The Cisco Kid and the Lady *** (1939, Cesar Romero, Marjorie Weaver, Chris-Pin Martin, George Montgomery, Robert Barrat) – Classic Movie Review 8286

Director Herbert I Leeds 1939 Western The Cisco Kid and the Lady stars the dashing, ever-smiling Cesar Romero in his first outing as the caballero Cisco, in which he takes on Jim Harbison (Robert Barrat)’s bandits who have shot a child’s father in order to seize his gold mine. Cisco also gets soppy about schoolmarm Julie Lawson (Marjorie Weaver), though she loves Tommy Bates (George Montgomery).

There is too much romance and not enough action in this around average series entry, but Romero is a rousing Cisco, Martin is fine in his on-going role as Gordito and Weaver ideal in the romantic department. And an engaging enough movie all romps along quite smoothly and successfully for its 75 minutes, directed briskly by Leeds.

Frances Hyland writes the screenplay, based on a story by Stanley Rauh from the characters created by O Henry.

Also in the cast are Virginia Field, Ward Bond, Harry Green, Gloria Ann White, John Beach, J Anthony Hughes, James Burke and Harry Hayden.

It is the first of Romero’s six Cisco Kid roles, followed by Lucky Cisco Kid (1940), Viva Cisco Kid (1940), The Gay Caballero (1940), Romance of the Rio Grande (1941) and Ride on Vaquero (1941). Then, after World War Two, the series resumed but Duncan Renaldo took over for The Cisco Kid Returns (1945).

In the first of the Cisco Kid series, Warner Baxter starred as Cisco in Herbert I Leeds’s 1939 Western The Return of the Cisco Kid, Romero played Cisco’s sidekick, and Barrat and Bond also appeared.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8286

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