Way of a Gaucho (1952)
Directed by Jacques Tourneur and produced by 20th Century Fox, Way of a Gaucho is a sweeping Western-style historical drama set in 1870s Argentina, starring Rory Calhoun, Gene Tierney, and Richard Boone. Though American-made, the film was shot entirely on location in Argentina, lending it a rare authenticity and visual grandeur that sets it apart from typical Hollywood Westerns.
Plot Summary
Martín Penalosa (Rory Calhoun), a proud gaucho (South American cowboy), kills a man in a duel and is sentenced to military service. Chafing under the harsh discipline of Major Salinas (Richard Boone), Martín deserts and becomes a bandit leader under the alias Valverde, rallying fellow gauchos against the encroaching forces of modernization—railroads, bureaucracy, and foreign influence.
His romance with aristocratic Teresa Chavez (Gene Tierney) complicates his outlaw life, as he’s torn between love and rebellion. The film builds toward a dramatic resolution involving betrayal, redemption, and a final act of defiance.
Cast Highlights
- Rory Calhoun as Martín Penalosa / Valverde
- Gene Tierney as Teresa Chavez
- Richard Boone as Major Salinas
- Hugh Marlowe and Everett Sloane in supporting roles
Behind-the-Scenes Trivia
- Originally, Henry King was set to direct with Tyrone Power in the lead, but both dropped out before filming began
- Gene Tierney replaced Jean Peters as the female lead
- Filming coincided with the death of Eva Perón, and the crew was asked to stay and film her funeral in Technicolor
- The film was part of Fox’s strategy to use “runaway productions”—shooting abroad to spend frozen foreign earnings due to postwar currency controls
- Despite its lush cinematography and ambitious scope, the film failed to turn a profit upon release
