Caballo Prieto Afamado
A man develops a deep bond with the wild horse he tames; when the man is killed, the horse takes revenge.
Relevant facts.
Gilberto Martínez Solares directed the movie. He had been one of the most relevant filmmakers since the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. Martínez Solares started as a studio photographer with brother Agustín. He directed his first film in 1939, and made more than 160 along almost six decades, many of them based on his screenplays.
Caballo prieto afamado is a musical western produced by the Agrasánchez company and the Benítez brothers, film exhibitors in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas since late twenties. Miguel and Héctor Benítez knew very well frontera films were box office hits, and they co-produced with Mexican companies in several projects.
Caballo prieto afamado was shot entirely on location in Texas (McAllen, Mercedes, Los Fresnos), and Tamaulipas in Mexico (Reynosa, Matamoros). Views of the Texan countryside are really beautiful.
This film shows some deeply rooted traditions of rural people of Mexican origin in the United States: popular fairs that include cockfights (some scenes are shown in the film; not suitable for all audiences), “carreras parejeras” (horse races in which only two stallions take part, held in the open country), and gambling. Hundreds of locals appeared as extras in the film, and a pair of distinguished residents of the area got bit parts: Rubén Benavides, a radio star, and Solomon Marroquín, who was noted congressman’s Kika de la Garza’s chief of staff.
The story is straightforward enough: a drifter develops a deep bond with a black stallion he captures and tames. The man seems to have everything: a magnificent horse that makes him win all races, a girl that loves him, and a friend that would do anything for him. He also has a foe that will not stop until having them killed. In the end his enemy reaches his goal, but the black horse makes him pay dearly for it.
Juan Miranda, well-known Mexican bodybuilder than once held the title of ‘Mister Universe’, actor and singer, is the leading man in Caballo prieto afamado. Some years later, he retired after a “miraculous healing” of cancer; he got involved to religious activities until his death. Ana Lilia Tovar is the leading lady.
Eleazar García Chelelo is Miranda’s sidekick, while Ángel Rojano Pancho Pantera is Tovar’s agent. They are in charge of the comic relief in the movie. Singer and actor Álvaro Zermeño is the antagonist.
Chayito Valdez, famous vernacular singer said to be “Lucha Reyes’s successor”, plays the role of a congenial partying lady in the film and proves a good comedian.
Musical performances are splendid. The mariachi ‘Los Vaqueros de Reynosa’ performs.
Songs:
Caballo prieto afamado – Emilio Lara Brobb
Fallaste, corazón – Cuco Sánchez
Qué manera de perder – José Alfredo Jiménez
Machetazo – Margarito Estrada
No me vuelvo a enamorar – Dort Baseray (?)
La negra cruz – Emilio Gálvez Valencia
El diablo con su tridente – Alfonso Torres Cataño y Erasmo López
Pensando en ti – Alfonso Torres Cataño