Dry Western:Day #280 - In Old Caliente (1939)
Viewed October 7, 2006
In Old Caliente is a formulaic western starring a pre-Dale Evens Roy Rogers and his usual sidekick from this era, George ‘Gabby’ Hayes. The most interesting aspect of the film is the portrayal of racial tensions between the Hispanic populace and incoming white settlers.
It’s basically a typical story of treachery and misunderstanding, where the good guys are blamed for the deeds of the villains. It’s the racial aspect that sets things apart as the decent, but untrusting Don Vargas (Frank Puglia), who doesn’t trust white men but has faith in Roy, is led to believe that his gold has been robbed by a group of settlers that included Gabby and his niece Jean (played by Lynne Roberts aka Mary Hart). When Roy sides with the settlers, things turn for the worse until the treachery in Vargas’ own camp is revealed.
Now, I’ve seen plenty of Roy Rogers movies, but I don’t think I’ve seen one this old before (it was made only four years after Roy started in Hollywood and only a year after he adopted the “Roy Rogers” name). What stood out to me was how poor an actor he is in this picture. He certainly has charisma and a nice voice, but I’m somewhat surprised he was able to get by on that alone. As shown in later films, such as Son of Paleface (a personal favorite of mine), Rogers eventually became a fine actor, if not a great one. But he sure hasn’t got it here.
The story, as mentioned, is run-of-the-mill, but the underlying tensions are interesting ground for a western of the time. It is, however, worth noting that while both the Hispanic and white populations are shown to be basically decent at their core, no mention is given to the American Indians seen throughout. It’s interesting to see these people, who had their land taken from them by the Spanish, standing around while Don Vargas complains about the white men trying to take his land. Also, the main villain is a “half breed” (don’t blame me, it’s the term they use). Both sides of the tension treat him with contempt, apparently purely for being of mixed blood. Also, Roy is shown to essentially throw over Don Vargas’ daughter in favor of Jean, without much of a thought. It kind of sends a mixed message about tolerance and equality of man.
In Old Caliente just doesn’t have enough going for it to recommend. The story and performances are lackluster and the one thing that could have saved it, it’s somewhat uncommon point of view, is watered down by muddled thinking. With a career as long as Roy’s, there are plenty of better choices if you’re in the mood to see him. I’d start with Son of Paleface, myself.