Streets of Laredo (film)

Streets of Laredo
Streets of Laredo
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Leslie Fenton
Screenplay by	Charles Marquis Warren
Story by	Louis Stevens; Elizabeth Hill
Produced by	Robert Fellows
Starring	William Holden; Macdonald Carey; Mona Freeman; William Bendix
Cinematography	Ray Rennahan
Edited by	Archie Marshek
Music by	Victor Young
Color process	Technicolor
Production; company	Paramount Pictures
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date	May 27, 1949;
Running time	93 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$1,472,000
Box office	$2,150,000

Streets of Laredo is a 1949 American Western film directed by Leslie Fenton and starring William Holden, Macdonald Carey and William Bendix^[3] as three outlaws who rescue a young girl, played by Mona Freeman. When they become separated, two reluctantly become Texas Rangers, while the third continues on a life of crime.

The film is a Technicolor remake of King Vidor's black-and-white film The Texas Rangers (1936), which starred Fred MacMurray in Holden's role, Jack Oakie in William Bendix's, Lloyd Nolan in MacDonald Carey's role, and Jean Parker as the girl they rescue.

Plot

A trio of outlaws, Jim Dawkins (Holden), Lorn Reming (Carey), and Reuben "Wahoo" Jones (Bendix), rob a stage. But when a young lady, Rannie Carter (Freeman), is menaced by rich and ruthless protection-racketeer Charley Calico (Alfonso Bedoya) after her uncle is killed, the robbers come to her rescue. They run him off, then pay old Pop Lint (Clem Bevans) to watch over her at his ranch.

Lorn ends up separated from his partners but continues his life of crime. Jim and Wahoo inadvertently aid some Texas Rangers and are sworn in as Rangers themselves. Lorn sees an opportunity, steals a herd of cattle the Rangers are guarding, then lets Jim and Wahoo enhance their reputation by being the ones who bring the cattle back.

Lorn's friends turn a blind eye to his activities for a while. Calico is a worse villain, burning Pop's barn and causing the old man to have a fatal heart attack. Calico assaults a Ranger as well, and is ultimately killed by Jim.

But it doesn't end there. Lorn now wants Calico's empire for himself. He also wants Rannie, who has grown to be a beautiful woman. Jim, who loves her, calls off the agreement to look the other way at Lorn's misdeeds. But he does remove a bullet when a wounded Lorn hides out at Rannie's after a holdup.

After being ordered to apprehend Lorn, Jim resigns as a Ranger, then vows revenge after Lorn kills Wahoo in cold blood. Now that Rannie can see Lorn for what he really is, she wishes Jim luck as he rides to Laredo for a showdown. The former partners face each other for the last time, then Lorn is killed by Rannie.

Cast

William Holden as Jim Dawkins
Macdonald Carey as Lorn Reming
Mona Freeman as Rannie Carter
William Bendix as Wahoo Jones
Stanley Ridges as Major Bailey
Alfonso Bedoya as Charley Calico
Ray Teal as Cantrell
Clem Bevans as Pop Lint
James Bell as Ike
Dick Foote as Pipes
Joe Dominguez as Francisco
Grandon Rhodes as Phil Jessup
Perry Ivins as Mayor Towson

Inspiration

The film takes its title from the old Western ballad "The Streets of Laredo", which is frequently used as underscoring.

References

^ Schallert, Edwin (February 13, 1949). "Hollywood Must Keep Zest to Hold Public: Henry Ginsberg of Paramount Says Defeat Talk Hurts Box Office". Los Angeles Times. p. D1.
^ "Top Grossers of 1949". Variety. January 4, 1950. p. 59.
^ José David Saldívar, The Dialectics of Our America: Genealogy, Cultural Critique, and Literary History (Duke University Press, 1991), 52.