San Antonio | |
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Theatrical poster
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Directed by |
David Butler Robert Florey (uncredited) Raoul Walsh (uncredited) |
Produced by | Robert Buckner |
Written by |
Alan Le May W. R. Burnett |
Starring |
Errol Flynn Alexis Smith |
Music by |
Ray Heindorf Max Steiner M. K. Jerome |
Cinematography | Bert Glennon |
Edited by | Irene Morra |
Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date
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Running time
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109 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $2 million |
Box office | $3 million (US rentals in 1946) |
San Antonio is a 1945 Western Technicolor film starring Errol Flynn and Alexis Smith. The movie was written by W. R. Burnett and Alan Le May, and directed by David Butler as well as uncredited Robert Florey and Raoul Walsh.
The film was nominated for two Academy Awards; for Best Original Song ("Some Sunday Morning") and Best Art Direction (Ted Smith, Jack McConaghy).
Rustlers are running rampant in Texas, but at least one rancher, Charlie Bell, isn't pulling up stakes yet, particularly with the news that old friend Clay Hardin is en route from Mexico back home to San Antonio.
Clay claims to have proof, documented in a book, that Roy Stuart is responsible for the rustling. Clay arrives in town by stagecoach, as does Jeanne Starr, who is taking a job as a singer in Stuart's saloon.
Lured backstage by Jeanne, suspicious that she could be in cahoots with her boss, Clay leaves the book in Charlie's care. But a partner of Stuart's, a man named Legare, wants the book for his own reasons, so he steals it and shoots Charlie.
The shooting is witnessed by the singer's manager, Sacha, but he is too fearful to speak out. There is no law in San Antonio, only a troop of soldiers about to pull out, so Clay temporarily takes the job of marshal.
Legare is chased into the Alamo's ruins by Stuart and is killed. Clay sets out in hot pursuit of Stuart, determined to arrest him, but ultimately Stuart is killed when he hits his head on a rock during the climactic fist-fight with Clay. Jeanne decides to leave San Antonio for good, but Clay persuades her to stay.
The film was announced for production in March 1944 with Errol Flynn attached from the beginning. It was the third in a series of Westerns he made named after a city, following Dodge City and Virginia City. Raoul Walsh was originally announced as director.Raymond Massey was going to play the second male lead. He was replaced by Zachary Scott with Alexis Smith as the female lead.