I have a particular fondness for this movie, which I first saw on Saturday afternoon TV many years ago as a kid. (This was in the paleolithic era when local channels showed movies.) While certainly not inspired film making, it ambles along pleasantly and has a whole slew of old-reliable character actors--Jack LaRue (a little less hot than in "Temple Drake" ten years or so earlier ), Eugene Palette, Lionel Stander, and the ever-delightful Ruth Donnelly, among others. Constance Moore is lovely and brings her rich voice to a number of songs; Jean Lenoir's "Speak to Me of Love," used in so many Hollywood films, is among the most notable, and it's also used in the background score--and as it's a song that I never get tired of, that's fine with me. Bill Elliott has a sweetness that's engaging. I do find the ending somewhat jarring and not in keeping with the rest of the movie.
5 Reviews
Wild Bill's First "A" feature.
bsmith555223 June 2015
Warning: Spoilers
"In Old Sacramento" is noteworthy, if for nothing else, as Bill Elliott's first "A" list film following his stint in Republic's Red Ryder "B" series. Unfortunately Republic chose a "B" level story for him to star in.
Elliott plays Johnny Barrett a gambler who is also a Zorro like figure known as "Spanish Jack" who has been robbing gold mine shipments in retaliation for the murder of his brother at the hands of some claim jumpers years earlier. Now that he was out of the "B"s, Elliott was allowed to have a love interest in the person of Belle Malone (Constance Moore) who gets to warble some forgettable songs over the course of the picture.
Sheriff Jim Wales (Eugene Palette in an off beat role), has vowed to bring Spanish Jack and his partner Laramie (Jack La Rue) to justice. During an escape attempt, Barrett and Laramie happen upon the camp of gold miner Sam Chase (Henry H. Daniels Jr.). Chase later turns up in town and takes an interest in Belle much to Barrett's chagrin. Chase loses his money to gambler Slayter (Grant Withers) and is forced to take drastic action to recoup his losses.
Republic normally was known for high production values in its' westerns. They missed the boat (no pun intended) on this one. Most of the story takes place on a muddy indoor street set mostly at night. The amateurish back projection shots of Elliott and La Rue's getaway on horseback are laughable.
But as always, Republic populated their "A" list westerns with a cast of faces familiar to western lovers. Also appearing are Ruth Donnolly as Zebby Booker for comedy relief, Lionel Stander as Dodge the head of the vigilantes, Dick Wessell as Oscar the bartender, Lucien Littelfield as the barber and Hal Taliaferro as the town doctor. Also in lesser roles and unbilled are Ellen Corby, Wade Crosby, William Haade, Kenne Duncan, Tom London Leroy Mason and Eddy Waller among others. And watch for Bobby Blake who had played Little Beaver to Elliott's Red Ryder as a newsboy.
Elliott's "A" films would get better over the years but this one will be remembered for I believe, his first on screen kiss and a less than happy ending.
Elliott plays Johnny Barrett a gambler who is also a Zorro like figure known as "Spanish Jack" who has been robbing gold mine shipments in retaliation for the murder of his brother at the hands of some claim jumpers years earlier. Now that he was out of the "B"s, Elliott was allowed to have a love interest in the person of Belle Malone (Constance Moore) who gets to warble some forgettable songs over the course of the picture.
Sheriff Jim Wales (Eugene Palette in an off beat role), has vowed to bring Spanish Jack and his partner Laramie (Jack La Rue) to justice. During an escape attempt, Barrett and Laramie happen upon the camp of gold miner Sam Chase (Henry H. Daniels Jr.). Chase later turns up in town and takes an interest in Belle much to Barrett's chagrin. Chase loses his money to gambler Slayter (Grant Withers) and is forced to take drastic action to recoup his losses.
Republic normally was known for high production values in its' westerns. They missed the boat (no pun intended) on this one. Most of the story takes place on a muddy indoor street set mostly at night. The amateurish back projection shots of Elliott and La Rue's getaway on horseback are laughable.
But as always, Republic populated their "A" list westerns with a cast of faces familiar to western lovers. Also appearing are Ruth Donnolly as Zebby Booker for comedy relief, Lionel Stander as Dodge the head of the vigilantes, Dick Wessell as Oscar the bartender, Lucien Littelfield as the barber and Hal Taliaferro as the town doctor. Also in lesser roles and unbilled are Ellen Corby, Wade Crosby, William Haade, Kenne Duncan, Tom London Leroy Mason and Eddy Waller among others. And watch for Bobby Blake who had played Little Beaver to Elliott's Red Ryder as a newsboy.
Elliott's "A" films would get better over the years but this one will be remembered for I believe, his first on screen kiss and a less than happy ending.
A fun mixture of typical western and traditional musical.
mark.waltz17 July 2019
Warning: Spoilers
A Republic pictures "A" is equivalent to a "B" from MGM or Warner Brothers, but when Republic get them right, they were equally as good. It is obvious that this is an "A" film for Republic because of the top notch cast of veteran character actors even if the leads (Bill Elliott and Constance Moore) are not among the Hollywood elites. Elliott is handsome, masculine and mysterious, while Moore is your typical second string musical star that has some musical talent but lacks in the screen charisma that made others superstars. Toss in Ruth Donnelly, Eugene Pallette and Lionel Stander, and you've got plenty of comedy to make this a fine example of the mid-1940's matinee crowd-pleaser.
The basic story has been done many times, and the film that comes to mind is "My Little Chickadee" in which Ruth Donnelly had a small role. More is a showgirl (with Donnelly excellent as her wisecracking companion) who finds out that the man she loves (Elliot) is secretly a bandit, trying to gain back money he lost after being beaten by a cheating gambler. Pallette, whom Donnelly reminds is a man with no lap, and Stander try to out gravel voice each other as officials trying to expose the identity of the bandit.
Moore is at her best when she is performing a musical number, whether dressed as a dandy or singing "Camptown Races", and the look on her face walking through street muck (a combination of mud and horse droppings) is hysterical. But it's the character actors who make this worth watching, with Donnelly equally as delicious being a great chorus to everything going on or blushing by a flattering remark. it may not appeal to the typical hard-boiled western movie fans with its mixture of things, but there's enough western-style action to everybody else, especially with the period songs and corny humor.
The basic story has been done many times, and the film that comes to mind is "My Little Chickadee" in which Ruth Donnelly had a small role. More is a showgirl (with Donnelly excellent as her wisecracking companion) who finds out that the man she loves (Elliot) is secretly a bandit, trying to gain back money he lost after being beaten by a cheating gambler. Pallette, whom Donnelly reminds is a man with no lap, and Stander try to out gravel voice each other as officials trying to expose the identity of the bandit.
Moore is at her best when she is performing a musical number, whether dressed as a dandy or singing "Camptown Races", and the look on her face walking through street muck (a combination of mud and horse droppings) is hysterical. But it's the character actors who make this worth watching, with Donnelly equally as delicious being a great chorus to everything going on or blushing by a flattering remark. it may not appeal to the typical hard-boiled western movie fans with its mixture of things, but there's enough western-style action to everybody else, especially with the period songs and corny humor.
Zorro by any other name
xredgarnetx11 March 2008
In the pre-TV age, this kind of inexpensive quickie is what often passed for a western movie -- unless you were John Ford or Howard Hawks and had a star like John Wayne or Randolph Scott to work with. It's what was known as a programmer or oater. I'm sure kids ate them up. Bill Elliott, who was about as much a cowboy as my Aunt Sadie, plays a masked bandit named Spanish Jack (essentially Zorro) who has decided to mend his ways, but finds he can't. The film rarely ventures from its one or two sets, and everybody spends a lot of time standing around talking, Elliott especially. Eugene Palette (not so coincidentally from THE MARK OF ZORRO) is the town sheriff who grows wise to Elliott. Constance Moore, a skinny little thing with limited acting ability but a big voice, is the love interest who sings a lot. It's all very forgettable. The main set is a main street full of mud and horse manure, and this is used over and over again for comic effect. It stopped being funny after the second time.
Above Average 40's Western
longchamps22 October 2009
Of all the men that gained fame from the "B" western genre, William Elliott was one of the more talented actors. He broke in playing smaller roles in "A" pictures with the likes of Cagney and Bogart. This was his first venture at a starring role in a higher budget western; he had just finished up starring in about twenty Red Rider serials. Fans of the old western genre will see a marked similarity to the plot line of Roy Rogers' "The Carson City Kid". Indeed, the traitorous "sidekick" in both features is named Laramie, in here portrayed by the ominous Jack LaRue, and Frank McDonald in CC Kid. There was a higher budget on this film however, more renown actors were used, and the plot more involved. While this isn't my favorite of Elliott's "A" features, it is nonetheless entertaining and a worthwhile view.
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