Wallace Beery plays the title character. As a child, he watches his father whipped to death for standing up against those who would steal his land; then sets about overthrowing Mexico’s aristocracy as a young man.
Francisco Madero is the reformer he agrees to fight for and whom he helps rise to power. When Madero is assassinated by those who aren’t anxious to lose their riches to his reforms, Pancho goes on the warpath again, this time, doing things his way, which means taking no prisoners and giving the enemy no quarter.
But when he retakes Mexico City, he also realizes he’s no Madero, no politician. If only he could rule from a horse, one of his lieutenant muses. The horse, at least, would do a good job, Pancho responds.
He returns to the life of a civilian, only to be gunned down by an old friend who holds him responsible for the death of his wife.
A film that seems badly dated in the 21st Century.
Directed by:
Jack Conway
Cast:
Wallace Beery … Pancho Villa
Leo Carrillo … Rodolfo Fierro
Fay Wray … Teresa
Donald Cook … Don Felipe de Castillo
Stuart Erwin … Jonny Sykes
Henry Walthall … Francisco Madero
Joseph Schildkraut … Gen. Pascal
Katherine DeMille … Rosita Morales
George E. Stone … Emilio Chavito
Phillip Cooper … Young Pancho
Frank Puglia … Pancho’s father
David Durand … Bugle boy
Francis X. Bushman Jr. … Wallace Calloway
Adrian Rosley … Alphonso Mendoza
Henry Armetta … Alredo Mendosa
Runtime: 110 min.
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