The Gaucho (1928)
Directed by F. Richard Jones
Genres - Action, Adventure, Spirituality & Philosophy |
Sub-Genres - Adventure Drama, Religious Drama |
Release Date - Nov 21, 1927 (USA - Unknown), Nov 21, 1927 (USA) |
Run Time - 96 min. |
Countries - United States |
MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson
Douglas Fairbanks' The Gaucho is a curiosity: a traditional Fairbanks actioner with decidedly unsavory, unpleasant and uncharacteristic overtones. For the first time in his career, Fairbanks plays what would have been a villainous role in anyone else's film: An outlaw leader who exploits religion for his own nefarious purposes. As the unofficial leader of Miracle City, Fairbanks laughs aloud as the faithful flock to the shrine of the Madonna: he knows that, once they've left, he can claim the pitiful alms they've left behind. Eventually, however, Fairbanks experiences a religious conversion, thanks in part to the love of a good woman and in great part to a deus-ex-machina appearance by the Madonna Herself (portrayed, unbilled, by Fairbanks' wife Mary Pickford). A subplot involving leprosy and suicide adds to the overall discomforting tone of the film. Despite its lapses in taste, The Gaucho amassed a fortune for Fairbanks, who in 1928 could do no wrong at the box office. Lupe Velez makes her first major film appearance as a lusty mountain girl.
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Keywords
gaucho, outlaw [Western], conversion, religion, woman