Ride the Pink Horse
 |
Robert Mongomery, Wanda Hendrix and Thomas Gomez |
Ride the Pink Horse is a
1947 crime film noir produced by
Universal Studios.
It was
directed by the
actor Robert Montgomery from a
screenplay by
Ben Hecht, which was based on a novel by
Dorothy B. Hughes.
Star Robert Montgomery, who also directed this film, plays Lucky Gagin: a man who visits a small town in New Mexico to
blackmail a
gangster (
Fred Clark).
Wanda Hendrix plays a Mexican girl out to distract him and
Art Smith is a friendly FBI agent along for the ride. Montgomery is assisted by a local merry-go-round merchant, played by
Thomas Gomez (nominated for a
Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance).
Bosley Crowther, writing for the
New York Times in 1947, like most reviews, praises the south-of-the-border noir "... Mr. Montgomery, as director and star of this story, has contrived to make it look shockingly literal and keep it moving at an unrelenting pace. And he has also managed to lace it with grisly action and rugged sentiment without deceit. Indeed, he has artfully fashioned a fascinating film within the genre." The review goes on to praise Fred Clark and Wanda Hendrix in the film. [
1]
The film was later remade as a 1964 TV movie called
The Hanged Man.
*
Film Noir Preservation Society*
Ride the Pink Horse photo*
Shades of Black and Brown: Visions of Mexico and Mexican-Americans in 1940s Film Noir*
Film Noir of the Week review
