Bordertown is one of my favorite films from Bette Davis's early years in Hollywood. Paul Muni plays the main character Johnny Ramirez, a poor Mexican who believes he can achieve his dreams when he graduates from night law school. Unfortunately, Johnny loses his first case against socialite Dale Elwell (Margaret Lindsay) who wrecks the truck of a poor friend of Johnny's in an auto accident. When the opposing counsel (who is also Dale's boyfriend) calls Johnny a shyster lawyer, Johnny loses his temper and decks the opposing attorney which gets him disbarred.
Johnny believes he lost his case because he doesn't have any money. He leaves Los Angeles and ends up working as a bouncer in the Silver Slipper nightclub. He eventually becomes a partner of the proprietor Charlie Roark (Eugene Paulette) and catches the eye of Charlie's bored wife Marie (Bette Davis.)
Johnny tells Marie he could go for her, but he won't betray his partner. Soon Marie sees her chance: she leaves a drunk, unconscious Charlie in the running car and allows the automatic garage doors to close. Charlie's death is ruled an accident.
Marie and Johnny partner on La Rueda--a new high end nightclub. But Marie's plans for a personal partnership are foiled when Dale arrives at opening night. Johnny believes now that he has money, he's worthy of her. He doesn't realize she's just slumming.
Marie confronts Johnny about his new romance, telling him she committed murder to get him. Johnny leaves her in disgust. Marie then goes to the police and tells them that Johnny made her kill Charlie.
It looks bad for Johnny until Marie has a breakdown on the stand, and the case is thrown out. Johnny returns to Dale and proposes. She rejects him, telling him he's from a different tribe. Johnny becomes furious: Dale calls him a brute and runs into the path of an oncoming car.
Johnny sells La Rueda to help endow a law school, and he returns where he belongs with his own people.
There's a lot to unpack here. Johnny is clearly subjected to racism and prejudice, But the movie shies away from dealing with this explicitly. This review discusses the racism. Other user reviews on IMDB.com call the film politically incorrect.
But I have to say that Johnny is clearly over his head in the trial against Dale. He doesn't understand the rules of evidence and what is admissible in court. I'm not denying that the lawyer and judge are racist and condescending. The judge could have helped Johnny, but immediately declares Johnny is "not a lawyer at all" but "a ruffian at heart, brutal, cheap and bad-tempered."
Of course, the whole trial scene is ridiculous. Dale's lawyer is also her boyfriend who was in the car at the time of the accident. He would never represent her. Also, why didn't they settle the case? Because then there wouldn't be a movie.
The ending of the film doesn't sit well with me: keep in your own place. There's nothing wrong with Johnny endowing a law school to help his people. It's a shame that he's come to that realization only because of the snobby Dale.
About the performances. Paul Muni is a little over the top, but so is Johnny. I've seen Muni in subtle performances (one is Juarez, his second film with Bette Davis.) Bette is wonderful, expressing her frustration with her drunken husband, her guilt, fear, and paranoia after the murder, her confrontation with Johnny when she confesses the murder. Some commenters on IMDB criticize her courtroom scene as over the top. She toned down what the director wanted. I thought it was effective.
Eugene Pallette does a good job as happy-go-lucky Charlie. Too bad he doesn't guess what Marie is capable of. Margaret Lindsay is also good as the spoiled socialite Dale.
One last thing on this already long post. The poster for this movie shows Muni in a sombrero, which he never wears in the film. One last stereotype.
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