Santiago

I remember this from my childhood. I was thrilled to see it finally available from Amazon. It has a great story line with Alan Ladd acting as a gun runner with an old steamboat. As he runs it from Florida, he encounters the Cuban Patriot Rosanna Podesta. Will they get the Guns to Cuba? Enjoy this movie!

This was an interesting movie. I have always enjoyed Alan Ladd but he is also teamed up with another giant of the film screen ... Lloyd Nolan. They play off each other great. Rossana Podestra was beautiful and played a courageous role. The colors are excellent and the overall theme is believable.

In 1898 Cuba is a Spanish colony looking for independence. Cashiered US army captain Caleb 'Cash' Adams (Alan Ladd) with his ex-army sergeant Trasker (Paul Fix) head a bunch of gun-runners heading for Tampa, Florida the jumping off point for arm-shipments to Cuba. The dangers are high but so are the rewards. Heading south through the jungle they are attacked by hijackers who are after the shipment of arms. They manage to fight them off, bury their dead and continue on their way to Tampa, when they arrive 'Cash' meets the Cuban representatives, he is not happy in order to get full-payment he has to deliver the shipment to Santiago, Cuba via Haiti, which also means dodging the Spanish blockade. 'Cash' agrees to their demands but for double the price! The shipment is loaded aboard the Vicksburg an old paddle steamer commanded by a crusty old river boat Captain 'Sidewheel' Jones (Chill Wills) also on board is a rival gunrunner Clay Pike (Lloyd Nolan) and his gang. Sensing trouble Captain Jones take all the weapons from both parties. He also introduces them to Cuban freedom fighter Doña Isabella (ROSSANA PODESTA) she is also the cashier responsible for the payout following the delivery in Cuba. First port of call is in Haiti here Doña makes a part payment to 'Cash' and Pike she also introduces them and Captain Jones to her young brother Juanito. Back on board they head for Cuba right through the Spanish blockade and foiling an attack from a Spanish outpost on the Cuba peninsula. Arriving at their destination they meet the Cuban patriots and find it's now necessary to take the ammunitions across country to Santiago. 'Sidewheel' Jones intends to create a diversion from the pursuing Spanish army. Meanwhile the gun-runners and the freedom fighters head through the jungle towards their new goal all the time 'Cash' finds himself drawn to the Cuban cause and ever closer to Doña Isabella. One barrier remains for their freedom a mountain pass guarded by the Spanish army and a final showdown between 'Cash' and Pike.SANTIAGO 1956 aka THE GUN RUNNER 93 minutes. Co-Produced by script writer Martin Rackin and Alan Ladd through his own Jaguar Productions for Warner Brothers. Directed by Gordon Douglas who also directed three other Ladd movies after he left Paramount Studios. He has sterling support from Paul Fix, Lloyd Nolan and Chill Wills The love interest is provided by the beautiful Rossana Podesta who starred previously as 'Helen of Troy'. Lloyd Nolan had appeared with Ladd once before in WILD HARVEST 1947 except in that one they were buddies. Paul Fix was a Hollywood stalwart in hundreds of films, he was also a friend of John Wayne with whom he appeared umpteen times over many years. Another major star here was without a doubt the 'Jungle Set' of Warner Brothers Burbank Studios!As a self confessed Alan Ladd fan I must say this is not one of his best films but nowhere near his worst either, worth about three-and-a-half Stars I would say if I could. SANTIAGO is now in the Public Domain and available on DVD from Amazon UK as an US Region 1 import. Any Alan Ladd aficionado could do a lot worse than visit <DownunderDVD.com> for a full list of Alan Ladd films available on DVD.

Another exciting well done adventure story staring Alan Ladd and Lloyd Nolan. This one takes place in Cuba with the Cubans in revolt against the Spanish. Ladd and Nolan are gunrunners trying to get the guns to the Cubans, Lots of action in a great story.

This is the sort of thing that Alan Ladd did best in his heyday - fast moving, action-packed adventure with smart dialogue and a colorful supporting cast.His old buddy Lloyd Nolan is a great foil for the hero. Unfortunately for Ladd it was all downhill from here!

Fun movie to watch. Tough characters who learned early on to trust only themselves.

Alan Ladd is stone-faced as usual.I was looking forward to seeing the beautiful Rosanna Podesta, whose good looks in " Helen of Troy " have never left my mind. But in this film she does not look beautiful at all. What a disappointment.One more word about Mr. Ladd. I have seen practically all his films, and the one in which he really acted well was "The Carpetbaggars", as a supporting lead to George Peppard.SS.

Great 50's action movie. Well worth the time and money If you look closely you will notice famous movie bad guy, Henry Silva doing a turn as an extra. This one is a must for every movie lovers library

Excellent action movie with Alan Ladd. Ladd plays a dishonorably discharged army captain who now sells arms to the highest bidder. This movie takes place just before the Maine mysteriously exploded, prior to the Spanish American War. He undertakes to sell arms to the Cuban Rebels. His contact is the beautiful Rosanna Podesta, fresh from her role as Helen of Troy. They travel to Cuba on a river boat captained by Chill Wills. L. Nolan plays another arms dealer who goes along also to sell arms. Interestingly they meet Jose Marti, Cuban patriot. I read the book Trading with the Enemy, travels by an American writer who wants to meet real Cubans. He disparages this movie as Marti apparently lives in a mansion and the real Marti lived quite frugally. Not withstanding, the movie has a lot of action as they take the arms through Cuban jungle. I really enjoyed the movie and recommend it as a classic Alan Ladd movie whose best portrayal was in the movie Shane.

Buon film d'azione , piacevole da vedere, con giusti intervalli fra avventura e sentimento. S.

This movie was first released in 1956(1984)2010, in widescreen 1.85.1, warnercolor and runs 93 minutes. The sound and picture quality is very good and there are no extras in the DVD. The movie starts in 1898, when in Cuba(Spanish Colony) people were looking for independence. Up in Florida, men were heading for TAMPA from where shipments were sent to Cuba, for money and profit. Captain Cash Adams(ALAN LADD) is leading a caravan through forest, where they are attacked by hijackers. They fight them off and bury the dead. At Tampa, Cash meets the Cuban representatives who need rifles, winchesters and guns. Capt Cash does not care who wins the war, as long as they buy merchantise from him. He is not happy that inorder to get paid, he has to deliver the ammunition in SANTIAGO, Cuba. However, he is given some money on account, rest to be paid in Haiti and Cuba. Capt Cash loads his goods onto 'VICKSBURG' ship. On the ship Pike(LLOYD NOLAN) is also selling the guns, who in the past used to sell them to Indians. Ship Captain Jones(CHILL WILLS) takes all pistols from these men. On board is also sexy freedom fighter Dona Isabella(ROSSANA PODESTA). She meets her younger brother Vanito in Haiti. Cash and Pike(with his Humphrey Bogart voice) get part of their money in Haiti. Sailing toward Cuba , their ship faces Spanish blockade ships. Cash, Pike, Isabella and men go ashore to investigate.How will it end? Will Cash and Pike manage to sell the guns to Cubans? What will the Spanish do to stop them? Will Cash and Pike settle their differences? What will happen to Dona Isabella? How far will they have to Travel? What will happen to their ship?Lloyd Nolan, Alan Ladd and Chill Wills provide good performances. The action scenes are good. This story of MARTIN RACKIN is well photographed by JOHN SEITZ and briskly directed by GORDON DOUGLAS.ALAN WALBRIDGE LADD was born on 3.9.1913 in Hot Springs, Akansas. His father died when he was 4, his mother re-marrying and the family moved to North Hollywood, California. He opened his own hamburger and malt shop(Tiny's Patio). Universal studios dropped him because he was too blond and too short. He did many short roles. He went to work for Paramount Pictures. In 1953 he starred in 'SHANE', nominated for 5 academy awards. He also worked for Columbia Pictures. In November 1962, he was found lying unconscious in a pool of blood with bullet wound near his heart, an unsuccessful suicide attempt. He was married twice and had 1 son 'ALAN LADD Jr' with MIDGE HARROLD. He had 1 son and 1 daughter with SUE CAROL(1942). On 29.1.1964, aged 50, Alan Ladd Sr, was found dead in Palm Springs, California, of acute overdose of 'alcohol and 3 drugs'.Some of his films are:-(1) Once in Life Time , 1932(2) Victory, 1940(3) Citizen Kane, 1941(4) Calcutta, 1947(5) Whispering Smith, 1948(6) Red Mountain, 1951(7) The Iron Mistress, 1952(8) Shane, 1953(9) Saskatchewan, 1954(10)Drum Beat, 1954(11)Badlanders, 1958(12)The Carpet Baggers, 1964watch and ENJOY.

This is a good standard action adventure from Warner (Warner Archive to order) with a performence from Alan Ladd that had us cheering in the cinemas of the 50's (Well, I didn't cheer, I was always too involved in the films). A good scope transfer, good picture and sound. It's just what you would expect. No more no less. I liked it a lot, some 50 years later. Shame the support cast is a bit wasted and Rossana Podesta is not quite the heroine we might have hoped for, but did we care back then? I think not. Recomended for fans of Ladd and nostalia seekers.

Like this movie by Alan Ladd.very wellacting.