The Cisco Kid (1931)

60-61 mins | Western | 1 November 1931

Director:

Irving Cummings

Cinematographer:

Barney McGill

Production Designer:

Joseph Wright

Production Company:

Fox Film Corp.
Full page view
HISTORY

The title card for this film in the opening credits reads, "O'Henry's [sic] Romantic Bad Man The Cisco Kid." Al Cohn's unpublished story was originally entitled "The Silver City." According to information in the Twentieth Century-Fox Records of the Legal Department at the UCLA Theater Arts Library, much of the film was shot on property on Ventura Boulevard, thirty miles west of Hollywood. The film was a sequel to the 1929 Fox film In Old Arizona, directed by Raoul Walsh, which also starred Warner Baxter and Edmund Lowe and for which Baxter won an Academy Award (see above). The theme song "My Tonia" from the 1929 film was used again in this film. In 1930, Fox produced The Arizona Kid, also starring Warner Baxter, which used the character "The Cisco Kid" without using the name (see above). O. Henry first created The Cisco Kid character in his short story "Caballero's Way" (Everybody's Magazine, Jul 1907).
       After the 1930 film, a number of writers produced work for a new "Cisco Kid" film, including Harvey Fergusson, Herbert Asbury, Clarke Silvernail and Tom Barry, but it is not known if any of this material was used in the final film. Other films based on O. Henry's character include the 1914 three-reel Eclair film entitled The Caballero's Way; the 1919 two-reel Universal film entitled The Border Terror; the 1939 Twentieth Century-Fox film entitled The Return of the Cisco Kid, also starring Warner Baxter (see below); six films starring Cesar Romero, beginning with the 1939 The Cisco Kid and the Lady, made by Twentieth ...

More Less

The title card for this film in the opening credits reads, "O'Henry's [sic] Romantic Bad Man The Cisco Kid." Al Cohn's unpublished story was originally entitled "The Silver City." According to information in the Twentieth Century-Fox Records of the Legal Department at the UCLA Theater Arts Library, much of the film was shot on property on Ventura Boulevard, thirty miles west of Hollywood. The film was a sequel to the 1929 Fox film In Old Arizona, directed by Raoul Walsh, which also starred Warner Baxter and Edmund Lowe and for which Baxter won an Academy Award (see above). The theme song "My Tonia" from the 1929 film was used again in this film. In 1930, Fox produced The Arizona Kid, also starring Warner Baxter, which used the character "The Cisco Kid" without using the name (see above). O. Henry first created The Cisco Kid character in his short story "Caballero's Way" (Everybody's Magazine, Jul 1907).
       After the 1930 film, a number of writers produced work for a new "Cisco Kid" film, including Harvey Fergusson, Herbert Asbury, Clarke Silvernail and Tom Barry, but it is not known if any of this material was used in the final film. Other films based on O. Henry's character include the 1914 three-reel Eclair film entitled The Caballero's Way; the 1919 two-reel Universal film entitled The Border Terror; the 1939 Twentieth Century-Fox film entitled The Return of the Cisco Kid, also starring Warner Baxter (see below); six films starring Cesar Romero, beginning with the 1939 The Cisco Kid and the Lady, made by Twentieth Century-Fox (see below).
       Gilbert Roland made six films for Monogram in the mid-1940s, beginning with The Gay Cavalier in 1946, and Duncan Renaldo, made many films for the same studio, first in 1945, beginning with The Cisco Kid Returns, then additional films after Roland left the series. Renaldo also starred with Leo Carrillo in The Cisco Kid television series, produced from 1951 to 1955. A 1994 television movie entitled The Cisco Kid was broadcast on the TNT cable network. That film was directed by Luis Valdez and starred Jimmy Smits and Cheech Marin. For additional information on "The Cisco Kid," consult the Series Index.

Less

PERSONAL & COMPANY INDEX CREDITS
HISTORY CREDITS
CREDIT TYPE
CREDIT
SOURCE CITATIONS
SOURCE
DATE
PAGE
Film Daily
25 Oct 1931
p. 10
HF
1 Aug 1931
p. 20
HF
22 Aug 1931
p. 20
International Photographer
Nov 1931
p. 30
Los Angeles Herald Express
6 Oct 1931
---
Motion Picture Herald
10 Oct 1931
p. 46
New York Times
24 Oct 1931
p. 20
Variety
27 Oct 1931
p. 19
CAST
PRODUCTION CREDITS
NAME
PARENT COMPANY
PRODUCTION COMPANY
PRODUCTION TEXT
Irving Cummings Production
DISTRIBUTION COMPANY
NAME
CREDITED AS
CREDIT
DIRECTORS
Asst dir
PRODUCER
Assoc prod
WRITER
Scr and dial
PHOTOGRAPHY
Photog
2d cam
Asst cam
J. P. Van Wormer
Asst cam
ART DIRECTOR
Joseph Wright
Art dir
FILM EDITOR
Film ed
MUSIC
Mus score
SOUND
PRODUCTION MISC
Dialectician and tech adv
Care of horses
Still photog
STAND INS
Cherié May
Riding double for Conchita Montenegro
Riding double for Warner Baxter
Double for Edmund Lowe
SOURCES
LITERARY
Based on the character created by O. Henry.
LITERARY SOURCE AUTHOR
SONGS
"My Tonia," words and music by Lew Brown, B. G. DeSylva and Ray Henderson; "Song of the Cisco Kid," words and music by Warner Baxter; "La Cucaracha," Mexican folk song.
SONGWRITERS/COMPOSERS
+
SONGWRITERS/COMPOSERS
+
DETAILS
Series:
Alternate Title:
O'Henry's Romantic Bad Man The Cisco Kid
Release Date:
1 November 1931
Premiere Information:
World premiere in Los Angeles: 6 Oct 1931; New York opening: week of 23 Oct 1931
Production Date:
began late Jul or early Aug 1931
Copyright Info
Claimant
Date
Copyright Number
Fox Film Corp.
18 September 1931
LP2524
Physical Properties:
Sound
Western Electric System
Black and White
Duration(in mins):
60-61
Length(in feet):
5,533
Length(in reels):
6
Country:
United States
SYNOPSIS

During President William McKinley's administration, Sergeant Mickey Dunn, a New Yorker stationed near the Mexican border, is excited to hear that his nemesis, The Cisco Kid, for whom there is a $5,000 reward, has been seen in the vicinity. When The Kid, rustling cattle with his cohorts, Gordito and Lopez, sees Dunn and his two men, Dixon and Bouse, on his trail, he instructs Gordito to fire at him so that it will look like he is trying to steal Gordito and Lopez's cattle. The ruse works, The Kid escapes, and Dunn allows Gordito to keep the cattle. At a café in Carrizo, when Sheriff Tex Ransom sees singer Carmencito, whom the sheriff favors, eye The Kid, he shoots the heel off The Kid's boot. The Kid then shoots a glass from the sheriff's hand. After Carmencita helps The Kid escape, he tells her that he trusts no woman and will give his love to none, but nevertheless kisses her passionately. Dunn interrupts them and wounds The Kid as he rides off. The Kid is cared for by widow Sally Benton, whose ranch is in danger of being taken over by Ransom and banker Enos Hankins. Sally's two young children, Billy and Anita, grow to love the visitor. When Dunn romances Carmencita and tries to get information about The Kid's whereabouts, she gives him a false lead. The Kid recovers, after learning that Hankins plans to take Sally's ranch unless she pays $5,000, he robs Hankins' bank. When Dunn arrives, Carmencita, who earlier was pleased that The Kid risked his life to visit her, runs in front of the departing Kid and feigns ...

More Less

During President William McKinley's administration, Sergeant Mickey Dunn, a New Yorker stationed near the Mexican border, is excited to hear that his nemesis, The Cisco Kid, for whom there is a $5,000 reward, has been seen in the vicinity. When The Kid, rustling cattle with his cohorts, Gordito and Lopez, sees Dunn and his two men, Dixon and Bouse, on his trail, he instructs Gordito to fire at him so that it will look like he is trying to steal Gordito and Lopez's cattle. The ruse works, The Kid escapes, and Dunn allows Gordito to keep the cattle. At a café in Carrizo, when Sheriff Tex Ransom sees singer Carmencito, whom the sheriff favors, eye The Kid, he shoots the heel off The Kid's boot. The Kid then shoots a glass from the sheriff's hand. After Carmencita helps The Kid escape, he tells her that he trusts no woman and will give his love to none, but nevertheless kisses her passionately. Dunn interrupts them and wounds The Kid as he rides off. The Kid is cared for by widow Sally Benton, whose ranch is in danger of being taken over by Ransom and banker Enos Hankins. Sally's two young children, Billy and Anita, grow to love the visitor. When Dunn romances Carmencita and tries to get information about The Kid's whereabouts, she gives him a false lead. The Kid recovers, after learning that Hankins plans to take Sally's ranch unless she pays $5,000, he robs Hankins' bank. When Dunn arrives, Carmencita, who earlier was pleased that The Kid risked his life to visit her, runs in front of the departing Kid and feigns being shot. She thus allows The Kid to escape as Dunn goes to comfort her. After The Kid gives Sally the $5,000 from the bank robbery, he starts to ride off as Dunn arrives. Anita, upset that The Kid did not say goodbye, closes the gate in front of his horse and falls as The Kid and his horse jump it. The Kid is captured by Dunn when he rides back to check on Anita, who is not hurt; however, when Dunn learns that The Kid robbed the bank to help Sally, he shakes The Kid's hand and lets him ride to the border.

Less

Legend
Viewed by AFI
Partially Viewed
Offscreen Credit
Name Occurs Before Title
AFI Life Achievement Award

TOP SEARCHES

Black Angel

According to HR news items, Ava Gardner was intially considered for the role of "Cathy," but due to scheduling constraints, Universal was forced to begin production before ... >>

Some Like It Hot

The Var review erroneously listed a running time of 105 minutes for the film. The title of the film refers to the contemporary description of interpreting jazz ... >>

Singin' in the Rain

According to a 5 Feb 1951 HR news item, Carleton Carpenter was to co-star in the film with Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds, and a 19 Mar ... >>

The Maltese Falcon

The film opens with the following written statement: "In 1539, the Knights Templar of Malta, paid tribute to Charles V of Spain by sending him a golden Falcon encrusted ... >>

The American Film Institute is grateful to Sir Paul Getty KBE and the Sir Paul Getty KBE Estate for their dedication to the art of the moving image and their support for the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and without whose support AFI would not have been able to achieve this historical landmark in this epic scholarly endeavor.