In Old Arizona

Starring: Edmund Lowe, Warner Baxter, Dorothy Burgess
Directed by: Irving Cummings
Rating: Passed
Genre: Western
1928

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A bandit (Warner Baxter) tries to woo a local woman (Dorothy Burgess) while avoiding capture.

Review:

Tim: I have to say, I'm fairly perplexed as to why In Old Arizona isn't better known and appreciated. It's an influential film that contributes much to the Western genre. It's a romantic drama stylized as a Western (a combination that perhaps threw some people, but was enjoyable for me). It's one of the earliest talkies and the first Western talkie. It was nominated for 5 Academy Awards and won 1. I really enjoyed this movie and I'd consider it a great film.

First off, this movie was the first talkie to be filmed outside (I believe, the research is a little fuzzy sometimes). People watching today might just see a movie, but to think about this film showcasing the latest technology (sound) and doing it outside for the first time in cinema history- that's noteworthy. Sure, the movie is a little rough from a technical standpoint, but you'd expect that in a movie on the cutting edge like this one. Regardless of what you think about the movie, the film deserves acclaim for pushing boundaries.

This movie also influenced the Western genre, most notably, the idea of the singing cowboy. That romantic notion takes center stage here. I also really liked how the protagonist was a criminal, while the antagonist is a sergeant in the army. This is a change from the usual and not uncommon today, but it was interesting to see this in 1928. I really liked how this movie emphasized the romantic and dramatic elements of the story. When I sat down to watch the movie, I absolutely expected to watch a typical early Western. That's not at all what this movie is. And, I really loved that. It's set in the west, but it's a romantic drama, and it does these elements so well. That creates a lot more emotion and character-focus than your typical Western.

This is one of the aspects of In Old Arizona that makes it a great movie. I was really surprised at the emotional aspects to this story. It's fairly deep in places. It's a love story, but one of the more complex, nuanced ones I've seen. It examines the feelings of betrayal and the fallout when that happens. It showcases some raw human emotion and real human drama and I really appreciated that. The ending of the film was devastating for this reason. I've seen a lot of Westerns and rarely have I felt as much emotion as I did in this story and with these characters.

The film also features some truly effective sequences. I give director Irving Cummings a great deal of credit for this. One of the highlights is the scene where the Cisco Kid is getting a shave and a bath, and the army sergeant comes in as well. It's just a wonderful sequence that sets the tone for these characters and endears us to the Cisco Kid. It's fun, entertaining, and it does a wonderful job of creating the foundation for the rest of the movie. Great movies have great scenes and this is absolutely one of them.

The cast is good, most noteworthy is the performance of Warner Baxter. Baxter is fantastic as the Cisco Kid. He's larger-than-life, arrogant yet has an emotional underbelly. He's fun to watch on screen, whether he's scheming, loving, or singing. His performance is typical for the time period, but he draws your attention to him every time he's on screen. He won the film's lone Academy Award, for Best Actor. I believe he deserves it. Edmund Lowe and Dorothy Burgess worked well in their roles, too. They felt like typical early-talkies performances. They're a bit over-the-top and short on subtlety, but they work within the context of the film. I enjoyed seeing all three of these actors working together on screen. Each brings something different to the film.

I have to say, I was surprised to see the iMDb rating so low for this movie. I really enjoyed In Old Arizona. It's an influential film, an entertaining film, and certainly one of the best movies of 1928. I wish more people would see and appreciate this film.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Hell's Hinges, 7th Heaven