Border Incident (1949)

Director:

Anthony Mann

Writers:

John C. Higgins (screenplay)
John C. Higgins (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

28 October 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Film-Noir | Thriller

Plot:

Mexican and American federal agents tackle a vicious gang exploiting illegal farm workers in southern California.

Plot Keywords:

California | Farm | Mexico | Smuggling | Federal Agent

Cast

Ricardo Montalban	...	Pablo Rodriguez
George Murphy	...	Jack Bearnes
Howard Da Silva	...	Owen Parkson
James Mitchell	...	Juan Garcia
Arnold Moss	...	Zopilote
Alfonso Bedoya	...	Cuchillo
Teresa Celli	...	Maria
Charles McGraw	...	Jeff Amboy
José Torvay	...	Pocoloco (as Jose Torvay)
John Ridgely	...	Mr. Neley
Arthur Hunnicutt	...	Clayton Nordell
Sig Ruman	...	Hugo Wolfgang Ulrich
Otto Waldis	...	Fritz
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Harry Antrim	...	John MacReynolds (uncredited)
Lita Baron	...	Rosita (uncredited)
Tony Barr	...	Luis (uncredited)
Robert Cabal	...	Bracero (uncredited)
Frank Conlan	...	Postal Clerk (uncredited)
Miguel Contreras	...	Bracero (uncredited)
David Cota	...	Bracero (uncredited)
George L. Derrick	...	Bracero (uncredited)
Joe Dominguez	...	Bracero (uncredited)
Gerald Echaverria	...	The Padre (uncredited)
Henry A. Escalante	...	Mexican Sergeant (uncredited)
Elias Gamboa	...	Bracero (uncredited)
Martin Garralaga	...	Colonel Rafael Alvardo (uncredited)
Fred Graham	...	Leathercoat with motorcycle (uncredited)
Gordon Harris	...	Bandit (uncredited)
Al Haskell	...	Bracero (uncredited)
Samuel Herrera	...	Bracero (uncredited)
Rozene Jones	...	Señora (uncredited)
Jack Lambert	...	Chuck (uncredited)
Mitchell Lewis	...	Older Bracero (uncredited)
Manuel López	...	Mexican Lieutenant (uncredited)
Knox Manning	...	Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Paul Marion	...	One-Armed Man (uncredited)
Edwin Max	...	Doc Bryler (uncredited)
John McGuire	...	Norson, Immigration Officer (uncredited)
William 'Bill' Phillips	...	Jim, the Signalman (uncredited)
Jerry Riggio	...	Bracero (uncredited)
Charles Rivero	...	Bracero (uncredited)
Riley Sunrise	...	Bandit (uncredited)
Danilo Valente	...	Bracero (uncredited)
Lynn Whitney	...	Bella Amboy (uncredited)
Roque Ybarra	...	Bracero (uncredited)
Georgiana Young	...	Woman (uncredited)
Nedrick Young	...	Happy (uncredited)

Directed by
Anthony Mann

Writing credits
John C. Higgins		(screenplay)
John C. Higgins		(story) and
George Zuckerman		(story)

Produced by
Nicholas Nayfack	....	producer

Original Music by
André Previn		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
John Alton

Film Editing by
Conrad A. Nervig

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons
Hans Peters

Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis

Makeup Department
Jack Dawn	....	makeup designer

Art Department
Ralph S. Hurst	....	associate set decorator

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording supervisor

Music Department
André Previn	....	musical director
Robert Franklyn	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Robert Franklyn	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Miklós Rózsa	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1949) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1951) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Canada) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (certificate #13741) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Goofs:

Continuity: Near movie's end, Pablo Rodriguez (Montalban) is almost fully submerged in quicksand. However, immediately upon being pulled out, he looks like he's had a shower; the quicksand that had been on his face and hair is completely gone.

Quotes:

Zopilote:What is cheaper than time, senor? Everybody has the same amount.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Some of the Best: Twenty-Five Years of Motion Picture Leadership (1949)

Pure cinema

At the outset here, I have to ask, Who cares if this is a film noir or not? If not, does it detract from it? If it is, does that enhance it as a work of art? Of course it doesn't, the debate is arbitrary and nonsensical. It makes no difference. Film noir was not a concept until the 1960's anyway, so the discussion is not only irrelevant, it is decidedly un-academic.

First and foremost, 'Border Incident' is a miraculously involving, dynamic piece of cinema. The voice-overs in the beginning and the one at the end have dated really badly with their flag-waving patriotism and faux-documentary style, but the 75 minutes in the middle are riveting.

Ricardo Montalban and George Murphy are detectives, respectively Mexican and American, with a mission to protect the Mexican braceros, farm workers, who are smuggled over the border and robbed, murdered and dropped in the quicksand, when they come back with money in their pockets. They infiltrate themselves into the the band of cutthroats to stop the trafficking.

The theme is contemporary to us, to say the least. And the way the story is told is relentless, stylish and urgent. It is brilliantly shot, wonderfully lit and edited like no-one's business. And it is tough as nails, there is a gruesome scene involving some farm machinery ... I will not go into details, but you might want to put your kids to bed in time.

A truly great movie, pure cinema. And call it what you want, for all I care. Noir, western-noir, whatever.