User Reviews

In The Man From Del Rio Anthony Quinn rides into town on a mission, kind of like James Caan in El Dorado. Both are after a group of men and both kill the last they were after. But whereas Caan takes up with John Wayne as a mentor and fights for law and order, Quinn starts to hang out at Peter Whitney's saloon with a whole collection of prize specimens of fast guns who are nothing but bullies.

Whitney has a plan to recreate his sleepy prairie town into a wide open cattle drive town and make a ton of money, never mind what the solid citizens want. Quinn likes the idea and becomes the sheriff, but soon the solid citizens see him as their savior. Will Quinn step into the role?

The Man From Del Rio is a minor western that did not even rate color back in the Fifties. Rarely seen today it's in that category of adult westerns so popular in the Fifties and Sixties with some very adult themes. Quinn and Katy Jurado have some truly adult dialog and she most of all persuades Quinn to step in the role of hero.

Not a film often shown today, The Man From Del Rio with a bit better in the production values department could have been a big hit. Quinn, fresh off his second Oscar for Lust For Life does well in a part perfect for him. Check this one out if broadcast.

Man from Del Rio is directed by Harry Horner and written by Richard Carr. It stars Anthony Quinn, Katy Jurado, Peter Whitney, Douglas Fowley, John Larch, Whit Bissell, Douglas Spencer and Guinn Williams. Music is by Frederick Steiner and cinematography by Stanley Cortez.

Mexican David Robles (Quinn) has taught himself to be a gunfighter because he wants revenge on Dan Ritchy (Barry Atwater). Revenge he gets in the town of Mesa. It soon becomes apparent that Mesa has problems, the sheriff is weak willed and lawlessness is being orchestrated by Ed Bannister (Whitney). Seeing that Robles has something tough about him, the townsfolk urge him to become sheriff. But that doesn't mean they want anything to do with him socially…

I like your whiskey. But I'm not sure I like you.

Very tidy. The formula is standard, following along the lines of many a Western movie that featured a town tamer or stoic law man thrust into a life and death struggle for a town that doesn't deserve help. Man from Del Rio does not, however, lack for intelligence, offering up a bubbling under the surface racism strand that pits the lonely and uneducated Robles in a battle to be accepted.

Robles is by definition a Western anti-hero, he's coarse, unclean, drinks to excess and has no idea how to treat a woman. That his only skill is of being quick on the draw is something of a millstone around his neck, if that skill is taken away from him what has he got to offer then? This is something we will inevitably find out, but it's worth the wait to see how this characterisation turns out.

Quinn is hugely enjoyable, he almost always was when playing this sort of rough and ready character. Jurado is a little under used, her character under developed as well, while Whitney is sadly too weak as the villain. Star of the show is Bissell, playing the town drunk who becomes Robles only avenue for discourse, Bissell instills the character with pathos and humour and it's a joy to watch.

Horner and Cortez (The Magnificent Ambersons/The Night of the Hunter) shoot it in chiaroscuro to great effect, very much complimenting the air of alienation hovering over Robles. Horner also has a keen eye for an imposing scene and a good ear for humour, both evident here with a heart aching scene involving the hapless sheriff and with some of the barbs emitted from Quinn and Jurado.

Well worth seeking out by Western fans. 7/10

Ah, the good old days, when a slap in the face meant a man loved you. In Man from Del Rio, that's what it meant to Anthony Quinn and Katy Jurado. Believe me, the movie is much more than that, but that scene was pretty amusing.

Anthony Quinn stars a half-Mexican from the wrong side of the tracks who isn't really welcomed by the small town he wanders into-in other words, this is a typical Anthony Quinn role. It's a pretty mediocre 1950s western, which is a genre I don't really like, and if it weren't for Tony's good looks-and good performance-I probably would have turned it off. Thankfully he was good looking, and he did add nuances to his character that made him likable and easy to root for, despite slapping Katy Jurado, so I watched the whole movie.

Another actor could have rattled off his lines with no feeling, like much of the supporting cast, but Tony decided to give his character motivation and feelings. His main issue revolves around pride: he's ashamed that the town doesn't accept him and he wants to be able to hold his head up high. So, whenever he's challenged to a fight, he can't back down. I'm pretty sure it was Anthony Quinn who made those motivations clear. As you might expect from a movie taking place in the Old West, there are lots of shootouts, slugfests, barroom brawls, and lawless mobs. If you like that genre, you'll probably like this movie. I won't spoil anything, but Richard Carr's story grew to be pretty imaginative, and I ended up liking Man from Del Rio much more than I thought.

Man From Del Rio (1956) is one of a large number of well directed, nicely written and acted westerns from the 50s, a decade rich in quality westerns, from the small scale, epic and everything in-between. The film's director, Harry Horner, was an old Hollywood hand, used some odd camera angles and made the visual and spatial aspects of this modest production interesting, pleasing to look at, even as the film is itself low budget and in black and white.

Anthony Quinn is the Hispanic sheriff of a small western town where he is needed, due to his skill with handguns, but not liked or wanted due to his ethnic background. Even Katy Jurado's token Hispanic woman, playing somewhat against type, would rather Quinn would simply disappear. The supporting cast is outstanding for a film of this sort, with such familiar players as Whit Bissell and Douglas Fowley in roles in which each would seem be a better fit for the the other's.

It helps to be a western fan to enjoy this picture. This is not a movie for everyone. The story itself is by the numbers, but it works some nice variations on its familiar themes; and star Anthony Quinn is excellent in the lead. He was on the verge of major stardom when he appeared in the film, and on the basis of his performance it's easy to see why. The film was released the same year as Lust For Life, in which Quinn's supporting performance won him an Academy award. It's difficult for me to imagine two more different films for this actor to have appeared in during the same year.

An easy role for Anthony Quinn who plays himself, which does not mean that he's bad, on the contrary, because of his strong personality, without too much effort, outlines a credible character. Mexican Katy Jurado, who also starred with Anthony Quinn in "Barabbas" plus other famous westerns ("High Noon" with Gary Cooper, "Broken Lance" with Spencer Tracy, "One-Eyed Jacks" with Marlon Brando, "Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid " with James Coburn and Kris Kristofferson) is also credible in the role of Estella. A western without too many gun-shots, but with more realism.

I re-watched this movie recently and it re-affirmed my belief that Anthony Quinn is one of the great character actors. Man From Del Rio was obviously a low-budget film - not because it looks 'cheap' but because it was shot in a simple old-West town setting, much like High Noon, and because it is in b/w and doesn't have any of the really top-name stars. None of those things detract from it because it has a very good story, an excellent, taut script and fine performances all-round. (Well, with one reservation I'll mention later.) Right at the beginning of the movie, David Robles (Quinn) approaches gunfighter Dan Ritchey (Barry Atwater). He has spent the last few years learning to shoot so he could avenge those who Ritchey and his friends killed when they shot up Robles' hometown of Del Rio. When Robles kills the noted gunfighter the town offers him the job of sheriff.

But the town is crooked, basically run behind the scenes by the former gunfighter who owns the saloon, and Robles makes it apparent from the start that he is not going to play along. The townspeople even regard Robles as little more than just a 'tool' to keep order, not wanting to afford him equal treatment as one of their own.

Katy Jurado plays Estella, the assistant to the town doctor, and Robles has eyes for her. She has been in SO many Westerns, playing mostly the same role - the detached, cool, beautiful Mexican lady - but here she speaks her lines in such wooden fashion it's like she's reading them phonetically and doesn't really know what she's saying. Her inflection doesn't go with her words sometimes. It's not too off-putting but I did notice it enough to mention.

I don't want to spoil the story, and there is a lot more to it than this, but it's an excellent little Western with a good plot, well-written script and believable dialogue. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to see a less-well-known but still worthwhile Western.

Dreary melodrama about a drifter (played by Anthony Quinn) who initially gains respect as a fast-draw gunslinger, only to find that it takes more than a quick gun to win respect from the town folk.

This obscure western is mostly a character study, and as such, it reminds me of the old Gunsmoke series. The town is predictably drab; the main props are guns and whiskey bottles; and the music and shadows make the atmosphere grim.

The acting is adequate. In addition to Quinn, the film features veteran actor Whit Bissell, and the always engaging Katy Jurado.

Anthony Quinn always made it look easy and that was one of his strengths as a actor, this movie would have been good with another leading man too, because the supporting actors were top notch, but Tony definitely pulled it up a peg or two!

That gunfight in the beginning was kind of funny though, surprised Dan Ritchie lived so long with that draw of his!

Richard Wilson gave us a very similar western with Robert Mitchum: MAN WITH A GUN, but there were so many with this topic, this same plot. Tony Quinn is as good as Mitchum in such a character, and Katy Jurado is also exquisite. It is also the only western directed by Harry Horner, so shame because he seemed good in that register. So MAN FROM DEL RIO is a western that is worth seeing and for Tony Quinn in search of a rare film starring him, you are not allowed to miss it. Despite its predictable plot, it remains interesting. Besides this, nothing special to be particularely excited about. I would have liked a couple of terrific villains; those here are a bit bland for me. The anti climax finale is a total surprise. I was deceived but surprised.

Odd he's actually playing a mexican-american.

Myth of the old west gunfighter

As an ex-American History teacher, I enjoy an occasional western movie but realize that most of what you see in these films is myth. So, when you see folks say things like "I'll meet you on Main Street at high noon" for some shootout, know it's all a Hollywood invention. Shootouts were incredibly rare and more often than not, it involved someone shooting someone in the back...not two hot young gunslingers shooting it out to see who's the fastest! Keep this in mind when you see "Man from Del Rio"!

When the story begins, Dave Robles (Anthony Quinn) confronts a gunman who killed some of Robles family years ago. He wants a chance to settle the score and they have an impromptu shootout and Robles kills the infamous gunslinger....and suddenly the folks of the town where this occurred LOVE Robles and want him to stay and be their sheriff. And, like you'd expect in this Hollywood version of the old west, more shootouts will follow! But how the town reacts to him after this...that is odd.

So is it worth seeing? Absolutely. It's a pretty good film from start to finish...and especially at the finish!

By the way, this is a rare film. While Quinn was born in Mexico and his heritage was Irish/Mexican, he played 1001 different ethnicities and only a few times played Mexicans or Mexican-Americans.

This "dank" little Western (as Leonard Maltin has described it) may star the estimable Anthony Quinn and it sure is obscure enough, but that deft little (and far too often unheralded) character actor Whit Bissell pulls off the only indelible moments in the film as the town drunk Breezy Morgan. Whit subtly sneaks in and simply steals the film from the rest of the cast. As usual, he isn't given a lion's share of screen time to do it which makes the skillful economy of his performance all the more noteworthy. So watch closely for the subtleties he is able to bring to the pathetic Breezy. If you believe such a stock character as a town drunk in a Western is usually played far too broadly and has only been satisfactorily realized by the likes of Victor Mature or Val Kilmer as erstwhile foppish Doc Hollidays, check out Whit's little gem of a performance here. You're in for a surprise.

Yet another of the many iterations of "High Noon" that sprouted like kudzoo throughout the nineteen fifties in the wake of the wildly successful original. This one is slightly better than most due largely to a good Anthony Quinn performance as the title character, a gunman turned sheriff, with one foot in dissipation and the other more hesitantly in respectability. Good character study and Quinn, blessedly low key for a change, makes the most of it. Also notable are veteran 1950s/60s character actors like Peter Whitney, playing Quinn's tormentor and, at times, alter ego, and Whit Bissell, who usually played bankers and school principals, here shining as a scruffy bum. Less good is Richard Carr's too talky and declamatory screenplay, Harry Horner's plodding direction (although the guy does manage to stage a great fight between Quinn and Whitney) and a stiff Katy Jurado turn as basically the same character she played in "Noon", a female authority on true manliness. Give it a C plus.

PS...Almost forgot Stanley Cortez's wonderful cinematography. Movie westerns don't usually look good in black and white but I'll make an exception for Cortez's harsh, surreal camera.

Good western with Quinn playing a man bent on revenge who lives on the shady side of the law. After coming to a strange town his life is changed completely and he must come to a major decision concerning his future. Lots of good gunplay, bad guys, and, of course, the love interest.

A Mexican gunfighter is hired as the sheriff of a town which the local saloon owner intends to turn into a haven for gunslingers and outlaws. A dark, brooding Western which makes no effort to make a hero of its lead character and features a gritty performance from Quinn who, although believed by many to be Greek was actually born in Chihuahua, Mexico. Peter Whitney, a great heavy of the 40s and 50s, impresses as the initially friendly bar owner who hopes to have Quinn on his side. Some powerful individual scenes, and a strong, often overlooked Western Noir

While slavery and Japanese internment has its proper place in the U.S. history books, what does not is the forced deportation of any person who had the misfortune of having a Spanish name (or looked "Mexican) during the Great Depression, when these people were rounded-up by local and federal agents and simply thrown across the border with little more than what they could carry, with no due process rights. It is estimated that 60 percent of these people were U.S. citizens.

During the 1950s, several films--Giant, Trial and Man From Del Rio--provided commentary on anti-Hispanic prejudice in this country, and obviously nothing has changed since then. Today the media and Hollywood fear to tread into the topic of this ongoing prejudice (usually disguised under the guise of "immigration" and "crime"), so it is fortunate that films like this still exist to tell us the ugly truth. David Robles (Anthony Quinn) is seen as just a "thug" who is good with a gun after he arrives to find a man who helped shoot-up his town of Del Rio. Even the only other Hispanic in town, Estella (Katy Jurado) is so desperate to "fit-in" with the Anglos that she also wants him gone. The townspeople offer him a job as sheriff, not to enforce the law, but to be a ready gun when needed. They will not socialize with him, they just want him to do their "dirty work." Sound familiar? There are several ugly scenes that manifest this racism, especially ones involving white women.

To Estella's credit, she witnesses one of these debasing incidents and changes her tune. As the film progresses we discover that Robles is not the ignorant "Mexican" the townspeople think he is; he is not just good with a gun, but he displays a cunning level of intelligence that even if the townspeople probably still won't socialize with him, they cannot underestimate him, and he wins the only things he wanted since coming to the town, his self-respect and the love of the only person in town capable of giving it to him.

Reviewer Lechuguilla described this film as a typical "Gunsmoke" story, and I agree 100 percent because the film very well could have served as the pilot for "Gunsmoke." I noticed the street scene is the same as that of Dodge City, Kansas, in "Gunsmoke," with the saloon that rivaled the Long Branch being used in the saloon in this film. There also is the town physician named Doc Adams in the cast.

I agree that parts of the plot are similar to the action in "High Noon," another highly acclaimed film of the 1950s, with Anthony Quinn portraying Dave as a gunslinger-turned-lawman in an attempt to civilize and save the town. I especially was touched by Katy Jurado's portrayal of a single (widowed) mother and medical assistant to Doc Adams, and I loved watching the romance between Quinn and Jurado's characters unfold. This western was somewhat ahead of its time, but I believe today's viewers see it as a nostalgic, classic western.