By the end of 1929 Frank Fay had scored (who knew how - he was terrible) as the M.C. in "The Show of Shows", his wife Barbara Stanwyck had a pretty disastrous talkie debut in "The Locked Door" and was rewarded with an even worse film "Mexicali Rose". Playing an unscrupulous villainess she was just too inexperienced and hack director Earle C. Kenton couldn't give her the help she needed as a stage trained actress who desperately wanted film technique guidance. She plays promiscuous Rose who finds it impossible to remain faithful to her decent husband Happy Manning (Sam Hardy, who was a good friend from her Broadway days), who owns south of the border casino "The Gold Mine". Putting a bracelet on her ankle he notices bruising and while she explains it all away he is not convinced, especially when he sees her "in conference" with his right hand man, croupier Joe (Louis Natheaux).
There is a "Stanwyck Showdown" in the offing but Happy just tells her to "cut the dramatics"!! He runs her out of town and, newly divorced, visits his ward, fresh faced football star Bob Manning (William Janney) who introduces Happy to his fiancée Marie (an uncredited girl, sure is pretty, could be Greta Grandstedt?). But Marie is just too nice and the bride whom Bob brings to Mexico to show off to Hap is none other than - Rose!!
In spite of the cheapness of the production and the other actors giving "by the numbers" performances there are flashes of the Stanwyck fire and she really tries to rise above the film as a whole. Rose hasn't changed and soon is chatting up handsome bar fly (Jerry Miley). That is after she coerces Bob into the casino ("what are all those funny numbers?", "what's a bar?", "can you buy milk there?" etc). Over seeing all is half wit Loco (Arthur Rankin) who is Happy's eyes and ears concerning Rose's extra curriculum activities.
Thank heaven for Frank Capra and "Ladies of Leisure" - Stanwyck commented that the disaster of "Mexicali Rose" sapped nearly all the professional confidence that she had developed throughout those tough Broadway years.
There is a "Stanwyck Showdown" in the offing but Happy just tells her to "cut the dramatics"!! He runs her out of town and, newly divorced, visits his ward, fresh faced football star Bob Manning (William Janney) who introduces Happy to his fiancée Marie (an uncredited girl, sure is pretty, could be Greta Grandstedt?). But Marie is just too nice and the bride whom Bob brings to Mexico to show off to Hap is none other than - Rose!!
In spite of the cheapness of the production and the other actors giving "by the numbers" performances there are flashes of the Stanwyck fire and she really tries to rise above the film as a whole. Rose hasn't changed and soon is chatting up handsome bar fly (Jerry Miley). That is after she coerces Bob into the casino ("what are all those funny numbers?", "what's a bar?", "can you buy milk there?" etc). Over seeing all is half wit Loco (Arthur Rankin) who is Happy's eyes and ears concerning Rose's extra curriculum activities.
Thank heaven for Frank Capra and "Ladies of Leisure" - Stanwyck commented that the disaster of "Mexicali Rose" sapped nearly all the professional confidence that she had developed throughout those tough Broadway years.