Raiders of Old California (1957)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

A forceful western set against the background of the American-Mexican war, this is most certainly a novel approach to the usual cowboys and Indians formula.It's well acted too and features some very convincing performances from the likes of Jim Davis, Lee Van Cleef, Faron Young and Marty Robbins.Although Arleen Whelan is prominently featured in the movie's credits and in all its advertising, her role is both small and unimportant. This is a men's picture and just about all the players turn out to be either heroes or baddies.Allegedly based on true history, the somewhat bloodthirsty plot is crowded with action -- perhaps a bit too much action at the expense of exposition?By the humble standards of the Independent Western, Gannaway's direction is remarkably speedy and never less than competent. He makes very good use of his real locations.

Although full of actors with a lot of experience in westerns--Jim Davis, Harry Lauter, Lee Van Cleef, Douglas Fowley--this cheap and irritating film from Republic comes across like it was made over a weekend by a couple of guys who got some money (very little of it, from the looks of things) together and said, "Hey, let's make a western!". This was released by Republic near the end of its existence--the studio went out of business two years later--although it wasn't actually made by them but was an independent production they picked up for distribution. That at least salvages their reputation somewhat, since Republic specialized in making westerns and knew how to make efficient, action-packed horse operas; I can't think of any of its own product that is as tenth-rate as this mess is.There are so many things wrong with this film that it's difficult to know where to begin. For starters, although it's called "Raiders of Old California", it's set along the Texas/Mexican border, nowhere near California. As pointed out by other reviewers, the US troops wear uniforms and equipment that weren't issued until 15 years or so after the period the film was set in (the late 1840s). The film opens during the Mexican-American War of 1848 with a US Army attack on a Mexican fort, and it's an indication of what's to come--the "action" is dull, slow, poorly staged and full of stupid mistakes (while attacking the fort, the US soldiers don't bother running but stand out in the open, where they are promptly shot; soldiers fall off their horses although no shots are heard being fired; after the battle is over and the Americans have taken the fort, a Mexican soldier rides through the front gate and starts speaking to his commanding officer--in English--apparently not noticing that the fort has been taken over by American soldiers), and the "fort" itself is a painfully obvious, shoddily made set that looks like it was slapped together with wrapping paper and plywood.The story of greedy villains trying to take land away from poor defenseless peasants and farmers has been done a thousand times before (and a thousand times better) and despite the cast of western veterans, no one acquits themselves particularly well. I hope their checks didn't bounce so at least they got something out of it, because this flabby, badly written, sloppily made hackjob isn't anything any of them should be proud of.

Jim Davis is star and protagonist of Raiders Of Old California, a western from the last days of Republic Pictures. Davis is an army captain who uses the Mexican War and the uniform to steal himself a Spanish land grant from the previous owner Lawrence Dobkin who after a murder attempt by Davis henchman Lee Van Cleef on his life, retires and becomes a friar.It's been previously pointed out the disparity in times for a film set in the post Mexican War years, with Davis, Van Cleef etc. wearing Civil War era uniforms and carrying even later weaponry. Herbert J. Yates was not much for authenticity and research.Faron Young and Marty Robbins from the Grand Ole Opry are a good guy and a bad guy in this film. It was getting a little too late for country and western stars to become western stars on the big screen. Their time to become another Gene Autry had passed.Those who are thespians do a good job with their roles. But Raiders Of Old California is a subpar western.

Former Cavalry officer Jim Davis and fellow heavies Lee Van Cleef and Marty Robbins take control of a huge parcel of land following the Mexican American War, pushing the Mexican peasant farmers off the property given them by it's former owner, a General in the Mexican Army.Raiders Of Old California looks a bit cheap but it's so hard-boiled and action packed that the low-budget doesn't hurt it all that much, though I wish country stars Robbins and Faron Young could have strummed and sang a few tunes.Speaking of Young, he's pretty good as Davis' nemesis, a justice seeking U.S. Marshall. If he had been fifteen years older he could have been an excellent Saturday matinée western star.Lee Van Cleef too has a pretty meaty role as Davis' number one henchman. Here he's just as mean, cold, and cruel as he is in later performances. This is essential viewing for Van Cleef fans.