Hi, Gaucho! (1935) User Reviews

Rather lackluster, but fun with Tom Ricketts and John Carroll, nonetheless.

[pronker · 4/10 · 16 October 2014]

4/10 because John Carroll's voice is pleasant to hear, and though the songs are forgettable, he had that impish smile that endears. Tom Ricketts, the ancient nobleman whom Steffi Duna is to marry sight unseen, is about the funniest character in here, and that's saying a lot, because Paul Porcasi, Chris-Pin Martin and Ann Codee each have some outrageous moments. However, Ricketts as the spindle-shanked kidnapped nobleman, got to me as he is seemingly courtly to his younger fiancée, and not lascivious at all: he wants to present his pretty wife to the Spanish royalty. The setting is SoCal standing in for Argentina, and it seems that the Mexican Hat Dance is performed in Argentina, as well as in Mexico! Or so this movie would have it. Anyway, it's short and worth watching for Ricketts and the duenna, Ferike Boros.

Zorro of the Southern Hemisphere

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 14 September 2019]

Hi Gaucho tells the story of a pair of feuding Argentine families back when Argentina was still part of the Spanish Empire. The Zorro of our piece is unmasked, but he's as dashing as Tyrone Power and sings like Nelson Eddy.

John Carroll is our hero and he wants to win the love of Steffi Duna. But she's betrothed to a man in his 70s and it's all part of a scheme to bilk her family's fortune. Carroll won't let that happen.

Some forgettable songs and some cheesy accents highlight Hi Gaucho. At least the very British Montague Love doesn't try for one of those accents.

This RKO film is all right, maybe a dubbed Tyrone Power could have put it over better. Dubbed because Ty couldn't sing a lick.