The Avengers
Cast & Crew
John H. Auer
John Carroll
Adele Mara
Mona Maris
Roberto Airaldi
Jorge Villoldo
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
On the northwest coast of South America, a small colony of people has long been the target of masked bandit El Mocho and his gang. Francisco Suarez, whose father was murdered by El Mocho ten years before, has sworn revenge against the bandit and forms a band of "cabelleros," known as The Avengers, to protect the beleagured villagers. Suarez disguises his identity and assumes the name "Don Careless." Fearing for his future, El Mocho accepts the corrupt Col. Luis Corral's offer to fake his own death and be reborn as Lt. Hernandez, Corral's aide. The colony's governor, Don Rafael Moreno, has been taken in by the colonel and declared his intention to pass his authority onto Corral as soon as he marries the governor's daughter Maria. One night, at an inn, Don Careless encounters Corral as he is about to take unfair advantage of French colonist Andre LeBlanc in a sword fight. Don Careless saves Andre, who was angry over losing his estate to Corral in a gambling wager, then beats Corral in a close quarter duel. Although his defeat ruins his reputation as the colony's best swordsman, Corral decides that he can make use of Don Careless, who has boasted of his success as a ladies' man. Corral wants to marry his mistress, the Countess Yvonne, and assumes that even if Maria should turn him down in favor of Don Careless, the governor will still make him ruler. Corral bets Don Careless that if he can make Maria fall in love with him, Corral will return Andre's estate, but if he fails, he must become Corral's personal servant. As hoped, Don Careless wins Maria's heart, and is himself smitten by her. Eventually, his sense of honor gets the better of him, and he tells Corral that he has lost the bet. As Don Careless prepares to become Corral's servant, a jealous Yvonne informs Maria about the wager. Maria tells her father that she will never marry Corral, and though she still loves Don Careless, she denounces him. When Don Rafael refuses Corral his advancement, Corral orders El Mocho to resurrect his bandit gang and terrorize the colony. Corral forcibly seizes control of the government and kills Don Rafael. Maria and a repentant Yvonne escape, however, and return to Don Careless, who launches an attack against Corral. Don Careless and Andre succeed in overthrowing the Corral faction, and during the shooting, the colonel and El Mocho are killed. After Don Careless and Andre turn the government over to the proper authorities, Don Careless and Maria look forward to a happy future together.
Director
John H. Auer
Cast
John Carroll
Adele Mara
Mona Maris
Roberto Airaldi
Jorge Villoldo
Vicente Padula
Vivian Ray
Cecile Lezard
Juan Olaguivel
Eduardo Gardere
Angel M. Gordordo Palacios
Fernando Lamas
Crew
Felipe De Angelis
John H. Auer
Saulo Benavente
Marvin Coil
Antonio Delgado
Jose Fernandez
Lawrence Kimble
Eduardo Lerchundi
Howard Lydecker
Theodore Lydecker
Machado
Aeneas Mackenzie
Lewis Rosso
Nathan Scott
Nathan Scott
German Szulem
Pablo Tabernero
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
This picture was filmed in Buenos Aires, Argentina. A Spanish-language version of the story, titled Los vengadores, was filmed at the same time as the English version was, with a slightly different cast and crew. Fernando Lamas starred in the Spanish-language version, and Osvaldo Miranda, who is not listed in the credits in the English version, was a featured player. Alejandro Verbisky and Emilio Villalba Welsh adapted Lawrence Kimble and Aeneas MacKenzie's English-language screenplay. The following crew members are credited only on the Spanish-language version: Pedro F. Marzialetti (Camera); Ramon Martinez (Props); Nicolas Proserpio (Film Editor); and Oscar Nelson (Assistant Director). Laboratorio Alex is listed as the print laboratory. The Spanish-language version had its own MPAA/PCA number, 14186.
Sources conflict about the English-language film's ending. One review states that "Don Careless" is jailed after "Corral" is killed, but is saved from hanging by "Maria." Another review claims that Maria and Don Careless marry at the end of the story. According to a February 1949 Hollywood Reporter news item, Adele Mara replaced Dolores Del Rio in the role of "Maria." Although studio publicity reported that Del Rio's departure from the project was due to scheduling conflicts, Hollywood Reporter noted that according to "widely circulated" rumors, the "'conflict' was between Del Rio and wife of the Argentine president, Eva Peron," who also was to be in the picture. Peron's appearance in the final film is doubtful, however.
