Der Mann von Del Rio

Man From Del Rio (1956) is one of a large number of well directed, nicely written and acted westerns from the 50s, a decade rich in quality westerns, from the small scale, epic and everything in-between. The film's director, Harry Horner, was an old Hollywood hand, used some odd camera angles and made the visual and spatial aspects of this modest production interesting, pleasing to look at, even as the film is itself low budget and in black and white.

Anthony Quinn is the Hispanic sheriff of a small western town where he is needed, due to his skill with handguns, but not liked or wanted due to his ethnic background. Even Katy Jurado's token Hispanic woman, playing somewhat against type, would rather Quinn would simply disappear. The supporting cast is outstanding for a film of this sort, with such familiar players as Whit Bissell and Douglas Fowley in roles in which each would seem be a better fit for the the other's.

It helps to be a western fan to enjoy this picture. This is not a movie for everyone. The story itself is by the numbers, but it works some nice variations on its familiar themes; and star Anthony Quinn is excellent in the lead. He was on the verge of major stardom when he appeared in the film, and on the basis of his performance it's easy to see why. The film was released the same year as Lust For Life, in which Quinn's supporting performance won him an Academy award. It's difficult for me to imagine two more different films for this actor to have appeared in during the same year.

Ah, the good old days, when a slap in the face meant a man loved you. In Man from Del Rio, that's what it meant to Anthony Quinn and Katy Jurado. Believe me, the movie is much more than that, but that scene was pretty amusing.

Anthony Quinn stars a half-Mexican from the wrong side of the tracks who isn't really welcomed by the small town he wanders into-in other words, this is a typical Anthony Quinn role. It's a pretty mediocre 1950s western, which is a genre I don't really like, and if it weren't for Tony's good looks-and good performance-I probably would have turned it off. Thankfully he was good looking, and he did add nuances to his character that made him likable and easy to root for, despite slapping Katy Jurado, so I watched the whole movie.

Another actor could have rattled off his lines with no feeling, like much of the supporting cast, but Tony decided to give his character motivation and feelings. His main issue revolves around pride: he's ashamed that the town doesn't accept him and he wants to be able to hold his head up high. So, whenever he's challenged to a fight, he can't back down. I'm pretty sure it was Anthony Quinn who made those motivations clear. As you might expect from a movie taking place in the Old West, there are lots of shootouts, slugfests, barroom brawls, and lawless mobs. If you like that genre, you'll probably like this movie. I won't spoil anything, but Richard Carr's story grew to be pretty imaginative, and I ended up liking Man from Del Rio much more than I thought.

Dreary melodrama about a drifter (played by Anthony Quinn) who initially gains respect as a fast-draw gunslinger, only to find that it takes more than a quick gun to win respect from the town folk.

This obscure western is mostly a character study, and as such, it reminds me of the old Gunsmoke series. The town is predictably drab; the main props are guns and whiskey bottles; and the music and shadows make the atmosphere grim.

The acting is adequate. In addition to Quinn, the film features veteran actor Whit Bissell, and the always engaging Katy Jurado.

Anthony Quinn always made it look easy and that was one of his strengths as a actor, this movie would have been good with another leading man too, because the supporting actors were top notch, but Tony definitely pulled it up a peg or two!

That gunfight in the beginning was kind of funny though, surprised Dan Ritchie lived so long with that draw of his!

I re-watched this movie recently and it re-affirmed my belief that Anthony Quinn is one of the great character actors. Man From Del Rio was obviously a low-budget film - not because it looks 'cheap' but because it was shot in a simple old-West town setting, much like High Noon, and because it is in b/w and doesn't have any of the really top-name stars. None of those things detract from it because it has a very good story, an excellent, taut script and fine performances all-round. (Well, with one reservation I'll mention later.) Right at the beginning of the movie, David Robles (Quinn) approaches gunfighter Dan Ritchey (Barry Atwater). He has spent the last few years learning to shoot so he could avenge those who Ritchey and his friends killed when they shot up Robles' hometown of Del Rio. When Robles kills the noted gunfighter the town offers him the job of sheriff.

But the town is crooked, basically run behind the scenes by the former gunfighter who owns the saloon, and Robles makes it apparent from the start that he is not going to play along. The townspeople even regard Robles as little more than just a 'tool' to keep order, not wanting to afford him equal treatment as one of their own.

Katy Jurado plays Estella, the assistant to the town doctor, and Robles has eyes for her. She has been in SO many Westerns, playing mostly the same role - the detached, cool, beautiful Mexican lady - but here she speaks her lines in such wooden fashion it's like she's reading them phonetically and doesn't really know what she's saying. Her inflection doesn't go with her words sometimes. It's not too off-putting but I did notice it enough to mention.

I don't want to spoil the story, and there is a lot more to it than this, but it's an excellent little Western with a good plot, well-written script and believable dialogue. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to see a less-well-known but still worthwhile Western.