Bordertown (1935) on Netflix
Disbarred after losing his temper in his first case, Johnny Ramirez becomes a bouncer in Charlie Roark's casino south of the border. Roark's lonely wife Marie takes an interest in him.
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- Netflix3.3/5
- IMDb6.6/102,142 votes
- Rotten TomatoesNot available
Plot summary
Johnny Ramirez graduates from law school in Los Angeles, and his first case goes wrong. A careless debutante, Dale Elwell, had wrecked his client's truck, and the opposing lawyer, Brook Manville, needles him until he loses his temper. The court disbars him. He travels to a small town below the border and takes a job as a bouncer in Charlie Roark's seedy casino. Johnny builds the place into the Silver Slipper, a first-class nightclub that draws a wealthy crowd, and Charlie rewards him with a partnership. Marie, Charlie's lonely and unhappily married wife, makes advances toward Johnny, and he refuses her.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Bordertown (1935)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Bordertown was one of the first films to come under close scrutiny by the Hays Office, and its original script had Johnny Ramirez disbarred for murder and having an affair with Marie Roark; both elements had to be revised before the screenplay was approved.
- Leading man Paul Muni wanted Carole Lombard or Lupe Vélez as his co-star, but studio head Jack L. Warner cast his contract player Bette Davis as Marie Roark after hearing the praise she was getting for Of Human Bondage.
SPOILER
For Marie Roark's courtroom breakdown, director Archie Mayo expected Bette Davis to be a raving lunatic who pulled her hair and screamed, as insanity had always been played on screen; Davis insisted on a subtle portrayal and argued with him about it.SPOILER
After Bordertown was completed, studio executives insisted Bette Davis re-shoot Marie's courtroom scene, fearing viewers would not realize she was insane; Davis agreed only if preview audiences failed to see the character had gone mad, and she was never asked for a retake.
