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6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Song of the Caballero remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
You should probably watch this if you have an hour to kill and really like watching men in massive hats jump onto moving horses. It is a 1930 western, so it’s grainy and the sound is a bit scratchy, but it’s fun if you don't expect a masterpiece.
Fans of old-school stunt work will dig it. If you’re the type of person who needs a movie to have a complex plot or logical character choices, you will likely hate it. It’s very much a product of its time.
Ken Maynard plays El Lobo. He’s supposed to be this scary bandit, but he’s basically just a nice guy who likes to do tricks on his horse.
Early on, he robs Don Jose. It’s a pretty standard robbery, but then El Lobo decides to give a stolen trinket to a girl named Conchita. Big mistake.
Never give stolen jewelry to a woman who has a good memory for faces. It never ends well in these movies.
There is this one scene with a runaway coach that is actually pretty impressive. You can tell they aren't using any special effects. It’s just a guy really hanging off a carriage that looks like it’s about to tip over at any second.
El Lobo saves Anita from the coach. She’s the daughter of Don Pedro, and she’s set to marry Don Jose—the guy El Lobo just robbed. Awkward.
Don Pedro is so happy about his daughter being saved that he invites El Lobo to the wedding. Our hero just goes along with it, which seems like a terrible security risk for everyone involved.
I have to talk about Tarzan. That is the horse. I am convinced Tarzan was the most intelligent member of the cast.
The horse does these little head nods and movements that make it look like he’s actually listening to the dialogue. He has more charisma than some of the people in The Crash.
The wedding scene is where the tension is supposed to be high. Conchita is there, and she sees El Lobo. You can see her eyes go wide as she realizes this guy is the bandit.
The pacing gets a bit weird here. There are these long silences where people just stare at each other. I think they were waiting for the sound guy to give them a signal or something.
It reminds me a bit of the vibe in Fighting Bill, but with more lace and fancy outfits. The "Caballero" style is very heavy on the embroidery.
I noticed a weird thing with the editing. One moment El Lobo is on a balcony, and then a second later he’s on his horse and half a mile down the road. The jump cuts are aggressive.
Don Jose has a mustache that looks like it was drawn on with a Sharpie. He spends most of his time looking annoyed, which is fair since he keeps getting robbed.
The movie doesn't try to be deep. It’s just a series of excuses to show off Maynard’s riding skills. It’s definitely more entertaining than The Sin Woman, which felt like it lasted three years.
I forgot to mention the music. It’s very loud and very repetitive. It’s the same three chords every time someone rides a horse fast.
There is a bit of a chase at the end. It goes on for a while. You get to see a lot of the local scenery, which is mostly just rocks and more dust.
The final showdown isn't really a showdown. It’s more of a polite disagreement that ends in a horse chase. But again, the horse is great, so I didn't mind.
If you like 1930s cinema, you’ll find it charming. If you don't, it’ll just look like a bunch of guys in big hats shouting at each other in a desert.
Anyway, Tarzan the horse deserves an Oscar. Or a carrot. Hopefully he got a carrot. 🐎
IMDb 6
1919
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