In Old Sacramento (1946)

Director:

Joseph Kane

Writers:

Jerome Odlum (story) and
Frank Gruber (adaptation)

Release Date:

31 May 1946 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Western

Tagline:

Every moment of romance matched by a moment of dangerous adventure...exciting as a first kiss...Truly great spectacle drama of the old West's most-thrilling days! (original poster)

Plot:

Dashing Johnny Barrett has a secret identity: Spanish Jack, the masked bandit. Always one step ahead of the law...

Plot Keywords:

Sacramento California | Male Female Relationship | Deception | Gunfight | Vigilantism

Cast

Bill Elliott	...	Johnny Barrett / Spanish Jack (as William Elliott)
Constance Moore	...	Belle Malone
Henry H. Daniels Jr.	...	Sam Chase (as Hank Daniels)
Ruth Donnelly	...	Zebby Booker
Eugene Pallette	...	Sheriff Jim Wales
Jack La Rue	...	Laramie (as Jack LaRue)
Grant Withers	...	Captain Mark Slayter
Charles Judels	...	Tony Marchetti
Paul Hurst	...	Stagecoach Driver
Lionel Stander	...	Eddie Dodge
Robert Blake	...	Newsboy (as Bobby Blake)
Dick Wessel	...	Oscar

Also Known As:

Flame of Sacramento (USA) (reissue title)

Runtime:

89 min | USA:60 min (1952 re-release)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved | Finland:K-12

Filming Locations:

Iverson Ranch, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Republic Pictures (I)

Soundtrack:

I Can't Tell Why I Love You, But I Do

Zorro by any other name

In the pre-TV age, this kind of inexpensive quickie is what often passed for a western movie -- unless you were John Ford or Howard Hawks and had a star like John Wayne or Randolph Scott to work with. It's what was known as a programmer or oater. I'm sure kids ate them up. Bill Elliott, who was about as much a cowboy as my Aunt Sadie, plays a masked bandit named Spanish Jack (essentially Zorro) who has decided to mend his ways, but finds he can't. The film rarely ventures from its one or two sets, and everybody spends a lot of time standing around talking, Elliott especially. Eugene Palette (not so coincidentally from THE MARK OF ZORRO) is the town sheriff who grows wise to Elliott. Constance Moore, a skinny little thing with limited acting ability but a big voice, is the love interest who sings a lot. It's all very forgettable. The main set is a main street full of mud and horse manure, and this is used over and over again for comic effect. It stopped being funny after the second time.