Filmography

Rio Grande Border Filmography

This project was made possible in part by a grant from Humanities Texas,
the state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s

1900 - 1919

	Gran Corrida de Toros en Ciudad Jarez (1906)
	Actuality of a great bullfight in the border city of Juarez.

	On the Border (1909)
	On the Border, a short western set on the border with the Rio Grande, was produced by Selig Polyscope Company, the company behind Hollywood's earliest westerns and responsible for introducing Tom Mix. Dir. Frank Boggs. With Hobart Bosworth, Betty Harte, Tom Santschi.

	Entrevista de los Presidentes Diaz - Taft (1909)
	This film shows the meeting of the presidents of Mexico and the United States: President Diaz and President Taft. The meeting took place on October 16th and was the first time that a president from the United States met with a Mexican president. Dir. Brüder Alva.

	A Romance of the Rio Grande (1911)
	A western set on the Texas-Mexico border. The story revolves around a cowboy who rescues a father and daughter from attacking Indians. This film stars Tom Mix who was one of the most famous and prolific cowboys of the silent era. In the years between 1911-1917, he was in over 100 films. When the company that gave him his big break, Selig Polyscope Company, went out of business, in 1917 Tom joined Fox and became a huge success there as well. He is credited for establishing the pattern that Western films follow. In 1928 Tom left Fox and eventually joined the Ringling Bros. Circus with his horse Tony. Dir. Colin Campbell. With Tom Mix, Betty Harte.

	The Immortal Alamo (1911)
	Also known as 'Fall of the Alamo'. This film was made by Méliès Star Film Productions, based in Texas. It was filmed in Hot Wells and San Antonio, Texas and utilized cadets from the nearby Peacock Military Academy as soldier extras. This film is presumed lost. Star Film Productions in the United States was established in 1903. It was a branch from Star Film created by George Méliès in Europe. George created the US branch in order to stop the illegal copying of his films. He put his brother Gaston in charge. The company not only distributed the films made in Europe but also locally produced films as well. Dir. William F Haddock. With Gaston Méliès, Francis Ford, Edith Storey.

	When the Tables Turned (1911)
	This movie was filmed in San Antonio, Texas and was a Star Film production. According to the Internet Movie Database, "an incomplete copy of this film survives at the Library of Congress in the Dorothy M. Tayler collection listed as untitled western drama". Dir. Georges Méliès. With Francis Ford, Edith Storey, Ben Cooper.

	Mexican Filibusters (1911)
	Set in Texas, this film tells the story of a Mexican-American fruit worker called Pedro who falls in love with the wife of a colleague and becomes embroiled in a border smuggling plot. This film was produced by the Kalem Company, founded in 1907 by George Kleine, Samuel Long and Frank Marion.

	Juarez After the Battle (1911)
	Documentary about the battle in Juarez on the Texas-Mexico border.

	Los Acontecimientos de Ciudad Jarez (1911)
	Documentary on the events of Juarez on the Texas-Mexico border.

	Bravery of Dora (1912)
	A western set on the Texas-Mexico border (near the Rio Grande). With Edna Payne and Earl Metcalfe.

	Life of Villa (1912)
	Documentary about Pancho Villa, the Mexican revolutionary. Some scenes were re-enacted due to the originals being too graphic for the studios liking. This production also has D W Griffith credited as a Supervisor. Dir. Christy Cabanne and Raoul Walsh. With Pancho Villa, Don Luis Terrazas, Raoul Walsh.

	The War Extra (1914)
	This film is set in Eagle Pass, Texas, on the border with Mexico. Dir. Harry Schenck. With Vinnie Burns, Kenneth Harlon, Edgar De Paul.

	Charlie Across the Rio Grande (1916)
	A short animated comedy set on the Texas-Mexico border. The film was produced by the Movca Film Service.

	Jack and Jill (1917)
	A western set in El Paso, Texas. The story centers around a man who kills another in a boxing ring. He runs west where he finds a job as a ranch hand and uses his boxing skills to help rid the local community of some Mexican troublemakers. This film was directed by William D. Taylor who was to become a victim of an unsolved murder case just a few years later. The film stars Jack Pickford who is the brother of the legendary silent film star Mary Pickford. The director became successful by directing a number of Mary Pickford films along with others starring famous stars from Famous Players-Lasky Dir. William D. Taylor. With Jack Pickford, Jack Hoxie.

1920s

	Rio Grande (1920)
	A western set on the border of Texas and Mexico. The director of the production, Edwin Carewe, was a native of Gainesville, Texas, and his brother was another film director of westerns, Wallace Fox. Edwin Carewe started out as a stage actor before he was on the screen. He went on to direct films for Metro and First National, and eventually started his own production company, Edwin Carewe Productions. He made very successful silent productions, but with transition to talking pictures he did not have success. Dir. Edwin Carewe. With Rosemary Theby, Allan Sears, George Stone, Peaches Jackson.

	Along the Rio Grande (1921)
	This documentary was part of the Paramount-Burton Holmes Travel Picture series. Travelogues were an important form of advertising to tourists. They also gave people a way to see parts of the world that they themselves could never visit. Burton Holmes, along with James Fitzpatrick, were two of the most famous men involved in making travelogues. Holmes was known for appearing live and giving presentations with the showing of his films.

	El Hombre sin Patria (1922)
	Also known as 'Man Without a Country', this film was made in the cities of El Paso and Juarez. Rodolfo squanders his family money and therefore is forced to leave the family home in Mexico and cross into the United States to start again. Miguel Contreras Torres stars and directs this film. He was a prominent figure in Mexican Cinema in the 1920s. Not only did he act and direct, but he was a producer and screenwriter. He continued to work in film successfully through the late 50s. Dir. Miguel Contreras Torres. With Carmen Bonifant and Enrique Cantalaúba

	The Kick Back (1922)
	A western starring another famous cowboy hero, Harry Carey, as 'White Horse' Harry, a rancher whose devious neighbor accuses him of cattle rustling whilst he is visiting Mexico. Harry is arrested in Mexico but manages to escape back to Texas where the Texas Rangers make sure that justice prevails. Harry Carey got his start with Biograph and appeared in several of D.W. Griffith's early films. He became very successful in westerns directed by John Ford and others. His most well known character in his films with John Ford was Cheyenne Harry. He not only acted in these pictures, but he also helped with the stories, scripts, producing and directing. Dir. Val Paul. With Harry Carey, Henry B. Walthall, Mogninne Golden, Ethel Grey Terry.

	The Pilgrim (1923)
	This comedy sees Chaplin playing an escaped convict who assumes the identity of a minister after stealing his clothes. He heads to Devil's Gulch in Texas where he is welcomed by his new congregation who are expecting a new minister. After a run in with an ex-cellmate the town catches on to his true identity, but he is spared arrest and instead taken to the Mexican border and set free. The film was Chaplin's last under his First National contract. Dir. Charles Chaplin. With Charles Chaplin, Edna Purviance, Phyllis Allen, Henry Bergman, Edith Bostwick, Kitty Bradbury.

	Below the Rio Grande (1923)
	This western was based on the story 'The Fighting Pedagogue' by H. A. Halbert Jr. Neal Hart stars as King Calhoun, a Canadian mountie, who is wrongly accused of cattle rustling over the Mexican border. He fights the charges with help from his fellow mounties, the Texas Rangers and the Mexican army. Dir. and starring Neal Hart.

	Don Quickshot of the Rio Grande (1923)
	A western that sees Jack Hoxie making his debut with Universal - a relationship that was to see Hoxie making another 35 with the company. The story takes place on the Texas-Mexico border and revolves around 'Pep' Pepper, a cowboy whose constant fantasies of being Don Quixote get him into trouble. After being accused of a murder he didn't commit he is able to prove himself as a hero after rescuing a woman from the real killer. The director George Marshall got his start as an extra in Universal films in the 1912. He then began writing and directing Westerns. After WWI he was eventually appointed head of Fox's production of shorts. He then moved on to this job at Pathé. He also found a talent in writing and directing comedy, and he went on to work with classic comedians like Laurel and Hardy, W.C. Fields, Bob Hope, and Martin and Lewis. Dir. George Marshall. With Jack Hoxie, Elinor Field, William A. Steele, Harry Woods.

	Sundown (1924)
	Set on the Texas-Mexico border, this film tells the story of a cattleman and his son who, after a trip back east, are returning to Texas to move across the border. On the train they meet Ellen, who is from a family of homesteaders that are forcing the cattlemen to leave. Once they are back in Texas Ellen's family home is destroyed by reckless cattle. She joins the cattlemen on their journey to the Mexican border. Bessie Love was born in Midland, Texas as Juanita Horton and changed her name under D. W. Griffith's advice to Bessie Love. She appeared in D.W. Griffith's films The Birth of a Nation as an unverified extra and as the Bride of Cana in the Judean episode of Intolerance. Bessie's career consisted of highs and lows because directors had a hard time deciding what to cast her as. Her most notable comeback was in the musical The Broadway Melody in 1929 which earned her an Oscar nomination. Dir. Lawrence Trimbler & Harry O. Hoyt. With Hobart Bosworth, Bessie Love, Roy Stewart, Charlie Murray.

	Hurricane Hal (1925)
	A cowboy, Buck Anderson, manages to stop a devious rancher from stealing the payroll money. Jack Meehan was the name that silent star Jack Mower chose to use for this and several other films he starred in at the time. The director, John P. McCarthy appeared as a Prison Guard in D.W. Griffith's 1916 film Intolerance. Dir. John P McCarthy. With Jack Meehan.

	Wings (1927)
	Wings was filmed around San Antonio and Bexar County in Texas. The Movie Locations book by Tony Reeves states that 'the flying sequences, [were] filmed at Carey Air Field in San Antonio, Texas. A 100 ft tower was built to house the camera for some of the shots.' The story revolves around two friends who fall in love with the same girl. When the United States enters WWI, both the men join the Air Corps. Although they remain friends their relationship is strained by their feelings for the girl. This film was the very first picture to win the Academy Award in the Best Picture Category. The director William A. Wellman drew from his experiences in WWI to create the spectacular air sequences and stunts. Dir. William A. Wellman. With Clara Bow, Charles 'Buddy' Rogers, Richard Arlen, Gary Cooper, and Jobyna Ralston.

	The Rough Riders (1927)
	Also known as The Trumpet Calls, this movie was filmed around San Antonio and Camp Bullis, Texas. The story is based around a military unit organized by Theodore Roosevelt and their adventures in Cuba during the Spanish-American War of 1898. The director, Victor Fleming, got his start in the movies in 1910 as an assistant cameraman. He also worked under D.W. Griffith and on several Douglas Fairbanks pictures. He is most well known for his direction of the beloved 1939 classic, The Wizard of Oz. He is also listed as one of the directors for Gone with the Wind and even took home an Academy Award for his work on the project. Dir. Victor Fleming. With Mary Astor, George Bancroft, Noah Beery, Charles Farrell.

	Branded Man (1928)
	A melodrama set in Ciudad Juarez on the border. June Marlowe plays a dutiful sister who is continually bailing her brother out of difficult situations caused by his troublesome wife. June Marlowe is best known as Ms. Crabtree in Our Gang and later The Little Rascals from 1930-1932. She also appeared as the leading lady in a few Rin Tin Tin films. Dir. Scott Pembroke. With Charles Deloney, June Marlowe.

	Rio Rita (1929)
	A comedy musical that was adapted from the popular Ziegfeld show. Captain James Steward pursues a bandit called 'the kinkajou' over the Mexican border and falls in love with Rita. Luther Reed wrote scripts for William Randolph Hearst's company Cosmopolitan Pictures and even scripted a few Marion Davies' pictures. Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey originated their roles in Ziegfeld's Broadway production. Dir. Luther Reed. With Bert Wheeler, Robert Woolsey, Bebe Daniels, John Boles, Dorothy Lee.

	Rebellion Escobarista (1929)
	The capture of Ciudad Juarez over the Spring of 1929.

	Riders of the Rio Grande (1929)
	This musical western is set on the Texas-Mexico border. The story revolves around a gang that is holding an engraver hostage, so that he can produce counterfeit goods. One of the gang also kidnaps a local girl, but she is then rescued by our cowboy hero in the shape of Bob Custer. Dir. J. P. McGowan. With Bob Custer, Edna Aslin, H. B. Carpenter.

1930s

	Under a Texas Moon (1930)
	Originally released in Technicolor, this western was set on the Texas-Mexico border. Frank Fay plays a caballero who steps up to track down a bad man for a $7,000 reward. However, his talents lie more in romancing senoritas than tracking down bandits. Michael Curtiz is best known for his direction of the classic film Casablanca for which he won the Academy Award for Best Director. Dir. Michael Curtiz. With Frank Fay, Raquel Torres, Myrna Loy, Armida, Fred Kohler.

	The Land of Missing Men (1930)
	Also known as 'The Port of Missing Men' this western was set on the Texas-Mexico border. The story is based around a cowboy who is wrongly accused of terrorizing a town. He has to prove his innocence by finding the real perpetrator. This film is famous for a chilling scene where the cowboy and his friend come across a saloon full of dead bodies. Also of note is the appearance of Emilio Fernandez who went on to become a famous director in Mexico. Bob Steele is most notably known for his role as Curly in Of Mice and Men and in the 1960s comedy series, F Troop. Dir. Trem Carr, J. P. McCarthy. With Bob Steele, Al Jennings, Caryl Lincoln, Al St John, Emilio Fernandez.

	The Rio Grande (1930)
	An educational documentary about the Rio Grande river. Made by Eastman Teaching films.

	Rogue of the Rio Grande (1930)
	A musical western set on the Texas-Mexico border. A senorita spends her days in the local saloon with a man who poses as a Mexican bandit in order to fleece the customers. The movie tagline states: ' A Stirring Comedy Drama of Love and Conflict in the Bad Lands!' Dir. Spencer Gordon Bennet. With Myrna Loy, Jose Bohr, Carmelita Geraghty, Raymond Hatton, Walter Miller.

	Lasca of the Rio Grande (1931)
	A story about a Texas Ranger who falls in love with a dance hall girl while he is facing murder charges The director, Edward Laemmle, is the nephew of Carl Laemmle, the founder of Universal Studios. Dir. Edward Laemmle. With Leo Carillo, Dorothy Burgess, Johnny Mack Brown.

	Viva Villa! (1934)
	A fictional biography of Pancho Villa, the Mexican revolutionary General. The film stars Fay Wray, best known for her starring role in the 1933 version of King Kong. Dir. Howard Hawks, Jack Conway, Carlos Navarro, Matias Santovo. With Wallace Beery, Leo Carillo.

	Texas Jack (1935)
	This western was set on the Texas-Mexico border, more specifically around the border town of La Hunta. Jack Perrin plays a cowboy who is tracking down the man responsible for the death of his sister two years ago. She was enticed across the border by a man who offered the promise of a school teaching job but instead imprisons women to work in his dance hall. Dir. Bernard B Ray. With Jack Perrin, Jayne Regan, Nelson McDowell, Robert Walker, Lew Meehan.

	Heroes of the Alamo (1937)
	The story of the Texan fight for independence against the Mexican dictator Santa Ana, and the legendary last stand at the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas. One of the taglines reads: 'A Spectacular Epic of the Birth of Texas.' Dir. Harry Fraser. With Lane Chandler, Earle Hodgins, Roger Williams, Rex Lease, Bruce Warren.

	The Gambling Terror (1937)
	A western set on the Texas-Mexico border. A man arrives in town and opens a gambling place but has to fight against a local gang in order to keep it in business. Dir. Sam Newfield. With Johnny Mack Brown, Iris Meredith, Charles King, Dick Curtis, Ted Adams, Horace Murphy, Earl Dwire, Frank Ball.

	Border Cafe (1937)
	A senator's son leaves the east coast and heads to the Texas-Mexico border where he is meant to buy a ranch. After losing all of his money he is befriended by Tex who helps him see the error of his ways, and they both set off to rescue his father and girlfriend who have been kidnapped by bandits. Dir. Lew Landers. With Harry Carey, John Beal, Armida, George Irving, Leona Roberts.

	Border G-Man (1938)
	A film set on the Texas-Mexico border. A government agent is sent to investigate a corrupt business man who is violating a law known as The Neutrality Act. Dir. David Howard. With George O'Brien, Laraine Day, Ray Whitley, John Miljan, Rita La Roy.

	My Little Buckaroo (1938)
	An animated short that is set in the border town of Boiled Beef, Texas in 1872. Dir. Friz Freleng.

	The Llano Kid (1939)
	On the Texas-Mexico border in the 19th century a romantic highwayman called the llano kid is busy robbing stage coaches. The one person who can identify him persuades him to join her in an attempt to fraudulently obtain an inheritence. Dir. Edward D Venturini. With Tito Guizar, Gale Sondergaard, Alan Mowbray, Jan Clayton, Emma Dunn.

	Man of Conquest (1939)
	A western biography of Sam Houston. Dir. George Nicholls. With Richard Dix, Gail Patrick, Edward Ellis, Joan Fontaine, Ralph Morgan.

	Cuando Canta La Ley (1939)
	Also known as 'El Rancho del Pinar' and 'The Singing Charro', this western was set on the border of Texas and Mexico. Starring Tito Guizar as a secret agent from Mexico, he poses as a cowboy in order to get work on a ranch and find out more about a man dating the owner. Dir. Richard Harlan. With Tito Guizar, Tana, Martin Garralaga, Pilar Arcos, Jose Luis Tortosa.

1940s

	Rhythm of the Rio Grande (1940)
	A western set on the border. Tex is in search of a friend who has disappeared. After meeting the local bandit and realizing that he is not responsible for all that he is accused, they join forces to expose the real criminal. A tagline for the movie reads: 'Watch out for the Gringo! Tex shoots it out with Mexican Brigands in the border badlands!' Dir. Al Herman. With Tex Ritter, White Flash, Suzan Dale, Warner P Richmond, Martin Garralaga.

	Along the Rio Grande (1941)
	This border western sees three friends thrown into jail after trying to help their boss out. Whilst they are imprisoned he is murdered so they break out of jail and join the gang responsible across the border. The friends try to lure the bandits back across the border to face arrest. Dir: Edward Killy. With Tim Holt, Ray Whitley, Betty Jane Rhodes, Emmett Lynn, Robert Fiske.

	Heart of the Rio Grande (1942)
	Also known as 'Deep in the Heart of Texas' this musical western was set on the Texas-Mexico border. Two kind-hearted cowboys help an inexperienced lady run a cattle ranch. One tagline reads: 'A Stampede Of Action And Song!' Dir. William Morgan. With Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, Fay McKenzie, Edith Fellows, Pierre Watkin.

	Rio Rita (1942)
	A comedy musical set in Texas starring Abbott and Costello as Doc and Wishey. They run into Nazi agents on the border who want to smuggle bombs into the states from a Mexican border hotel. Dir. S. Sylvan Simon. With Bud Abbott, Lou Costello.

	Down Rio Grande Way (1942)
	A western set on the Texas-Mexico border. The story concerns a Congress decision about whether to declare Texas a state. Certain parties do not want this to happen and so employ a gang to cause unrest in the area. Dir. William Berke. With Charles Starrett, Russell Hayden, Britt Wood, Rose Anne Stevens, Norman Willis.

	Border Patrol (1943)
	This movie is set in Silver Bullet, Texas and sees three Texas Rangers trying to stop a smuggling operation from Mexico to the United States. George Reeves (Superman) stars as a Mexican, Duncan Ronaldo (the Cisco Kid) plays a Mexican commandant, Robert Mitchum makes his debut as a bandit. Dir. Lesley Selander. With William Boyd, George Reeves, Robert Mitchum.

	Cruel Destino (1944)
	Also known as 'Allá en la Frontera' and 'El Bandida de la Frontera'. Dir. Juan Orol. With María Antonieta Pons, Jorge Arriaga, Carolina Barret.

	San Antonio (1945)
	A western set in Texas in 1877. Errol Flynn plays a reformed cattle rustler who goes in search of the men who attacked his ranch. The final scenes of this movie take place at the Alamo. Dir. David Butler. With Errol Flynn, Alexis Smith.

	Rio Grande Raiders (1946)
	This western tells the story of two brothers, both stagecoach drivers, but one works for a corrupt outfit. Set on the Texas-Mexico border, one brother tries to save the other from a life of crime. Dir. Thomas Carr. With Sunset Carson, Roy Bucko, Fred Burns, Blackie Whiteford, Bob Steele, Jack O'Shea, Tom London.

	Black Gold (1947)
	An unusual western set on the border of Texas and Mexico. A chinese boy is adopted by an Indian family that live on a farm. He has a difficult time at school because of his race and family. However, things take a surprising turn when the family strike oil and become rich almost overnight. Prejudice is still rife though as the family enters into high society. Dir. Phil Carson. With Anthony Quinn, Katherine DeMille.

	Hidden Valley Days (1948)
	A musical western that was the first of three to be made by William Forest Crouch. Red River Dave and his musical band take some time off in order to help a friend with some cattle herding and to capture some bank robbers. Dir. William Forest Crouch. With Red River Dave, Peggy Perron, Kenne Duncan.

	South of Saint Louis (1949)
	This western was set on the border with parts filmed in Brownsville, Texas at the end of the Civil War. The story concerns three friends whose ranch is attacked by Union soldiers leading them to flee and take separate paths. They regroup eventually in order to win back their ranch. Dir. Ray Enright. With Joel McCrea, Alexis Smith, Zachary Scott, Dorothy Malone

	Across the Rio Grande (1949)
	A western set on the Texas-Mexico border that sees a man searching for the killer of his father. He becomes a target for outlaws and discovers a border smuggling plot along the way. Some taglines for the movie read: "Hot on the trail of Border Runners!", "The fighting cowboy song sensation.. blasting border men!" Dir. Oliver Drake. With Jimmy Wakely, Dub Taylor, Reno Browne, Riley Hill, Dennis Moore, Kenne Duncan, Ted Adams.

	Streets of Laredo (1949)
	This western, set in 1878 Laredo, Texas was a remake of King Vidor's 1936 production, 'The Texas Rangers'. The story involves three outlaws whose friendship is tested as they take different paths in life. Dir. Leslie Fenton. With William Holden, Alfonso Bedoya, William Benidix, Macdonald Carey, Mona Freeman.

	El Paso (1949)
	El Paso is a movie about an ex-Confederate officer who is sent on a mission by his father, a judge, to Texas to obtain a signature. This gives him the opportunity to look up an old flame in El Paso. Dir. Lewis R Foster. With John Payne, Gail Russell.

1950s

	Rio Grande (1950)
	Rio Grande takes place after the Civil War. An officer is training recruits down on the Rio Grande and discovers that one is his own son. He trains him to fight the Apaches but faces tough choices when the time for battle arrives. Dir. John Ford. With John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Ben Johnson, Claude Jarman Jr., Harry Carey Jr.

	Viva Zapata! (1951)
	This historical revolutionary drama documents the life of Emilio Zapata, the Mexican revolutionary. It was filmed in Rio Grande City, Texas. Dir. Elia Kazan & John Steinbeck. With Marlon Brando, Jean Peters, Anthony Quinn, Joseph Wiseman.

	The Kid From Amarillo (1951)

	Border Fence (1951)
	Also known as 'Cactus Barrier', it was filmed in the San Antonio area by H. W. Kier's regional Gulf Coast Productions. It was one of the only films of its kind that managed to be shown outside of the normal territory of Texas and the southeastern states of the US. Dir. Norman Sheldo & H W Kier. With Walt Wayne, Lee Morgan, Mary Nord, Steve Raines, Henry Garcia.

	Last of the Wild West (1951)
	Documentary on Big Bend National Park in Texas. Dir. Jay Bonafield.

	The Fighter (1952)
	This boxing movie was set partly in El Paso and Mexico. A young boxer uses his prize winnings to buy guns so that he can avenge his family's murder. Dir. Herbert Kline. With Richard Conte, Lee J. Cobb, Vanessa Brown, Frank Silvera.