Ride the Pink Horse (1947)

Best movie of this year hands down!

That was an excellent one.

Highly Overrated But Still Good

A Masterpiece!

I am a huge fan of Montgomery.He starred in two of my all time favorite films, Here Comes Mr. Jordan and The Lady in the Lake (which he also directed).Here he both stars and directs but unfortunately that is not enough. Films in border towns turned out to be the kiss of death for adventurous Hollywood producers. Even Charlton Heston tried one (actually playing a Mexican!) and it almost ruined his career.Montgomery has personality, star power, and directing chops to spare. But again, just not enough. The film never gets moving and the faux Mexican overlay (here Wanda Hendrix puts on heavy makeup to play the Mexican love interest) strangles the film in its sleep.An irony Philip Marlowe would appreciate.

In the border town of San Pablo, preparing for an annual 'Mexican Fiesta,' arrives Gagin (Robert Montgomery): tough, mysterious and laconic. His mission: to find the equally mysterious Frank Hugo (Fred Clark), evidently for revenge; or is it blackmail? This film gets credit for being a film noir set not in a big city or in some dark alley, but in a smaller southwestern town. And yet, despite the setting, it is firmly in the film noir genre and not in the western genre. Quite impressive.The story itself is pretty simple, but the characters are what make it great. Gagin is awesome, as is Hugo, but it is the FBI agent who makes it complete: cat versus mouse, or is it? Throw in the local peasant girl, and you have a well-rounded cast of characters.

This is a classic pseudo film noir. It means to emulate, but not necessarily be, a true film noir.Robert Montgomery is excellent and believable as a man driven to revenge the death of his war time pal.The scenes with Wanda Hendrix as, in turns, a guileless teen, a knowing friend and a woman who 'sees things' are taut and dramatic. There are a few moments of humor there too.Mr Montgomery's direction is both intelligent and convincing. There are moments of drama. Moments of near pathos. Moments of comedy. Moments of boredom - from the characters, not the audience.The 'Fed' and 'Pancho' the carousel owner are interesting and engaging characters. Not hollow or cardboard cutouts that one might see in some films.All in all it is a very enjoyable film and a must see for those that appreciate both the acting skills and the directorial skills of Mr. Robert Montgomery.

This is a relatively unknown film despite thomas gomaz being nominated for best supporting actor. What a shame, since this is a really great film. Although i do think that this is a pretty stupid title. It was also robert montgomery's second film as star and director after 1946's lady in the lake, in which he played phil marlowe.