Song of the Gringo

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.