Ride the Pink Horse

I don't really care very much for Robert Montgomery as a serious actor; they must have been at least a half dozen or more Hollywood actors at the time who could have handled the role better: Bogart, Cagney, Flynn, Power, Holden, Ford (etc). But despite being miscast, Montgomery pulls it off with some help from a great supporting cast. Great writing by a woman writer, Dorothy B Hughes, and a great screenplay by Lederer and Hecht (Lancaster's old buddy) provides the viewer with a real treat for atmosphere and storytelling. Gagin comes to New Mexico to square accounts with the guy who shot his partner, Shorty. Mr. Hugo is well-played by. Fred Clark. But the person who steals this film is not Montgomery, Clark or even Thomas Gomez, who was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor role as Pancho in the film. No, the film is stolen by actress, Wanda Hendrix as Pila, a wild-looking, space cadet, who is fiercely loyal to Gagin. One of the best film noir pieces you will ever see.

In one of a couple of films done at Universal starring Montgomery that are hard to find. Ex-solider Lucky Gagin (Robert Montgomery) arrives in the little southwestern town of San Pablo during a hectic fiesta weekend. He's come here seeking revenge against the man he holds responsible for his friend's death. But his quest may be derailed by one of the motley assortment of characters he meets: scheming federal agent Retz (Art Smith, spooky-eyed young Mexican girl Pilar (Wanda Hendrix), and boisterous carousel operator Pancho (Thomas Gomez), among others.

Montgomery does a very good job in both the directing and acting departments. The film showcases several stylish flourishes, and maintains an evocative, "stranger in a strange land" aura of uncertainty and mild paranoia. His performance as the plainspoken Gagin is also a nice stretch from his usual smooth charmer. He's blunt, occasionally rude, maybe not the sharpest guy in the room, but cunning enough to be a threat to those he targets.

The movie takes an unexpected turn in the last third which helps set it apart from the other crime pictures of the period, but in my opinion it weakened the resolution a bit. I liked Hendrix, and Gomez is affable in a character type he would go on to play several times in the future. Fred Clark, as a crime boss, and Art Smith as the fed, are unusual casting choices that work. The movie earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for Thomas Gomez.

When a bus arrives in San Pablo, the mysterious American Lucky Gagin (Robert Montgomery) looks for the La Fonda Hotel and he meets the local Pila (Wanda Hendrix) that offers to take him there. Gagin is a tough man and army veteran and he seeks out a man called Frank Hugo (Fred Clark) and he learns that he will be back to his room only on the next day. Gagin stumbles upon FBI Agent Bill Retz (Art Smith), who is chasing the powerful mobster Frank Hugo, and he warns Gagin to forget his scheme for revenging his friend Shorty that was murdered by Frank. Then Gagin looks for a hotel room and he goes to the Bar Tres Violetas, where he befriends the owner of carousel called Pancho (Thomas Gomez) and he buys drinks for his friends in the bar. Pancho offers a place to Gagin to spend the night. On the next morning, Gagin goes to the hotel and meets Frank Hugo. He blackmails the mobster, asking for 30,000 dollars to give a check that incriminates him. Frank Hugo accepts the deal and tell that the money will be available only at 7:00 PM. Will Gagin succeed in his extortion of money from Frank?

"Ride the Pink Horse" is a different film-noir directed by Robert Montgomery, who is also the lead actor. His bitter and unpleasant character is well-developed as a war veteran disillusioned with the post-war life since his lover is unfaithful and his best friend was murdered by a mobster. Wanda Hendrix performs a weird character, maltreated by Gagin but following him like a puppy. But the plot is a good story of friendship. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Do Lodo Brotou Uma Flor" ("From the Mud Sprouted a Flower")

From the film's opening scene, which shows the protagonist, Lucky Gagin, emerging from a bus into a dusty Mexican town, the viewer is hooked. There are so many good things about this film, primarily the acting performances -- Robert Montgomery is a standout, as are Wanda Hendrix, Fred Clark, Thomas Gomez, and Art Smith. They each completely occupy their characters and make them come to life. Another highlight is the dialogue -- there are numerous memorable exchanges between Montgomery and Hendrix, and Clark delivers two especially well-written diatribes that serve to solidify his character in the consciousness. The story itself is quite simple, and is driven far more by characterization than by plot, but that is what makes the film so good. The film also contains its share of classically dark noir imagery -- most memorable is the scene in which the Gomez character is savagely beaten by two hoods while a group of neighborhood children sail along on the nearby merry-go-round, at first gaily enjoying the free ride but growing increasingly somber and afraid as they witness the brutal attack. This one is a definite must-see, particularly for film noir buffs, but also for film lovers of all types.

An incredible film. There is so much going on and so much symbolism, the viewer cannot afford to miss a single moment. The great difficulty with attempting to make sense of most post WWII film noirs is that it is nearly impossible to relate to either the time in general or the turmoil the protagonist is going through after between one and three years in the somewhat surreal situation of extended combat. Attempting to `assimilate' to society can be extremely difficult. Many 'Nam vets can relate. At the time the film was made, just about everyone could relate because if they were not attempting to `assimilate' they knew someone who was.

The title comes from a scene where Lucky (Montgomery) wants to give Pilar (Hendrix) a free ride on Pancho's (Gomez) merry-go-round. Pilar asks Lucky which horse to ride and he replies, `Try the pink one'. What the merry-go-round is a metaphor of each viewer can decide. However, Pancho may give us a clue when during this exchange he states he gives no free rides.

Lucky is the typical movie G. I., brusque, rude and tougher than nails with apparently no real direction in life as evidenced by his cheap, rumpled suit and extremely free spending. Most assume he is out to revenge the killing of his war buddy, Shorty, by a gangster (Clark). Lucky is considered stupid because he could blackmail the gangster for much more than he is asking and essentially set himself up for life. However, Lucky recently left an environment where there was no guarantee of life beyond the moment. Is his motive actually revenge or could he be looking for something else? He recently survived a situation where his friends died on a regular basis and there was little or no opportunity for revenge. Can he even relate to revenge? You decide. At the end of the movie Lucky works out in his own mind a means of satisfying his motives. Enough said.

Pancho is the wise sage who periodically illuminates a situation with his light, off handed comments. The scheming, femme fatale (King) has a minor role, which is refreshing. However, the character who literally steals the show is Pilar a young, inexperienced, poor Indian girl who seems to mature into adulthood during the course of a few days. She attaches herself to Lucky at the beginning of the movie. The symbolism associated with her frequently appearing from behind buildings, out of alleys and hearing things no one else does is very strong and adds a true sense of mystery to the character. Retz ( blacklisted Art Smith), a government agent, and Pilar are often found protecting Lucky from himself. Pilar later explains to Retz that she befriended Lucky because she saw death in his face. Pilar assumes the `death' she saw is in the future but it could very well be that Lucky, after extended combat, is living a type of death at that moment. One of the movie's most compelling scenes is at the end when Lucky, knowing full well what he owes Pilar, has great difficulty determining how to say good-bye. Retz knows Lucky is struggling. Pilar, having greatly matured, understands either Lucky's predicament or `the facts of life' and handles the situation with the maturity of one well beyond her years. The beatings Pancho and Pilar take rather than betray Lucky also have strong symbolism, the weak defying the strong and eventually prevailing. Keep in mind this is 1947.

This is an extremely powerful movie that leaves so many questions unanswered, one cannot help but wonder long after the movie is over about what lead up to this small piece of Lucky's life, what was actually occurring during the movie and Lucky and Pilar's future.