Way of a Gaucho
Cast & Crew
Jacques Tourneur
Rory Calhoun
Gene Tierney
Richard Boone
Hugh Marlowe
Everett Sloane
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
In 1875, rugged Argentine gaucho Martin Penalosa welcomes his lifelong friend, Don Miguel Aleondo, back to the Aleondo estancia, his ranch. Due to the death of his father, Miguel is returning to the ranch after a long absence, and the other gauchos mistrust his "city ways." During the fiesta celebrating Miguel's arrival, Martin takes offense when a fellow gaucho disparages Miguel, and kills him in a knife fight. Miguel allows Martin to be arrested, despite Martin's declaration that it is the gaucho way to fight for one's honor. In prison, Martin meets fellow gaucho Falcon and stiffly greets Miguel when he visits. Miguel explains that he arranged for Martin to serve in the army rather than be imprisoned, and assures him he will always be welcome at the ranch. Martin and Falcon then go to the fort overseen by tough disciplinarian Maj. Salinas, who admires the gauchos' courage even though he is determined to turn them into good soldiers. Martin resents Salinas' strictness, and one day, after the soldiers fight off an advancing group of Indians, Martin deserts. While he is riding, Martin sees an Indian carrying off a screaming woman, and succeeds in killing the Indian and rescuing the woman, who is Teresa Chavez, Miguel's fiancée. Despite the initial animosity between the arrogant Martin and Teresa, an aristocratic city-dweller, Martin escorts her to the Aleondo ranch. During their journey, an attraction between Martin and Teresa grows, and she is distraught when he is captured by Salinas' men. Determined to extinguish Martin's rebelliousness, Salinas has him staked out on the ground and leaves him there for several days. Martin refuses to submit, and one night, Falcon helps to free him. Before leaving, however, Martin challenges Salinas to a knife fight, and when Salinas tries to shoot him, Martin slashes his arm. During the day, a patrol pursues Martin but the gaucho scout leading them does not reveal his location. Martin then travels through a desert, where he comes across a bandit known as Valverde. Badly hurt when his horse fell on him, Valverde speaks only a few words to Martin before dying. Martin then assumes Valverde's identity and, joined by renegade gauchos, Indians and army deserters, starts a band of rebels who attempt to prevent the encroachment of civilization upon the wild pampas. "Valverde's" notoriety grows, and Salinas, who has left the military to join the police, despite his useless arm, suspects that he is actually Martin. Salinas questions Teresa, who professes ignorance, but she later persuades her maid, who knows one of the outlaws, to lead her to their hideout. Salinas follows them and is captured by Martin's men, but Martin, who grudingly respects his enemy, sets him free. Martin is both pleased and disturbed to see Teresa, but when she confesses her desire to stay, he kisses her passionately. Two weeks later, Salinas convinces Miguel to request that the militia be called to capture Valverde and his men. Later, Martin and Teresa, who have been living as husband and wife, ask Father Fernandez to marry them, but the priest, outraged by Martin's lawlessness, initially refuses. Father Fernandez does relent, but they are interrupted when they see Salinas and the federal troops ride by on the way to the gauchos' hideout. By the time they reach the camp, Martin and Teresa are horrified to discover that all of their friends have been captured or killed. Martin and Teresa then begin the arduous journey to Chile, where they hope to live safely, but when Teresa reveals that she is pregnant, Martin realizes that she cannot finish the trek through the mountains. Determined to marry Teresa despite the risk of capture, Martin searches for Father Fernandez. The couple finds the priest but when Gomez, Salinas' former sergeant, recognizes them, he calls the police and Teresa is apprehended, although Martin escapes. Father Fernandez apprises Miguel of Teresa's condition, and Miguel informs Teresa that he has arranged for Martin to serve only a three-year jail sentence if he turns himself in voluntarily. Teresa is uncertain, as she fears that Martin's need for freedom will cause him to die in prison, but does reveal his hiding place. Unaware that Salinas is following him, Miguel goes to Martin's hideout, and there tells him that he cannot purchase his freedom at the cost of the lives of Teresa and the baby. Seeing Salinas and his men arrive, Martin rides off, followed by Miguel. The gunshots and confusion start a cattle stampede, and Miguel is killed while trying to help Martin escape. Later, Martin slips into Teresa's room and confesses that he was wrong to cling to the old gaucho ways and now hopes to rectify his mistakes. Martin arranges to meet Teresa at the cathedral the next day, and Father Fernandez also summons Salinas. The priest urges Salinas to prove his strength by being merciful, although Salinas protests that some things cannot be forgiven. When Martin arrives, however, and tells Salinas that he will go with him voluntarily, after he marries Teresa, Salinas allows him to enter the cathedral with his beloved.
Director
Jacques Tourneur
Cast
Rory Calhoun
Gene Tierney
Richard Boone
Hugh Marlowe
Everett Sloane
Enrique Chaico
Jorge Villoldo
Roland Dumas
Lidia Campos
Hugo Mancino
Nester Yoan
Raoul Astor
John Paris
John Henchley
Kim Dillon
Lia Centeno
Claudio Torres
Anthony Ugrin
Douglas Poole
C. Spindola
Mario Abdah
Charles H. Roberson
Tom Mcdonough Anderson
Douglas Brooks
David Fresco
Salvador Báguez
Teresa Acosta
Oscar Lucero
Alex Peters
Crew
Luis C. Amadori
Joseph C. Behm
Philip Dunne
Philip Dunne
Philip Dunne
Anita Fontanet
Robert Fritch
Eugene Grossman
Harry Jackson
Sol Kaplan
Ray Kellogg
Mark-lee Kirk
Colonel Landa
Charles Lemaire
Harry M. Leonard
Henry Levin
Thomas Little
Bruce Macdonald
Eleodoro Marenco
Bernard Mayers
Horacio Rega Molina
Vidol Molino
Alfred Newman
Ben Nye
Felix R. Palorma
Charles H. Roberson
Bill Sittell
Jack Stubbs
Mario Vanarelli
Glorinda Varas
Robert Webb
Dr. Felix J. Weil
Lyle Wheeler
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
At the end of the opening credits for this film, a written acknowledgment reads: "This picture was filmed in its natural settings in Argentina. Twentieth Century-Fox acknowledges with gratitude the assistance and cooperation of the Argentine Government." According to contemporary news items, Henry King was originally set to direct the film, and Tyrone Power was cast in the leading role. A May 1951 Hollywood Reporter news item noted that King requested a transfer to another picture and was replaced by Jacques Tourneur. A June 1951 Los Angeles Examiner article reported that Power had been placed on suspension by Twentieth Century-Fox for refusing the role; he reportedly did not want to make any more "costume pictures." The article noted that Dale Robertson was tentatively set to replace him. August and September 1951 Hollywood Reporter news items noted that Jean Peters had originally been cast as "Teresa" but had to withdraw from the role due to health reasons. An August 1951 New York Times article incorrectly lists Michael Rennie in the cast instead of Hugh Marlowe.
As noted in the onscreen credits, the film was largely shot on location in Argentina, but some scenes were shot on location in California near Pacific Palisades and Vasquez Rocks. Both Robert Webb and Henry Levin briefly filled in for Tourneur when he was suffering from a back injury. According to information in the Twentieth Century-Fox Records of the Legal Department, located at the UCLA Arts-Special Collections Library, in order to receive official cooperation from the Argentine government, the studio agreed to shoot a short film about "certain Argentine charities supervised by Mrs. [Eva] Peron."
According to Hollywood Reporter news items, a preview of the film was held on September 30, 1951 aboard the ocean liner S.S. Argentina. The liner was docked in New York, and according to Hollywood Reporter, "close to five hundred newspapermen, stars and representives of the city, United Nations and the Argentine government" attended the screening. Modern sources note that Ray Klune served as the film's production manager. Way of a Gaucho marked the first assignment as a producer for noted screenwriter Philip Dunne. A October 10, 1953 Saturday Evening Post article reported that the film was very well received in Latin and South America.
