The Daring Caballero

Daring Cabellero was the third of producer Phil Krasne's Cisco Kid "B" westerns. Duncan Renaldo and Leo Carrillo return as Cisco and Pancho, roles they'd carry over into a popular 1950s TV series. Once more stumbling into a dangerous situation, Cisco and Pancho risk their own necks by saving an innocent man from hanging. Eventually, our heroes learn that a corrupt political machine is behind the killing. Leading lady Kippie Valez is cast as "herself," which must have meant more in 1949 than it does today. Unlike the subsequent TV series, Daring Caballero does not end with the leading actors reciting their standard mantra "Oh, Pancho! Oh, Cisco!"

Directed by Wallace Fox, The Daring Caballero leans on a strong ensemble — Duncan Renaldo, Leo Carrillo, Kippee Valez — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about western titles of 1949.