Bordertown (1935)

After a young but inexperienced Mexican lawyer (Paul Muni) finds himself disbarred in California, he moves south of the border where he rises to the co-owner of a posh casino. But two women in his life, the predatory wife (Bette Davis) of his partner (Eugene Pallette) and a wealthy debutante (Margaret Lindsay) looking for thrills bring about his downfall. Based on the novel by Carroll Graham and directed by Archie Mayo (THE PETRIFIED FOREST). Typical of 1930s Warners gritty and socially conscious output, the movie looks at how class divide and racism play into the fate of Muni's ambitious Mexican American. The film should have ended with the stark Muni and Lindsay confrontation (he's fine for kicks but his race makes himself undesirable as a husband) but instead, we're treated to a sappy redemption conclusion. Muni was an exciting actor early in his movie career with movies like SCARFACE, I AM A FUGITIVE FROM A CHAIN GANG and this one but he became unappealing when he got into his hammy great actor phase with movies like STORY OF LOUIS PASTEUR and LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA. Davis is the scene stealer here as she spouts fire and fury but it would take a couple of years before Warners realized what they had on their hands. Very loosely remade as THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT in 1940. With Gavin Gordon, Arthur Treacher and Robert Barrat.