Western Wednesdays: Hit the Saddle (1937)

      Hit the Saddle is the fifth film in Republic's Three Mesquiteers series. It is directed by Mack V. Wright from a script by Oliver Drake and Maurice Geraghty. In it the Mesquiteers must protect a local wild horse sanctuary from greedy rancher Rance McGowan (played by J.P. McGowan) while Stony falls for the local saloon girl, Rita (played by a young Rita Hayworth, when she was still going by Rita Cansino).

     Hit the Saddle is a good delineation of the camaraderie and chemistry between the three Mesquieteers. The impulsive, happy-go-lucky Stony falls for the Rita, who is only interested in his money which she hopes to use to move to New York. The steady, level headed Tuscon sees right through Rita and tries to warn Stony about her but he won't listen, leading to a falling out between the two. It's Lullaby who has to patch things up, by offering Rita the money she needs if she agrees to break up with Stony. Lullaby is often the glue who holds the trio together. This romantic subplot ties into the main plot only in that the tension between Stony and Tuscon extends to both. When Sheriff Miller (Ed Cassidy) is killed by one of McGowan's horses, which he has disguised as a wild pinto in order to push the townsfolk to call for the protection of the wild horses to be revoked, Tuscon, as the new sheriff is forced to capture the pinto and have it executed. Stony, not believing that the pinto is responsible, opposes him and, after Rita leaves him, he sets the condemned horse free and runs off.

     The cast all do a good job. Bob Livingston is convincing as an unusually hot-headed Stony. Ray Corrigan is cool as ice as the stalwart Tuscon. Max Terhune gets a couple good moments, including an amusing but rather pointless comedic sequence where he uses ventriloquist dummy Elmer to lecture some patrons at the bar about the evils of drink. All three have good chemistry with each other and with co-star Rita Hayworth, who does a good job as the scheming, though still likable, saloon girl. Terhune's scene with her is particularly well done. He and Corrigan also have some rather endearing scenes with Sammy McKim, who plays the sheriffs overeager son, Tim Miller. 

     It's not a perfect film. The two competing plot threads mean that neither one is fully developed, and the pacing is rushed at times as a result. The action is dominated by stock footage of stampeding horses (as was typical for westerns focusing on this kind of thing). On the other hand, the two plot lines are, at least, linked by the drama between the characters and the new action material (a fistfight early on and the shootout which serves as the films climax) is up to the usual Republic standards.

Score: 7/10