Viva Cisco Kid

Fox' Cisco Kid series continues, with the usual good chemistry between Cesar Romero and Chris-Pin Martin. This one takes a few minutes to get off to a start as Cisco is framed for a series of robberies and succored by Jean Rogers, who is the daughter of one of the gang members. This is not quite as good as others in this series: the energy levels of different players is distracting and at times it becomes a standard B western.

Fox' B unit, however, was, at this time, probably the best in the industry, and its strength was the high quality of cinematographer it got. Here's it's Charles Clarke, who takes advantage of the settings to shoot some beautiful scenery. Notice also the silhouette lighting during the interview with the witness and the almost Film Noir shadow shooting when Romero meets Fields -- or as close as they ever got to noir lighting at Fox. I don't think anyone ever turned out a light at that studio.

This film is very much like many of the other Cesar Romero incarnations of the Cisco Kid. Once again, when the film starts he's in a clinch with a pretty lady, once again she betrays him and once again he swears off women....and once again he soon forgets this oath! What also is familiar is that once again, someone is committing robberies and they are pretending to be the Cisco Kid. After all, he's a bandit and a handy scapegoat! However, when a robbery in town occurs, an old crazy hermit, Moses, sees it...and the bandits kill the guy and frame Cisco!! So, he has to infiltrate the gang, save the pretty woman and save his not exactly perfect reputation.

Despite the familiarity, this is an enjoyable entry in the series. There also a couple familiar bit players, Mantan Moreland and Willie Fung. Oddly, Fung's IMDb and Wikipedia pages list almost nothing about him...yet he appeared in 125 films! Overall, an enjoyable outing. Generally nothing special but handled quite well...and the way the baddies die...now that IS special!

Viva Cisco Kid finds Cesar Romero as the famous bandit once again stopping to do a good turn for a lady. In this case the lady is Jean Rogers and along for the ride is Chris-Pin Martin as Gordito.

Romero prevents a stagecoach holdup where Rogers is a passenger and prevents bandits led by Stanley Fields. What they don't know, but soon learn is that Jean's father Minor Watson is an express company employee in league with the bandits.

I like Romero's interpretation of the part. His Cisco Kid is charming and breezy and never loses his cool under some extreme provocation at times. He's not a G-rated Cisco like Duncan Renaldo. Both of them however keep their sidekicks around for laughs. Poor Chris-Pin Martin, he can't do anything right. In fact Stanley Fields who likes practical jokes, exploding cigars, whoopee cushions and the like, makes him the butt of a lot and even Romero gets a laugh from it.

Of course Fields plays one too many jokes and it spells the end.

Fans of the Cisco Kid will like this.

The third of the Cesar Romero Cisco Kid movies is very cute. It starts with both The Cisco Kid and his sidekick Gordito swearing off women forever. Cesar Romero helps Chris-Pin Martin call off his wedding, although Chris-Pin is very reluctant. "Rosita, she's going to be crazy for me. I think." He loves his fiancé and wants to marry her, but Cesar has found out that all the woman's husbands have died untimely deaths. So he helps Chris-Pin skip town. Just before they travel to the next town, Cesar declares he, too, is finished with women and will never fall in love again. Before Gordito has time to roll his eyes, The Cisco Kid meets Jean Rogers and falls back into his old habits!

This installment of the Cisco Kid movies is definitely my favorite. It has everything, singing, dancing, friendship, romance, and tons of humor. When Gordito uses his catch phrase one too many times, Cisco has the perfect comeback. They're trapped in a cave-in, and as the roof is about to fall down on them, Gordito says, "This looks bad - I think." Cisco looks at him and says, "You think?" I couldn't stop laughing. After you've watched Viva Cisco Kid, you'll definitely be in the mood for more, and Cesar Romero made three more movies, so you'll have plenty to choose from.