Monday, August 3, 2015

Ride The Pink Horse (1947)

(SLWB - May 26, 2012)

   
Director Robert Montgomery, starring Robert Montgomery, Thomas Gomez, Fred Clark, Wanda Hendrix, Art Smith, Andrea King, and John Doucette in an unaccredited part.



Lucky Gagin (Montgomery), arrives in a New Mexico Town looking for shady politico Frank Hugo (Clark) to square a double cross that Hugo pulled on his partner. Also tailing Hugo is Bill Retz (Smith) a G-Man, who spots Gagin when he arrives on the Greyhound bus.



Gagin meets Pancho at the Cantina de Las Tres Violettas


There is a big fiesta in town and as a result Gagin can't find a room at any of the hotels which in a round about way leads him to meeting Pila a young Native American/Mexican girl (Hendrix) who is somewhat of a seer and healer, and Pancho (Gomez) the owner & operator of the Tio Vivo Carousel. Gangster Gagin is a fish out of water in the Hispanic/Indio culture but his straight forward honesty and generosity wins him the respect of the locals. Pancho takes him under his wing and Pila watches out for him as he navigates around the unfamiliar territory. Andre King plays a wanna be femme fatale that Gagin doesn't fall for. But nevertheless he is tricked into an ambush by her

King at first mmeeting with Gagin


King Making her pitch to double cross Hugo


The signal for the ambush


Pancho


Pila


Pila finding and assisting Montgomery who has been stabbed in the back.


Pila and Gagin escaping from the assassins


Gagin at the Bus Terminal


Art Smith & Montgomery


A great noir sequence develops when Pancho is beaten as he runs the carousel as the children riding it watch.


Fred Clark as Frank Hugo the sleazy hearing aide wearing politician


A very good film with engaging characters, Gomez shines, Montgomery, Smith and Hendrix are great, Clark is a convincing slimy politician. Shot partly on location in New Mexico, 8/10  

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