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Why so much hype?

Simply Perfect

Good concept, poorly executed.

Blistering performances.

Robert Montgomery starred in and directed this pseudo-noir set in a rural New Mexican town. Montgomery plays a man on the trail of a gangster with the intention of avenging the death of a war buddy at his hands. Once there, he collides with an FBI agent also on the trail, and gets help from a local carousel barker and an enigmatic young Native American woman. The revenge plot is standard issue crime movie stuff, and while it's well directed and paced by Montgomery, it's nothing special. But an unexpectedly delightful addition to the film, and one that sets it apart from countless other films from the same time period and genre, comes from the relationship between Montgomery's character and the two locals. Thomas Gomez was Oscar nominated for his performance as Pancho, and Wanda Hendrix is marvelous as Pila, Montgomery's his girl Friday. The movie avoids making stereotypes out of them and instead creates robust, three-dimensional characters. The actors are wonderful, all three of them, and the chemistry they build together turns "Ride the Pink Horse" into one of the more memorable films noir from that genre's most fertile era.Grade: A

It's not often that a movie seen once more than 60 years ago lingers, hauntingly, in your memory. Robert Montgomery was a superb actor. His character is really a burnt out case who has seen too much of the hard life and has no compassion left, he thinks. Then he meets up with little Wanda Hendrix, and her plight melts his hard heart and leads to his coming to her aid. The last section of the movie is particularly gripping and atmospheric. It's finally evident where the title comes from. Robert Montgomery was one of our greatest character actors, and here he really lights up the screen in a wonderful performance. Wanda Hendrix is also very effective in her part. A great film noir film which deserves a better ranking. I'd love to see it again.

Never having seen "Ride the Pink Horse", we decided to take a look at it, based mainly, on the strong writers credited with the adaptation, Ben Hecht and Charles Lederer, two of the best men in the business. One wonders if it was the studio's art people that decided to give the film a phony Mexican look, or did it come from the screen play itself. Not having read the novel, we can't comment if the book had the same basic faults one finds in the finished product. The direction by Robert Montgomery doesn't help matters.First of all, San Pablo is obviously one of the towns in Northern Mexico close to California. The first thing one sees are the local women, dressed in costumes from another century; even the trio that meets Lucky's bus, is seen in long Indian costumes, sorry, but even for 1947, it seems to be completely out of place. One wonders if the production company thought they were filming something out of Pancho Villa's times and decided San Pablo's women were still living in the XIX century.The fatal casting mistake of having a blue eyed Wanda Hendrix playing the mysterious Pilar makes the viewer do a double take. This is a role that screams for a sultry senorita, someone of the stature of a Katy Jurado, or another sultry star, not this beautiful actress that seemed to be lost playing the Mexican girl! One thing that doesn't come across in the film is what might have made Pilar fall heads over heels with this Americano at first sight!Even in the fiesta scenes one sees a lot of Americans marching as part of the parade. It would have made more sense to have seen local folks from San Pablo, but not from L.A. Then there is Pancho, a stereotype, if ever there was one! Thomas Gomez was an American actor born in New York, who had an impeccable diction, but he is made to speak Spanish with the heavy English accent. Talk about the things that were given to audiences of that era in the way of realism!Lucky Gagin, during the first part of the film seems a man out of place. Mr. Montgomery's take on this man cried for perhaps another tough actor to play it. Mr. Montgomery, as a comedian, or in light fare was an excellent actor, but in heavier parts, seemed to be out of place.The best thing going for the film is the fabulous performance of Art Smith, who at times reminded us of an old Robin Williams, as Bill Retz, the government agent looking to bring Frank Hugo to justice. Mr. Smith shines in the film every time one sees him. Also Andrea King, seen as Marjorie Lundeen, the bad girl friendly with Hugo and his group. Fred Ward as the deaf gangster has some good moments.The film, while not a total dud, seems to be confused in what it's trying to show. Perhaps with a different treatment and better casting for the two principal roles, this film would have fared better, even with the perplexing atmosphere of the Mexican locale.

This is a relatively unknown film despite thomas gomaz being nominated for best supporting actor. What a shame, since this is a really great film. Although i do think that this is a pretty stupid title. It was also robert montgomery's second film as star and director after 1946's lady in the lake, in which he played phil marlowe.