The Gay Desperado (1936)

Set in Mexico, an opera singer (Nino Martini) is kidnapped by a gang of bandits and forced to become a member of the gang. When an American girl (Ida Lupino) and her rich fiance (James Blakeley) are kidnapped by the bandits, the singer finds himself falling in love with the girl. Directed by Rouben Mamoulian (BLOOD AND SAND). Mamoulian is no stranger to musicals having directed such movie gems as LOVE ME TONIGHT and SILK STOCKINGS as well as the original Broadway productions of OKLAHOMA! and PORGY AND BESS. This musical comedy, however, is a curiosity. Widely admired on its original release, Mamoulian even won the New York Film Critics best director award for his work here. While it still retains some of its offbeat charm, posterity has not been kind to the film. Its bandido stereotypes doesn't sit well with 21st century sensibilities. That being said, the movie is stolen by Leo Carrillo's soft hearted bandit leader murdering the English language. Hollywood made several opera singers into movie stars in the 1930s, 40s and 50s such as Mario Lanza and Grace Moore. Martini was a leading Metropolitan opera tenor occascionally dipping his toes into films but I found his breaking into arias about as appealing as Kathryn Grayson doing the same in an MGM musicals. With Mischa Auer and Harold Huber.