Por mis pistolas (1968 film)
Por mis pistolas (aka With My Guns) is a 1968 Mexican comedy western film directed by Miguel M. Delgado and starring Cantinflas and Isela Vega.[1] Vega's film career took off after this film.[2] The film is a satire to the Spaghetti Western genre in vogue in the late 1960s.[3][4]
Por mis pistolas | |
---|---|
Directed by | Miguel M. Delgado |
Produced by | Jacques Gelman |
Written by | Marco Antonio Almazan Cantinflas (as Mario Moreno) |
Starring | Cantinflas Isela Vega |
Music by | Sergio Guerrero |
Cinematography | José Ortiz Ramos |
Edited by | Carlos Savage |
Production company | Posa Films |
Distributed by | Columbia Pictures (USA) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 123 minutes |
Country | Mexico |
Language | Spanish |
Plot
Fidencio Barrenilo (Cantinflas) is an apothecary from a Northern Mexican border town who discovers the property deeds of an old silver mine in Arizona, La Veladora, belonging to his ancestors, and decides to venture Arizona to claim his property. On the way he is captured by a tribe of Apaches and is about to be burned alive, but when the High Chief Caballo Recostado (Manuel Vergara) has a toothache and learns that the prisoner can heal him, he orders Fidencio's release with the condition of healing him. Fidencio takes out his tooth and gets the eternal friendship of the Apache Chief.
After saying goodbye to the Apaches, Fidencio continues on his way to the ranch of his relatives, the Sánchez. In the village, he stays at the hotel of Pat O'Connor (Jorge Rado), who controls the town through the terror imposed by a gang of gunmen he has at his command. Thanks to the fact that his room is next to Pat's girlfriend, Fidencio learns of his plans to attack his relatives' ranch, and together with the town sheriff, Jim (John Kelly) heads to their ranch to warn them.
Fidencio meets the Sánchez; his uncle Don Serapio (Manuel Alvarado), and the latter's sons and Fidencio's cousins, Pedro (Gregorio Casal), Pablo (Alfonso Mejía) and Lupita (Isela Vega), who welcome him and plan the defense of the ranch with weapons, but Fidencio convinces them to take another plan: give a powerful laxative to the gang of thugs, thus avoiding the assault. In a few days, Fidencio sends to jail Frank (Carlos Cardán), the fierce main enforcer of Pat.
Pat decides to take revenge when his girlfriend tells him that she has heard Fidencio and the Sánchez going in search of La Veladora and decides to crush them right there. When Fidencio, his uncle and his cousins arrive at the mine, Pat and his band appear to usurp the mine, but then Fidencio and Lupita send smoke signals asking the Apaches for help. Caballo Recostado and his Apaches make their appearance and defeat the thugs. The film ends with Feliciano, the Sánchez and the rest of the town holding a celebration party.
Cast
- Cantinflas as Fidencio Barrenillo
- Isela Vega as Lupita Sánchez
- Gloria Coral as Winona
- Quintín Bulnes as Tommy Bernard
- Rhea Frichina as Katie (credited as Rhea)
- Carlos Cardán as Frank
- Ivan J. Rado as Pat O'Connor (credited as Jorge Rado)
- Alfonso Mejía as Pablo Sánchez
- Manuel Alvarado como Don Serapio Sánchez
- John Kelly as Sheriff Jim
- Eduardo Alcaraz as Don Chuchito
- Pedro Galván
- Agustín Isunza as Don Pánfilo
- Carlos Pouliot as Border Agent
- Manuel Vergara as High Chief Caballo Recostado (as Manver)
- Angelita Castagni
- Arturo Castro
- José Torvay
- Gregorio Casal as Pedro Sánchez (credited as Jesus Casillas)
- Ricardo Carrión as Willy
- Héctor Carrión as Jimmy
- Farnesio de Bernal as Barman
- Ramón Menéndez as Johnny
- Alberto Catalá as Pianist
- Ramiro Orci as Villain
- Arturo Silva
- José Loza
- Julio Martínez
- Salvador Lozano
- Juan Garza as Gunman
References
- González, p. 106
- García Berumen, Frank Javier (2016). Latino Image Makers in Hollywood: Performers, Filmmakers and Films Since the 1960s. McFarland. p. 114.
Her career took off quickly after playing Cantinflas' leading lady in Por Mis Pistolas.
- Láscaris Comneno, p. 97
- Pilcher, p. 199
Bibliography
- González, Rafael. 60 años de rock mexicano: 1956-1979, Volumen 1. Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial México, 2018.
- Láscaris Comneno, Constantino. Cien casos perdidos. Studium Generale Costarricense, 1984.
- Pilcher, Jeffrey M. Cantinflas and the Chaos of Mexican Modernity. Rowman & Littlefield, 2001.