and takes his place in disguise to save Rosita, and the family jewels, to complete his revenge.

Carroll sings two Charles Rosoff-Eddie Cherkose songs along the way---"Song of the Rose" and "Ride, Amigos, Ride" (which Monogram later wore out in their series of mid-40's Cisco Kid westerns starring Gilbert Roland and, later, Duncan Renaldo), and he and Movita duet on a third Rosoff-Cherkose song called "What Care I"