You're going to have to get over the fact that in Old Hollywood, white actors were cast as ethnic characters. It happened; there's nothing we can do to change the celluloid. In Bordertown, Paul Muni plays a Mexican who gets his United States citizenship and tries to build a new life for himself. If it makes you feel better, Paul hated getting cast in these parts, and after The Good Earth, he chose not to renew his studio contract for that reason.
If you can get past that, Bordertown is a pretty poignant movie. Paul's emotional range behind the character is genuine and heartfelt, earning him a well-deserved Hot Toasty Rag nomination. You're going to need your Kleenexes during this movie. His raw style of acting wasn't commonplace in the early thirties, and I'm always impressed by how modern he seemed.
Paul and his mother, Soledad Jimenez, are incredibly proud of his new citizenship. His goal is to become a lawyer to help out poor Mexican families who too often get a bad deal in court. Paul works hard, passes the bar, hangs out his shingle, only to be humiliated during his first court case. Margaret Linsday, a spoiled rich woman, wins the case because she hired a rich, white lawyer. Time after time, Paul gets obstacles put in his path to decency and giving back to his community until he throws in the towel and becomes a nightclub owner. There he meets floozy Bette Davis and her clueless husband Eugene Pallette, where things take an even greater turn for the worse. . .
Paul Muni fans can rent this movie for another great performance, but if you're looking for a solid Bette Davis performance, this isn't it. No one would ever guess she could act if they saw her in this movie.
