Ride the Pink Horse

(Robert Montgomery, US 1947, 101 min., 35mm)

Leading man Robert Montgomery’s second feature as director is one of the most stylish and criminally underrated of 1940s films noir. Montgomery stars as a mysterious drifter who arrives in a New Mexico border town, seemingly intent on blackmailing a local gangster. Amidst the dizzying carnival backdrop, Wanda Hendrix appears as a mystical young woman who tries to redeem our hero, while Academy Award nominee Thomas Gomez plays Pancho, Montgomery’s only friend in town. As director, Montgomery’s penchant for experimenting with form is reflected in his bravura three-and-a-half minute opening long take.

Post-screening discussion with Curator of Film Exhibitions Jared Case.