''The Cisco Kid'' is a 1994 American Western comedy

TV movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

, based on the character of the same name created by O. Henry. The property had previously been adapted as the successful 1950s

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

series, and several movies and serials from the 1930s to the 1950s. The film was written by Michael Kane and directed by

Luis Valdez Luis Miguel Valdez (born June 26, 1940) is an American playwright, screenwriter, film director and actor. Regarded as the father of Chicano film and theater, Valdez is best known for his play '' Zoot Suit'', his movie '' La Bamba'', and his cre ...

Jimmy Smits Jimmy L. Smits (born July 9, 1955) is an American actor. He is best known for playing attorney Victor Sifuentes on the 1980s-1990s legal drama '' L.A. Law'', NYPD Detective Bobby Simone on the 1990s-2000s police drama ''NYPD Blue'', Matt Santos ...

played the Cisco Kid, the role previously played by

Duncan Renaldo Renault Renaldo Duncan (April 23, 1904 – September 3, 1980), better known as Duncan Renaldo, was a Romanian-born American actor best remembered for his portrayal of The Cisco Kid in films and on the 1950–1956 American TV series ''The Cisco Ki ...

Gilbert Roland Luis Antonio Dámaso de Alonso (December 11, 1905 – May 15, 1994), known professionally as Gilbert Roland, was a Mexican-born American film and television actor whose career spanned seven decades from the 1920s until the 1980s. He was twice no ...

, and

Cesar Romero Cesar Julio Romero Jr. (February 15, 1907 – January 1, 1994) was an American actor and activist. He was active in film, radio, and television for almost sixty years. His wide range of screen roles included Latin lovers, historical figures in c ...

Cheech Marin :''The surname'' Marin ''is of Spanish language origin. In Spanish, it is spelled'' Marín'', with an acute accent on the'' í. Richard Anthony "Cheech" Marin (born July 13, 1946) is an American actor, musician, comedian, and activist who gained ...

played his sidekick Pancho.

Bruce Payne Bruce Martyn Payne (born 22 November 1958) is an English actor, producer, screenwriter, film director and theatre director. Payne is best known for portraying villains, such as Charles Rane in '' Passenger 57'', Jacob Kell in '' Highlander: En ...

and

Ron Perlman Ronald Perlman (born April 13, 1950) is an American actor. His credits include the roles of Amoukar in ''Quest for Fire'' (1981), Salvatore in ''The Name of the Rose'' (1986), Vincent in the television series ''Beauty and the Beast'' (1987–199 ...

played French villains. The film aired on the TNT Network.

Plot

The Cisco Kid and Poncho are about to be executed by the French, who have taken over part of

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, when an attack on the prison by rebels allows them both to escape. Still chained together, they steal a burro and ride to a nearby village where they come upon a tax collector and several soldiers in the process of taking money from the villagers. The pair manage to overcome the soldiers, and using their guns, free themselves from the chains and rob the tax collector. Pancho takes Cisco back to his village, where the pair inspire Mexican peasants to oust settlers from the

Second French Empire The Second French Empire (; officially the French Empire, ), was the 18-year Empire, Imperial Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 14 January 1852 to 27 October 1870, between the French Second Republic, Second and the French Third Republic ...

. The action continues with gun battles, kidnapping, swordplay, humor and suspense.

Cast

as Cisco Kid *

as Pancho *

Sadie Frost Sadie Liza Frost (née Vaughan; born 19 June 1965) is an English actress, producer and fashion designer, who ran fashion label Frost French (until its closure in 2011) and a film production company (Blonde to Black Pictures). Early life Frost ...

as Dominique *

as General Martin Dupre *

as Lt. Col. Delacroix *

Tony Amendola Tony Amendola (born August 24, 1951) is an American actor. He played the Jaffa master Bra'tac in ''Stargate SG-1'' and Pinocchio's creator/father, Geppetto on ABC's ''Once Upon a Time''. He also had a recurring role as revolutionary leader Edou ...

as Washam *

Tim Thomerson Joseph Timothy "Tim" Thomerson (born April 8, 1946) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his role as Jack Deth in the ''Trancers'' film series and for his work in numerous low-budget features and for his comedic television r ...

as Lundquist * Pedro Armendariz as General Montano *Phil Esparza as Kessler *Clayton Landey as Van Boose *

Charles McCaughan Charles McCaughan is an American actor and director. Filmography Director and writer *'' Angel on Fire'' (2005) *'' Picture of Priority'' (1998) Acting *''The Cisco Kid'' (1994, TV) - Haynie *''V.I. Warshawski'' (1991) - Trumble Grafalk *''Legal ...

as Haynie *Tony Pandolfo as Alain Vitton *

Roger Cudney Roger Cudney (June 22, 1936 – July 5, 2021) was an American actor, singer, dubbing director, radio and television announcer. Biography Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Cudney was known for starring in numerous Mexican films and telenovelas in which he ...

as Alcott

Production

The film was directed by Luis Valdez. Filming took place in

Sierra de Órganos National Park Sierra de Órganos National Park (Spanish: ''Parque Nacional Sierra de Órganos'') is a national park in Mexico, located in the northwest corner of the municipality of Sombrerete in the state of Zacatecas, near the border with Durango. The par ...

in the town of

Sombrerete Sombrerete () is a town and municipality located in the northwest of the Mexican state of Zacatecas, bordering the state of Durango. It was founded in 1555 by Spanish conquistador Juan de Tolosa as a mining center, due to the wealth that the mine ...

Reception

Just before its initial airing, Todd Everett of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' praised the casting of

in the role of The Cisco Kid as "ideal", and wrote that Cheech Marin as Pancho had "never been more appealing". He predicted that the film would have broad appeal. Kim Newman of ''

Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

'' stated that the film was 'a likeable cable revival for the old 1950s series Western character' and noted that it depicted Mexicans in a less stereotypical fashion than the original television series. Nonetheless, Newman stated that it 'continues to depict the French (

) as effete sadists and the gringos (

) as grungy swine'. Mick Martin and Marsha Porter of ''Video Movie Guide 1995'' stated that it was an 'enjoyable, lighthearted Western...spiced with humor and enthusiastic performances by

and Richard 'Cheech' Marin'. Similarly, Ray Loynd of the ''Los Angeles Times'' stated that Smits played the Cisco Kid with an 'easy swagger and light romantic panache'. Terry Rowan described the film as a 'tongue-in-cheek comedy western filled with fast gunplay, narrow escapes, wild rides, battling armies and yes, some romance'. Michael Pitts stated that a highlight of the film was the 'use of authentic locations depicting the rural Mexico of 1867'.

References

External links

*
Perlmanpages.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cisco Kid, The (1994 film) 1994 television films 1994 films 1994 Western (genre) films 1990s American films 1990s English-language films Adaptations of works by O. Henry American Western (genre) television films Cisco Kid Films directed by Luis Valdez Second French intervention in Mexico films TNT Network original films