I admit, this is the first Flynn movie I have seen. I have long been intrigued by the actor's reputation: as THE dashing movie swashbuckler and dandy. After seeing San Antonio, I find that that reputation seems well earned. Flynn's Clay Hardin is a bit of a super-hero, tossing witty dialog right and left, outsmarting and outfighting bad guys, charming ladies effortlessly and looking swell throughout all. As Westerns go, it does not hold up well with the more dramatic and textured movies that started being made a few years later; the plot is not exactly the most believable and the film is loaded with perfectly stock characters (conniving cattleman, scheming Acadian, loyal father figure/partner, etc.). Then again, it is clearly a different sort of movie and I recommend it as that; a pulp Western, the sort of pulp that Indiana Jones is homage to, a story of villains, damsels, and one unstoppable roguish hero.
41 Reviews
Errol and Alexis
jotix1009 May 2007
"San Antonio", directed by David Butler must have been a vehicle for the handsome, and debonair Errol Flynn, who could do nothing wrong during that period of his career. Warner Bros. went all out to make this film that has a little bit of everything to please the fans of the Western genre.
The surprise of the film was Alexis Smith, who was at the height of her beauty at the time. She makes a wonderful Jeanne Starr, an entertainer, who is the center of attraction among the men one sees in the film. Not only was she a gorgeous woman who blended well with her screen partners, in this case with Mr. Flynn.
The supporting cast does good work under Mr. Butler's direction. The adorable S. Z. Sakall is wonderful as the conductor of the orchestra in the saloon where Jeanne plays. Also, Glorence Bates, an accomplished character actress appears as Jeanne's maid, Henrietta. Also in heavier roles Victor Francen and Paul Kelly do wonders with their evil roles.
"San Antonio" has kept its wonderful colors. Max Steiner's musical score also helps the action.
The surprise of the film was Alexis Smith, who was at the height of her beauty at the time. She makes a wonderful Jeanne Starr, an entertainer, who is the center of attraction among the men one sees in the film. Not only was she a gorgeous woman who blended well with her screen partners, in this case with Mr. Flynn.
The supporting cast does good work under Mr. Butler's direction. The adorable S. Z. Sakall is wonderful as the conductor of the orchestra in the saloon where Jeanne plays. Also, Glorence Bates, an accomplished character actress appears as Jeanne's maid, Henrietta. Also in heavier roles Victor Francen and Paul Kelly do wonders with their evil roles.
"San Antonio" has kept its wonderful colors. Max Steiner's musical score also helps the action.
No surprises
planktonrules31 January 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Despite being an Aussie, Warner Brothers had Errol Flynn play in many westerns over the years. Here, in a further effort to confuse the crap out of the audience, the casting gurus at the studio included Hungarian Cuddles Sakal and Belgian Victor Francen in this odd little western. Despite completely off the wall casting, the film is a pretty typical Flynn/Warners effort--worth seeing but not especially memorable.
The film begins with Flynn returning to San Antonio after having been driven away from the evil boss-man, Paul Kelly. Almost EVERY western of the era has a rich boss-man who is intent on running a particularly town, county or state and this one is no different. And, because Flynn is the handsome good guy, you know that by the end of the film he'll have defeated Kelly and his minions AND gotten the girl, Alexis Smith. None of it comes as any surprise at all...but, as usual, the acting and production values are very nice--nice enough that you can excuse Flynn's odd presence.
Decent dialog, a very repetitious theme song which was Oscar-nominated (it was a slow year) and decent acting. This is far from a must-see but also will no doubt please fans of classic Hollywood films.
By the way, the ending with Kelly's defeat is odd. While it looks like he might have died, this was far from certain AND Flynn didn't even bother to check! Odd, very odd.
The film begins with Flynn returning to San Antonio after having been driven away from the evil boss-man, Paul Kelly. Almost EVERY western of the era has a rich boss-man who is intent on running a particularly town, county or state and this one is no different. And, because Flynn is the handsome good guy, you know that by the end of the film he'll have defeated Kelly and his minions AND gotten the girl, Alexis Smith. None of it comes as any surprise at all...but, as usual, the acting and production values are very nice--nice enough that you can excuse Flynn's odd presence.
Decent dialog, a very repetitious theme song which was Oscar-nominated (it was a slow year) and decent acting. This is far from a must-see but also will no doubt please fans of classic Hollywood films.
By the way, the ending with Kelly's defeat is odd. While it looks like he might have died, this was far from certain AND Flynn didn't even bother to check! Odd, very odd.
"Where does a cowboy learn to talk like that?"
aramis-112-80488026 May 2023
Clay Hardin (Errol Flynn) is returning to . . . Where else? San Antonio! And he has evidence to convict a crooked cattle boss. But will he live to present it to the cavalry?
Flynn, a Texan by way of Tasmania, does nothing to disguise his accent. Who cares? We paid to see Flynn, not some actor.
Typical western tropes are on display: a saloon, for instance, large enough to hold a political convention.
S. Z. Sakall rides along for comic relief. It would be nice to see a few of Flynn's old companions, but alas. Doodles Weaver, however, pops up as a dance caller.
By 1945 Flynn is no longer young. He fought a hard war on the Warner soundstages. But the old Flynn charm is turned up full-force against saloon singer Alexis Smith, a strange-looking actress but hardly repellant.
On the good side we see a genuine rarity, a cow poke with a parrot (used for one joke). Then there's the lovely standard "One Sunday Morning."
And we get a glimpse or two of the Alamo. In 1945, after a hard-fought war against Hitler and his ilk, when so many Americans had loved ones buried abroad in the fight for worldwide freedom (including brothers of both my grandmother and grandfather), such reminders of American bravery and independence were heartening. And Flynn's character exemplified the ongoing American defiance to all little Hitlers.
"San Antonio" is not on anyone's list of the greatest movies ever made. But it's no disappointment for Flynn fans.
Flynn, a Texan by way of Tasmania, does nothing to disguise his accent. Who cares? We paid to see Flynn, not some actor.
Typical western tropes are on display: a saloon, for instance, large enough to hold a political convention.
S. Z. Sakall rides along for comic relief. It would be nice to see a few of Flynn's old companions, but alas. Doodles Weaver, however, pops up as a dance caller.
By 1945 Flynn is no longer young. He fought a hard war on the Warner soundstages. But the old Flynn charm is turned up full-force against saloon singer Alexis Smith, a strange-looking actress but hardly repellant.
On the good side we see a genuine rarity, a cow poke with a parrot (used for one joke). Then there's the lovely standard "One Sunday Morning."
And we get a glimpse or two of the Alamo. In 1945, after a hard-fought war against Hitler and his ilk, when so many Americans had loved ones buried abroad in the fight for worldwide freedom (including brothers of both my grandmother and grandfather), such reminders of American bravery and independence were heartening. And Flynn's character exemplified the ongoing American defiance to all little Hitlers.
"San Antonio" is not on anyone's list of the greatest movies ever made. But it's no disappointment for Flynn fans.
Rip-snortin' shoot-em-up
hildacrane5 April 2006
"San Antonio" is a lively movie, with a lot going for it: two very attractive leads who look good together, beautiful Technicolor, enjoyably unsubtle and melodic Max Steiner score, good villains. It's a Saturday-afternoon kind of film, best accompanied with a bucket of buttered popcorn. The script isn't inspired, but it moves, and the big fight sequence toward the end is quite spectacular and well choreographed, and made me really appreciate the contributions of stunt players in this kind of film.
Alexis Smith is gorgeous and well-costumed, if a bit reserved, and gets to lip-sync two very pretty songs. There was always something very identifiable about Warner Bros. orchestration for musical numbers--a cheeky brassiness. Errol Flynn is characteristically cheeky in his own slightly self-mocking way, as when he carries on a conversation while interspersing it with bits of a romantic song, also strumming a guitar. Florence Bates does a reprise of her "mentor to the female lead" from "Saratoga Trunk." Victor Francen and Paul Kelly make a good, hissable pair of bad guys.
Alexis Smith is gorgeous and well-costumed, if a bit reserved, and gets to lip-sync two very pretty songs. There was always something very identifiable about Warner Bros. orchestration for musical numbers--a cheeky brassiness. Errol Flynn is characteristically cheeky in his own slightly self-mocking way, as when he carries on a conversation while interspersing it with bits of a romantic song, also strumming a guitar. Florence Bates does a reprise of her "mentor to the female lead" from "Saratoga Trunk." Victor Francen and Paul Kelly make a good, hissable pair of bad guys.
Minor western filmed in gorgeous Technicolor...
Doylenf30 May 2006
Once it was established that ERROL FLYNN could fit the mold of a western hero (even with his Australian/British accent), his studio wasted no time in putting him through the paces of several westerns, the best of which was DODGE CITY ('39). By the time he did SAN ANTONIO, all the western clichés were pretty well used up, so what we have here is a routine storyline that gives Flynn a chance to play another one of his suave western heroes who romances the local dance hall girl (ALEXIS SMITH) so we get a chance to hear a couple of pretty tunes along the way.
It's a shame that Warners had so little faith in Alexis' singing prowess that they dubbed her voice for the musical interludes. She went on to become an accomplished dancer/singer on Broadway in the years ahead. Nicest number is "Some Sunday Morning" which actually got an Oscar nomination as Best Song.
The usual cast of competent Warner contract players is evident once again: John Litel, S.Z. Sakall, Paul Kelly, Tom Tyler (wasted in a small role), Florence Bates and Victor Francen. Conspicuously missing is Alan Hale, who usually played Flynn's sidekick.
With a jaunty score by Max Steiner (who borrows his own title theme from DODGE CITY), this is the kind of western you've seen many times before, but enhanced by some of the nicest Technicolor and set decorations to be seen in any Warner film of this period.
Errol Flynn fans will enjoy it as one of his lesser excursions into the western genre. Fast moving and breezy entertainment.
It's a shame that Warners had so little faith in Alexis' singing prowess that they dubbed her voice for the musical interludes. She went on to become an accomplished dancer/singer on Broadway in the years ahead. Nicest number is "Some Sunday Morning" which actually got an Oscar nomination as Best Song.
The usual cast of competent Warner contract players is evident once again: John Litel, S.Z. Sakall, Paul Kelly, Tom Tyler (wasted in a small role), Florence Bates and Victor Francen. Conspicuously missing is Alan Hale, who usually played Flynn's sidekick.
With a jaunty score by Max Steiner (who borrows his own title theme from DODGE CITY), this is the kind of western you've seen many times before, but enhanced by some of the nicest Technicolor and set decorations to be seen in any Warner film of this period.
Errol Flynn fans will enjoy it as one of his lesser excursions into the western genre. Fast moving and breezy entertainment.
Errol Flynn, Alexis Smith and "Cuddles" Sakall...two out of three's not bad
Terrell-46 September 2008
Warning: Spoilers
"You mean to tell me this little mud Indian village is San Antonio?" says the singer, Jeanne Starr (Alexis Smith), as her stagecoach swings into the plaza. "Oh, it's nice! You will like it!" bubbles her manager, Sacha Bozic (S. Z. Sakall). "As far as I'm concerned it's just another place full of wild savages." She's already met Clay Hardin (Errol Flynn), so we know the town can't be that bad. On the other hand, she has yet to encounter the movie's two murderous villains, Roy Stuart (Paul Kelly) and the smooth Legare (Victor Francen).
San Antonio is better than a routine western, but still not much more than a pleasant way to spend an hour and a half. It's the story of Clay Hardin and his determination to bring to justice the king pin of a ruthless rustling operation. Cattle are stolen, run across the Rio Grande to Mexico, resold in a sham scheme to obtain false documents, then brought back across and resold for big profits. Hardin, beaten and run off once, is determined to come back to San Antonio with the evidence he now has...a tally book of the cattle sales in Mexico, with names, dates, brands and prices. On his way back he has to deal with killers sent to stop him, a stage coach that carries Jeanne Starr on her way to an engagement at the Bella Union Music Hall in San Antonio, and, when the stage arrives, a face-to-face encounter with the tough Roy Stuart himself, the man behind it all. And not just Stuart. His partner is the smiling and unscrupulous Legare. We're in for shoot outs, back shots, bad odds and Alexis Smith singing a couple of songs.
The movie has solid production values, a creepy night-time shoot out in the ruins of the Alamo and one of the most entertaining, over-the-top shoot 'em ups, set in the Bella Union, I've ever seen. Men take bullets too fast to count, then bounce off the bar or grab their chests and fall to the floor. Mirrors shatter, a large, full bar quickly and loudly explodes into glass shards and, in a rococo moment, one villain in a balcony next to the stage is shot, tips over, gets his legs twisted in the curtain ropes and swings and twitches back and forth for a while. Eventually, justice is done in a workmanlike way. We hear the praises of Texas and, in a nice echo of Hardin's and Jeanne's first meeting in a stagecoach, another stagecoach turns around to head back to San Antonio.
For me, the real pleasure was watching two notable actors, Victor Francen and Paul Kelly. Francen was a Belgian who came to America in 1939. He played men who were suave to their fingertips, worldly in outlook and perfectly at home at the roulette table. He always had a gracious smile while he said the most threatening things and did the most deadly deeds. You'll recognize him when you see him. Paul Kelly, on the other hand, was made of rougher material. He once served time for beating a man to death. Kelly also was a fine actor when given a chance. On Broadway, he won the Tony for lead actor when he starred in Command Decision. Naturally enough, when Hollywood made Command Decision into a movie Kelly's role was given to Clark Gable. If you want a sample of outstanding acting so bizarre it's memorable, just watch the scenes Kelly shares with Gloria Grahame in Crossfire.
As for Errol Flynn, he does the kind of job only a charismatic movie star can deliver. Few were better when it came to smiling at danger or laughing at death. Flynn seemed at his best in costumes in his youth, uniforms during WWII and, in my opinion, in well-cut business suits afterwards. After the mid-Forties, costumes, whether cowboy outfits or tight breeches, just didn't seem to do much for the increasingly tired visage or for the notoriety he created. (Kim is the exception.) A suit and a tie, however, were another matter. The movies he made in civilian gear often weren't very good, but he seemed to keep some of his old charisma as well as to be challenged to actually act. That Forsyte Woman is as careful and respectful as an arthritic butler but Flynn as Soames Forsyte does a fine job. In Cry Wolf opposite Barbara Stanwyck, I think he does a superior job in this under-rated old-dark-house movie. (You can watch both occasionally on cable.)
San Antonio is better than a routine western, but still not much more than a pleasant way to spend an hour and a half. It's the story of Clay Hardin and his determination to bring to justice the king pin of a ruthless rustling operation. Cattle are stolen, run across the Rio Grande to Mexico, resold in a sham scheme to obtain false documents, then brought back across and resold for big profits. Hardin, beaten and run off once, is determined to come back to San Antonio with the evidence he now has...a tally book of the cattle sales in Mexico, with names, dates, brands and prices. On his way back he has to deal with killers sent to stop him, a stage coach that carries Jeanne Starr on her way to an engagement at the Bella Union Music Hall in San Antonio, and, when the stage arrives, a face-to-face encounter with the tough Roy Stuart himself, the man behind it all. And not just Stuart. His partner is the smiling and unscrupulous Legare. We're in for shoot outs, back shots, bad odds and Alexis Smith singing a couple of songs.
The movie has solid production values, a creepy night-time shoot out in the ruins of the Alamo and one of the most entertaining, over-the-top shoot 'em ups, set in the Bella Union, I've ever seen. Men take bullets too fast to count, then bounce off the bar or grab their chests and fall to the floor. Mirrors shatter, a large, full bar quickly and loudly explodes into glass shards and, in a rococo moment, one villain in a balcony next to the stage is shot, tips over, gets his legs twisted in the curtain ropes and swings and twitches back and forth for a while. Eventually, justice is done in a workmanlike way. We hear the praises of Texas and, in a nice echo of Hardin's and Jeanne's first meeting in a stagecoach, another stagecoach turns around to head back to San Antonio.
For me, the real pleasure was watching two notable actors, Victor Francen and Paul Kelly. Francen was a Belgian who came to America in 1939. He played men who were suave to their fingertips, worldly in outlook and perfectly at home at the roulette table. He always had a gracious smile while he said the most threatening things and did the most deadly deeds. You'll recognize him when you see him. Paul Kelly, on the other hand, was made of rougher material. He once served time for beating a man to death. Kelly also was a fine actor when given a chance. On Broadway, he won the Tony for lead actor when he starred in Command Decision. Naturally enough, when Hollywood made Command Decision into a movie Kelly's role was given to Clark Gable. If you want a sample of outstanding acting so bizarre it's memorable, just watch the scenes Kelly shares with Gloria Grahame in Crossfire.
As for Errol Flynn, he does the kind of job only a charismatic movie star can deliver. Few were better when it came to smiling at danger or laughing at death. Flynn seemed at his best in costumes in his youth, uniforms during WWII and, in my opinion, in well-cut business suits afterwards. After the mid-Forties, costumes, whether cowboy outfits or tight breeches, just didn't seem to do much for the increasingly tired visage or for the notoriety he created. (Kim is the exception.) A suit and a tie, however, were another matter. The movies he made in civilian gear often weren't very good, but he seemed to keep some of his old charisma as well as to be challenged to actually act. That Forsyte Woman is as careful and respectful as an arthritic butler but Flynn as Soames Forsyte does a fine job. In Cry Wolf opposite Barbara Stanwyck, I think he does a superior job in this under-rated old-dark-house movie. (You can watch both occasionally on cable.)
Errol Flynn vehicle with colorful scenarios , splendid action set pieces and elaborate production design
ma-cortes5 August 2019
Good and handsome Western , though trite script , it stars an excellent Errol Flynn , about usual conflict about cattlemen . Set in a post-US/Mexico war San Antonio de Bejar location from the freeway in which takes place a strong confrontation among leaders of the cattlemen . Here Hardin (Errol Flynn) is opposed by a local rancher as well as rich cattleman , Stuart (Paul Kelly) . While other cattle barons attempt to keep their cows from nubbing away at the far grass . Now Hardin as a tough person trying to calm the conflict between cattlemen and homesteaders . Gorgeous dance hall performer Jeanne Starr (Alexis Smith) along with her manager (S.Z. Sakall) arrive in San Antonio under contract to play at a Saloon as a singer for Stuart (Paul Kelly) and Legare (Victor Francen) but she is clearly smitten with the good-looking Hardin . When the army is called away , Hardin and his followers are left on their own to defend themselves . Meanwhile , Hardin has taken one of Stuart's tally books that clearly proves he was selling cattle that didn't belong to him .Strong Men . . . Brave Men . . . Real Americans - and their Women! Adventure of the Century ¡ America's most glorious adventure ¡
It deals with the classic cattlemen feud and it gets Western action , shootouts , a love story , street showdown gunfight and being quite entertaining . There is a love story when Flynn falls for an explosive girl working in a dance hall who turns out to be a domineering woman turning over a new leaf on meeting the good guy . This relationship between Hardin/Flynn and Jeanne Starr/Alexis Smith turns out to be very enjoyable romance and she quickly decides that Hardin has a much better name than other suitors but keeps them apart , then the violent conflicts emerge . It's a medium budget film with nice actors , technicians , production values and pleasing results . Including a breathtaking battle beween Errol and villain Kelly at the finish . The film is totally set in San Antonio territory , there took place The Alamo Battle , it was the first of the major territories in Mexico frontier , it was a booming depot , including cattle drives and shipping some Longhorns and meat markets . With the numerous presence of homesteaders the towns prospered , stabilized and grew , its lawabiding citizens decided to discourage the troublesome cattle trade with his transient cowboys and early requested the cattlemen to drive their herds elsewhere . Well played by Errol Flynn who starred various ¨Sword and Swagger¨ films and was superstar of Warner Brothers swashbucklers . Errol is still nearly at his most agile and deft style . This was Flynn attempting to pick up where he left off in 1941 when a series of war films succeeded the superbly organized Westerns and swashbucklers that made him his name . Errol Flynn was 40 when he made this movie , but his wild lifestyle had diminished his health and made him less able to perform his own stunts, as he had in earlier films . Previously , Flynn made his best swashbucklers and played successes as ¨Captain Blood¨ , ¨Adventures of Robin Hood¨, ¨The prince and the pauper¨ , ¨Sea Hawk¨, ¨The private lives of Elizabeth and Essex¨ , ¨Gentleman Jim¨ . Flynn also performed some Westerns as ¨Dodge City¨, ¨Virginia City¨, ¨Santa Fe Trail¨, ¨They died with their boots on¨, ¨San Antonio¨, ¨Silver River¨. And wartime movies as ¨Objective Burma¨, ¨Norhern pursuit¨, ¨Dive Bomber¨ , ¨Edge of darkness¨ , ¨Desperate journey¨. Flynn's subsequent vehicles at Warner Bros confirmed the beginning of his decline . Nonetheless , the hand of filmmaker Michael Curtiz who made almost all Errol's best films before their wrangling grew too much for either man to take , is sorely missed .Flynn is well accompanied by a good support cast , such as : Paul Kelly , Victor Francen , Florence Bates , Monte Blue , Robert Barrat , Pedro De Cordoba , Tom Tyler and special mention for the always likeable S.Z. Sakall .
It contains a glowing good Technicolor cinematography from two magnificent directors of photography : Bert Glennon and William V. Skall . It packs a thrilling and moving musical score by two greatest composers Max Steiner and Erich Wolfgang Korngold , the latter uncredited . The motion picture was directed in sure visual eye and with action enough . The yarn well produced by Robert Buckner/Jack L. Warner was professionally directed by David Butler . David was a craftsman who directed several Westerns . He was a good craftsman who directed all kinds of genres with special penchant for comedy , musical and drama . As he directed : April in Paris , Tea for two , Playmates , Doubting Thomas , Caught in the draft , The story of Seabiscuit , Lullaby in Broadway , The princess and the pirate , Captain January , The road to Morocco , and Westerns as : San Antonio and his greatest hit : Calamity Jane .
It deals with the classic cattlemen feud and it gets Western action , shootouts , a love story , street showdown gunfight and being quite entertaining . There is a love story when Flynn falls for an explosive girl working in a dance hall who turns out to be a domineering woman turning over a new leaf on meeting the good guy . This relationship between Hardin/Flynn and Jeanne Starr/Alexis Smith turns out to be very enjoyable romance and she quickly decides that Hardin has a much better name than other suitors but keeps them apart , then the violent conflicts emerge . It's a medium budget film with nice actors , technicians , production values and pleasing results . Including a breathtaking battle beween Errol and villain Kelly at the finish . The film is totally set in San Antonio territory , there took place The Alamo Battle , it was the first of the major territories in Mexico frontier , it was a booming depot , including cattle drives and shipping some Longhorns and meat markets . With the numerous presence of homesteaders the towns prospered , stabilized and grew , its lawabiding citizens decided to discourage the troublesome cattle trade with his transient cowboys and early requested the cattlemen to drive their herds elsewhere . Well played by Errol Flynn who starred various ¨Sword and Swagger¨ films and was superstar of Warner Brothers swashbucklers . Errol is still nearly at his most agile and deft style . This was Flynn attempting to pick up where he left off in 1941 when a series of war films succeeded the superbly organized Westerns and swashbucklers that made him his name . Errol Flynn was 40 when he made this movie , but his wild lifestyle had diminished his health and made him less able to perform his own stunts, as he had in earlier films . Previously , Flynn made his best swashbucklers and played successes as ¨Captain Blood¨ , ¨Adventures of Robin Hood¨, ¨The prince and the pauper¨ , ¨Sea Hawk¨, ¨The private lives of Elizabeth and Essex¨ , ¨Gentleman Jim¨ . Flynn also performed some Westerns as ¨Dodge City¨, ¨Virginia City¨, ¨Santa Fe Trail¨, ¨They died with their boots on¨, ¨San Antonio¨, ¨Silver River¨. And wartime movies as ¨Objective Burma¨, ¨Norhern pursuit¨, ¨Dive Bomber¨ , ¨Edge of darkness¨ , ¨Desperate journey¨. Flynn's subsequent vehicles at Warner Bros confirmed the beginning of his decline . Nonetheless , the hand of filmmaker Michael Curtiz who made almost all Errol's best films before their wrangling grew too much for either man to take , is sorely missed .Flynn is well accompanied by a good support cast , such as : Paul Kelly , Victor Francen , Florence Bates , Monte Blue , Robert Barrat , Pedro De Cordoba , Tom Tyler and special mention for the always likeable S.Z. Sakall .
It contains a glowing good Technicolor cinematography from two magnificent directors of photography : Bert Glennon and William V. Skall . It packs a thrilling and moving musical score by two greatest composers Max Steiner and Erich Wolfgang Korngold , the latter uncredited . The motion picture was directed in sure visual eye and with action enough . The yarn well produced by Robert Buckner/Jack L. Warner was professionally directed by David Butler . David was a craftsman who directed several Westerns . He was a good craftsman who directed all kinds of genres with special penchant for comedy , musical and drama . As he directed : April in Paris , Tea for two , Playmates , Doubting Thomas , Caught in the draft , The story of Seabiscuit , Lullaby in Broadway , The princess and the pirate , Captain January , The road to Morocco , and Westerns as : San Antonio and his greatest hit : Calamity Jane .
In The Alamo Ruins
bkoganbing4 April 2009
After a layoff of four years from the American west, Errol Flynn returns to the western genre in a stylish film about post Civil War Texas and a man looking for some justice for himself and his fellow cattle ranchers. Errol's been in exile in Mexico, but he's back now with the evidence against cattle rustling Paul Kelly who is the local boss of the San Antonio area.
Flynn makes it to San Antonio and in the process hooks up with entertainer Alexis Smith and her two retainers Florence Bates and S.Z. Sakall, a pair of the biggest scene stealers that the movies ever had. Smith is appearing at Kelly's saloon there, courtesy of his partner Victor Francen for whom she worked back in New Orleans. Francen's an ambitious sort and wants to cash in Kelly's other businesses besides the saloon. So we've got two villains working their own agendas at cross purposes whom Flynn has to deal with.
Errol Flynn did a total of eight westerns, but only San Antonio got any kind of recognition from the Academy. San Antonio was nominated for two Oscars, for Art&Set Decoration for a color film and for Best Song with Some Sunday Morning which Alexis Smith sings in a saloon scene. The song is a good one, Dick Haymes had a record of it that sold quite a bit back in the day.
All the cast had to keep on their toes with both Florence Bates and S.Z. Sakall in the cast. Especially 'Cuddles' Sakall. Part of the plot involves Sakall witnessing the murder of Flynn's friend and ally John Litel and being intimidated by the bad guys. With his eye rolling and fractured English, Sakall is at his best in San Antonio.
For the traditional western fan there's enough gunplay and fights to satisfy anyone. Flynn has a nice triangular shootout with both Kelly and Francen at the Alamo ruins, each man trying to get the other two for their own reasons. I say ruins because the chapel had not been restored yet as a historical monument as it is now in downtown San Antonio.
As for the film, San Antonio is a most satisfying western for both fans of the genre and Errol Flynn.
Flynn makes it to San Antonio and in the process hooks up with entertainer Alexis Smith and her two retainers Florence Bates and S.Z. Sakall, a pair of the biggest scene stealers that the movies ever had. Smith is appearing at Kelly's saloon there, courtesy of his partner Victor Francen for whom she worked back in New Orleans. Francen's an ambitious sort and wants to cash in Kelly's other businesses besides the saloon. So we've got two villains working their own agendas at cross purposes whom Flynn has to deal with.
Errol Flynn did a total of eight westerns, but only San Antonio got any kind of recognition from the Academy. San Antonio was nominated for two Oscars, for Art&Set Decoration for a color film and for Best Song with Some Sunday Morning which Alexis Smith sings in a saloon scene. The song is a good one, Dick Haymes had a record of it that sold quite a bit back in the day.
All the cast had to keep on their toes with both Florence Bates and S.Z. Sakall in the cast. Especially 'Cuddles' Sakall. Part of the plot involves Sakall witnessing the murder of Flynn's friend and ally John Litel and being intimidated by the bad guys. With his eye rolling and fractured English, Sakall is at his best in San Antonio.
For the traditional western fan there's enough gunplay and fights to satisfy anyone. Flynn has a nice triangular shootout with both Kelly and Francen at the Alamo ruins, each man trying to get the other two for their own reasons. I say ruins because the chapel had not been restored yet as a historical monument as it is now in downtown San Antonio.
As for the film, San Antonio is a most satisfying western for both fans of the genre and Errol Flynn.
This town looks as if it's full of men who step on baby chickens.
hitchcockthelegend23 September 2018
San Antonio is directed by David Butler and written by Alan Le May and W. R. Burnett. It stars Errol Flynn, Alexis Smith, Paul Kelly, S.Z. Sakall, Florence Bates and Victor Francen. Music is by Max Steiner and cinematography by Bert Glennon.
It's always interesting to compare Errol Flynn's Westerns, his work in a genre he was not overly fond of. Depending on your Western genre proclivities of course, there's a mix of the old fashioned type, where Errol flirts and is heroic, or the more serious ones where his heroism is underplayed. San Antonio is the former.
Plot has Flynn as Clay Hardin, who is the man who can prove that town impresario Roy Stuart (Kelly) is the man responsible for the rampant cattle rustling going on in the state. There's agendas gnawing away in the plot, romantic dalliances that bring the delightful Alexis Smith into prominence, and of course there's frothy comedy light relief - the proviso here is if Sakall and Bates' thing doesn't irritate you?
Flynn is ace, athletic with a handsomeness that's rarely been bettered in Hollywood, to which here he's on lovable rascal form, playing off of Smith with appealing skill. Smith is a strong foil for her leading man, holding her end up in both stern characteristics and comedy angles. While it's always great to find Kelly in a villain role, here getting his teeth into it for much viewing reward.
Unfortunately this really could have done with a better director, the blend of drama and comedy seemingly uneasy in Butler's hands. The big denouement between hero and villain is a damp squib, which is a shame as we are in the ruins of The Alamo, a poignant piece of architecture that positively demands a more extended and vigorous finale. Elsewhere, Glennon's photography is pleasing if lacking in exterior splendours, and Steiner's score will sound familiar to anyone already familiar with his work.
Gloriously pretty, vibrant and colourful, it's well weighted with good production values and a solid cast, but as fun as it is it does lack some urgency ingredients to be great. 7/10
It's always interesting to compare Errol Flynn's Westerns, his work in a genre he was not overly fond of. Depending on your Western genre proclivities of course, there's a mix of the old fashioned type, where Errol flirts and is heroic, or the more serious ones where his heroism is underplayed. San Antonio is the former.
Plot has Flynn as Clay Hardin, who is the man who can prove that town impresario Roy Stuart (Kelly) is the man responsible for the rampant cattle rustling going on in the state. There's agendas gnawing away in the plot, romantic dalliances that bring the delightful Alexis Smith into prominence, and of course there's frothy comedy light relief - the proviso here is if Sakall and Bates' thing doesn't irritate you?
Flynn is ace, athletic with a handsomeness that's rarely been bettered in Hollywood, to which here he's on lovable rascal form, playing off of Smith with appealing skill. Smith is a strong foil for her leading man, holding her end up in both stern characteristics and comedy angles. While it's always great to find Kelly in a villain role, here getting his teeth into it for much viewing reward.
Unfortunately this really could have done with a better director, the blend of drama and comedy seemingly uneasy in Butler's hands. The big denouement between hero and villain is a damp squib, which is a shame as we are in the ruins of The Alamo, a poignant piece of architecture that positively demands a more extended and vigorous finale. Elsewhere, Glennon's photography is pleasing if lacking in exterior splendours, and Steiner's score will sound familiar to anyone already familiar with his work.
Gloriously pretty, vibrant and colourful, it's well weighted with good production values and a solid cast, but as fun as it is it does lack some urgency ingredients to be great. 7/10
Colourful But Ultimately Poor Flynn Western.
jpdoherty1 November 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Warner Bros. SAN ANTONIO just about passes muster as an entertaining western thanks, in no short measure, to the presence of its star Errol Flynn. Produced in 1945 by Robert Bruckner for the studio it was at least beautifully photographed in glowing Technicolor by the great Bert Glennon and stylishly enough written by Alan LeMay. Unremarkably directed by the pedestrian David Butler this was one of eight westerns to feature the great swashbuckler which began in 1939 with the hugely successful "Dodge City" and continued with even greater success later with "Virginia City" (1940), "They Died With Their Boots On"(1941) and finishing in 1950 with "Rocky Mountain". Flynn was one of the few non-American actors to be an acceptable western hero. A phenomenon that baffled Flynn himself no end and prompted him to refer to himself on one occasion as the 'rich man's Roy Rogers'.
SAN ANTONIO is a thinly plotted oater. The story has Flynn as cattleman Clay Hardin trying to bring down baddie Roy Sturt (Paul Kelly) who is heading a syndicate of cattle thieves who have been raiding from herds all over Texas. Sturt also owns the local saloon in San Antonio where the newly arrived bar-room entertainer Jeanne Starr (Alexis Smith) performs and who Hardin immediately has the hots for. There is also great jealousy and mistrust between Sturt and his partner in crime LeGarre (The sinister looking Victor Francen) culminating in them both gunning for each other and pursued by Hardin into the hallowed shrine of the historic Alamo ruins standing in the town.
SAN ANTONIO isn't a great movie at all and without Flynn would be totally forgotten. There is little or no action except for a well staged saloon brawl and a final chase sequence that ends with Flynn and Kelly slugging it out in a river. Here and there abysmal attempts at humour and comedy occur especially from the irritating S.Z.Sakall. And with the exception of the striking looking Victor Francen performances are routine. The characters are all cardboard cutouts who make it impossible for you to engage with them as with Paul Kelly and the teak-like Alexis Smith. Flynn, on the other hand, is the best in it. His boyish charm as appealing as ever. He also looks extremely handsome throughout the picture with his Stetson tilted to one side on his head, his well fitted figured-in three quarter length coat and his bone-handled sixgun slung across his left midriff just like a sword. Like few others in Hollywood the man could certainly present himself as a dapper elegant figure and that glint in his eye telling us he knew it. SAN ANTONIO is the kind of movie Flynn could do in his sleep but it remains one of his least liked pictures and alongside "Montana" (1950) is his weakest western. Best things about the film is the glorious colour cinematography by the master Bert Glennon and the wonderful score by the tireless Max Steiner. The great composer skillfully reused his title theme from "Dodge City" for the credits here and it worked perfectly well. And besides a sprightly Stagecoach theme there is also an Oscar nominated song "Some Sunday Morning" written by the studio's music director Ray Heindorf and sung in one scene by Miss Smith. Steiner interpolated the song into his score and used it for the film's softer moments.
SAN ANTONIO is a thinly plotted oater. The story has Flynn as cattleman Clay Hardin trying to bring down baddie Roy Sturt (Paul Kelly) who is heading a syndicate of cattle thieves who have been raiding from herds all over Texas. Sturt also owns the local saloon in San Antonio where the newly arrived bar-room entertainer Jeanne Starr (Alexis Smith) performs and who Hardin immediately has the hots for. There is also great jealousy and mistrust between Sturt and his partner in crime LeGarre (The sinister looking Victor Francen) culminating in them both gunning for each other and pursued by Hardin into the hallowed shrine of the historic Alamo ruins standing in the town.
SAN ANTONIO isn't a great movie at all and without Flynn would be totally forgotten. There is little or no action except for a well staged saloon brawl and a final chase sequence that ends with Flynn and Kelly slugging it out in a river. Here and there abysmal attempts at humour and comedy occur especially from the irritating S.Z.Sakall. And with the exception of the striking looking Victor Francen performances are routine. The characters are all cardboard cutouts who make it impossible for you to engage with them as with Paul Kelly and the teak-like Alexis Smith. Flynn, on the other hand, is the best in it. His boyish charm as appealing as ever. He also looks extremely handsome throughout the picture with his Stetson tilted to one side on his head, his well fitted figured-in three quarter length coat and his bone-handled sixgun slung across his left midriff just like a sword. Like few others in Hollywood the man could certainly present himself as a dapper elegant figure and that glint in his eye telling us he knew it. SAN ANTONIO is the kind of movie Flynn could do in his sleep but it remains one of his least liked pictures and alongside "Montana" (1950) is his weakest western. Best things about the film is the glorious colour cinematography by the master Bert Glennon and the wonderful score by the tireless Max Steiner. The great composer skillfully reused his title theme from "Dodge City" for the credits here and it worked perfectly well. And besides a sprightly Stagecoach theme there is also an Oscar nominated song "Some Sunday Morning" written by the studio's music director Ray Heindorf and sung in one scene by Miss Smith. Steiner interpolated the song into his score and used it for the film's softer moments.
Atmospheric Warner Brothers Western A Treat For The Eye And The Ear
oldblackandwhite24 June 2011
San Antonio, released in the very last days of 1945, was Warner Brothers' New Year gift to a war weary public. Demobilized GI's had made it clear in opinion polls and and at the box office they did not want to see any more military movies for a while. Would they like a Technicolor western with top stars, A-1 production values, lots of action, dancing girls, songs, and quality traditional music. They did indeed. San Antonio was a smash box office hit, and it still holds up today. This sturdy, sumptuously produced Errol Flynn oater just gets better and better with each subsequent viewing.
And no wonder. Warners pulled out all the stops when they made this one. Both the color cinematography, photographed by Bert Glennon and overseen by Technicolor Corporation's top adviser Natalie Kalmus (see my review of California for remarks on this little-known but important figure), and the Accademy Award nominated set decoration are as plush and impressive as any to be seen this side of Gone With The Wind. The exterior sets are as good as the lavish interiors. Instead of just using the standard western town set, Warners made it look like old San Antonio with sandstone building fronts, a plaza crowded with Hispanic peddlers carts and booths, and even a mock-up of the Alamo ruin the way it was before its 20th century restoration. This movie is a visual treat, but an auditory one, too. A robust score by top Hollywood composer Max Steiner punctuates every dramatic moment. His pulsating score is complemented by an almost continuous steam of musical numbers produced by the bands and and singers in the saloons and dance halls, in and around which most of the action takes place. The song "Some Sunday Morning" garnered another Accademy Award nomination for San Antonio.
Flynn and hot new leading lady Alexis Smith shine at the top of the cast with solid support from ever-reliable John Litel and the delightfully funny tandem of Cuddles Sakall and Florence Bates. Formidable villainy is provided by the hard, cold menace of Paul Kelly and the urbane sliminess of Victor Francen. Throw in hundreds of extras, a Dickensesque richness of detail and minor characterization, period stage coaches, a chorus line of handsomely buxom dancing girls, a sonorous male quartet, hundreds of rounds of blank ammunition expended (mostly in the same scene), and you have one of the most extravagant, richly atmospheric, and fun westerns ever put on film.
Though the story is somewhat standard, the script is very tight with colorful, sharp dialog. Not surprisingly, since it was provided by two of the top western screenwriters, W. R. Burnett (Arrowhead, Colorado Territory) and Alan Le May (The Searchers, The Unforgiven) Since Burnett was actually better known for his crime stories (Little Ceaser, The Asphalt Jungle, High Siera), it may not be just trendiness that San Antonio seems to be stylistically influenced by noir, crime thrillers popular in 1940's. While the two villains, Kelly and Francen, are partners in large-scale criminal activities, each will cut the other's throat at first chance, not unlike the ruthless bootleggers of the prohibition era. Much of Steiner's scoring of the action-suspense sequences seems to have been lifted from his score for classic noir The Big Sleep, filmed in 1944 but not released until l946. All the shootouts occur at night, including the climatic gunfight, involving hundreds, eventually destroying a saloon, spilling out into the street with runaway horses smashing peddlers' booths, and winding up in a three-cornered showdown in the Alamo ruins. This sequence is so bone-rattling violent, lengthy, and noisy, it seems to have more in common with one of Warners' rat-a-tat-tat gangster movies than with standard western action. All done with the fluid editing and smooth style typical of big studio pictures from this era. Director David Butler, more frequently seen on the musical comedy sound stage than in the wide-open spaces, and producer Robert Buckner deserve kudos for guiding this sprawling, complex production to such artistic and financial success.
Dashing Errol Flynn, beautiful, elegant Alexis Smith, lavish production, gorgeous three-strip Technicolor, titillating music, thrilling action -- what more could you ask? San Antonio is top notch western entertainment from Old Hollywood's golden years.
And no wonder. Warners pulled out all the stops when they made this one. Both the color cinematography, photographed by Bert Glennon and overseen by Technicolor Corporation's top adviser Natalie Kalmus (see my review of California for remarks on this little-known but important figure), and the Accademy Award nominated set decoration are as plush and impressive as any to be seen this side of Gone With The Wind. The exterior sets are as good as the lavish interiors. Instead of just using the standard western town set, Warners made it look like old San Antonio with sandstone building fronts, a plaza crowded with Hispanic peddlers carts and booths, and even a mock-up of the Alamo ruin the way it was before its 20th century restoration. This movie is a visual treat, but an auditory one, too. A robust score by top Hollywood composer Max Steiner punctuates every dramatic moment. His pulsating score is complemented by an almost continuous steam of musical numbers produced by the bands and and singers in the saloons and dance halls, in and around which most of the action takes place. The song "Some Sunday Morning" garnered another Accademy Award nomination for San Antonio.
Flynn and hot new leading lady Alexis Smith shine at the top of the cast with solid support from ever-reliable John Litel and the delightfully funny tandem of Cuddles Sakall and Florence Bates. Formidable villainy is provided by the hard, cold menace of Paul Kelly and the urbane sliminess of Victor Francen. Throw in hundreds of extras, a Dickensesque richness of detail and minor characterization, period stage coaches, a chorus line of handsomely buxom dancing girls, a sonorous male quartet, hundreds of rounds of blank ammunition expended (mostly in the same scene), and you have one of the most extravagant, richly atmospheric, and fun westerns ever put on film.
Though the story is somewhat standard, the script is very tight with colorful, sharp dialog. Not surprisingly, since it was provided by two of the top western screenwriters, W. R. Burnett (Arrowhead, Colorado Territory) and Alan Le May (The Searchers, The Unforgiven) Since Burnett was actually better known for his crime stories (Little Ceaser, The Asphalt Jungle, High Siera), it may not be just trendiness that San Antonio seems to be stylistically influenced by noir, crime thrillers popular in 1940's. While the two villains, Kelly and Francen, are partners in large-scale criminal activities, each will cut the other's throat at first chance, not unlike the ruthless bootleggers of the prohibition era. Much of Steiner's scoring of the action-suspense sequences seems to have been lifted from his score for classic noir The Big Sleep, filmed in 1944 but not released until l946. All the shootouts occur at night, including the climatic gunfight, involving hundreds, eventually destroying a saloon, spilling out into the street with runaway horses smashing peddlers' booths, and winding up in a three-cornered showdown in the Alamo ruins. This sequence is so bone-rattling violent, lengthy, and noisy, it seems to have more in common with one of Warners' rat-a-tat-tat gangster movies than with standard western action. All done with the fluid editing and smooth style typical of big studio pictures from this era. Director David Butler, more frequently seen on the musical comedy sound stage than in the wide-open spaces, and producer Robert Buckner deserve kudos for guiding this sprawling, complex production to such artistic and financial success.
Dashing Errol Flynn, beautiful, elegant Alexis Smith, lavish production, gorgeous three-strip Technicolor, titillating music, thrilling action -- what more could you ask? San Antonio is top notch western entertainment from Old Hollywood's golden years.
Alexis Smith was GORGEOUS
Casablanca37848 March 2007
I noticed that "San Antonio" was nominated for two Oscars and won none.The first it deserved i.e. Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Color. Yes indeed, that saloon bawdy house was done impeccably,rich and lavishly. The second nomination was unwarranted--Best Music, Original Song "Some Sunday Morning" Ray Heindorf (music), M.K. Jerome (music) & Ted Koehler (lyrics. You can go crazy from that song. Every time a stagecoach moved, it moved with it in the background. EVERY TIME. THE WHOLE PICTURE. Then what do you think Alexis Smith, the saloon chanteuse sings? Right--same thing. And after she's done, what does a male quartet sing? Right again. It's not a bad tune but OVER and OVER and OVER....Good Grief!
The film's about the wild wild west of the mid 1800s. So my question is this: Errol Flynn has an English accent; S.Z. Sakall has a Hungarian accent and villain Victor Francen has a French accent. Now don't get me wrong; I'm neither xenophobic nor bigoted because my own father was a European immigrant but he didn't wear a ten gallon hat and carry a Colt .45 either. What do Europeans have to do with a story of the rootin' tootin' shootin' wild west? Sorry but Mr. Flynn who speaks like someone out of Oxford doesn't belong with the tumbleweed crowd.
The plot is all about revenge as are so many films. There is a quasi-romantic angle of course because of the gorgeous Alexis Smith who was one of Hollywood's great natural beauties and quite surprisingly, a very good job is done by John Litel who is Flynn's best friend.
I rated the film a 6 because it's neither great nor rotten; has excellent color and holds your interest. One thing--they showed too many cattle and not enough Alexis Smith.
The film's about the wild wild west of the mid 1800s. So my question is this: Errol Flynn has an English accent; S.Z. Sakall has a Hungarian accent and villain Victor Francen has a French accent. Now don't get me wrong; I'm neither xenophobic nor bigoted because my own father was a European immigrant but he didn't wear a ten gallon hat and carry a Colt .45 either. What do Europeans have to do with a story of the rootin' tootin' shootin' wild west? Sorry but Mr. Flynn who speaks like someone out of Oxford doesn't belong with the tumbleweed crowd.
The plot is all about revenge as are so many films. There is a quasi-romantic angle of course because of the gorgeous Alexis Smith who was one of Hollywood's great natural beauties and quite surprisingly, a very good job is done by John Litel who is Flynn's best friend.
I rated the film a 6 because it's neither great nor rotten; has excellent color and holds your interest. One thing--they showed too many cattle and not enough Alexis Smith.
San Antonio Blues
srpwx12 September 2008
Hard to believe this was Flynn's highest grossing film but war-weary patrons were looking for any form of escapism. Sharp Technicolor production, nice use of Warner's Calabasas Ranch plus razor sharp costumes for Alexis Smith make this film watchable but not much else. Flynn smiles his way through the proceedings but looks rather silly in the red bandanna and toy gun.
Nevertheless, his scenes with Alexis generate smiles. Was there anybody better than Flynn? I think not. His riding a horse then dismounting into the window of the stage is a nice touch. Unfortunately, this tepid movie plods along until the anti-climatic saloon fight scene. All stunts, prate-falls and special effects look so staged it's distracting. By the end you're left thinking: let's wrap this up! I'm a huge Flynn fan but San Antonio entertainment isn't as big as Texas. Dodge City, Virginia City and even Rocky Mountain are better bets.
Note: Some stunts done with Horses would never see the light of day now. One scene has Flynn chasing Paul Kelly across a bridge, Flynn jumps onto Kelly's white horse with both taking a big fall into the river. It's one of the more dramatic moments in the entire film. Speaking of Kelly, his personal life was almost as drama filled as Flynn's.
Nevertheless, his scenes with Alexis generate smiles. Was there anybody better than Flynn? I think not. His riding a horse then dismounting into the window of the stage is a nice touch. Unfortunately, this tepid movie plods along until the anti-climatic saloon fight scene. All stunts, prate-falls and special effects look so staged it's distracting. By the end you're left thinking: let's wrap this up! I'm a huge Flynn fan but San Antonio entertainment isn't as big as Texas. Dodge City, Virginia City and even Rocky Mountain are better bets.
Note: Some stunts done with Horses would never see the light of day now. One scene has Flynn chasing Paul Kelly across a bridge, Flynn jumps onto Kelly's white horse with both taking a big fall into the river. It's one of the more dramatic moments in the entire film. Speaking of Kelly, his personal life was almost as drama filled as Flynn's.
A Good Western, but one moment I shudder at
theowinthrop12 April 2005
It is generally considered that the best of Errol Flynn's westerns was THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON, with DODGE CITY second best. SILVER RIVER has his most interesting western role - he's a greedy empire builder in it. VIRGINIA CITY has a plot that strains the mind (and the only real U.S. patriot in the film is not one of the leads but a man who usually plays villains). SAN ANTONIO is the best looking due to the richness of the colors in the film. It has a fairly good plot, and a pair of worthy (and cross-purposed) villains (Paul Kelly and Victor Francken). Wisely Flynn's leading lady from GENTLEMAN JIM (Alexis Smith) is back - their chemistry is not as good as Flynn's with Olivia De Haviland, but it comes close. I have no problem recommending it...except for one moment that always bothers me.
Warner Brothers was blessed with a great set of available character actors (including Francken, who helped spice up many productions like THE BEAST WITH FIVE FINGERS and THE MASQUE OF DEMETRIOS). One of the best for comic spicing was S.Z. "Cuddles" Sakall. A lovable Hungarian, he appears in many of the best Warners films of the period, such as YANKEE DOODLE DANDY, Christmas IN CONNECTICUT, TEA FOR TWO. He was a great scene stealer, and had a rivalry with Alan Hale Sr. regarding Hale's equal ability to steal scenes. He was many things - he was not meant to be a corpse. In this film he witnesses a serious crime by Francken, but the latter realizes it. Since he is a careful man he is not going to be foolish enough to blab about the killing, but Francken is no fool either, and basically warns Sakall that if he even thinks of talking he (Francken) will kill Sakall. It is necessary for the film plot, but it is very unsettling to think that anyone could think of putting a bullet into "Cuddles".
Warner Brothers was blessed with a great set of available character actors (including Francken, who helped spice up many productions like THE BEAST WITH FIVE FINGERS and THE MASQUE OF DEMETRIOS). One of the best for comic spicing was S.Z. "Cuddles" Sakall. A lovable Hungarian, he appears in many of the best Warners films of the period, such as YANKEE DOODLE DANDY, Christmas IN CONNECTICUT, TEA FOR TWO. He was a great scene stealer, and had a rivalry with Alan Hale Sr. regarding Hale's equal ability to steal scenes. He was many things - he was not meant to be a corpse. In this film he witnesses a serious crime by Francken, but the latter realizes it. Since he is a careful man he is not going to be foolish enough to blab about the killing, but Francken is no fool either, and basically warns Sakall that if he even thinks of talking he (Francken) will kill Sakall. It is necessary for the film plot, but it is very unsettling to think that anyone could think of putting a bullet into "Cuddles".
Not one of the best Westerns, but darned good
vincentlynch-moonoi26 June 2016
Warning: Spoilers
This is not one of "the great" Westerns, but it is well above average, and I recommend you watch it if you like Westerns at all.
What are the negatives? Well, there aren't a lot, other than a degree of predictability. For example, it took 60 minutes for one of the good guys to get killed...something I had figured out within the first 10 minutes of the film. But, maybe it's difficult to write in really new angles when you are working in a well worked over genre.
What are the positives. Well, clearly this is a big budget production. Some of the best sets I've seen in a Western. And, the cast is very good. The star -- Errol Flynn -- was still in his peak...handsome, fit, and suave; yet tough. I've never been overly impressed with Alexis Smith in films, but she's very good here as the love interest. S.Z. Sakall is around for laughs. Victor Francen is good as one of the sort-of bad guys. John Litel is very good as the hero's best friend. Paul Kelly is, as usual, the intelligent bad guy. Florence Bates is also here, and she was always quite delicious in her comic dowdiness.
If there's anything about the plot that might bother you, it's the constant ego-maniacal comments about Texas. But aside from that, our hero (Flynn) is out to settle the score with cattle thief Kelly. Of course, we know how it will end. But in between there's a rather pleasant love story between Flynn and performer/singer Alexis Smith.
I do need to comment on the HUGE ALL-OUT shoot out late in the film. To be honest, it is overdone. From the piano sliding down the stairway (you can actually see the tracks it slides on) to the impressive falls (although you can actually see the landing cushions), it's something to behold, but with mixed results. You might say it's a bang-up ending!
It isn't that this film is that unique, but it is mostly done extremely well, and is very entertaining.
What are the negatives? Well, there aren't a lot, other than a degree of predictability. For example, it took 60 minutes for one of the good guys to get killed...something I had figured out within the first 10 minutes of the film. But, maybe it's difficult to write in really new angles when you are working in a well worked over genre.
What are the positives. Well, clearly this is a big budget production. Some of the best sets I've seen in a Western. And, the cast is very good. The star -- Errol Flynn -- was still in his peak...handsome, fit, and suave; yet tough. I've never been overly impressed with Alexis Smith in films, but she's very good here as the love interest. S.Z. Sakall is around for laughs. Victor Francen is good as one of the sort-of bad guys. John Litel is very good as the hero's best friend. Paul Kelly is, as usual, the intelligent bad guy. Florence Bates is also here, and she was always quite delicious in her comic dowdiness.
If there's anything about the plot that might bother you, it's the constant ego-maniacal comments about Texas. But aside from that, our hero (Flynn) is out to settle the score with cattle thief Kelly. Of course, we know how it will end. But in between there's a rather pleasant love story between Flynn and performer/singer Alexis Smith.
I do need to comment on the HUGE ALL-OUT shoot out late in the film. To be honest, it is overdone. From the piano sliding down the stairway (you can actually see the tracks it slides on) to the impressive falls (although you can actually see the landing cushions), it's something to behold, but with mixed results. You might say it's a bang-up ending!
It isn't that this film is that unique, but it is mostly done extremely well, and is very entertaining.
"Have you ever gazed at the silvery moon hanging low in the Texas sky?"
utgard1423 May 2014
Gunfighter Clay Hardin (Errol Flynn) returns to San Antonio after recuperating from wounds in Mexico. He's determined to bring evil cattle rustler Roy Stuart (Paul Kelly) to justice. Stuart, in turn, is determined to see Clay dead. To complicate matters there's a pretty singer (Alexis Smith) Clay has fallen for who goes to work at Stuart's saloon. Good chemistry between Flynn and Smith. John Litel is great as Flynn's sidekick; an atypical role for him. Paul Kelly plays the villain well. Robert Shayne, S.Z. Sakall, Robert Barrat, and Victor Francen are among the other quality actors in the cast. Enjoyable, if not overly original, Technicolor western. Sequence in the ruins of the Alamo is a highlight.
Errol Flynn stars in this Technicolor feast of a Western
jacobs-greenwood10 December 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Directed by David Butler, and written by W.R. Burnett and Alan Le May, this film is a Technicolor feast (fiesta?) for one's eyes! It received Oscar nominations for Art Direction and Musical Score. As a Western, it delivers many of the required elements: skilled horseback riding, singing, poker playing, a barroom shootout, some humorous gags, and an exciting chase.
The film begins by introducing us to Charlie Bell (John Litel, who wears red & white checked pants!), the honest lawman in the area dedicated to solving the problem of rampant cattle rustling in the area. He crosses the border into Mexico to find Clay Hardin (Errol Flynn) who is recovering from injuries received presumably by some of the rustlers. Hardin also happens to have the goods on Roy Stuart (Paul Kelly), the richest man in Texas, by obtaining bills of sale that show Stuart has sold cattle with brands which aren't his in Mexico. His friend & mentor Charlie warns Clay that returning to Texas would be dangerous and getting through Stuart's men to the cavalry in San Antonio would be impossible. But Clay will not be dissuaded and even asks Charlie to buy him a ticket on the stagecoach from Laredo to San Antonio.
Stuart's men learn of Clay's plans when Charlie purchases the ticket. Assuming that Hardin will try to board the stagecoach just outside of the town, gunfighter Lafe McWilliams (Tom Tyler) puts another of Stuart's men, Pony Smith (John Alvin) on the coach while he rides shotgun. Seeing this, Clay decides to board another coach that is trailing the well guarded one. Its passengers include singer Jeanne Starr (Alexis Smith), who's on her way to performing in Stuart's saloon, and her entourage: manager Sacha Bozic (S.Z. Sakall) & servant Henrietta (Florence Bates). Though initially put off by his brashness, Jeanne is won over by the charming, confident Clay. At the stopover in Cotulla that evening, to change horses, the unafraid Clay dances with Jeanne openly even though Charlie warns him against it. Lafe sees Clay and asks him to come outside. With Charlie's help, the ambush Stuart's men had planned turns against them and both Lafe and Pony are killed by Clay and his friend. However, Clay then has Charlie send Stuart a telegram, as if he was Lafe, to tell him that the job was successful.
Shortly thereafter, when Jeanne's coach arrives in San Antonio, she is given a special welcome by Legare (Victor Francen), Stuart's partner in the club but not his rustling business. The crowd parts to reveal Hardin, who had ridden in on the same coach, standing boldly alone across the street, facing Stuart. But this is just a precursor to a future showdown, and Hardin with Charlie in tow, visits the cavalry's headquarters. Unfortunately, Colonel Johnson (Robert Barrat) is not there and Captain Morgan (Robert Shayne) refuses to keep the bills of sale until he returns, so Clay must hang on to them himself. Clay then organizes the few honest men in town (played by Monte Blue and Pedro de Cordoba), those who've had their cattle rustled by Stuart's men, to tell him his plan for them to testify against Stuart when Johnson gets back. He has some difficulty doing this as Sacha has arranged Miss Starr's rehearsal in the next room. Legare, who would very much like to be a partner in Stuart's more lucrative business, manipulates Stuart's actions as he schemes to acquire (steal) the bills of sale Hardin has to blackmail his way in.
Of course, the film has the requisite distractions, mostly in the form of entertainment by Miss Starr and others, as it leads to the inevitable showdown between Hardin and Stuart. Plus, there are romantic forays by both men to Miss Starr. Clay's leads him into giving the valuable papers to Charlie, who is shot by Legare while Stuart is shooting at Clay. Though this was witnessed by Sacha, Legare scares him into keeping it a secret before Colonel Johnson in court. Without the bills of sale, Clay can't get anywhere with the Colonel. Then, the cavalry must leave town to head off an Indian uprising in another part of the state, which makes Clay's mission all the more challenging, especially since Stuart then summons all his outlaws to town.
The film's conclusion, though predictable, is less satisfying and probable than one would hope it could be. In fact, the director and writers couldn't seem to decide how much comedy vs. drama this movie should contain, making the balance between the two tilt a little bit too much toward humor, even bordering on camp. It's as if they expected Flynn, given his success in exactly this type of drama with comedic elements (e.g. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)), to alone deliver all this film needed to be a classic. It isn't, not even close.
The film begins by introducing us to Charlie Bell (John Litel, who wears red & white checked pants!), the honest lawman in the area dedicated to solving the problem of rampant cattle rustling in the area. He crosses the border into Mexico to find Clay Hardin (Errol Flynn) who is recovering from injuries received presumably by some of the rustlers. Hardin also happens to have the goods on Roy Stuart (Paul Kelly), the richest man in Texas, by obtaining bills of sale that show Stuart has sold cattle with brands which aren't his in Mexico. His friend & mentor Charlie warns Clay that returning to Texas would be dangerous and getting through Stuart's men to the cavalry in San Antonio would be impossible. But Clay will not be dissuaded and even asks Charlie to buy him a ticket on the stagecoach from Laredo to San Antonio.
Stuart's men learn of Clay's plans when Charlie purchases the ticket. Assuming that Hardin will try to board the stagecoach just outside of the town, gunfighter Lafe McWilliams (Tom Tyler) puts another of Stuart's men, Pony Smith (John Alvin) on the coach while he rides shotgun. Seeing this, Clay decides to board another coach that is trailing the well guarded one. Its passengers include singer Jeanne Starr (Alexis Smith), who's on her way to performing in Stuart's saloon, and her entourage: manager Sacha Bozic (S.Z. Sakall) & servant Henrietta (Florence Bates). Though initially put off by his brashness, Jeanne is won over by the charming, confident Clay. At the stopover in Cotulla that evening, to change horses, the unafraid Clay dances with Jeanne openly even though Charlie warns him against it. Lafe sees Clay and asks him to come outside. With Charlie's help, the ambush Stuart's men had planned turns against them and both Lafe and Pony are killed by Clay and his friend. However, Clay then has Charlie send Stuart a telegram, as if he was Lafe, to tell him that the job was successful.
Shortly thereafter, when Jeanne's coach arrives in San Antonio, she is given a special welcome by Legare (Victor Francen), Stuart's partner in the club but not his rustling business. The crowd parts to reveal Hardin, who had ridden in on the same coach, standing boldly alone across the street, facing Stuart. But this is just a precursor to a future showdown, and Hardin with Charlie in tow, visits the cavalry's headquarters. Unfortunately, Colonel Johnson (Robert Barrat) is not there and Captain Morgan (Robert Shayne) refuses to keep the bills of sale until he returns, so Clay must hang on to them himself. Clay then organizes the few honest men in town (played by Monte Blue and Pedro de Cordoba), those who've had their cattle rustled by Stuart's men, to tell him his plan for them to testify against Stuart when Johnson gets back. He has some difficulty doing this as Sacha has arranged Miss Starr's rehearsal in the next room. Legare, who would very much like to be a partner in Stuart's more lucrative business, manipulates Stuart's actions as he schemes to acquire (steal) the bills of sale Hardin has to blackmail his way in.
Of course, the film has the requisite distractions, mostly in the form of entertainment by Miss Starr and others, as it leads to the inevitable showdown between Hardin and Stuart. Plus, there are romantic forays by both men to Miss Starr. Clay's leads him into giving the valuable papers to Charlie, who is shot by Legare while Stuart is shooting at Clay. Though this was witnessed by Sacha, Legare scares him into keeping it a secret before Colonel Johnson in court. Without the bills of sale, Clay can't get anywhere with the Colonel. Then, the cavalry must leave town to head off an Indian uprising in another part of the state, which makes Clay's mission all the more challenging, especially since Stuart then summons all his outlaws to town.
The film's conclusion, though predictable, is less satisfying and probable than one would hope it could be. In fact, the director and writers couldn't seem to decide how much comedy vs. drama this movie should contain, making the balance between the two tilt a little bit too much toward humor, even bordering on camp. It's as if they expected Flynn, given his success in exactly this type of drama with comedic elements (e.g. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)), to alone deliver all this film needed to be a classic. It isn't, not even close.
Errol Flynn wins Alexis Smith in a dynamite Technicolor Warner Brothers western
zardoz-1331 August 2007
Warning: Spoilers
The lavish 1945 Warner Brothers western release "San Antonio" with Errol Flynn, Alexis Smith, Paul Kelly, and S.Z. "Cuddles" Sakall qualifies as an above average frontier fracas, probably the last really top-notch oater that Flynn made before his career dried up in the late 1950s. Mind you, Flynn, Smith, and Sakall reassembled for Ray Enright's "Montana" in 1950. The chief asset of war-time western is Bert Glennon's glorious Technicolor photography. Check out the shots near the beginning as a horseman is silhouetted against a burnished gold sky and the night-time long shot inside the Alamo, these shots look dazzling even on my ancient 20 inch color TV. The action in this World War II era sagebrusher is fairly ordinary on cursory inspection until you've seen it a few times and you think about how anarchic things are in Texas that the hero is forced into exile in Mexico while the villains live things up in the lap of luxury in San Antonio. Flynn never made a movie where his heroic character was in such a bad way that he had to voluntarily leave America and conceal himself. Of course, in his incomparable "Captain Blood," he was wrongly imprisoned, but he didn't imprison himself. Flynn fans will enjoy his cheerful banter with co-star Alex Smith. Many feel that she was not as compatible with him the way that dainty little Olivia De Havilland was in their five films together. Actually, I think that the Smith & Flynn relationship is more even, because she projects a greater physical presence than De Havilland. In other words, Smith could go toe to toe with Flynn better than the diminutive Ms. De Havilland. The other outstanding thing about "San Antonio" is its Oscar nominated theme song "One Sunday Morning." This knock-out tune bolsters the movie and it improves with each viewing. The other Oscar nomination went to the art direction which the beautiful Technicolor lensing brings in fabulous detail. "San Antonio" ranks at the very least as an all around good looking western with a superb song, spectacular color photography, and Max Steiner's lively contribution to the orchestral score is unmistakable.
The action opens with Texas cattleman Charlie Bell (the ever reliable John Litel) crossing the Tex-Mex border to root Clay Hardin (Errol Flynn) out of exile. As it turns out, Clay has been biding his time before he returns to Texas for a showdown with lead heavy Roy Stuart (Paul Kelly of "The Springfield Rifle") who is the chief architect behind a massive cattle rustling ring that has robbed and stolen thousands of dollars from Texas cattlemen. It seems that Clay liberated a tally book from one of Stuart's henchmen has all the dirty details. Charlie Bell warns Clay that the opposition is expecting him and wants to kill him, but threats of death and violence do not deter Clay Hardin. He tells Charlie to get him a ticket on the next stage to San Antonio. Of course, Charlie regards this as a brazen and unwise thing to do, but Clay goes ahead with it anyway. Meanwhile, two Stuart henchmen are waiting for our hero who stops off along the way to catch a ride on a different stagecoach, one chartered for a New Orleans entertainer Jeanne Star (Alexis Smith of "The Doughgirls") who is supposed to sing in Roy Stuart's saloon. Jeanne's likable but befuddled business manager Sacha Bozic (lovable flabby jowled S.Z. "Cuddles" Sakall of "Casablanca") lined up the engagement through an old acquaintance of her Jeanne's Legare (shifty-eyed Victor Francen of "The Desert Song") who is partners with Roy Stuart. Along the way, Clay tangles with Stuart-sent gunman Lafe Williams (Tom Tyler of "The Adventures of Captain Marvel") and guns him down in a memorable shoot-out. The rest of "San Antonio" consists of Clay Hardin and Roy Stuart circling each other warily like a mongoose and a cobra in an arena that only one can exit alive. The action really gathers momentum after an exciting scene where Legare guns down Charlie Bell in a back ally and the shadow of Sacha looms over both. Legare threatens to kill Sacha if the funny little fat man utters a word. Meanwhile, Clay gets the mistaken notion that Jeanne set him up for Roy Stuart. Later, we get to see a massive saloon shoot-out on the scale of the saloon brawl in Michael Curtiz's "Dodge City." The eventful, hard-as-nails frontier action in an above-average script by "Little Caesar" scenarist W.R. Burnett and Alan Le Maybest known for his novel "The Searchers" that became a John Wayne classicoffsets the antics of Cuddles. Anybody who knows anything about Warner Brothers movies from that age knows that a lot of Cuddles' dialogue sounds like something that Michael Curtiz would have said. When Cuddles spots a rider less horse, he turns to the stagecoach driver and proclaims, "There goes an empty horse." This line immortalized first in David Niven's autobiography about the time that he made "The Charge of the Light Brigade" with Flynn and Curtiz referred to bare-backed horses as "empty" horses. The dialogue turns out to be filled in loads of quotable dialogue. Cuddles' comic dialogue sounds almost as good as the Marx Brothers with lines like: "If you can't say nothing, don't speak." Kelly and Francen make excellent villains as does Tom Tyler at the beginning of the film. Let's not overlook those sexy costumes that Alexis flaunts her oh-so-hottie body in.
You can't go wrong with "San Antonio."
The action opens with Texas cattleman Charlie Bell (the ever reliable John Litel) crossing the Tex-Mex border to root Clay Hardin (Errol Flynn) out of exile. As it turns out, Clay has been biding his time before he returns to Texas for a showdown with lead heavy Roy Stuart (Paul Kelly of "The Springfield Rifle") who is the chief architect behind a massive cattle rustling ring that has robbed and stolen thousands of dollars from Texas cattlemen. It seems that Clay liberated a tally book from one of Stuart's henchmen has all the dirty details. Charlie Bell warns Clay that the opposition is expecting him and wants to kill him, but threats of death and violence do not deter Clay Hardin. He tells Charlie to get him a ticket on the next stage to San Antonio. Of course, Charlie regards this as a brazen and unwise thing to do, but Clay goes ahead with it anyway. Meanwhile, two Stuart henchmen are waiting for our hero who stops off along the way to catch a ride on a different stagecoach, one chartered for a New Orleans entertainer Jeanne Star (Alexis Smith of "The Doughgirls") who is supposed to sing in Roy Stuart's saloon. Jeanne's likable but befuddled business manager Sacha Bozic (lovable flabby jowled S.Z. "Cuddles" Sakall of "Casablanca") lined up the engagement through an old acquaintance of her Jeanne's Legare (shifty-eyed Victor Francen of "The Desert Song") who is partners with Roy Stuart. Along the way, Clay tangles with Stuart-sent gunman Lafe Williams (Tom Tyler of "The Adventures of Captain Marvel") and guns him down in a memorable shoot-out. The rest of "San Antonio" consists of Clay Hardin and Roy Stuart circling each other warily like a mongoose and a cobra in an arena that only one can exit alive. The action really gathers momentum after an exciting scene where Legare guns down Charlie Bell in a back ally and the shadow of Sacha looms over both. Legare threatens to kill Sacha if the funny little fat man utters a word. Meanwhile, Clay gets the mistaken notion that Jeanne set him up for Roy Stuart. Later, we get to see a massive saloon shoot-out on the scale of the saloon brawl in Michael Curtiz's "Dodge City." The eventful, hard-as-nails frontier action in an above-average script by "Little Caesar" scenarist W.R. Burnett and Alan Le Maybest known for his novel "The Searchers" that became a John Wayne classicoffsets the antics of Cuddles. Anybody who knows anything about Warner Brothers movies from that age knows that a lot of Cuddles' dialogue sounds like something that Michael Curtiz would have said. When Cuddles spots a rider less horse, he turns to the stagecoach driver and proclaims, "There goes an empty horse." This line immortalized first in David Niven's autobiography about the time that he made "The Charge of the Light Brigade" with Flynn and Curtiz referred to bare-backed horses as "empty" horses. The dialogue turns out to be filled in loads of quotable dialogue. Cuddles' comic dialogue sounds almost as good as the Marx Brothers with lines like: "If you can't say nothing, don't speak." Kelly and Francen make excellent villains as does Tom Tyler at the beginning of the film. Let's not overlook those sexy costumes that Alexis flaunts her oh-so-hottie body in.
You can't go wrong with "San Antonio."
Flynn Western is Full of Action and Color.
rmax30482323 February 2009
Warning: Spoilers
There are these bad guys in 1870s Texas, see, led by the wealthy Paul Kelly and the underhanded Victor Francen from New Orleans. What they and their henchmen have been doing is rustling cattle by the horde, or by the herd, whichever you prefer. Then they run the stolen cattle across the Mexican border, rebrand them, and filter them back into the states to sell at a profit. Many honest ranchers and small cattlemen get shot up in the process.
Errol Flynn was one of them, his ranch destroyed, his cattle driven off, and he himself shot full of holes. A friend, John Litel, seeks him out in his Hollywood-style Mexican village where he finds Flynn now completely recovered and in possession of a ledger that proves Kelly's guilt. Also, need it be pointed out, Flynn is as gay and cheerful as ever. Flynn and Litel now set out for Texas to see to it that Kelly and Francen pay their debt to society.
The rest of the plot gets complicated. Alexis Smith, gorgeous in Technicolor, enters the picture along with S. Z. ("Cuddles") Sakall. The first is beautiful, the latter is less funny than silly, though the tastes of contemporary audiences may be responsible for that impression.
Poor Litel is shot unawares by Francen. It does not come as a surprise. We know as soon as we meet his character that he is dead meat. The smoothly groomed miscreants steal the ledger or the diary or the MacGuffin or whatever it is -- the evidence. Flynn has to do a bit of shooting to get it back. He gets it back. The bad guys die. The rest of the good guys live.
It's not a demanding film. It goes down like a double café latte mit Schlag. None of the characters is in the least ambiguous. We never feel sorry for a moment when the bad guys get it. And the good guys have no qualifying quirks. They're all good-natured heterosexuals. I kept wishing for some surprise -- maybe Flynn could open his closet and a copy of Pepys' diary would tumble out with all the ribald passages underlined. Anything.
But, as it stands, the movie, though a bit slow, is enjoyable. The whole Warners factory was at work here. All the expected supporting players are present. The score is by Warners stalwart Max Steiner. How he could write so MANY scores for so MANY movies of different genres is a mystery. Flynn is fine as his usual casual self. He's casual even in action scenes. In the 1937 "The Adventures of Robin Hood," he interrupted a sword fight with the menacing Basil Rathbone to wisecrack. "Did I upset your plans?" Here, he faces down gunman Tom Tyler. They both draw and shoot, and Flynn asks wryly, "Something wrong, McClaine?" Tyler, by the way, then does a reprise of his pre-mortem performance in "Stagecoach." He drops one of his guns, turns and begins to walk slowly away, drops the other gun, takes a few more steps and drops dead.
The superb photography is by Bert Glennon. Alexis Smith is merely decorative, but she IS decorative. S. Z. Sakall, a Hungarian, mangles the syntax of the English language and slaps his blubbery cheeks with his palms when he's frightened, which is most of the time, but his role is perhaps more dramatic than his persona can handle. I genuinely enjoyed the wardrobe and the art direction. San Antonio really looks glamorously Mexican. And the director has Victor Franken at varying times chewing on a tamale and what appears to be a soft taco.
I've often wondered, though, about the livelihood of characters like Flynn's. He rode into Mexico wounded and without a centavo. He returns to Texas to correct the situation -- but he NEVER WORKS. He has multiple Western outfits, can afford to eat in what passes for fancy restaurants, carelessly tips a tiny Mexican messenger boy -- but he NEVER WORKS. Whatever his source of income is, that's the one I want.
Flynn didn't have much of a career ahead of him after this movie but you'd never know it by watching him romp through this retrograde nonsense with such zest.
Errol Flynn was one of them, his ranch destroyed, his cattle driven off, and he himself shot full of holes. A friend, John Litel, seeks him out in his Hollywood-style Mexican village where he finds Flynn now completely recovered and in possession of a ledger that proves Kelly's guilt. Also, need it be pointed out, Flynn is as gay and cheerful as ever. Flynn and Litel now set out for Texas to see to it that Kelly and Francen pay their debt to society.
The rest of the plot gets complicated. Alexis Smith, gorgeous in Technicolor, enters the picture along with S. Z. ("Cuddles") Sakall. The first is beautiful, the latter is less funny than silly, though the tastes of contemporary audiences may be responsible for that impression.
Poor Litel is shot unawares by Francen. It does not come as a surprise. We know as soon as we meet his character that he is dead meat. The smoothly groomed miscreants steal the ledger or the diary or the MacGuffin or whatever it is -- the evidence. Flynn has to do a bit of shooting to get it back. He gets it back. The bad guys die. The rest of the good guys live.
It's not a demanding film. It goes down like a double café latte mit Schlag. None of the characters is in the least ambiguous. We never feel sorry for a moment when the bad guys get it. And the good guys have no qualifying quirks. They're all good-natured heterosexuals. I kept wishing for some surprise -- maybe Flynn could open his closet and a copy of Pepys' diary would tumble out with all the ribald passages underlined. Anything.
But, as it stands, the movie, though a bit slow, is enjoyable. The whole Warners factory was at work here. All the expected supporting players are present. The score is by Warners stalwart Max Steiner. How he could write so MANY scores for so MANY movies of different genres is a mystery. Flynn is fine as his usual casual self. He's casual even in action scenes. In the 1937 "The Adventures of Robin Hood," he interrupted a sword fight with the menacing Basil Rathbone to wisecrack. "Did I upset your plans?" Here, he faces down gunman Tom Tyler. They both draw and shoot, and Flynn asks wryly, "Something wrong, McClaine?" Tyler, by the way, then does a reprise of his pre-mortem performance in "Stagecoach." He drops one of his guns, turns and begins to walk slowly away, drops the other gun, takes a few more steps and drops dead.
The superb photography is by Bert Glennon. Alexis Smith is merely decorative, but she IS decorative. S. Z. Sakall, a Hungarian, mangles the syntax of the English language and slaps his blubbery cheeks with his palms when he's frightened, which is most of the time, but his role is perhaps more dramatic than his persona can handle. I genuinely enjoyed the wardrobe and the art direction. San Antonio really looks glamorously Mexican. And the director has Victor Franken at varying times chewing on a tamale and what appears to be a soft taco.
I've often wondered, though, about the livelihood of characters like Flynn's. He rode into Mexico wounded and without a centavo. He returns to Texas to correct the situation -- but he NEVER WORKS. He has multiple Western outfits, can afford to eat in what passes for fancy restaurants, carelessly tips a tiny Mexican messenger boy -- but he NEVER WORKS. Whatever his source of income is, that's the one I want.
Flynn didn't have much of a career ahead of him after this movie but you'd never know it by watching him romp through this retrograde nonsense with such zest.
Totally Boring Movie
barnesgene11 June 2012
Goodness, could it get much worse? Every Western cliché intact, tepid, phoned-in performances at best by the leads, a simplistic story the writers couldn't keep in focus, ersatz "Western" music, hollow comedy that's out of step with the plot, costumes from Silly Costumes, Inc., what else? Could Mel Brooks have lifted the dance hall show for his movie "Blazing Saddles"? I thought this might be a celebration of the city of San Antonio, Texas, but it's just garbage, probably none of it filmed in San Antonio anyway. The first hour and a quarter are excruciatingly slow, but when the pace finally picks up, there's really nothing left to watch, except more clichés. A breathtakingly dull film.
While not the best of Flynn's westerns, San Antoni...
Scott-526 September 1998
While not the best of Flynn's westerns, San Antonio offers appealing players a lavish budget, and plenty of action. It was the Christmas offering from Warner Bros., and, perhaps due to the returning G.I.'s, the highest grossing film Flynn ever made (in its original release). Some good music helps, as does the chemistry between Errol and Alexis Smith. Raoul Walsh is uncredited for some of the direction, and I speculate the action scenes are those he worked on.
His Greatest Role?
coldwind912 April 2005
No, I don't mean Flynn, I'm speaking of John Litel, perhaps best known as Bonita Granville's father in the Nancy Drew films. Usually called on to do a businessman or a town elder, he does a lovely turn here as the dangerous and savvy Texas pioneer Charlie Bell -- and his enjoyment in the part is palpable. There's some nice art direction, especially in the look of the towns of Cotula and San Antonio. Finally, the costume design is wonderful -- a total hodge-podge of styles collected from all corners of the US and Mexico, met on the New Frontier, totally unlike the ubiquitous look that would soon show up in films about the West. One question -- isn't that little Boby Blake as the telegraph messenger boy? The role is uncredited, even here, but he'd be about the right age, and it sure looks like him.
OK movie; epic entrance
ArtVandelayImporterExporter20 April 2022
Roughly 15 minutes into the film, Errol Flynn is trying to sneak into San Antonio. He rides up alongside a moving stagecoach and manages to board it directly from his horse - with luggage! As he's shimmying in, NASCAR-style, his eyes first fall upon the old lady to his right. Watch his eyes. Then catch the ''whew." Then he looks to his left and sees Alexis Smith. ''Well, hello!" he says as he flashes that million-dollar smile.
''Move over, honey." Horrifed at the impudence, Smith says, "The show doesn't start until after supper." "Oh, are we gonna have supper too?"
Bang. I'm dead. Whoever wrote that sequence should be in the screenwriter's Hall of Fame. And they should have shown this clip when the Academy awarded Flynn his Irving Thalberg Memorial trinket for Lifetime Achievement in Motion Pictures.
What's that you say? Flynn never got that recognition? Obviously the academy wouldn't recognize acting and star power when it's right up there on the 35-foot-wide screen.
Oh, the movie. Something, something cattlemen, rustlers, range war, who cares.
Did I mention how beautiful Alexis Smith is? The Penticton Peach, I like to call her. Let's make that a thing.
Could I get a director's cut that eliminates all of S. Z. Sakall's lines? Even for an industry wherein ''comic" sidekicks ruined more movies than they improved, Sakallshyt is the most ruinous. Fat, ugly, thickly accented, unfunny doofus. I loathe him even more than Gabby Hayes, Walter Brennan, Harvey Lembeck, Robert Strauss, Ralph Malph (but not Potsy), and Squiggy (but not Lenny).
In fact, my theory on why Montana (released years later) is about 14 minutes short is that preview audiences filled in their feedback cards and 94% of them wrote a variation of, "More smokin' hot Alexis Smith, less ugly, fat doofus S. Z. Suxall." Being world-class chiselers, they didn't bother shooting more film of Smith, they just hacked out most of Suxalot's scenes. Whereas San Antonio checks in at an over-drawn hour-49, which means they could have clipped all of Suxballz scenes and brought this thing in at a tight 90. Had they invested in writing more ambiguity into Smith's character, San Antonio could have been a Technicolor western noir featuring two excellent villains instead of a 3-director jumbalaya of pandering to every possible audience demographic.
''Move over, honey." Horrifed at the impudence, Smith says, "The show doesn't start until after supper." "Oh, are we gonna have supper too?"
Bang. I'm dead. Whoever wrote that sequence should be in the screenwriter's Hall of Fame. And they should have shown this clip when the Academy awarded Flynn his Irving Thalberg Memorial trinket for Lifetime Achievement in Motion Pictures.
What's that you say? Flynn never got that recognition? Obviously the academy wouldn't recognize acting and star power when it's right up there on the 35-foot-wide screen.
Oh, the movie. Something, something cattlemen, rustlers, range war, who cares.
Did I mention how beautiful Alexis Smith is? The Penticton Peach, I like to call her. Let's make that a thing.
Could I get a director's cut that eliminates all of S. Z. Sakall's lines? Even for an industry wherein ''comic" sidekicks ruined more movies than they improved, Sakallshyt is the most ruinous. Fat, ugly, thickly accented, unfunny doofus. I loathe him even more than Gabby Hayes, Walter Brennan, Harvey Lembeck, Robert Strauss, Ralph Malph (but not Potsy), and Squiggy (but not Lenny).
In fact, my theory on why Montana (released years later) is about 14 minutes short is that preview audiences filled in their feedback cards and 94% of them wrote a variation of, "More smokin' hot Alexis Smith, less ugly, fat doofus S. Z. Suxall." Being world-class chiselers, they didn't bother shooting more film of Smith, they just hacked out most of Suxalot's scenes. Whereas San Antonio checks in at an over-drawn hour-49, which means they could have clipped all of Suxballz scenes and brought this thing in at a tight 90. Had they invested in writing more ambiguity into Smith's character, San Antonio could have been a Technicolor western noir featuring two excellent villains instead of a 3-director jumbalaya of pandering to every possible audience demographic.
not a great film, but quite remarkable for ...
emanuel4219 February 2004
...colorful background technic, which is somewhat ahead of its time by 10 years maybe.....erol flyn's dialogue.... the never ending tempramental orchestration thru most of the scenes...and the performance of the non-forgetable S.E. Sakel.
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