Ride the Pink Horse

Lucky Gagin, a former soldier, arrives in a town near the border in New Mexico. He intends to take both revenge and money from the crime boss who killed his friend. The town happens to be preparing for a festival: music, crowds, a carousel. Moving alone through the celebration, Gagin meets two people who help him and want nothing from him. Robert Montgomery both directs and stars. This is one of the rare noirs that chooses scorching sun and dust over the nocturnal city. The carousel sequences are its best-known passages. Thomas Gomez, as Pancho, was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, making him the first Hispanic performer nominated by the Academy. Edmund Gwenn won for Miracle on 34th Street. Who it's for: Viewers who want noir in unfamiliar geography, and anyone who likes American cinema of the 1940s. Who it's not for: The Mexican characters are drawn to the conventions of the time. The plot is loose too, and the film runs on atmosphere more than tension.