The Arizona Kid

Warner Baxter is back playing a Mexican. He owns a gold mine in Utah, but he started out as The Arizona Kid, who robbed a lot of stage coaches, so there's now a $5000 reward on his head -- and a bad picture on the poster, so he doesn't worry. What he worries about is Carole Lombard from the east, out with her brother Theodore von Eltz. Of course Baxter is not the only one with a secret or two, like how Mona Maris love him. But we can watch certain it will all be sorted out satisfactorily at the end.

It's certain a watchable picture, with two beautiful women, Hank Mann as a bartender, and Alfred Santell offer his usual, well-paced direction. The result is a pleasant, old-fashioned programmer. Just don't expect anything great.

Warner Baxter does a bang up job as the Arizona Kid. The facial and vocal characteristics are charming and spot on all the time. He portrays a criminal with a heart. And there is many a twist in this tale of love. The character actors that come in and out of scenes briefly are all great. There are some great location shots and an authentic stage coach that helps introduce our main character in the beginning and is a vital link to the outcome of the film. The scenes are varied and short, so the pace of the film is good, but enough time is taken in the scenes between the Arizona Kid and Virginia (Carole Lombard) to allow us to believe they are falling in love. Unfortunately, Carole Lombard's acting is at its worst in this film. Her lines are delivered as if she was staring in a grade school play. However, the film keeps up ones interest and Carole plays quite a different part than is her norm, so it is well worth a viewing.

This film begins with the news that a bandit known only as "the Arizona Kid" has just had a bounty of $5000 put on his head, and a wanted poster with his picture is set to be released soon. It is further revealed that, although his exact location is unknown at the time, he is believed to be hiding somewhere in the state of Utah. The scene then shifts to a stagecoach in Utah, being robbed by a bandit, when one of the passengers, named "Chico" (Warner Baxter), suddenly emerges and kills him. Although there is initial speculation that the bandit was "the Arizona Kid" himself, that thought is eventually dismissed once the stagecoach reports the incident at the nearest small town. It's at this time that Chico disembarks from the stagecoach and, upon going into the local saloon, is met by a young woman by the name of "Lorita" (Mona Maris) who clearly has feelings for him. Naturally, being somewhat of a womanizer, Chico also shows an interest in her. That changes, however, when a young blonde named "Virginia Hoyt" (Carole Lombard) arrives that very afternoon in search of a hotel room for that night. Wasting no time, Chico informs her that, although the local hotel is full, he has just converted his house into a makeshift hotel and that she can stay there instead--and all it will cost is a kiss from her. To his dismay, after she accepts his invitation, she then discloses that she is traveling with her brother, "Dick Hoyt" (Theodore von Eltz), who is quite ill and will be sharing the room with her. Even so, having made the offer, he feels compelled to let her stay in the house with the hope of gradually winning her affections all the same. Needless to say, this news doesn't go over very well with Lorita, and trouble between the two young women begins soon afterward. However, what Chico doesn't realize is that, even though Virginia is starting to have feelings for him, she is hiding a secret that threatens any possibility of romance. Likewise, Chico also has his own secret, which is even more startling. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was a cute little film which benefited to a great degree from the superb performance of Warner Baxter, who, to some degree, recreated the magic of his Academy Award-winning role as "the Cisco Kid" in the 1928 movie "In Old Arizona." Also noteworthy were the interpersonal dynamics between Virginia and Lorita. Admittedly, the picture quality is not that good, and the film doesn't transition well from one scene to another. But then, that's to be expected from a movie produced so long ago. In any case, while I can certainly understand how a film this old may not appeal to all viewers, I enjoyed it overall, and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.