In Old Arizona is a 1928 sound western directed by Irving Cummings and Raoul Walsh. The film stars Edmund Lowe, Warner Baxter, and Dorothy Burgess. In Old Arizona is based on the short story “The Caballero’s Way” (1907) by O. Henry, the first story to feature the character the Cisco Kid.
Director: Irving Cummings, Raoul Walsh
Production Company: Fox Film Corporation
Distributor: Fox Film Corporation
Cast: Edmund Lowe, Warner Baxter, Dorothy Burgess, Soledad Jimenez, James Bradbury Jr., Henry Arnetta, James A. Marcus
US Box Office: $3,250,000 ($88,900,000 adjusted for inflation)
Film Format: Black & White
Genre: Western
Release Date: December 25, 1928 (premiere); January 20, 1929
Plot Summary: In the Arizona territory Sergeant Mickey Dunn (Edmund Lowe) is assigned to capture or kill the “Cisco Kid” (Warner Baxter), a good-natured and generous stagecoach robber. Dunn meets with the Cisco Kid’s girlfriend Tonia Maria (Dorothy Burgess) and offers to let her have the $5,000 reward money in exchange for helping him kill the Kid. The greedy Tonia is more than happy to betray the Cisco Kid for the money.
Production: In early 1928 silent film actor and director Raoul Walsh decided that he wanted to shoot a sound film outdoors. Sound films had only recently been pioneered and it was thought that the bulky equipment required would make it very difficult to shoot them outdoors. Walsh got the approval of Fox Film Corporation producer Winfield Sheehan to use a Fox Movietone News wagon (used by the company to record sound newsreels outdoors) to shoot a sound western on location. Walsh decided to adapt the 1907 western short story “The Caballero’s Way,” the first story to feature the Cisco Kid, into an outdoors sound film In Old Arizona. Walsh’s original intention was for In Old Arizona to be a short film that closely followed the plot of the original story, but Sheehan was so impressed by test footage that he insisted that Walsh make it a feature-length film instead.
Director Raoul Walsh decided to play the role of the Cisco Kid, the film’s anti-hero protagonist, himself. Walsh cast silent film star Edmund Lowe as Micky Dunn, the military sergeant hunting the Cisco Kid. Walsh had previously directed Lowe in the drama film East of Suez (1925) and the war film What Price Glory? (1926). Dorothy Burgess was cast as Tonia, the Cisco Kid’s girlfriend. Burgess was a stage actress, and In Old Arizona was her first film role.
Walsh began filming In Old Arizona on location in Utah. Bryce Canyon National Park and Zion National Park were used as filming locations for the stagecoach holdup scene and several of the chase scenes. The Movietone camera was damaged by the rough terrain, so Sheehan decided to move the film’s production back to California. An unfortunate accident prevented Raoul Walsh from finishing In Old Arizona. While driving to Salt Lake City to catch a train back to Los Angeles, a jackrabbit jumped into the windshield of Walsh’s car. Glass shards and the rabbit both hit Walsh in face, and destroyed his right eye. Walsh was forced to wear an eyepatch for the rest of his life and the accident ended his acting career. Walsh left the production in order to recover and Sheehan hired Irving Cummings to replace Walsh as director.
Sheehan initially hired silent western star Buddy Roosevelt to take over the role of the Cisco Kid from Walsh, but Roosevelt broke his leg shortly before production resumed. Roosevelt was replaced by Warner Baxter. Baxter had notably starred in The Great Gatsby (1926), the first film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s acclaimed novel. After the script was rewritten, Irving Cummings continued work on In Old Arizona in California. In addition to shooting new scenes featuring Baxter, Lowe, and Burgess; Cummings also reshot most of the scenes starring Walsh as the Cisco Kid. The Mission San Fernando Rey, the San Fernando Valley, and the Iverson “movie ranch” were used as exterior shooting locations back in California. Although only a few scenes shot by Walsh remained in the final film, both Walsh and Cummings received directing credits.
Fun Facts and Trivia: Warner Baxter and Edmund Lowe later starred together in three more films: Happy Days (1929), Thru Different Eyes (1929), and The Cisco Kid (1931). The Cisco Kid was the second sequel to In Old Arizona, and it was also directed by Irving Cummings. Baxter and Lowe additionally appeared in three short films: The Stolen Jools (1931), La Fiesta de Santa Barbara (1935), and Hollywood Handicap (1938). Cummings later directed Warner Baxter in Behind That Curtain (1931), Grand Canary (1934), White Hunter (1936), and Vogues of 1938 (1937). Irving Cummings had previously directed Lowe in Dressed to Kill (1928) and later directed him in The Cisco Kid, Attorney for the Defense (1932), and Under Pressure (1935). Raoul Walsh would later direct Lowe in The Cock-Eyed World (1929), Women of All Nations (1931), and Under Pressure (1935).
Reception: In Old Arizona had its premiere on December 25 of 1928, and it went into general release in late January of 1929. The film was a financial success for Fox and was one of the top ten highest grossing films of the year. In Old Arizona‘s strong box office performance can be attributed to its novelty factor as both the first major sound western and the first major sound film shot outdoors. The New York Times critic Mordaunt Hall gave In Old Arizona a positive review. Hall described the film as a, “distinctly enjoyable offering.” Variety also gave the film a positive review. Film critics polled by the magazine The Film Daily in 1929 voted In Old Arizona to be one of the top ten best films of the year.
Warner Baxter reprised his role as the Cisco Kid in three sequels to In Old Arizona produced by Fox: The Arizona Kid (1930), The Cisco Kid (1931), and The Return of the Cisco Kid (1939). The Arizona Kid notably featured Carole Lombard as the leading lady. The Cisco Kid was directed Irving Cummings and also featured Lowe reprising his role as Sergeant Dunn. The last film featured Cesar Romero in a supporting role. Romero took over the role of the Cisco Kid and played the character in six more films from 1939 to 1941.
In Old Arizona has received mixed reviews from modern critics. The film critics at TV Guide gave In Old Arizona a positive review. They praised the film for its use of sound and its outdoor cinematography. Jeffrey M. Anderson of Combustible Celluloid praised In Old Arizona for its “well-paced” action and excitement. Conversely, Michael E. Grost of Classic Film and Television gave In Old Arizona a negative review. He praised Edmund Lowe’s performance, but thought that the film was “uneven.” Emmanuel Levy and Dennis Schwartz also gave the film negative reviews.
Oscars: In Old Arizona was nominated for five Oscars at the 2nd Academy Awards ceremony (which honored films from August 1, 1928 to July 31, 1929). The nominations were for: Best Picture (Winfield Sheehan for Fox), Best Director (Irving Cummings), Best Actor (Warner Baxter), Best Screenplay (Tom Barry, based on “The Caballero’s Way” by O. Henry), and Best Cinematography (Arthur Edeson). In Old Arizona only received one Oscar, the Best Actor award, which Warner Baxter won for his role as the Cisco Kid. The Broadway Melody (1929) received the Best Picture award and Frank Lloyd won Best Director for The Divine Lady (1929).
Why You Should See It: In Old Arizona is a pretty good early western film. It is historically important for being the first sound western and for being the first major sound film to be shot outdoors. Warner Baxter gives a good performance as the Cisco Kid. Baxter’s performance makes the character charming and endearing. Unlike some silent stars, Baxter had a good speaking voice and he delivers his lines well. In Old Arizona also features some of stunning mountain footage.