Song of the Gringo (1936)

Tex is sent to investigate miners being killed and their mines confiscated. The culprit is Evans and after Tex joins the gang, he is sent to kill two more miners. When Estaban is killed, Tex is put on trial for all three murders.

Director:

John P. McCarthy (as John McCarthy)

Writers:

John P. McCarthy (screenplay) (as John McCarthy), Robert Emmett Tansey (screenplay) (as Robert Emmett)

Stars:

Tex Ritter, Ted Adams, White Flash

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Tex Ritter	...	Tex
White Flash	...	White Flassh
Joan Woodbury	...	Lolita Valle
Ted Adams	...	Evans
Fuzzy Knight	...	Zony
Monte Blue	...	Sheriff
Warner Richmond	...	Henchman Cherokee
Al J. Jennings	...	Judge (as Al Jennings)
Martin Garralaga	...	Don Esteban Valle
William Desmond	...	Bailiff
Forrest Taylor	...	Prosecuting Attorney
Robert Fiske	...	Defense Attorney
José Pacheco	...	Orchestra Leader
Rosa Rey	...	Rosita - the Maid
José Pacheco and his Continental Orchestra	...	Fiesta Orchestra

Storyline

For Tex Ritter's first starring film Producer Edward Finney and director J.P.McCarthy chose to do a remake of a 1930's "Oklahoma Cyclone" which McCarthy had directed and Wellyn Totman wrote. McCarthy brought Totman's original along, Robert Tansey adapted it and he and McCarthy shared story and screenplay credit, and Finney added ex-outlaw Al Jennings name to it for whatever value it may have added. ("Very little" Finney wrote in a 1976 letter.) The story differs little (since "Oklahoma Cyclone" also had several songs, including the mincing "He a Lavender Cowboy" which died a quick deserved death in the first version) in that a young U.S.Deputy Marshal (Tex Ritter) hunting for his missing father, poses as a wanted outlaw and is chased by a posse into the rancho hacienda of Don Estaban Valle (Martin Garralaga) where he takes refuge in the bedroom of Lolita Valle (Joan Woodbury), the Don's daughter. She hides him from the searching sheriff (Monte Blue) and Evans (Ted Adams) the manager ...

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Plot Keywords:

b movie | b western | poverty row film | low budget film | song | 

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Taglines:

HEAR TEX SING "My Sweet Chiquita","Out on the Lone Prairie" and other famous songs. (original print ad)

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Music | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 November 1936 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Old Corral

Filming Locations:

Monogram Ranch - 24715 Oak Creek Avenue, Newhall, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Boots and Saddles Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

62 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Real-life train robber Al J. Jennings was hired to teach Tex Ritter how to handle his guns.

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Quotes

Cherokee: You know, boys, it would be right peaceful here if this whinin' and playin' suddenly stopped.
Tex: [continues to strum his guitar] That reminds me of an hombre I once knew... always braggin' about how tough he was, and how fast he was on the draw. He and I had a crush on the same girl. 'Course it was no contest... my singin' and good looks cinched it. She fell for me. The showdown came when I was singin' a song he didn't like. I told him to go for his gun. Now considerin' everything, he was powerful ...

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Connections

Remake of The Oklahoma Cyclone (1930)

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Soundtracks

Out on the Lone Prairie
(1936) (uncredited)
Music an Lyrics by Harry Miller
Sung by Tex Ritter

User Reviews

Good Debut Performance By Tex Ritter

This first film by Tex sets the template for further Ritter adventures, with the easygoing Tex, who's as quick with a song as he is with his six-shooters, a government agent who goes undercover to bust a gang of bad guys while still finding time for romance.

Tex is great as usual, rising above the okay but unspectacular material, while singing some fantastic songs.

There's some nicely photographed, atmospheric scenes early on, as a bearded Ritter, trying to sure up his outlaw credentials, takes refuge from a posse in the house of the gang leader, during a violent thunderstorm.

The highlight of the film definitely has to be Tex's spirited rendition of Jack 'o Diamonds (a.k.a. Rye Whiskey).

Leading lady Joan Woodbury looks very nice too.