Down Mexico Way

First, you have to like the "B" genre film. Autry was at the peak of his popularity here, and with all audiences, not just kids. Smiley Burnette too. This film has a bit higher budget than the average Autry film and was considered to be a "special".

So why is this one of his best? Because it has the elements audiences wanted in 1941. Gene Autry, good songs, a decent plot ( That' if you like the genre) good action sequences, heroics, production and locations. It's all just pure escapism with a western twang.

Autry had roughly a 20 year career in films and TV. His films changed with the times, but this was his prime period. And this is in the top 10 of all his films. If this film isn't for you, chances are no Autry film will be.

And don;t forget he was a "real-life" hero and patriot. He gave up his career and served in WW2.

The plot of Gene Autry's 49th (out of 94) film revolves around that old "The Producers" gag in which suckers are fleeced by con men who are purporting to make a money-making movie. The robbers flee to Mexico, so naturally Gene and Frog follow suit.

At least this development give Gene a chance to sing his hit number, "South of the Border", early on in the piece. And this outing certainly proves a must-see for fans of Harold Huber (at his hammiest worst) and vivacious Fay McKenzie (whom Autry said on his "Melody Ranch" TV program was here making her movie debut. Not strictly true, although all her many previous parts were no more than bits. Gene also made a big point of the fact that Billy Gilbert was her uncle).

In other respects, the movie is extremely well produced. In fact production values are exceptionally lavish by "B" standards, with lots of colorfully-dressed extras running around strikingly designed sets, followed by a really extended action climax, packed full of picturesque shots of riders against stand-out natural backgrounds.

We are also treated to some thrilling stunts, although some are marred by obvious process screen effects. Particularly disconcerting is a manifestly fake climactic shot in which Gene is supposed to jump off a cliff into the back seat of a speeding convertible!

Perhaps it's just as well there's no action at all for the first half-hour, although we are handed a fair amount of stylish local color, including a fast track of Gene and his lady love strolling through the local markets and an even larger slice of ho-hum comic tomfoolery with Smiley Burnett playing stooge to the egregious Senor Huber.

The folks of Sage City pony up $35,000 for shares in a movie produced by Murray Alper and Joe Sawyer to star John Wayne. After the producers head down to Mexico for location scouting, Gene Autry discovers they're con men. He, Smiley Burnette, and ex-bandito Harold Huber go in pursuit, but when they arrive down in Mexico they find Sidney Blackmer and Arthur Loft by that name, raising money off rancher Julian Rivero to star his daughter, Fay McKenzie.

It's a very pleasant example of the Autry corpus, with lots of Mexico-themed songs and an exciting final chase sequence. Autry's popularity was a proven fact by this point, and the final cost of the film, $135,520 on a budget of $124,947 -- no rounding off at Republic! -- was 50% higher than Autry's movies at the beginning of the year. It's certainly not an MGM budget, but it spoke of an enormous audience for well-produced oaters.

One of my favorite Gene Autry films is 1939's "South of the Border." The title song around which the film was based was one of Gene's best. It was actually written by Michael Carr and Jimmy Kennedy two men from the United Kingdom who had never set foot in the Americas. Yet there is beauty in its simplicity and melody. Plus it makes the listener think of exotic Mexico with its Spanish missions, Native American cultures, and pretty senoritas dancing. "South of the Border" was also successful at the box office. And Gene's recording of the title song was a best seller. "Down Mexico Way" two years later with some of the same actors hoped to repeat the success of "South of the Border." Gene even sang the title song once more. Alas, "Down Mexico Way" is not nearly as good.

One weakness of "Down Mexico Way" is the story. Even though written by one of the same writers, Dorrell McGowan, it is not much of a story. It seems a crew of scam artists purporting to be big-time Hollywood producers are fleecing naive locals out of their savings, then moving on. After fleecing Gene and his friends the charlatans feeling the heat cross the border into Mexico to join partners in the same scam there. Gene and Frog try to head them off. One of the intended victims happens to have a beautiful daughter who catches Gene's eye. Not too much happens until near the end when there is a wild chase involving motorcycles with sidecars, a getaway automobile, and men on horseback, including Gene who does some outlandish riding on Champion including some daredevil leaping which ends with a fisticuffs in the backseat of a runaway car.

Another weakness is the unfunny shenanigans of Harold Huber who plays Pancho Grande, sort of a Mexican Frog Millhouse, as if Frog's humor wasn't lame enough already. Too bad the talented actor Duncan Renaldo (The Cisco Kid) wasn't given a larger role. He is wasted in a bit part toward the end of the movie.

There are a few notables in the cast. One is Sidney Blackmer as one of the bad guys. This distinguished actor is now best remembered for his role as Roman Castevet in "Rosemary's Baby" toward the end of his career. The character actor Joe Sawyer plays one of the heavies. The viewer will remember his face if not his name. And future singing cowboy star and country music songwriter Eddie Dean can be seen briefly as one of the barbecue guests.

The music is good even though there are no songs written by Frog who was a much better songwriter and musician than he was a clown. Gene even sings the old standard "Beer Barrel Polka," cleaned up for the kids to "Role Out The Barrel." There are three Spanish-flavored songs included, the enchanting "Maria Elena," which is also the name of the pretty senorita, "Guadalajara," and "A Gay Ranchero."

Though this is not one of Gene's best, his many fans should still enjoy it.

I usually limit my B westerns comments to Hopalong Cassidy films, but I watched this one right after I watched "Wide Open Town" (which was not a great Hoppy film, but still far superior to this film). None of the B westerns are known for a high degree of realism, but a certain degree of realism could have been easily achieved in this film (as well as other Autrey films, Roy Rogers films, etc.) without hurting the plot or the enjoyment of the movie. In one scene, Gene asks the Mexican police (who are riding motorcycles) how he could catch up with the baddies, who have a head-start in a car. The police tell him about a shortcut through the hills. Gene then takes off aboard Champion, leading the police in the chase! He doesn't even know exactly where the shortcut is, yet he (on a horse no less), outdistances police who are familiar with the shortcut & are riding motorcycles, amazing! He ends up jumping from a 20 foot high boulder into a car speeding along a road at 40 miles per hour, & of course lands right in the back seat without so much as a bump or a scratch. Superman has no advantages over this cowboy! When I was a kid, I just knew I liked Hoppy better than Gene or Roy, but couldn't explain why. Ironically, despite the lack of realism, this is probably the best Gene Autrey film I've seen, so if Gene's a favorite of yours, this is a relatively good one. I rate it 5/10.