Cisco Kid Western Collection (1946-1947)

3 Stars (out of 4)

As 'Hood' as It Gets

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Buy Cisco Kid Western Collection on DVD

VCI Entertainment released this two-disc set including six "Cisco Kid" B-Movies, all starring Gilbert Roland: The Gay Cavalier (1946), Beauty and the Bandit (1946), South of Monterey (1946), Riding the California Trail (1947), Robin Hood of Monterey (1947) and King of the Bandits (1947). Each movie runs just over an hour. This Cisco Kid is quite different from his original incarnation in O. Henry's 1904 short story "The Caballero's Way," and in Raoul Walsh's 1929 film In Old Arizona. Rather than a merciless killer, he's now a South-of-the-Border Robin Hood-type hero, getting rid of wealthy baddies whenever it suits him. Despite the low-budget and formulaic nature of these films, they contain moments of breathtaking beauty, and plenty of great, outdoor cinematography.

Starring: Gilbert Roland, Martin Garralaga, Nacho Galindo, Frank Yaconelli, Teala Loring, Inez Cooper, Chris-Pin Martin, Ernie Adams, Evelyn Brent, Fred Cordove, Thornton Edwards, Angela Green, William Bakewell, William Cabanne, Cahty Carter, Ramsay Ames, Tristram Coffin, Helen Gerald, Vida Aldana, William Gould, Iris Flores, George J. Lewis, Drew Allen/Gil Frye, John Merton, Frank LaRue, Marjorie Riordan, Harry Woods, Terry Frost, Rosa Turich,
Written by: Charles Belden, Clarence Upson Young, Bennett Cohen, Gilbert Roland, William Christy Gabanne, based on a character created by O. Henry
Directed by: William Nigh, William Christy Gabanne
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Running Time: 378 minutes
Date: April 10, 2007