There was a point during early adulthood when Tomás Garcilazo owned virtually nothing. As a 21-year-old, the now famous charro — Mexican cowboy — didn’t own a car, permanent home or have any money.

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about peak experiences with a focus on movies, TV and travel. Charro!, (1969) was not one of Elvis Presley’s major hits ...