Embittered when prejudice cuts short his nascent law career, once-idealistic Johnny Ramirez leaves his home in Los Angeles and ends up in Mexico. He quickly becomes the invaluable ...
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Title: Bordertown (1935)
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Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Paul Muni | ... | Johnny Ramirez | |
| Bette Davis | ... | Marie Roark | |
| Margaret Lindsay | ... | Dale Elwell | |
| Eugene Pallette | ... | Charlie Roark | |
| Robert Barrat | ... | Padre | |
| Soledad Jiménez | ... | Mrs. Ramirez (as Soledad Jimenez) | |
| Hobart Cavanaugh | ... | Harry | |
| Gavin Gordon | ... | Brook Manville | |
| William B. Davidson | ... | Dr. Carter (as William Davidson) | |
| Arthur Stone | ... | Manuel Diego | |
| Vivian Tobin | ... | Mrs. Garner | |
| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
 |
Carmen Gould | ||
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Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
Storyline
Embittered when prejudice cuts short his nascent law career, once-idealistic Johnny Ramirez leaves his home in Los Angeles and ends up in Mexico. He quickly becomes the invaluable second-in-command to Charlie Roark, the owner of a border-town casino. But Roark's wife falls hard for Johnny and goes to great lengths to make him hers, which sets in motion more perilous events. Written by Determined Copy Editor
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Details
Country:
USARelease Date:
23 January 1935 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
A Barreira See more »Filming Locations:
La Placita Our Lady Queen of Angels - 535 North Main Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA See more »Company Credits
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IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
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(1933) (uncredited)
Music by Lorenzo Barcelata
Played at the beginning and often in the score
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Nella Walker is on record for the part of Mrs. Elwell, but she did not appear in the film. 'Henry O'Neill' is on record for the part of Mr. Elwell, but he played the role of Attorney J.L. Chase. A modern source lists Eddie Shubert as Marketman, but he was not seen in the print. See more »Goofs
When Johnny shows Marie to her car, the shadow of the camera is visible on the car door. See more »Quotes
Marie Roark: The only fun I get is feeding the goldfish, and they only eat once a day.See more »
Soundtracks
Maria Elena(1933) (uncredited)
Music by Lorenzo Barcelata
Played at the beginning and often in the score
See more »
Frequently Asked Questions
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"Bordertown" is the story of a Mexican attorney, Johnny Ramirez, and his fight to make something of himself and realize the American dream. Who better to portray him than the Jewish Paul Muni. After physically attacking another attorney during a disastrous court appearance, Johnny becomes a bouncer in a nightclub. However, his brains, ability, and negotiation expertise come to the attention of his boss, Roark (Eugene Palette), who agrees to bring him in as a partner. Johnny has also come to the attention of Marie Roark (Bette Davis), the restless wife of the boss, and she throws herself at him. Johnny, however, has fallen for Dale (Margaret Lindsay), a socialite. Marie kills her husband, and when he rejects her again, she tells the police that Johnny killed Roark.
Paul Muni was an excellent actor whose style of acting is perhaps dated by today's standards. He could disappear into his roles, often to great effect, but unfortunately, he doesn't disappear enough into Johnny Ramirez. His portrayal is over the top and his accent is bad. The standout is Bette Davis, young and pretty, as the unstable wife. Just off her great success in "Of Human Bondage," which was a loanout by Warners, she demonstrates here how well she takes charge of the screen.
Most of the characters are pretty stereotypical. "Bordertown" is badly dated but worth seeing for its early Bette Davis performance.