"My Favorite Brunette" director Elliot Nugent's western "My Outlaw Brother" qualifies as a fair to middling oater about a brother's search for his sibling and the Texas Ranger who tags along for the ride. Location lensing at Estudios Tepeyac, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico, enhances both the authenticity and flavor of this otherwise routine horse opera. The capable cast is first-rate. Mickey Rooney plays Denny O'Moore, a feisty New York tenderfoot who has come 3000 miles to see his long, lost brother in Mexico. Finding his brother proves to be quite a challenge for our protagonist. Patrick (a pre-"The Untouchable" Robert Stack) is his brother and he'll do whatever is required to shield his true identity. Denny goes to great lengths to meet his brother. Eventually, about an hour into this 82-minute oater, the brothers meet and chat. Meantime, Denny's compatriot, Texas Ranger Joe Waldner (Robert Preston of "The Music Man"), accompanies him into Mexico in search of Patrick. Our heroes escape from the villain's hideout with the help of a Mexican blacksmith named Ortiz.
One major surprise occurs in the Gene Fowler Jr. screenplay, with additional dialogue by Alfred Lewis Levitt, based on Max Brand's novel "South of the Rio Grande." The derby-clad Mickey Rooney protagonist suffers all the indignities forced upon a tenderfoot. He rides into "My Outlaw Brother" driving a buckboard through Texas to the town of Border City. Denny watches as a gang of bandidos led by a murderous Indian named Le Tigre hold up a bank, shoot a guard, and blast their way out of town. El Tigre is so ruthless that he shoots one of his own who has been wounded during the raid and cannot continue. Denny complains about the gang to the Joe Waldner who owns a pretty smart horse named Sunny. The latest raid is the fifth time that El Tigre has crossed the border. A Mexican official laments the disappearance of three of the best secret agents.
Meantime, the townspeople have fun playing pranks on Denny, one of which is telling him to mount his horse from the wrong side. Joe decides to cross the border and hands his Rangers badge to his captain. The Mexicans try to kill Joe, but they mistake Denny for the Texas Ranger. Denny and Joe ride together to the town of San Clemente. "Maybe I'll ride along with your for a piece," Joe observes. He adds, "You seem to have a habit of meeting up with fellows bigger than you are." Denny says that he not only gets all the big guys, but also all the big girls. He reveals that he hasn't seen his brother in eight years and that he's been sending money home to them every month in New York. According to Denny, brother Patrick operates silver mine. Joe expresses surprise at this revelation. Denny points out that his brother has tried to dissuade him from coming to visit him. Nevertheless, Denny has made up his mind and nothing is going to discourage him. "I haven't been doing anything in New York, so I thought I'd go out and help him with the mine." As they descend onto San Clemente, Denny says with verbal irony, "Wait till you see the expression on Patrick O'Moore's face when he sees us." Nugent and Fowler exploit Rooney's diminutive statue and his role as a tin-horn for comic potential. Not bad.
One major surprise occurs in the Gene Fowler Jr. screenplay, with additional dialogue by Alfred Lewis Levitt, based on Max Brand's novel "South of the Rio Grande." The derby-clad Mickey Rooney protagonist suffers all the indignities forced upon a tenderfoot. He rides into "My Outlaw Brother" driving a buckboard through Texas to the town of Border City. Denny watches as a gang of bandidos led by a murderous Indian named Le Tigre hold up a bank, shoot a guard, and blast their way out of town. El Tigre is so ruthless that he shoots one of his own who has been wounded during the raid and cannot continue. Denny complains about the gang to the Joe Waldner who owns a pretty smart horse named Sunny. The latest raid is the fifth time that El Tigre has crossed the border. A Mexican official laments the disappearance of three of the best secret agents.
Meantime, the townspeople have fun playing pranks on Denny, one of which is telling him to mount his horse from the wrong side. Joe decides to cross the border and hands his Rangers badge to his captain. The Mexicans try to kill Joe, but they mistake Denny for the Texas Ranger. Denny and Joe ride together to the town of San Clemente. "Maybe I'll ride along with your for a piece," Joe observes. He adds, "You seem to have a habit of meeting up with fellows bigger than you are." Denny says that he not only gets all the big guys, but also all the big girls. He reveals that he hasn't seen his brother in eight years and that he's been sending money home to them every month in New York. According to Denny, brother Patrick operates silver mine. Joe expresses surprise at this revelation. Denny points out that his brother has tried to dissuade him from coming to visit him. Nevertheless, Denny has made up his mind and nothing is going to discourage him. "I haven't been doing anything in New York, so I thought I'd go out and help him with the mine." As they descend onto San Clemente, Denny says with verbal irony, "Wait till you see the expression on Patrick O'Moore's face when he sees us." Nugent and Fowler exploit Rooney's diminutive statue and his role as a tin-horn for comic potential. Not bad.