Main Cast: Errol Flynn, Alexis Smith, S.Z. Sakall, Victor Francen, Florence Bates, Paul Kelly
Release Year: 1945
Country: US
Run Time: 105 minutes
Plot
In his final epic Western, Errol Flynn plays cattleman Clay Hardin, who, on a trek south of the border, has discovered that San Antonio saloon proprietor Roy Stuart (Paul Kelly) is actually a cattle rustler of major proportions. Determined to bring Stuart to justice, Clay runs into difficulties when he mistakes feted chanteuse Jeanne Starr (Alexis Smith) for being on the saloon owner's payroll. Meanwhile, Stuart's French-accented partner, and enemy, Legare (Victor Francen), uses the taut situation to benefit himself. Then Clay's longtime friend, Charlie Bell (John Litel), is brutally slain and Jeanne's manager, Sacha Bozic (S.Z. Sakall) is forced to skip town, Bozic, unbeknownst to Clay, having witnessed the murder. The real killer is eventually forced to confess and San Antonio erupts in a climactic gun battle that culminates in a shootout at the historic Alamo. With Hungarian actor Sakall providing some much-needed comedy relief, Alexis Smith, Doodles Weaver, and a chorus perform a few songs, including: Ray Heindorf, M.K. Jerome, and Ted Koehler's "Some Sunday Morning"; "Put Your Little Foot Right Out," by Larry Spier; and Jack Scholl and Charles Kisco's "Somewhere in Monterey." According to some reports, both Raoul Walsh and Robert Florey directed a few additional scenes. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
Review
Much better than its reputation, San Antonio, in glorious Technicolor, is a slam-bang, no-nonsense Western filled with stand-out action sequences and performances. Although often negatively compared to Errol Flynn's earlier Warner epics, San Antonio, with sweeping tracking shots contrasted by more intimate but equally dramatic character delineation, stands on his own merits and to some extent bridges the gap between the romanticized empire-building spectacles of the late '30s and the postwar Western noirs. The great Warner stock company, including French import Victor Francen and a quietly menacing Paul Kelly, adds immeasurably to the overall tenor of the film, as does Max Steiner's grand score. Although Steiner has been accused of borrowing from himself -- an odd complaint considering that all the studios endlessly recycled their in-house scores -- San Antonio remains one of the most musical of A-Westerns and the Academy Award nomination for Ray Heindorf, M.K. Jerome, and Ted Koehler's lilting leitmotif "Some Sunday Morning" was more than deserved. Garbed by Milo Anderson with an eye on Technicolor, heroine Alexis Smith is a sight for sore eyes and imbues her stock assignment with more gusto than you would ordinarily expect. Among the other highlights of San Antonio are veteran B-Western star Tom Tyler's dramatic death walk and a climactic gunfight that seamlessly progresses from Francen's posh saloon into the streets of historical San Antonio to culminate, inevitably, in the ruined Alamo. All, of course, staged to maximum effect at the Warner Bros. back lot by a director, David Butler, rather unfairly known solely for his many lightweight musicals and comedies. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
Ted Smith - Art Director, LeRoy J. Prinz - Choreography, Milo Anderson - Costume Designer, David Butler - Director, Irene Morra - Editor, Ray Heindorf - Composer (Music Score), Max Steiner - Composer (Music Score), M.K. Jerome - Composer (Music Score), Leo F. Forbstein - Musical Direction/Supervision, Perc Westmore - Makeup, Bert Glennon - Cinematographer, Robert Buckner - Producer, Jack McConaghy - Set Designer, Richard Van Enger - Special Effects, W.R. Burnett - Screenwriter, Alan LeMay - Screenwriter
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