The transition of California territory from Spanish rule to American is documented in this colorful and entertaining western where details about truth aren't important, especially when your eyes are on the ravishing costumes in color worn by the redheaded spitfire Maria Montez. She's involved with handsome Phillip Reed (not quite Spanish looking but with the last name of Ortega) and pursued by American rebel Rod Cameron who wants the Spanish out and the Americans in. This really isn't about pirates, and a lot of the narrative doesn't make much sense, but once you get into it, those details don't matter. It's about the action, the sword fights, and the taming of the shrew like relationship that grows between Montez and Cameron. For comedy, there's Mikhail Rasumny and the heavyset companion of Montez's, and for glamour there's Gale Sondergaard in a great sympathetic part as the Spanish matron looking over Montez as a chaperone for Reed. Gilbert Roland seems to be playing an aging Don Juan, more concerned with uniting young lovers and fighting battles than making romantic conquests of his own. It's gorgeous to look at and speeds by, but I doubt that this represents anything close to the transition of California from Spanish to English. It is amusing, however, when Cameron arrives at a small settlement which he identifies as Los Angeles. The scene where one of the rebels is told to escape with the promise that he will only be shot at with blanks is rift with tension, even though the rebel leader indicates that it was done for a purpose. A lot of great things, mixed in with a bit of obvious fiction, but at least there's little stereotypical portrayals of the Spanish or Mexican locales, outside Mikhail Rasumny and his chunky love interest.

This movie begins with an American adventurer named "Captain Phillip Kent" (Rod Cameron) who is on his way to Monterey with a load of new rifles for the Mexican garrison stationed there to help them in their fight against pirates and Royalists who want control of the region known as Alta California. With him is his good friend "Sergeant Pio" (Mikhail Rasumny) who talks incessantly about the women he has already met and those who have yet to know him. Along the way they observe a wagon traveling at high speed and carrying two women which loses a wheel and overturns. Naturally, Captain Kent and Sergeant Pio ride to the scene to render assistance. It's at this time that Captain Kent meets the lovely "Senorita Marguerita Novarro" (Maria Montez) who tells him they were hurrying to catch the stagecoach to Monterey. Although that is the same destination Captain Kent and Sergeant Pio are headed for they deliberately mislead Senorita Novarro because their mission is extremely secretive. However, being a gentleman he offers her safe conduct to the nearby town of Los Angeles instead. Unfortunately, Sergeant Pio accidentally lets their destination slip and this results in both Senorita Novarro and her companion "Filomena" (Tamara Shayne) sneaking into the wagon when Captain Kent heads out for Monterey in the morning. What neither Captain Kent nor Senorita Novarro quite realize is that there is trouble brewing at the garrison and they are headed right into it. Now rather than reveal any more of this film and risk ruining it for those who haven't seen it I will just say that unless one is well-read on the history of California it might be somewhat difficult to understand everything that is going on. For example, the "pirates" aren't exactly the skull-and-crossbones type that many might expect. Instead they are essentially mercenaries acting under the orders of the Royalists who seek to destabilize the entire region for both military and political reasons. That said this is more of a "Western film" than a "Pirate movie". On that note, while I found this movie to be somewhat interesting I must admit that I didn't care for the character of Sergeant Pio that much as his constant warbling about women got to be rather annoying. On the other hand I thought the presence of Maria Montes--and to a lesser extent that of Gale Sondergaard (as the Governor's wife "Senora de Sola")—was quite refreshing. Be that as it may this turned out to be an okay Western movie and I rate it as about average.

Another of my Favorite Maria Montez movies!This time she's in old California in this costumed piece. It would be great if they got this to video also!A bit-o-trivia on this movie.......The part of a young woman played by Julia Andre was actually One of Maria's real life sisters.