Allá en el Rancho Grande

Over in the Big Ranch

The Mexican Revolution
And
Singing Cowboys
 Time setting of the film

It starts in 1922, after the official

battles of the Mexican Revolution had
subsided, but during which there was
tremendous reorganization of the
political, social and economic systems.
Álvaro Obregón
Was president from 1920-24.

During this time there were

advances in education, the arts,
labor and land reform.

Workers were encouraged to

organize and seek higher wages.

3 million acres of land were

distributed amongst 624 villages.
Plutarco Elías Calles
Elected in 1924.

Created numerous highways, the

Bank of Mexico, cancelled
debts, improved public
education and workers’ rights.

He stepped aside to let Obregón

run for re-election, but when
Obregón was assassinated, he re-
entered politics.

In 1928 he founded PNR—Partido

Nacional Revolucionario, which became
the PRI—Partido Revolucionario
Institucionalizado—which won all of
the presidential elections in the
20th century.
The film then jumps to 1935
Lázaro Cárdenas 1934-40
Cárdenas was the Elliott Ness of Mexican politics
---untouchable and incorruptable. Where other
politicians scandalously enriched themselves,
Cárdenas was so honest that after serving as a
general, governor and cabinet minister he still
had to borrow money to move his household goods
when he was posted to a new command.

Cárdenas was the most radical president in Mexican

history as well as the most honest. His vision for
Mexico was based on three principles: the ejidos
(common lands) restored through a strong agrarian
program to combat the domination of the large
haciendas; a socialist education system to oppose
the "fanaticism" of the Church; workers,
cooperatives to check the excesses of industrial
capitalism. To achieve this goal, he pleaded with
workers, peasants and students to form a united
front.
Cárdenas will chiefly be remembered for his expropriation of the foreign oil
companies.

The action was brought on by their refusal to abide by a Mexican supreme court
ruling that would have granted workers a modest pay increase.

Though Cárdenas pledged to compensate the oil companies for their losses,
expropriation resulted in damaging repercussions.

The United States cut off silver purchases from Mexico, Great Britain broke
off diplomatic relations and the oil companies mounted a vast propaganda
campaign to discredit the expropriation.

But the debt was paid --thanks largely to a massive national effort which saw
workers contributing their meager savings, peasant farmers bringing chickens
to market, fashionable ladies selling jewelry and industrialists writing fat
checks.

All sectors of society joined in and the Church, long hostile to the
government, blessed the fund raising effort.
 US-Mexican relations
There is one minor character in this film from the US, who
speaks an “interesting” version of Spanish, and elicits a
number of different reactions from the other characters, from
friendly to hostile.

The US had a number of different attitudes and policies towards Mexico

in the years 1922-35.
The worst is represented by Ambassador James Rockwll Sheffield,
who declared that Mexicans were “Latin-Indians who in the final
analysis recognize no argument but force.”

President Roosevelt’s “Good Neighbor Policy” was an improvement

on his earlier declaration that “Sooner or later...the United
States must go down there and clean up the Mexican political
mess.

The “Good Neighbor Policy” promised to respect the rights and

differences of other nations.
 Socialism and Workers’
movements
The Mexican Communist party was
formed in 1919, and was
reorganized in 1924-25 by a
member of the US Communist party.

They did a great deal of work

attempting to organize the
peasant workers in the early
It was a legal political years.
party until 1929, was
outlawed and then
reinstated in 1935.
A number of famous Mexicans were at one point
members of the Communist party:

David Alfaro
Siquieros

Diego Rivera

Frida Kahlo
 Leon Trotsky
The Bolshevik revolutionary, leader of the
Russian October Revolution, and second in command
to Lenin, went into exile in Mexico in 1935 to
oppose the policies of Joseph Stalin.

While there he was befriended by a members of the

Mexican intelligentsia, which may partially explain
the rise of the Mexican communist party in those
years. He lived for awhile with Diego Rivera. And
had an affair with Frida Kahlo.

He was killed by a Stalininst supporter in

1940.
 Charros
A traditional cowboy of central-western Mexico.
Typical clothes

sombrero

Mustache/bigote

Tie/corbata

Jacket/chaqueta
Also typical:

Decorations on jacket

L;arge belt buckle

Pistol hanging from

belt

boots
spurs
serape
 The women
La china poblana—Spanish style skirt,
beads and decorations from China,
indigenous colors and patterns

rebozo
Golden Age of Mexican Cinema

Occurred between 1935-1959, when the quality and

economic success of Mexican film reached its peak.

While the rest of the film-making

world concentrated on WWII and war-
related films, Mexico experienced a
boom in creation and innovation.

Tonight’s film, from 1936, was the

first smash hit.

Only Argentina and Cuba have had similar

success within Latin America.
Tito Guízar
Trained as an opera singer, he
had a career that lasted for
around 70 years [his first film
was in 1935, his last tv
appearance in 1999.]
René Cardona

Wrote, directed and acted

in literally 100s of
films, including charro
films, wrestling films
[Santo] and horror films.

We may see him next week if

we watch my all-time favorite
Mexican horror film.
 Esther Fernández
Also had a long carreer, starting in
1933 until 1992.
Lorenzo Barcelata

Wrote and performed many

of the songs heard in the
film.
 Music
http://www.musica.com/letras.asp?letra=
Lyrics: 916617

“Allá en el Rancho Grande”—a classic Mexican

song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoK_xTlw6DU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elVjcKN1YRM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
4i4fFrHLh0
 Huapango
Kind of like a musical duel—two singers
alternate and try to outdo each other.

There are other styles, but that’s the one

we’ll see tonight.
Quote @ truth and drunks

In vino veritas.
 gallego
The shopkeeper is from Spain, specifically Galicia, which is the
area north of Portugal.

Every country has its ethnic “humor” which may be

about different parts of the same country [NJ, the
South,] or other countries [Polish jokes, Italian jokes,
etc.]

In Mexico they tell “dumb gallego” jokes.

Ha ha [or ja ja en español]
 cockfight
These roosters are specially bred for fighting;
their disposition is naturally aggressive
towards other males.

They are conditioned like athletes or other

competitive animals. The fights aren’t
necessarily to the death, but the injuries
sustained may be life-threatening.

Cockfights are illegal in the US now, but at one time it was a

legitimate sporting event, complete with wagering. The “sport”
itself can be traced back to 2000 BCE.

“Palenques” are concert halls / cockfighting rinks, found

in cities all over the country. Traditional singers may
alternate performances with the roosters.
 serenade / serenata
A medieval tradition that carried over into the 20th
century.

A serenata is usually performed to honor someone, or declare

one’s love, and usually takes place in the evening, beneath a
window.
 What to watch for/think
about
The presentation of the social classes

The presentation of the sexes

The roles of women, their actions and their consequences

The use of humor—does it translate through time, national boundaries and

languages?

The presence of stereotypes: which ones did you observe and what is their
effect?