"The Gay Cavalier" was the first of six Monogram outings released in 1946-47 starring Gilbert Roland as that "Robin Hood of the Old West", O. Henry's "The Cisco Kid". The part was made to order for Roland who had been around in films since the 20s. He made a career out of playing Mexican banditos, caballeros and fathers of senoritas as well as the occasional hero. This was a rare opportunity for him to have the leading role. There is no "Pancho" here but a Pancho like character called "Baby" that would appear in the first four films in the series.
The story centers around the hacienda of one Don Felipe Geraldo (Martin Garralaga - who played "Pancho" in other Cisco films). Don Felipe is about to go broke and lose his rancho. His younger daughter Angela (Helen Gerald) has agreed to marry rich Americano Lawton (Tristram Coffin) to save her father's property.
Unknown to the Geraldos, Lawton and his partner Lewis (John Merton) have other ideas. They hold up a caravan carrying money to build the local mission and brutally murder most of the riders and lay the blame on Cisco and his riders.
Cisco and Baby (Nacho Galindo) learn from a dying member of the caravan that the robbers have taken a wounded man to Don Felipe's home. They infiltrate Don Felipe's fiesta to learn who has blamed them for the robbery. Cisco discovers Don Felipe's older daughter, the comely Pepita (Ramsay Ames) and she becomes attracted to him.
Cisco learns of the whereabouts of the stolen loot, confronts Lawton's gang and ..................................
Roland plays Cisco much like Warner Baxter did in "In Old Arizona" (1929) as a roguish womanizing, tequila drinking caballero. He robs from the rich and in a peasant village is seen giving to the poor. He doesn't give all to the poor as evidenced by his silver saddle and silver trimmed costume and gun belt. The fetching Ms. Ames while making an appealing heroine, is also credited with writing two songs performed in the movie. Cisco's riders by the way ride along singing in perfect harmony.
The most surprising element of this film is the level of violence, unusual for a series western. During the holdup sequence, a wounded man is shot and killed to make sure he is dead. Also, Baby knifes a baddie during the scuffle in the bandits hideout. In the same scene, Cisco calmly shoots down a bad guy when he appear to be gaining the upper hand on Juan (Drew Allen) while not participating in the fisticuffs himself.
In another unusual scene for a "B", Roland and Coffin stage a sword fight in which both actors are clearly seen performing the feat.
This series is nothing like the sanitized characters of Cisco and Pancho played by Duncan Renaldo and Leo Carillo which followed this series.
The story centers around the hacienda of one Don Felipe Geraldo (Martin Garralaga - who played "Pancho" in other Cisco films). Don Felipe is about to go broke and lose his rancho. His younger daughter Angela (Helen Gerald) has agreed to marry rich Americano Lawton (Tristram Coffin) to save her father's property.
Unknown to the Geraldos, Lawton and his partner Lewis (John Merton) have other ideas. They hold up a caravan carrying money to build the local mission and brutally murder most of the riders and lay the blame on Cisco and his riders.
Cisco and Baby (Nacho Galindo) learn from a dying member of the caravan that the robbers have taken a wounded man to Don Felipe's home. They infiltrate Don Felipe's fiesta to learn who has blamed them for the robbery. Cisco discovers Don Felipe's older daughter, the comely Pepita (Ramsay Ames) and she becomes attracted to him.
Cisco learns of the whereabouts of the stolen loot, confronts Lawton's gang and ..................................
Roland plays Cisco much like Warner Baxter did in "In Old Arizona" (1929) as a roguish womanizing, tequila drinking caballero. He robs from the rich and in a peasant village is seen giving to the poor. He doesn't give all to the poor as evidenced by his silver saddle and silver trimmed costume and gun belt. The fetching Ms. Ames while making an appealing heroine, is also credited with writing two songs performed in the movie. Cisco's riders by the way ride along singing in perfect harmony.
The most surprising element of this film is the level of violence, unusual for a series western. During the holdup sequence, a wounded man is shot and killed to make sure he is dead. Also, Baby knifes a baddie during the scuffle in the bandits hideout. In the same scene, Cisco calmly shoots down a bad guy when he appear to be gaining the upper hand on Juan (Drew Allen) while not participating in the fisticuffs himself.
In another unusual scene for a "B", Roland and Coffin stage a sword fight in which both actors are clearly seen performing the feat.
This series is nothing like the sanitized characters of Cisco and Pancho played by Duncan Renaldo and Leo Carillo which followed this series.