My Outlaw Brother [My Brother, the Outlaw] * (1951, Mickey Rooney, Robert Preston, Robert Stack, Wanda Hendrix) – Classic Movie Review 13,857

Mickey Rooney stars as a New York city man who goes to Mexico to find his outlaw brother Robert Stack, in the 1951 low-budget second feature black and white Western film My Outlaw Brother.

‘He followed a dangerous trail… to a beautiful woman and the deadliest killer!’

Director Elliott Nugent’s 1951 low-budget second feature black and white Western film My Outlaw Brother [My Brother, the Outlaw] is adapted from the story South of the Rio Grande by Max Brand, and stars Mickey Rooney, Robert Preston, Robert Stack, and Wanda Hendrix. It is made by Benedict Bogeaus Productions in Mexico, at the Estudios Tepeyac in Mexico City.

Robert Stack plays Patrick O’Moore, the outlaw older brother of big city Irish good-guy Denny O’Moore (Mickey Rooney) in this lacklustre, self-satisfied and simplistic oater. Patrick is said to own a silver mine in Mexico, where a killer known as El Tigre and his gang are operating. A law enforcement agent offers the Texas Rangers a deal: if a Ranger can bring El Tigre’s right-hand man Patrick O’Moore back to the US, he might betray El Tigre for money and amnesty. 

Robert Preston plays Joe Warder, the Ranger sent to sort out the villain and bring him back across the border to the US. Wanda Hendrix also stars as the beautiful Señorita Carmelita Alvarado, Patrick’s sweetheart Denny falls for.

The story is quite dull and the handling lacks spark. Even the cast, interesting on paper, makes little favourable impact on the screen this time, with Rooney particularly struggling, trying to give too much.

My Outlaw Brother [My Brother, the Outlaw] is directed by Elliott Nugent, runs 82 minutes, is made by Benedict Bogeaus Productions, is released by Eagle-Lion Classics (US) and General Film Distributors (GFD) (UK), is written by Gene Fowler Jr (screenplay) and Alfred Lewis Levitt [Al Levitt] (additional dialogue), based on the story South of the Rio Grande by Max Brand, is shot in black and white by Jose Ortiz Ramos, is produced by Benedict Bogeaus and Mickey Rooney (executive producer), and scored by Manuel Esperón.

Release date: August 22, 1951 (New York).

Cast: Mickey Rooney as Denny O’Moore, Robert Preston Joe Warder the Ranger, Robert Stack as Patrick O’Moore, Wanda Hendrix as Señorita Carmelita Alvarado, Carlos Múzquiz as Colonel Sanchez (El Capitan), José Torvay as Enrique Ortiz, Fernando Wagner, Filipe de Flores as Jose, Hilda Moreno as Señora Alvarado, Don ‘Red’ Barry as Hank the Ranger, José Velasquez as Pablo, Elliott Nugent as Ranger Captain.

© Derek Winnert 2026 – Classic Movie Review 13,857

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