The Gay Desperado is a 1936 American musical-comedy film starring Ida Lupino, Leo Carrillo, and Nino Martini and directed by Rouben Mamoulian, produced by Mary Pickford and Jesse Lasky and originally released by United Artists.

The audience is unimpressed by the B-rated feature, but the leader of local small-time thugs, Braganza, is enthused and wishes to emulate the movie gangsters.

The manager orders his vaudeville stage singer Chivo, to begin his operatic singing act to quell the riot.

[10] Writing for The Spectator in 1936, Graham Greene gave the film a good review, describing it as "one of the best light comedies of the year".

[11] Though The Gay Desperado was fulsomely praised upon its initial release, biographer Kurt Jensen reminds viewers that its “cleverness has faded.”[12] Film historian Tom Milne notes that the scenario for The Gay Desperado was not “particularly promising material,” but considers its handling by director Rouben Mamoulian decisive: “He bolsters a tolerably witty script making it funnier than it is by his prolific invention.”[13][14] Milne adds: “The film can still give a head start to any other Thirties musical and still win hands down” but concludes that The Gay Desperado is “of no great consequence” with respect to Mamoulion’s oeuvre.