Having seen BORDERTOWN by Archie Mayo, I was surprised by the film's many 'vitues.'The predominating aspect of the film seems to revolve around a quest for success. A dream fulfilled combined with disappointment as it is the case with the classical A PLACE IN THE SUN. Although the film may occur dated in many respects, the protagonist Johnny Ramirez (played by Paul Muni beautifully fitting to the role) may still have much to offer to a modern viewer. He seems to be quite a likable character but nobody is his friend on the subject of money.Johnny born in a Mexican quarter of Los Angeles in a very traditional environment (we actually do not have any mention of his father) becomes an attorney at law with a belief that all he needs is strength and a pair of shoes for successful work. As a mama's boy, Juanito swears his 'Mamacita' (Soledad Jimenez) that he will never drink whiskey. However, his legal career soon occurs to fail due to his...neurotic temper. All he does in the disappointment of the lost case at court is leave his hometown for great world with one intention: make a lot of money. Within the joys and risks of gambling, he accomplishes incredibly much at a very short time...Within the sphere of human relations, however, things turn otherwise. Having overcome much trouble, his final decision may deservedly disappoint viewers...BORDERTOWN is one of the very few films of the old Hollywood where there is no highlight of particular stars.PAUL MUNI does a great job in the role highlighting the character's spontaneous youthful attitude, unrestrained ambition and 'savage' (as labeled by Dale Elwell) manners. He is a very convincing character of the kind and succeeds in combining quite outmaneuvered assumptions of a psyche.BETTE DAVIS as Marie, may draw some parallels to her role in William Wyler's THE LETTER. She is a neurotic personality who does not entirely and reasonably understand her actions. Yet, she is not placed at the center of attention (in spite of truly brilliant performance) but a healthy balance prevails.MARGARET LINDSAY delivers a unique depiction of a woman tormented by choices and decisions. She is clearly a representative of the great world that Johnny aspires at.SOLEDAD JIMENEZ, not a famous actress but undeniably deserves credit. It is a great role, a picture of a mother, partly a possessive one, but meanwhile caring and lovable. Though the circumstances depicted differ considerably, the depictions prove certain similarities to A PLACE IN THE SUN.The artistic aspect of the movie may boast at the scenes like La Rueda Casino and the church scenes that carry certain sacred atmosphere. The finale, as idealistic as it may occur nowadays, instills certain understanding of the protagonist's background.BORDERTOWN is worth seeing. Although you may doubt if Mr Ramirez turns up where he actually belongs, this movie surely belongs to the charming period of Hollywood.

Young Mexican-American lawyer Johnny Ramirez (Paul Muni) is disbarred after punching out a lawyer who beat him in court! Embittered, he heads to Mexico where he goes to work in a border town casino. There Johnny falls for a stuck-up socialite (Margaret Lindsay) while he becomes the object of infatuation for the boss' crazy wife (Bette Davis).Good WB drama with broad but enjoyable performances from Muni and Davis. Margaret Lindsay is always lovely. Nice supporting cast includes Eugene Palette, Robert Barrat, and Samuel S. Hinds. Well-intentioned social messages seem slightly embarrassing today. And yes, the movie is politically incorrect, for those who are bothered by that. Elements of this story were later used in the superior They Drive By Night with George Raft and Humphrey Bogart. A good movie, especially for Bette Davis fans.

Although Paul Muni does go over the top a bit in Bordertown, the film remains a savage indictment of racism, concentrating as it does on the struggles of one man in a racial/ethnic minority to find a place in this society.In a biography of Paul Muni I read that he deliberately hired a Mexican driver who stayed with him for several weeks so he could copy his mannerisms and get down the proper speech pattern. He didn't do half bad as Johnny Ramirez, the disbarred attorney who turns to the dark side.The story has Muni bright and eager to start making a living as a lawyer and please his mom Soledad Jimenez who sacrificed a lot so her kid could study law. But in his first appearance in court he loses his temper and manages to get himself disbarred. Had this been a white attorney, I assure you he might have gotten a slap on the wrist and a censure, but not a disbarment. Broken in spirit, Muni ends up working for Eugene Palette at a road house as a bouncer.He also catches the eye of Palette's wife played by Bette Davis. But Muni has eyes for Margaret Lindsay, a society girl who likes to go slumming. In the end both women disillusion and betray him.Bordertown is one of the darkest films of the Thirties, the future is by no means clear for Muni. Though he does overact a bit, you will not forget the smoldering anger that he brings to the part of Johnny Ramirez. This was the second of two films in which Paul Muni played a person of Mexican background. The other was Juarez and there is 180 degree difference between the angry Ramirez and the stoic Juarez. You can hardly believe it's the same actor, but Muni had one incredible range as a player.This is a film that could probably stand a remake. I could see someone like Benjamin Bratt or Lou Diamond Phillips in an updated version as Johnny Ramirez, possibly Edward James Olmos. It was in fact made over in part by Warner Brothers in They Drive By Night. But the Mexican heritage and a great deal more was not included in that film.Until then I recommend Bordertown highly

It is interesting to see how a reputation that was once high can tumble to later generations - somewhat unfairly. Paul Muni was not a poor actor. In his best work (SCARFACE, JUAREZ, LIFE OF LOUIS PASTEUR, WE ARE NOT ALONE) his work remains quite substantial in it's effectiveness - he was no mean actor. But when he got hammy....then the knives are our for him. One example is Joseph Elsner (Chopin's music teacher and friend in A SONG TO REMEMBER). Another is Johnny Ramirez in BORDERTOWN.One can make an excuse for Muni playing a Mexican hero like Benito Juarez. In the 1930s Warner Baxter played the Cisco Kid and Joaichim Murietta and Wallace Beery was a memorable Pancho Villa. But these figures were presented as heroes - there was a degree of sympathy in these personalities. There was supposed to be similar sympathy for Ramirez, but Muni really blew it apart in the opening of the film.Johnny has just become a lawyer - and has just hung his license up. He gets a client (Manuel Diego - Arthur Stone) whose truck was destroyed in a car accident caused by a limousine driven by a drunken socialite (Dale Elwell - Margaret Lindsey). Johnny willingly takes the case, but he is a terrible lawyer (and, to tell the truth, anyone seeing this performance would think Muni is a terrible actor - the scene in the court is the worst overacting). Johnny not only loses to the professional competence of Elwell's attorney, but the disgusted judge tells him that he is going to request that the state bar association take back Johnny's license. He is disbarred and humiliated. But he subsequently starts working for Charlie Roarke (Eugene Palette), a jolly and good natured man who has a roadhouse with gambling.The plot is that Roarke's wife Marie (Bette Davis) meets Johnny, and falls for him (not hard - he's a romantic Mexican, and look at jolly but short, fat, and old Chalie). But Johnny is not interested. He's loyal to Charlie, and he's met Dale again. At first she makes fun of the ex-lawyer, but she starts enjoying "slumming" with him. But he's more serious.Marie suddenly gets the idea of getting rid of Charlie. When they return home from a party, he's totally drunk. They are in the garage of their home, and she realizes that if she leaves the gasoline motor on and closes the door on Charlie - well, it's goodbye Charlie! So it works out, and now she thinks that Johnny will be easy to get. But he's not...and in a moment of anger she confesses the murder and says that Johnny was her co-conspirator.You may sense several points here: 1935 was the year Thelma Todd died in a still mysterious death connected to her having carbon monoxide poisoning in her closed car garage like Palette did. I don't know which of the two events proceeded the other. Secondly, the situation between Davis and Muni is a model for the similar relationship of Ida Lupino and George Raft in THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT. In fact the death of Palette is a model for the same death for Alan Hale Sr. in the latter film. And the denouement in the trial court is identical too.SPOILERS COMING UP! Both Davis and Lupino suffer mental collapses on the witness stands, revealing their own guilt but accidentally saving Muni and Raft. Raft is able to pick up the pieces with Ann Sheridan in THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT. Muni is less lucky. Running from him when he reveals his desire to marry her, Lindsay is run down and killed by a car. The effect is overdone by Muni looking so horrified one wonders if he is actually witnessing the sinking of the Titanic! Or maybe he was thinking about his really bad performance in this film.