Pillo de cuenta

This is the second or the Beery's mule pictures in the early 1940's. I enjoyed it. Not because it's a great western - it's not. It's simple B fair. But what it is seems to transcend the normal B schlock and it's mostly due to Beery and Main. If you don't disect it - you'll love it!

It's 1851. Just Baggot (Wallace Beery) is a horse thief and general criminal. The San Antonio-San Diego Mail Line is called the Jackass Mail. It is one of the earliest stagecoach mail service. When Baggot encounters the Jackass Mail, he tries to rob it, but another gets to it first. He ends up shooting the robber who killed the driver. He joins owner Clementine 'Tiny' Tucker (Marjorie Main) as the new driver. He befriends young Tommy Gargan, son of Red Gargan who turns out to be the robber.

I expected Beery to do a road movie with the boy. The boy was always going to find out the secret sooner or later. This has a lot more with Tiny. She and Beery have a lot of ups and downs. Marjorie Main has good comedic touch. I'm just not that into the romantic pairing. This is fine.

Wallace Beery played the same basic role in countless movies from the 1930s through much of the 1940s. In each, he was a somewhat amoral galoot who had a soft spot for kids--and ultimately gains redemption by the end of the movie. Back in the 30s, he made quite a few successful films of this sort with Jackie Cooper (such as "Treasure Island") and in the 40s with Margaret O'Brien ("Bad Bascomb") and in this film with young Darryl Hickman. From what I have read (such as Cooper's autobiography), Beery actually hated kids and was a hard-drinking guy with a temper like a badger with a toothache! But the public didn't know this and adored this formula. Because of this, "Jackass Mail" certainly is NOT original, but it still is pleasant viewing.

The film begins with Beery playing a horse thief with a strong desire to steal gold shipments. He soon meets up with another crooked guy (J. Carrol Naish) and together both of them try to be dishonest, but their better natures and luck conspire to keep them honest. Along the way, Beery (naturally) inherits a kid and soon begins a weird relationship with Marjorie Main--one where he initially wants to use her to get to the gold shipments but he eventually ends up falling for her. It's all a lot of fluff--but very enjoyable fluff. Well done but formula all the way. with no surprises...none.

After Wallace Beery did The Champ with Jackie Cooper and after he did Min And Bill with Marie Dressler, MGM made a concerted effort to team him with old women and kids. In Jackass Mail he gets to work with both.

Beery is cast as his usual reprobate character an outlaw in this case with J. Carrol Naish as a sidekick. In trying to rob a mule freight line that's ramrodded by Marjorie Main he gets fooled when another pair of outlaws, Dick Curtis and William Haade pull the job. Beery keeps trying to return to his crooked ways, but circumstances and Main keep him on the straight and narrow

Substituting for Jackie Cooper is young Darryl Hickman and Beery has to live a lie the way John Wayne did with Lee Aaker in Hondo after he kills Haade who is Hickman's father.

After Marie Dressler died, Beery was teamed with a succession of character women like Marjorie Main. Jackass Mail is a great example of the chemistry the two had with each other. And his scenes with Darryl Hickman are poignant as well, probably the best in the film.

I caught this movie last night on Turner Classic Movies, and I have to say it was a lot better than I expected. Yes, it was definitely a B-movie but it still stands up today, over sixty years later. Beery and Main, as well as the script have enough development, so that the two come off as more than just cookie cutter characters. In addition to the leads, Naish did a fine performance as a 'sidekick/comedy' character and young Tommy played by Hickman put in a good performance as well.

I consider this a 'fun' movie and I'd watch it again if I caught it on, or even consider purchasing it on DVD if it were available. (An online search shows a few scattered notes of it being a rare find.) At approximately 80 minutes in duration, the timing is near perfect for the storyline.

Finally, I do believe there is a bit more to this movie than what meets the eye. With the topics they cover, I was left wondering how different it could have/be done if they delved deeper and darker into some of the elements.

7/10. If you have the means to catch this lost gem, it's worth it.