Viva Villa! (1934): Oscar-Winning Biopic, Starring Wallace Beery, Credited to Jack Conway but Actually Directed by Howard Hawks

The versatile filmmaker Howard Hawks, who has contributed to just about every Hollywood genre, finished shooting and is responsible for the final cut of “Viva Villa!” a Selznick production, credited formally to Jack Conway.

Grade: B

Viva Villa!
Film poster

The movie is a sporadically exciting biopic of the notorious Mexican bandit Pancho Villa, beginning with his childhood (played as a boy by Phillip Cooper) through his adulthood years (during which he is played by Wallace Beery).

The narrative, penned by the witty writer Ben Hecht, assisted by a bunch of uncredited writers, was inspired by the book by Edgecumb Pinchon and O.B. Stade.

The chronicle covers the most crucial chapters of the legendary figure up to his death, when he is shot by a wealthy landowner Don Felipe (Donald Cook). The murder is an act of revenge for the death of his sister Teresa, played by no other than Fay Wray, right after becoming a major star in King Kong.

Like most biopics, the tale is sharply uneven, but it offers a more multi-nuanced portrait of the leader and his schizoid personality as a poor peasant, crusader for the right causes, and then a brutal bandito.

At the height of his career, Wallace Beery is well cast, rendering one of his more powerful performances, which, alas, did not garner him a Best Actor Oscar nomination, despite the fact that the film was a huge hit and nominated for Best Picture and other awards.

There are other screen and TV versions of Pancho Villa! But this 1934 work, deviating from facts as it is, is one of the most enjoyable ones, even if it is not one of Hawks’ best pictures.

The movie was popular at the ox-office, reaffirming the popularity of Wallace Beery as one of the studio’s top stars.

My Oscar Book:

Oscar Nominations: 4

Picture, produced by David O. Selznick

Assistant Director: John Waters

Adaptation: Ben Hecht

Sound Recording: Douglas Shearer

Oscar Awards: 1

Assistant Director

Oscar Context

Viva Villa! competed for the Best Picture with eleven other films: The Barretts of Wimpole Street, Cleopatra, Flirtation Walk, The Gay Divorcee, Here Comes the Navy, The House of Rothchild, Imitation of Life, It Happened One Night, One Night of Love, The Thin Man, and The White Parade.

It Happened One Night swept most of the Oscars, including Best Picture.

Cast

Pancho Villa (Wallace Beery)

Teresa (Fay Wray)

Johnny Sykes (Stuart Erwin)

Sierra (Leo Carrillo)

Don Felipe (Donald Cook)

Chavito (George E. Stone)

General Pascal (Joseph Schildkraut)

Madero (Henry B. Wathall)

Rosita (Katherine DeMille)

Bugle Boy (David Durand)