(Estudios América--Cinematográfica Filmex, 1967) Dir: René Cardona [Sr.]; Scr: Rafael García Travesí; Photo: Raúl Domínguez; Music: Enrico Cabiati; Prod Mgr: Jacobo Derechín; Co-Dir: Fernando Durán; Film Editor: Federico Landeros; Art Dir: Octavio Ocampo, José Menéndez; Camera Op: Roberto Jaramillo; Makeup: Graciela Muñoz; Sound Eng: Víctor Rojo; Re-rec: Heinrich Henkel; Union: STIC

CAST: Antonio Aguilar (Gabino Barrera), Eleazar García "Chelelo" (Chelelo), Alejandro Reyna "Tío Plácido" (Plácido), Amedée Chabot (Joan Carson), Elena Cole (Doris Peterson), Juliancito Bravo (Julián Ramírez "El Pescadulces"), Miguel Angel Alvarez (Pedro), Raúl Meraz (Luis Martínez), Víctor Alcocer (Dr. Díaz), Manuel Dondé, Chuck Anderson (Jones), Pascual García Peña (Melitón), Steam [sic=real name Stillman, usually billed as "Stim"] Segar, Miguel Grayeb (Judge Juan Gómez), Carlos Nieto (Insp. Frank Martínez), Inés Murillo, Carlos Suárez (henchman), Cornelio Reyna and Ramón Ayala "Los Relámpagos del norte"

NOTES: This film was a direct sequel to La venganza de Gabino Barrera, filmed at the same time (although, according to Emilio García Riera, La captura... was released first, at least in Mexico City--in 1970, while La venganza... wasn't shown until 1971). Some of credits for the films may be "scrambled," i.e., Carlos Nieto is billed on La venganza... but his character does not appear until the second film.

La captura... picks up where the first film left off, with Gabino Barrera in a New York nightclub, where he is being feted by friendly Puerto Ricans. At the club, Gabino meets Doris Peterson, an attractive young woman who offers to drive Gabino back to his ranch in her convertible. However, she disappears (she is being pursued by three men, and escapes by climbing out of the ladies' room window), only to turn up in Gabino's hotel room that night. She says she's being chased by a jealous lover who now wants to kill her. Gabino tries to brush her off: "I'm not interested in becoming involved in any trouble, especially in a foreign country. They have the electric chair here," but Doris invites herself to spend the night in his hotel room, and the scene fades out with them embracing.

Some time later, Doris, Gabino, Pedro and Chelelo are driving towards Mexico in her red convertible. A carload of men forces them to stop, and Doris is shot and killed. She was trying to escape with money from a bank robbery. When the police appear, the robbers flee, and Gabino, Pedro, and Chelelo are accused of Doris' murder. They escape, but Gabino is wounded. As the trio hides out, they are discovered by Julián, a young Mexican boy who is also on his way back to Mexico. He was sent to boarding school in the U.S. by his wicked stepfather, who wants to control the ranch that Julián inherited in the state of Coahuila.

Joan Carson reads that Gabino is accused of murder and bank robbery. She contacts the FBI agent on the case, Puerto Rican Frank Martínez. Joan, referring to the events of La venganza..., tells Frank that Gabino did the U.S. a big favor in defeating the gang of extremists. She heads for Texas to try to help Gabino. Julián goes to town and brings back some food and medicine for Gabino, Pedro, and Chelelo. The newspaper has a story about Gabino, and how Joan says he's innocent. Gabino doesn't trust her, since she had betrayed him in the previous film. The three Mexicans (and one Puerto Rican) cross the Río Grande into Mexico, one step ahead of Joan and the police. In Mexico, Gabino is taken to Dr. Díaz, who operates on his injured leg. Joan catches up with him there, and explains she was blackmailed into helping Romero's gang, since they had her father held hostage. Gabino forgives her.

Luis Martínez, Julián's stepfather, arrives with a lawyer to claim his stepson. Gabino opposes this at first, but relents when Dr. Díaz confirms Luis's story that Julián has a lot of imagination and could be making up the stories about his stepfather. Julián leaves with Luis. When Gabino is recovered, he prepares to return to his ranch, and Joan says she's going back to the U.S. However, she says she'll stop by to see Julián and give him Gabino's regards. Luis tells Joan that he is afraid Julián has lost the will to live: the boy's mother fell into a quicksand pit one day while riding around their ranch, and Luis thinks Julián might jump in himself. Dr. Díaz says Julián needs psychiatric care.

Julián runs away and tries to stay with Gabino, but Gabino tells him he has to go back to live with his stepfather. Julián flees, and is nearly caught by Luis and his men and thrown into the quicksand. However, Joan has convinced Gabino that Julián isn't making up his stories, and Gabino arrives in time to save Julián from the quicksand (and Luis takes his place, gradually sinking out of sight).

La captura de Gabino Barrera is a fairly good film, technically competent and somewhat more logical than its predecessor. The opening sequences are interesting, as Gabino is seduced by Doris Peterson (the implication is quite clear that they sleep together), who is mysteriously attracted to him (as it develops, she merely wants him as an escort so she can get her stolen money to Mexico safely). The next section, in which a wounded Gabino tries to reach Mexico, is also fairly well done, but the hackneyed final third of the film--the plot to kill Julián--isn't as entertaining. The idea that the evil Luis would have to go to such lengths to rid himself of his stepson (laying the groundwork for an apparent suicide, in a quicksand pit, to boot) is a bit far-fetched. Couldn't he have come up with a better plan? A fall from a horse, a hunting accident, a rattlesnake in his bed?

NOTE: the photo at right is a "behind the scenes" shot showing Manuel Dondé, a lighting technician, and Amedee Chabot. Oddly enough, this was included in the standard packet of stills released to U.S. theatres that showed the film (and is unfortunately the only still in the set with Amedee).

Posted 31 May 1999, updated 25 August 2000 by dwilt@umd.edu