Under a Texas Moon (film)
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| Under A Texas Moon (1930) | |
|---|---|
 Frank Fay makes love to Myrna Loy in the Technicolor musical Under A Texas Moon (1930) |
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| Directed by | Michael Curtiz |
| Written by | Gordon Rigby based on the Novel by Stewart Edward White |
| Starring | Frank Fay, Raquel Torres, Myrna Loy and Noah Beery |
| Music by | Ray Perkins |
| Cinematography | William Rees (Technicolor) |
| Editing by | Ralph Dawson |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) | April 1, 1930 |
| Running time | 82 min. |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Under A Texas Moon is a 1930 musical western film photographed entirely in Technicolor. It was based on the novel Two-Gun Man (from 1929) which was written by Stewart Edward White. It was the second all-color all-talking feature to be filmed entirely outdoors as well as being the second western in color. The film features one theme song by the title of "Under A Texas Moon."
[edit] Film Plot
The story of cattle rustling has a clever twist and the whole film greatly benefits from a lightweight approach. It opens in spectacular fashion. Frank Fay plays a Mexican gentleman in South Texas who takes up the task of searching for cattle rustlers, but spends more time romancing various young ladies including a young alluring Myrna Loy. The plot is lightweight and played for laughs. Frank Fay and his two followers ride into a small town Fiesta. Every possible shade of rose and sage green is flashed at the camera. Location filming richly enhances the photography. Typical Michael Curtiz direction brings arty shots of trees in shadow and an impressive location tracking shot for the finale. One single song is the theme tune of the film and becomes a motif for the film in a quite unexpected way. Some Pre-code scenes involve a nude swimming scene and some adult references.
[edit] Cast
As Listed in the Credits of the Film
- Frank Fay - Don Carlos
- Raquel Torress - Raquella
- Myrna Loy - Lolita Romero
- Armida - Dolores
- Noah Beery - Jed Parker
- Georgie Stone - Pedro
- George Cooper - Philipe
- Charles Sellon - José Romero
- Jack Curtis - Buck Johnson
- Sam Appel - Pancho Gonzalez
- Tully Marshall - Gus Aldrich
- Mona Maris - Lolita Roberto
- Francisco Marán - Antonio
[edit] Preservation
The film survives as a single nitrate Technicolor print, faithfully copied by UCLA. The Technicolor gives the film a rich and glowing look. The whites are pearly, the reds rich and earthy, lending gorgeous close-ups of sun tanned female cast members.
