Song of the Gringo

Just like another country/western star, Gene Autry, was brought to Hollywood to be a singing cowboy, the fledgling Grand National Pictures hired Tex Ritter from the Grand Old Opry to be its singing cowboy. It was a good move, though Grand National never gave him quite the same decent properties as Republic did Autry and Roy Rogers. Song of the Gringo was Tex Ritter's debut film.

Tex is a deputy sheriff who goes undercover to foil a dastardly plot by outlaws who are killing various mine owners who've been financed by Joan Woodbury's father. The climax of this scheme is for the head villain to marry Woodbury.

Even bearing in mind that this was for the Saturday matinée kiddie trade, Tex is hardly convincing as an undercover operative. In fact one of the outlaws, Warner Richmond, has suspicions about him from the gitgo. All undercover guys ride a very noticeable white stallion named White Flash which was Ritter's horse as Trigger was to Roy Rogers and Champion to Gene Autry.

Playing a bit role as a judge is real life desperado, Al Jennings who had a colorful career in the previous century and showed Ritter the movie cowboy ropes. It's worth seeing Song of the Gringo just to see a real part of western history.

And Ritter himself is a man with a pleasant voice and easy to listen to. Also look for Fuzzy Knight as the sidekick and Monte Blue as the sheriff. And dig that Perry Mason like ending.

In his debut movie, the camera stays on Tex most of the film, as he sings, tells tall tales, romances the leading lady, and fights the bad guys. Here, in 1936, he was thin, and although he had a boyish and slightly impish look, he carries himself and the movie well as a Western Hero. In an outdoor scene with evil henchman Warner Richmond, you learn that 'You don't mess with Tex!'

He sings four songs: a couple of his own, "Out on the Prairie," and "My Sweet Chiquita," and two old folk songs, "Sam Hall," and "Rye Whiskey," which became one of his most popular and most requested hits that he performed for the rest of his life. We can see John Ritter in him as he does a comedic turn singing "Rye Whiskey" disguised as a drunken Mexican. This is worth the price of the movie alone!

As in so many other B westerns, the hero goes undercover to root out the evil doers--in this case the ranch supervisor who is killing miners for their mines and wealth. Tex does it, and gets (and kisses) the girl, played by Joan Woodbury. She performs her own dance at her birthday fiesta. You can also see her as the zombie-like wife in the Mantan Moreland wonder "King of the Zombies" (1941) and as Brenda Starr herself in the Columbia serial "Brenda Starr, Reporter" (1945).

Also of note is the fact that since the house Tex is staying at belongs to a Spanish don, we hear many of the characters (including Joan) speaking to each other in Spanish. The 'Perry Mason' like courtroom ending, while not altogether unexpected, seems a little rushed.

So while this film has historical value for Tex's performance of "Rye Whiskey," I can only give it a 5.

This first film by Tex sets the template for further Ritter adventures, with the easygoing Tex, who's as quick with a song as he is with his six-shooters, a government agent who goes undercover to bust a gang of bad guys while still finding time for romance.

Tex is great as usual, rising above the okay but unspectacular material, while singing some fantastic songs.

There's some nicely photographed, atmospheric scenes early on, as a bearded Ritter, trying to sure up his outlaw credentials, takes refuge from a posse in the house of the gang leader, during a violent thunderstorm.

The highlight of the film definitely has to be Tex's spirited rendition of Jack 'o Diamonds (a.k.a. Rye Whiskey).

Leading lady Joan Woodbury looks very nice too.

Hard to believe this is Tex debut, it's one of his best works and might be my favorite of his. The music is also some of his best