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

Westember II: Day 20 - Overland Stage Raiders (1938)

 

     Today we look at Overland Stage Raiders, one of the Mesquiteers films to feature John Wayne as Stony Brooke.

     Tomorrow we will return to the Hopalong Cassidy series.

Westember II: Day 17 - The Three Mesquiteers (1936)

     In today's episode we look at the very first of Republic's Three Mesquiteers movies.  

     Tomorrow we will take a look at the career of one of the titans of the B-western genre.

Westember II: Day 16 - The Three Mesquiteers

 

     Today's episode is an overview of Republic's Three Mesquiteers series. I've reviewed quite a few of these films on my blog over the past few months including Ghost-Town Gold, New Frontier, Cowboy's From Texas, and Shadows on the Sage.

      Tomorrow we will look at the first film in this series.

Western Wednesdays: Shadows on the Sage (1942)

     Released on August 24th, 1942, Shadows on the Stage is the 46th Three Mesquiteers movie. It is directed by Lester Orlebeck and written by J. Benton Cheney. In it Tuscon Smith (played here by Bob Steele) is called into Holbrook County to help his old friend Lippy (Harry Holman), who has gotten in over-his-head after being appointed as the new Sheriff. His buddies Stony Brooke (Tom Tyler) and Lullaby Joslin (Jimmie Dodd) accompany him and together they root out the gang of robbers who have been holding up the stage.

     Shadows on the Sage utilizes the good old mistaken identity plot, with Bob Steele playing both Tuscon Smith and Curly Joe, the leader of the criminal gang. Steele does a good job at playing both roles, as you might expect from someone who had played the sadistic Curly in Of Mice and Men (1939) and also countless leads in westerns throughout the 30's. You might think that Stony and Lullaby are made to look stupid as a result of this switch-a-roo but they really don't have enough time to figure it out before the fake Tuscon murders Steve Jackson and absconds with his gold. This makes for an interesting bit of drama as Jackson's son Johnny (Freddie Mercer) looked up to and implicitly trusted (the fake) Tuscon as a friend of Lippy. Lippy, who cannot understand how his old friend could do such a thing, nevertheless sets out to bring him to justice and redeem himself in Johnny's eyes.

     Harry Holman is great as the reluctant, aged sheriff and brings a surprising sense of dignity to the role. This was was Jimmie Dodd's first outing with the Mesquiteers and he does well enough, even if his musical interludes are a little intrusive. Having Lullaby be the the youthful, inexperienced member of the trio is certainly a change of pace, if nothing else. Tom Tyler also puts in a good turn as Stony Brooke, who was pushed aside to give Tuscon the spotlight after Bob Livingston left. Tyler's Stony is certainly more in line with Ray Corrigan's stolid Tuscon Smith then with Wayne or Livingston, whose portrayal of Stony was more youthful and rambunctious.

     Despite the aforementioned musical interludes (which are thankfully few in number) the film is well paced. This is thanks, no doubt, to director Lester Orlebeck, who started out as an editor. This is the last of the eight films (all Mesquiteers movies) that he directed. Orlebeck also provides some decent action scenes, though it's not up their with the Republic's best work. He and the stunt team (which included, as usual, Yakima Canutt) were likely handicapped by having to cover for Steele's duel roles.

     Shadows on the Sage is another solid entry in this long running series. Though there best days were behind them by this point, Tuscon, Stony and Lullaby could still be counted on to deliver the goods.

Score: 8/10

Western Wednesdays: Cowboys from Texas (1939)

     Cowboys from Texas was released on November 29th, 1939. Directed, once again, by George Sherman, it is the second film in the series to feature the trio of Robert Livingston (newly returned to replace John Wayne who had left the series after the success of Stagecoach) playing Stony Brooke, Raymond Hatton as Rusty Joslin (a character who had been revamped somewhat after the departure of Wayne and Ray Corrigan) and Duncan Renaldo as Rico Rinaldo (a new character created to replace Corrigan's Tuscon Smith). In it the three heroes join together to prevent a range war between their fellow ranchers and the newly arrived homesteaders.

     A noteworthy factoid about this particular crop of Mesquiteers movies with Livingston, Hatton and Renaldo is that Livingston began to utilize his Lone Ranger persona (the actor had played the character in Republic's second Lone Ranger serial) alongside his Stony Brooke character. Here Stony infiltrates the gang run by Duke Plummer, who is trying to pit the ranchers against the homesteaders, in order to discover their plans. When he does he puts on a mask to hide his identity and thwarts Plummer's schemes as "the masked rider."

     This film features Charles Middleton, who's best known for playing Ming in the Flash Gordon serials, as Kansas Jones the leader of the homesteaders. He makes for a surprisingly forthright and honest farmer. His daughter, June, is a solid love interest as played by Carole Landis, who would make a name for herself in Hal Roach's One Million B.C. before her tragic suicide at the age of 29 just 8 years later. Ethan Laidlaw's Duke Plummer makes for a decent enough heavy but is outshone somewhat by Betty Compson's Belle Starkey, an unscrupulous saloon owner whose in bed with Plummer.

     Raymond Hatton's "Rusty" Joslin is more of a blowhard compared to Terhune's mischievous yet reliable Lullaby. Though the equal of his two companions when it comes to fighting, shooting or riding, he falls short when it comes to charm or charisma. Duncan Renaldo, a Romanian American actor who would go on to play the Cisco Kid, plays a somewhat stereotypical Mexican cowboy as Rico Rinaldo. He's eminently charming and competes with Stony and Rusty for June's affections. This makes for a more comedic tone then previous entries in the series, with Hatton and Renaldo providing the comedic contrast to Livingston's straight man but without the stolid Corrigan, it feels a little unbalanced.

     Like all the Mesquiteers movies Cowboys from Texas is action packed and features plenty of exciting chases and fight. The highlight is certainly the big shootout with Plummer's gang in the middle of town that serves as the film's climax, set off after an unmasked Stony reveals Plummer's treachery. Yakima Canutt's stunt-work is top notch as always.

Score: 7/10

Western Wednesdays: New Frontier (1939)

     New Frontier was released on August 10th, 1939. Directed by George Sherman and written by Betty Burbridge and Luci Ward it is the last of the Three Mesquiteers movies to star John Wayne. In it the Mesquiteers find themselves in the middle of an eminent domain dispute when the citizens of New Hope Valley are instructed by the government to leave their homes to make way for a new reservoir.

     This entry in the series has a more complex and politically driven plot then usual. Major Braddock (Eddy Waller) and the citizens of New Hope Valley stubbornly refuse to abide by the governments decision, leading them to the brink of a violent insurrection. Meanwhile, M.C. Gilbert (LeRoy Mason), the man charged with building the reservoir and moving the settlers out is both greedy and ruthless. He is secretly working with Harrison Greene's William Proctor to swindle them and the Mesquiteers, wanting to avoid a violent conflict, unwittingly aid the villains.

     This was the movie debut of Jennifer Jones (billed as Phylis Isley) who would become a star a few years later in Henry King's Song of Bernadette. Her character, Celia Braddock, is the more level headed daughter of the fiery Major Braddock. She does a good job with the limited material she's given. Eddy Waller is excellent as her hot-headed father. LeRoy Mason is a solid bad guy once again and his man of action provides a good contrast to the more conniving Harrison Greene.

     By this point, Raymond Hatton had taken over for Max Terhune, and Lullaby was renamed Rusty. Hatton's is a more irascible character then his predecessor. He's less of a comedic third wheel and more of a pompous, but reliable partner for Stony and Tuscon. Like John Wayne, who would leave the series for greener pastures after the success of Stagecoach, this was to be the last Mesquiteers picture for Ray Corrigan. Republic had refused to raise his salary and the departure of Wayne lead the studio to re-cast Robert Livingston, who Corrigan greatly disliked, so the actor walked away from the role he had played in 24 movies.

     It's not the best entry in the series. The pacing a little sluggish in places and the resolution is a bit too easy but it is a solid B-Western nonetheless. George Sherman, yet another young director who was destined for greater things, delivers the usual blend of action, intrigue and comedy and the stunt-work, coordinated by the legendary Yakima Canuut, is great as always. Incidentally, this the only film in the series with a decent restoration, as it was restored for a screening at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City as part of their John Wayne centennial retrospective in 2007.

Score: 7/10

Western Wednesdays: Ghost-Town Gold (1936)

     The second film in Republic's "Three Mesquiteers" series, Ghost-Town Gold was released on October 26th, 1936. Directed by Joseph Kane it stars Robert Livingston as Stony Brooke, Ray Corrigan as Tucson Smith and Max Terhune as Lullaby Joslin. This film sees the trio help out the owner of a bank in the small town of Prospect when he is robbed by an unscrupulous promoter.

     Like most of the B-westerns from this era, Ghost-Town Gold presents a very moralistic world-view. The reason that the Thornton's bank is robbed is because he was leading the effort to drive Dirk Barrington and his prize fighting, gambling riff-raff out of Prospect. Some of the other leading townsfolk oppose Thornton because of all the money that Barrington brings to town but he remains adamant. The banker is nearly lynched when it is revealed that his bank is out of funds but, in the end, when Barrington is revealed to be behind the robbery, he is vindicated. Of course it's a bit ironic that the Mesquiteers attempt to use the very things that Thornton opposes (ie. fighting and gambling) to save his bank but it does lead to a pretty entertaining fight between Ray Corrigan and Frank Hagney's 'Wild Man' Joe Kamatski.

     This is Max Terhune's first outing as Lullaby Joslin, taking over from Syd Saylor who played Lullaby in the first movie. Terhune's take on the character is radically different from that of Saylor, who played Joslin as a good-hearted blow-hard, who pretends to be a westerner despite being a city boy, but earns his stripes by the end of the film by helping Stony and Tucson beat the bad guys. Terhune's Lullaby is more of a con-man, he cheats at cards and generally gets himself into trouble, from which his two friends often have to bail him out. Ghost-Town Gold also introduces Elmer, Lullaby's Ventriloquist Dummy which he wins by cheating at a carnival shell game.

      In general the trio feels more well defined then they did in the first movie. Ray Corrigan's Tucson Smith is very much the straight man to Bob Livingston's Stony Brooke, always getting the trio involved in hair-brained schemes to help some vulnerable folks out. Here, he gets Tuscon into a prize fight, hoping they can raise enough money through betting to save the Thornton's bank. Livingston, Corrigan and Terhune would star in 14 of the 51 Mesquiteers films, and were together longer then any of the other actors.

     Rounding out the cast in this installment are Burr Caruth as the upstanding banker Ben Thornton; Kay Hughes as his daughter Sabina who, surprisingly, is not a love interest for Stony; Milburn Morante as the crochety (and slightly crazy) old prospector Jake Rawlins; and LeRoy Mason, always a reliable heavy, as Dirk Barrington. The film also features western fixture Yakima Canutt in a small role as one of the henchman and Hank Worden makes an uncredited but memorable appearance in one scene.

     Director Joseph Kane keeps the film moving at a steady clip and his handling of the action is assured. Kane was one of Republics most reliable directors, and would become their go-to-guy on many of their Roy Rogers pictures. He would later go on to helm major Hollywood westerns like Dakota with John Wayne and The Maverick Queenwork with Barbara Stanwyck before moving to television where he worked on shows like Bonanza and Rawhide.


Score: 7/10