The Mark of the Renegade

The Mark of the Renegade
Directed by	Hugo Fregonese
Written by	Johnston McCulley (novel) Robert Hardy Andrews Louis Solomon
Produced by	Jack J. Gross
Starring	Ricardo Montalban Cyd Charisse J. Carrol Naish
Cinematography	Charles P. Boyle
Edited by	Frank Gross
Music by	Frank Skinner
Production company	Universal Pictures
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date	August 2, 1951
Running time	81 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

The Mark of the Renegade is a 1951 American western film directed by Hugo Fregonese and starring Ricardo Montalban, Cyd Charisse and J. Carrol Naish. The film is based on a novel by Johnston McCulley, and is set in Mexican-ruled Los Angeles in the 1820s.

Plot

In 1825, after fleeing a pirate ship, Marcos Zappa is taken to meet Don Pedro Garcia, whose ambition is to be emperor of California for the Republic of Mexico. Able to blackmail Marcos because of an "R" mark hidden beneath his bandanna permanently identifying Marcos as a renegade and traitor, Garcia schemes to have Marcos seduce and marry Manuella, the daughter of his rival, Jose de Marquez, having been rejected as a suitor himself.

Manuella is already engaged to be married to Miguel De Gandara. A gambling-house owner, Anita Gonzales, in league with Garcia, is angry when Marcos fails to succumb to her charms. Manuella is attracted to Marcos but not sure how much to trust him. He reveals the "R" brand as a demonstration of good faith. They spend a night together, whereupon her father insists they marry.

At the wedding, Miguel jealously challenges Marcos to a duel. Anita then exposes Marcos as a disloyal renegade, only to have it revealed that the "R" brand has been faked, with Marcos working undercover to unearth Garcia's treachery. In a sword fight, Marcos kills Garcia, then is free to marry Manuella.

Cast

• Ricardo Montalban as Marcos Zappa
• Cyd Charisse as Manuella de Vasquez
• J. Carrol Naish as Luis
• Gilbert Roland as Don Pedro Garcia
• Andrea King as Anita Gonzales
• George Tobias as Captain Bardoso
• Antonio Moreno as Jose De Vasquez
• Georgia Backus as Duenna Concepcion
• Robert Warwick as Colonel Vega
• Armando Silvestre as Miguel De Gandara
• Bridget Carr as Rosa
• Alberto Morin as Captain Cervera
• Renzo Cesana as Father Juan
• Robert O. Cornthwaite as Innkeeper
• Edward C. Rios as Paco
• David Wolfe as Landlord
• Carlos Albert as Card Dealer
• Vida Aldana as Señorita
• Pilar Del Rey as Señorita
• Ethan Laidlaw as Grandee
• Paul Levitt as Bit Player
• Peter Mamakos as Pirate
• Alex Montoya as Gatekeeper
• Rod Normond as Bit Player
• Charles Soldani as Grandee
• Ken Terrell as Ranchhand
• Felipe Turich as Servant

Bibliography

• Blottner, Gene. Universal-International Westerns, 1947–1963: The Complete Filmography. McFarland, 2000.

External links

• The Mark of the Renegade at IMDb