After directing Becky Sharp, Rouben Mamoulian turned down a version of Goethe's Faust to direct this musical adventure story. Leo Carrillo plays a music-loving Mexican bandit trying to emulate American movie gangsters to spruce up his image. He kidnaps a singing caballero (Nino Martini) whose tenor voice charms his bandito heart and furthering his escapades, abducts a young heiress, played by Ida Lupino. The film is packed with songs, ranging from classics of Mexican ranchera to an aria from Verdi's Aida. According to Wm. K. Everson, " 'The World Is Mine Tonight' is Martini's big song, but there are others, all pleasant and romantically flavorsome." Gay Desperado makes the most of its Tucson locations with particularly rich textures of sunlight and shadow captured by cinematographer Lucien Andriot. And if you look close enough, you might see stock footage from Scarface and Doorway to Hell. This print was struck from the original camera negative.