Known in Spanish as "Allá en el Rancho Grande," this is an iconic Mexican film that launched the genre of Ranchera movies, which were wildly popular through the 1940's. These movies idealized rural life, and presented melodramatic tales about young lovers. Typically, the male protagonists are charros (fancy dress Mexican cowboys) who sing songs and fight hard, in the name of their masculine honor.
IMDb classifies this movie as a comedy, which it is not. The confusion probably springs from the fact that Allá en el Rancho Grande is usually classified by Mexican and U.S. Academics as a 'Comedia Ranchera.' Technically, the humor here is secondary to the songs and the melodrama, so perhaps it would be more accurate to refer to this movie as a melodrama in the Ranchero genre. Debates aside, don't expect the movie to be a comedy, although it has humor in it.
This original version, directed by Fernando Fuentes, who was arguably the greatest Mexican director of the 1930's (El Compadre Mendoza, El Prisionero 13, and Vámonos con Pancho Villa are masterpieces), is MUCH better than the 1949 remake starring Jorge Negrete. I say this with all due respect to the iconic stature of Negrete, a beloved Mexican star. The actors in this movie are younger, fresher, and more realistic. There's something shopworn about the later version-- everyone seems older than they should be, and less likable.
I love the embroidered Charro shirts worn by the actors in this movie.
