The Tijuana Story (1957)

Mexican newspaperman Rodolfo Acosta wages a one-man war against a powerful crime syndicate in this inspirational melodrama based on a real-life incident and narrated by the original reporter who broke the sensational story, Paul Coates.

Director: Laszlo Kardos
Cast: Rodolfo Acosta, James Darren, Robert McQueeney, Jean Willes, Joy Stoner, Paul Newlan, George E. Stone, Michael Fox, Robert Blake, William Fawcett, Paul Coates, Abel Fernandez, Suzanne Ridgeway, Susan Seaforth Hayes, William Tannen, Ralph Valencia, Rick Vallin

Yet another fifties semi-documentary style crime thriller "ripped from the pages of todays headlines" purporting to expose the sin, crime, vice and corruption of some major city. This time the setting is south of the border in sunny Mexico, where a crusading newspaper editor battles the local syndicate who have turned the border city of Tijuana into a cesspool of drug dealing, gambling, and prostitution.

Despite the slightly different setting, THE TIJUANA STORY is mostly a routine low budget semi-documentary style crime drama. The film is not as exciting as many of the other films of this genre. At times the films pace slows down. Of interest is seeing Mexican actor Rudolfo Acosta in a change of pace from his usual villain roles, playing the crusading newspaper editor. James Darren is given top billing in the films ads, but his role is actually rather small. Here he plays an American teenager who goes to Tijuana for a few cheap thrills… Also in the cast is Robert Blake with a phony Mexican accent.

IMDb