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A lot of fun.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Before Duncan Ronaldo took over the part of the Cisco Kid, Cesar Romero, Warner Baxter and Gilbert Roland played the part in films. Because several actors played in so many movies, it's very easy to confuse this film with Romero's "The Gay Caballero" (1940) as well as Roland's "The Gay Cavalier". Sounds confusing, huh? Well, the writers certainly could have used a bit more creativity in choosing names for the pictures, that's for sure!When the film begins, Cisco is nearby when a group of bandits are out doing their bandity things. The Cavalry is nearby and the leader mistakenly thinks Cisco is responsible for the mayhem. It turns out some American is posing as the Kid...and this is a common problem in the Cisco Kid movies--folks pretending to be him and attributing crimes to him that he didn't commit. What's also familiar is seeing Joe Sawyer in the film playing a soldier, as he also was in an earlier Cisco Kid movie, "Lucky Cisco Kid".Compared to earlier incarnations of The Cisco Kid, the Carillo/Ronaldo films were much more action-oriented and Cisco was more of a good guy. He was NOT the great lover like some of the earlier versions. I would think that Ronaldo's sort of characterization would appeal more to kids. I thought this film lacked the fun of some of the earlier films...though it wasn't bad. Overall, mildly entertaining and VERY, VERY familiar.By the way, the Hispanic country where Duncan Ronaldo came from was Romania!! Also, although Pancho acted a bit dopey, Leo Carillo was actually a very intelligent, cultured and patrician sort of guy...born in Los Angeles! Talk about playing against type!

One thing the Cisco Kid will not stand for is a defamation of his people. So when some Americanos dress up as Mexicans and start bandit activity in southern Arizona he springs into action.At the same time that Duncan Renaldo and Leo Carrillo were starting their weekly television series which I remember so well as a little kid, they also did some feature films of which The Gay Amigo is the first. The title does not refer to Cisco's sexual orientation which was straight.At the time that Cisco discovers the masquerade the army isn't sure he's not the leader. They assign Sergeant Joe Sawyer to bird dog Cisco and Pancho. He actually proves useful, but only after Cisco thoroughly manipulates him.There's a bit more plot than usual in this western meant for the kid trade. It still holds up well and Renaldo is one engaging fellow in the lead.

The Cisco Kid (Duncan Renaldo) and his sidekick Pancho (Leo Carrillo) are mistaken for Mexican bandits, so the only alternative is to play along with the authorities and infiltrate the bad guys. The banditos turn out to be Americanos as Cisco and Pancho play both sides of the border to smoke out the villains. They're led by outlaw Brack (Fred Kohler Jr.) in league with editor Stoneham (Walter Baldwin) of the Arizona Globe. Buried elsewhere in the story is a petition for Arizona statehood to be delivered to Congress, but the messenger is murdered on the way. Presumably the bad guys wanted to keep the wild west wild as long as possible.It was cool to see familiar character actor of the era Joe Sawyer turn up in this one as Cavalry Sergeant McNulty, constantly thwarted by the antics of Cisco and Pancho. Pretty Mexican actress Armida portrays a cantina lady named Rosita, who has an eye for Cisco, but there's really no romance to speak of as the film plays out. Having seen his name in the credits, I kept an eye out for Clayton Moore, but wasn't able to pick him out as an Army lieutenant. Someday I might go back and try to spot him again, but with this flick packaged as part of a two hundred fifty Western movie set, it will be a while.One cool program note - Cisco calls his stately pinto horse by name in the story. Trivia fans will be glad to learn it was Diablo. Makes sense to me.

There was a lot of potential for this movie.With a very good cast and a fair-to-middling script, great desert scenery and that wonderful Cisco Kid soundtrack, this movie would have been a lot better if the copy I bought had been three or four generations newer.Still, it had many more good points than bad.It's a shame that some childish and knuckle-headed viewers want to make silly comments about the title, and I hope more mature and grown-up viewers will just remember the date and context -- and the English language -- and sit back and enjoy this movie.Except for the quality of the DVD, the worst aspect was learning, right after seeing the film and coming to this site, that Fred Crane had died.I had met him in Los Angeles while he was an announcer on the mourned and lamented KFAC, the commercial classical-music radio station.Then I had lived about 20 miles from him in Georgia, and didn't know it! He was a very charming man, with a beautiful radio voice and commanding radio presence.He has only a small role in "The Gay Amigo" (just a pointless generic title, anyway), but it makes me wish he had done many more.