Tonight's Movie: Border Incident (1949) at the Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival

I saw five films for the first time at last weekend's Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival, along with revisiting half a dozen films.

It's a fun coincidence that I also saw five "new" films last year, and just like last year, I enjoyed four of the five films. The only movie at this year's fest which didn't appeal to me was ACROSS THE BRIDGE (1957); more on that film later.

I had read about BORDER INCIDENT (1949) over the years in books such as Max Alvarez's THE CRIME FILMS OF ANTHONY MANN, but while I'm a Mann admirer, I honestly had kind of avoided seeing it, as the plot sounded pretty brutal.

That said, when the title appeared on the festival schedule I decided I should try it; I enjoy Ricardo Montalban, and I also wanted to see another of the films directed by Anthony Mann and filmed by John Alton.

The movie was also of interest to me as it's set against the backdrop of the Bracero Program, which formerly allowed Mexican citizens to legally work in U.S. agriculture. I wrote a paper on that topic in college, and it's pretty rare one sees the subject turn up in a movie!

As it turned out, I thought BORDER INCIDENT was quite good, though it was indeed harrowing, with terrifying sequences which could inspire nightmares. It was quite worthwhile, if not the kind of "movie comfort viewing" one would want to revisit on a regular basis!

The story concerns American agent Jack Bearnes (George Murphy) and his Mexican counterpart, Pablo Rodriguez (Montalban), who are investigating the exploitation and deaths of illegal Mexican workers in the United States.

Pablo poses as a man who resorts to illegal immigration when he's unable to get work in the Bracero Program, which puts him in contact with some very bad people (headed by Howard Da Silva and Charles McGraw).

I'll leave off with the plot description there, but suffice it to say that the film is both gripping and rather disturbing. There was a sequence I couldn't watch, but I can say that the sound design alone, involving a large tractor, was remarkable.

The pounding score by Andre Previn, who was all of 20 years old when he worked on the film, added to the tension.

The screenplay of this 94-minute film was written by John C. Higgins, based on a story he wrote with George Zuckerman. Needless to say, the story still resonates today, particularly here in Southern California, where much of the story takes place.

Murphy and Montalban are both excellent as men who experience horrific moments in the service of their respective countries. McGraw, in particular, essays a very particular kind of evil which won't soon be forgotten.

The deep supporting cast includes dancer-actor James Mitchell as a young Mexican who befriends Pablo, and I'm always glad to see John Ridgely, here playing a U.S. agent.

Also in the cast are Arnold Moss, Alfonso Bedoya, Teresa Celli, Arthur Hunnicutt, Sig Ruman, Nedrick Young, and Jack Lambert. This was one of three films I saw at the festival which featured Lambert in a supporting role.

BORDER INCIDENT is available on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection. It was previously released on DVD in the Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 3, and it was later rereleased on DVD by the Warner Archive Collection.

For more on this film, please visit essays by my friends Theresa, guest posting at Once Upon a Screen, and the late, great Paddy at Caftan Woman.

Tweet