Man from Del Rio

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.

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.

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.

Man from Del Rio is directed by Harry Horner and written by Richard Carr. It stars Anthony Quinn, Katy Jurado, Peter Whitney, Douglas Fowley, John Larch, Whit Bissell, Douglas Spencer and Guinn Williams. Music is by Frederick Steiner and cinematography by Stanley Cortez.

Mexican David Robles (Quinn) has taught himself to be a gunfighter because he wants revenge on Dan Ritchy (Barry Atwater). Revenge he gets in the town of Mesa. It soon becomes apparent that Mesa has problems, the sheriff is weak willed and lawlessness is being orchestrated by Ed Bannister (Whitney). Seeing that Robles has something tough about him, the townsfolk urge him to become sheriff. But that doesn't mean they want anything to do with him socially…

I like your whiskey. But I'm not sure I like you.

Very tidy. The formula is standard, following along the lines of many a Western movie that featured a town tamer or stoic law man thrust into a life and death struggle for a town that doesn't deserve help. Man from Del Rio does not, however, lack for intelligence, offering up a bubbling under the surface racism strand that pits the lonely and uneducated Robles in a battle to be accepted.

Robles is by definition a Western anti-hero, he's coarse, unclean, drinks to excess and has no idea how to treat a woman. That his only skill is of being quick on the draw is something of a millstone around his neck, if that skill is taken away from him what has he got to offer then? This is something we will inevitably find out, but it's worth the wait to see how this characterisation turns out.

Quinn is hugely enjoyable, he almost always was when playing this sort of rough and ready character. Jurado is a little under used, her character under developed as well, while Whitney is sadly too weak as the villain. Star of the show is Bissell, playing the town drunk who becomes Robles only avenue for discourse, Bissell instills the character with pathos and humour and it's a joy to watch.

Horner and Cortez (The Magnificent Ambersons/The Night of the Hunter) shoot it in chiaroscuro to great effect, very much complimenting the air of alienation hovering over Robles. Horner also has a keen eye for an imposing scene and a good ear for humour, both evident here with a heart aching scene involving the hapless sheriff and with some of the barbs emitted from Quinn and Jurado.

Well worth seeking out by Western fans. 7/10

In The Man From Del Rio Anthony Quinn rides into town on a mission, kind of like James Caan in El Dorado. Both are after a group of men and both kill the last they were after. But whereas Caan takes up with John Wayne as a mentor and fights for law and order, Quinn starts to hang out at Peter Whitney's saloon with a whole collection of prize specimens of fast guns who are nothing but bullies.

Whitney has a plan to recreate his sleepy prairie town into a wide open cattle drive town and make a ton of money, never mind what the solid citizens want. Quinn likes the idea and becomes the sheriff, but soon the solid citizens see him as their savior. Will Quinn step into the role?

The Man From Del Rio is a minor western that did not even rate color back in the Fifties. Rarely seen today it's in that category of adult westerns so popular in the Fifties and Sixties with some very adult themes. Quinn and Katy Jurado have some truly adult dialog and she most of all persuades Quinn to step in the role of hero.

Not a film often shown today, The Man From Del Rio with a bit better in the production values department could have been a big hit. Quinn, fresh off his second Oscar for Lust For Life does well in a part perfect for him. Check this one out if broadcast.