In California, a Mexican-American is falsely accused of killing the farmer he was working for, after the racist farmer stiffed his immigrant employee with a bad check.
Director:
Writers:
Photos and Videos
Complete, Cast awaiting verification
| Shelley Winters | ... |
Nancy
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| Ricardo Montalban | ... |
Chu Chu Ramirez
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| Wendell Corey | ... |
Ansel Ames
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| Claire Trevor | ... |
Mrs. Ansel Ames
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| Robert Burton | ... |
Sheriff
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| José Torvay | ... |
Manuel Ramirez
(as Jose Torvay)
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| Jack Elam | ... |
Celestino Garcia
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| Pascual García Peña | ... |
Willie Chung
(as Pascual Garcia Pena)
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| George Chandler | ... |
Frankie
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| Juan Torena | ... |
Vincente Aguilar
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Carlos Conde | ... |
Joe Mendacio
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Jay Adler | ... |
Bartender (uncredited)
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| Billie Bird | ... |
Waitress (uncredited)
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Ralph Brooks | ... |
Detective (uncredited)
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Cliff Clark | ... |
Bit Role (uncredited)
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| Fred Coby | ... |
Detective (uncredited)
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| Tristram Coffin | ... |
Fingerprint Expert in Courtroom (uncredited)
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Jack Daly | ... |
Bank Teller (uncredited)
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| Alan Dexter | ... |
Prosecutor (uncredited)
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| Jimmy Dime | ... |
Man Getting Rolled by Woman in Montage (uncredited)
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Dennis Frazer | ... |
Sailor (uncredited)
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| Tom Greenway | ... |
Patrolman (uncredited)
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| Dabbs Greer | ... |
Court Clerk (uncredited)
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James Harrison | ... |
Clerk (uncredited)
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Jim Hayward | ... |
Jury Foreman (uncredited)
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| Edward Hearn | ... |
Deputy (uncredited)
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| John Indrisano | ... |
Foreman (uncredited)
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Earl Lee | ... |
Judge Wells (uncredited)
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| Peter Leeds | ... |
Man with Nancy at Bar (uncredited)
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| George Lynn | ... |
Bit Role (uncredited)
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John McKee | ... |
Patrolman (uncredited)
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| Tyler McVey | ... |
Defense Attorney (uncredited)
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Russell Meeker | ... |
Juror (uncredited)
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| Joseph Mell | ... |
Deputy Commissioner (uncredited)
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| Rhea Mitchell | ... |
Nurse (uncredited)
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| Lillian Molieri | ... |
Bride (uncredited)
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| Ralph Moody | ... |
Rogers (uncredited)
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Lee Phelps | ... |
Plainclothesman (uncredited)
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| Philip Van Zandt | ... |
Doctor (uncredited)
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| Martha Wentworth | ... |
Nancy's Landlady (uncredited)
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Directed by
| William A. Wellman | ||
Written by
| John Fante | ... | (written by) and |
| Jack Leonard | ... | (written by) |
| Marguerite Roberts | ... | (contributing writer) (uncredited) |
| Dalton Trumbo | ... | (contributing writer) (uncredited) |
Produced by
| Stephen Ames | ... | producer |
Music by
| David Buttolph | ||
Cinematography by
| William C. Mellor | ... | director of photography (as William Mellor) |
Editing by
| John D. Dunning | ... | (as John Dunning) |
Editorial Department
| Peter Ballbusch | ... | montage sequence |
Art Direction by
| James Basevi | ||
| Cedric Gibbons | ||
Set Decoration by
| Fred M. MacLean | ... | (as Fred MacLean) |
| Edwin B. Willis | ||
Makeup Department
| Sydney Guilaroff | ... | hair stylist |
| William Tuttle | ... | makeup artist |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| George Rhein | ... | assistant director |
Sound Department
| Douglas Shearer | ... | recording supervisor |
| Conrad Kahn | ... | sound (uncredited) |
Special Effects by
| Warren Newcombe | ... | special effects |
Location Management
| Charles C. Coleman | ... | location manager (uncredited) |
| Howard 'Dutch' Horton | ... | location manager (uncredited) |
Music Department
| Maurice De Packh | ... | orchestrator (uncredited) |
| Carlos Velasquez | ... | singing voice: Jack Elam (uncredited) |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1952) (United States) (theatrical)
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1952) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1953) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Warner Home Video (2011) (United States) (DVD) (dvdr)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Western Electric (sound system)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Chu Chu Ramirez is an American of Mexican decent farm laborer in California, with lofty ideals, who is very proud of his new American citizenship. During his time off, he tries to befriend the alcoholic bar girl Nancy. After working for a month for the subsistence farmer Mr. Ames and his frustrated wife, Chu Chu discovers that his paycheck bounces and Ames stalls in paying him. Just after a confrontation between Ames and Chu Chu, Ames is accidentally wounded by his own shotgun and he and his wife blame it on Chu Chu. Despite the support of his friends and sympathetic Sheriff, Chu Chu is given a year's sentence. Written by Will Gilbert |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | When he held me in his arms, I forgot the past ! See more » |
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| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Additional Details
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Box Office
| Budget | $946,000 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | The film was a $563,000 money loser for MGM, according to studio records, which would equate to about $6.3 million in 2022. It did not even make back the film's negative expenditures, let alone duplication, distribution and advertising costs. See more » |
| Goofs | In a bar, as Nancy drunkenly explains her mess of a life to Chu Chu, she angrily swipes her glass off the table she sits. The glass can be heard to tumble and break on the floor. Towards the end of her drunken slurred words with Chu Chu, she lifts her head and pours the rest of her wine from the bottle into her glass that has reappeared and gulps. See more » |
| Soundtracks | Stormy Weather See more » |
| Quotes |
Nancy:
[after Chu Chu tells her about his letter from the President about getting his citizenship]
Ramirez, today you drive a tractor, tomorrow you'll sweat your ears off in some stinking fish cannery. Next week you'll be breaking your back in asparagus, spinach and grapes. And you think you're a citizen First Class? Citizen of what? What you are is a sap, and all you've got is the papers to prove it. See more » |