The transition of California territory from Spanish rule to American is documented in this colorful and entertaining western where details about truth aren't important, especially when your eyes are on the ravishing costumes in color worn by the redheaded spitfire Maria Montez. She's involved with handsome Phillip Reed (not quite Spanish looking but with the last name of Ortega) and pursued by American rebel Rod Cameron who wants the Spanish out and the Americans in. This really isn't about pirates, and a lot of the narrative doesn't make much sense, but once you get into it, those details don't matter. It's about the action, the sword fights, and the taming of the shrew like relationship that grows between Montez and Cameron.
For comedy, there's Mikhail Rasumny and the heavyset companion of Montez's, and for glamour there's Gale Sondergaard in a great sympathetic part as the Spanish matron looking over Montez as a chaperone for Reed. Gilbert Roland seems to be playing an aging Don Juan, more concerned with uniting young lovers and fighting battles than making romantic conquests of his own. It's gorgeous to look at and speeds by, but I doubt that this represents anything close to the transition of California from Spanish to English. It is amusing, however, when Cameron arrives at a small settlement which he identifies as Los Angeles.
The scene where one of the rebels is told to escape with the promise that he will only be shot at with blanks is rift with tension, even though the rebel leader indicates that it was done for a purpose. A lot of great things, mixed in with a bit of obvious fiction, but at least there's little stereotypical portrayals of the Spanish or Mexican locales, outside Mikhail Rasumny and his chunky love interest.
For comedy, there's Mikhail Rasumny and the heavyset companion of Montez's, and for glamour there's Gale Sondergaard in a great sympathetic part as the Spanish matron looking over Montez as a chaperone for Reed. Gilbert Roland seems to be playing an aging Don Juan, more concerned with uniting young lovers and fighting battles than making romantic conquests of his own. It's gorgeous to look at and speeds by, but I doubt that this represents anything close to the transition of California from Spanish to English. It is amusing, however, when Cameron arrives at a small settlement which he identifies as Los Angeles.
The scene where one of the rebels is told to escape with the promise that he will only be shot at with blanks is rift with tension, even though the rebel leader indicates that it was done for a purpose. A lot of great things, mixed in with a bit of obvious fiction, but at least there's little stereotypical portrayals of the Spanish or Mexican locales, outside Mikhail Rasumny and his chunky love interest.