Ramona

I have read the novel "Ramona" a few times, and it seems something was lost when the book was translated into film. First of all, the story takes place in the Spanish colonial days of California, and this is why the Native Americans are speaking with Spanish accents. The "gringo" white people (Americans) are seen as the villains because they mostly are Protestant and are moving into a predominantly Catholic area and are claiming land that had been granted to Spanish settlers by the King of Spain. There was this same ill feeling about gringos or "white settlers" when Texas was in the process of separating from Mexico and becoming part of the United States.

As for Ramona's being a half-breed, the novel explains she is the child of the Spanish rancher and his Native American girl friend. The rancher brings her, as an infant, to the hacienda, and the rancher's wife agrees to bring up her husband's illegitimate daughter as if the child were her own or at least her social equal.

I am not sure of Loretta Young's heritage, but I believe she was a devout Catholic and perhaps was of Latin descent. It so happens her sister Georgiana was married to Ricardo Montalban, so Miss Young was associated with Latin Americans in her private life. Mr. Ameche was an Italian-American and no doubt Catholic, so he fit into this story of Spanish-colonial California very well.

I hope this explanation has helped some reviewers better understand the background of "Ramona." One of my favorite scenes is the priest coming to bless the flock of sheep and crops each spring. It is reminiscent of the same blessing in "The Thorn Birds" and the annual "Blessing of the Fleet" in the Gulf Coast area of the United States.

Hollywood operated in a different world in the mid-1930s than it does today. The Technicolor production of September 1936's "Ramona" was delayed by 20th Century Fox because the "official" word was its scheduled star, Loretta Young, was recuperating from exhaustion after appearing in back-to-back movies, Cecil B. DeMille's 1935 "The Crusades" and "The Call of the Wild" with Clark Gable.

The true story emerged years later as to why Young delayed the studio's shooting of "Ramona." Well after her acting days were long over, Young sat down with writer Joan Anderson to relate her life story for her autobiography, which wasn't released until after her death in 2000. The actress confessed that her supposed adopted daughter Judith Lewis was the result of an affair she had with Clark Gable, 34, while on the remote location filming "The Call of the Wild." As a good Catholic who didn't believe in abortion, Young carried the child throughout the pregnancy, unbeknownst to the studio and the public. Young, 22 at the time, became invisible, 'vacationing' in England until she returned to California to deliver her daughter.

A few weeks passed before Young handed Judith, named after the patron saint of difficult situations, St. Jude, over to an orphanage with the intentions of adopting her, which she did 19 months later. With her marriage to film producer Tom Lewis in 1940, Young gave her daughter his last name. But the ploy failed to fool many who saw Judith develop into a female version of Clark Gable. Despite being pressed numerous times over the years to admit the obvious, Young continued to deny the true father's identity for fear it would ruin the actor's reputation.

Seeking a possible replacement for the unavailable Young, Winfred Sheehan, head of Fox Films, felt that young Rita Hayworth, 18, whom was being groomed by the studio to become the next Dolores del Rio, could play Ramona, a half-white, half-Native American that fit perfectly with Hayworth's Hispanic background. But head of the newly-merged 20th Century Fox, Darryl F. Zanuck, nixed Sheehan's choice, selecting little known actress Rochelle Hudson instead. And the president made another historic choice, figuring "the story is in the special class and deserves more elaborate treatment than formerly called for." His studio spent the extra money to film "Romana" in the new Technicolor three-strip format, the fourth Hollywood feature movie to do so. The production, planned for mostly exterior shooting, was considerably delayed by long periods of rain in Southern California. When filming was ready to begin in the spring of 1936, the marquee actress Loretta Young became available. She was still feeling the effects of her daughter's delivery, and a body double was substituted for long shots whenever she experienced postpartum effects.

Helen Hunt Jackson's 1884 novel 'Ramona,' set in the Mexican colony of California, was brought to the screen twice before as silent movies, and was cinema's first sound version of the tale of a racially-mixed young woman whose attraction with several prominent gentlemen in the region took a back seat of an Indian chief's son, Alessandro (Don Ameche). "Romona's" plot ironically has Young's character become pregnant by Alessandro. Both find life difficult as the Indians' background makes it hard to begin life as respectable farmers.

The Kenosha, Wisconsin-native Dominic Felix Amici took up acting during his college days at the University of Wisconsin. The 22-year-old adopted the stage name Don Ameche when he was behind the mic in 1930 for a popular Chicago radio station. Zanuck heard his dynamic voice over the airwaves and immediately signed him to a studio contract. "Ramona" was Ameche's second appearance on film.

"Ramona" was a success at the box office, helped by the studio's first use of Technicolor. With each motion picture it produced, Technicolor improved its color quality, making tremendous advances with its relatively new technology. The New York Times film reviewer noticed that "Chromatically, the picture is superior to anything we have seen in the color line." Variety concurred, adding, "the fact that the color angle becomes less noticeable as the picture unwinds, and never interferes with the telling or reception of the story, is evidence that color has finally found its place in film production."

Back in the 1930s and 40s, Hollywood was extremely insensitive (and stupid) about casting folks for minority roles. However, that was the time and you just need to keep your politically correct instincts in check when you watch this one! Imagine.....Loretta Young playing a woman who is half American Indian and half Mexican! While this sounds dumb, understand that the likes of Rock Hudson played Indians in films--or Don Ameche cast as a full-blooded native like he is in "Ramona"!! As for J. Carrol Naish--like Anthony Quinn, he played just about everything (except blacks) in films--so it isn't surprising he's in this one playing a Mexican. Plus, frankly, he's played so many nationalities, most everyone at the time had no idea what his heritage really is!! But Loretta Young and Don Ameche--with their lovely American diction (especially Ameche, who is practically the epitome of politeness and class)!!! What were the executives thinking (or smoking)?! "Ramona" must have been a prestige picture for 20th Century-Fox, as it is filmed in beautiful 1930s-style Three-Strip Technicolor--a HUGE expense at the time and something reserved only for the best films. In fact, it was the first such film made by the studio.

When the film begins, Ramona is in love with a cultured man from a very good family. So does she....or so she thinks. Eventually the truth is discovered--she's a half-breed! And she's forced to leave her home by some real jerk-faces. But before she goes, her native friend (Ameche) tells her that he's loved her--and she is thrilled, as she loves him, too. So, they run away together and get married. However, their life is tough, as folks are quite prejudiced towards them--throwing them off their farm. Can they somehow find a place that will accept the strangely cultured couple--and their new baby?! Overall, I'd say the writing isn't bad (but it is a bit schmaltzy) and the film manages to be watchable in spite of some terrible casting.

By the way, if you want to see other films with equally ridiculous casting, try finding "The Conquerer" (with John Wayne as Genghis Khan and red-headed Susan Hayward as his bride, Bortai)--or most any Charlie Chan film.

Spanish Loretta Young (!) was raised by a wealthy family. The family's son loves Loretta but she loves Indian Don Ameche (oh boy). Then she finds out that she's also half-Indian, which makes her happy as she can marry Ameche. It's one of those movies, folks. When Ameche rides into view and you realize he's gone full Tonto for this picture, you basically have two choices: turn it off or soldier on, knowing full well this is going to be a little hard to swallow.

The early Technicolor is nice and makes the beautiful scenery pop. Young is lovely, even with the jet black hair that doesn't suit her. Speaking of lovely, Katherine DeMille appears in this and her beauty is also enhanced by the color. Good support from Jane Darwell, J. Carrol Naish, and Pauline Frederick. John Carradine has a small part. It's a well-intentioned bit of hokum. Amusing at times but depressing if you take it seriously.

Ramona (1936)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

A young half Indian woman (Loretta Young) marries an Indian (Don Ameche) but their lives take a turn for the worse when white folks run them off their land. This is an extremely depressing and somewhat shocking film that actually shows the Indians as the good people and the white's as savages, which wasn't common back in the day. The two stars do their usual great work but the direction is all over the place. The Indians aren't well written considering most are talking with Spanish accents. John Carradine has a small role. From what I gathered, this was the forth feature to use 3-strip Technicolor.