Riders of the Whistling Skull | |
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Directed by | Mack V. Wright Louis Germonprez (assistant) |
Written by | Oliver Drake Bernard McConville John Rathmell William Colt MacDonald (novel) |
Produced by | Nat Levine Sol C. Siegel (associate) |
Starring | Bob Livingston Ray "Crash" Corrigan Max Terhune |
Cinematography | Jack A. Marta |
Edited by | Murray Seldeen (supervising) Tony Martinelli |
Music by | Harry Grey (supervisor) |
Distributed by | Republic Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 58 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Riders of the Whistling Skull is a 1937 "Three Mesquiteers" Western B-movie [1] of the weird western genre starring Bob Livingston, Ray "Crash" Corrigan, and ventriloquist Max Terhune with his dummy Elmer. It was directed by Mack V. Wright, produced by Nat Levine and released by Republic Pictures. The film is based on the 1934 novel by William Colt MacDonald.
After Professor Marsh disappears while searching for the lost city of Lukachukai, a party of anthropologists including Marsh's daughter Betty arrive in a Western town to prepare an expedition to look for him. Meanwhile, the Three Mesquiteers have discovered a delirious man wandering the desert and bring him to town where Betty recognizes him as a member of her missing father's expedition. As the man slowly gets his memory back the party wishes to know the location of Professor Marsh and Lukachukai that contains an ancient legendary treasure. The man is murdered with a knife bearing an Indian inscription. The Mesquiteers recognize that the murderer is one of the party in the room. Keen on his detective magazine that he constantly carries with him, Stony and the Mesquiteers lead an expedition to find Professor Marsh, the lost city and its treasure and the murderer. Well-armed devil worshiping Indians and animate mummies enliven the proceedings.
Allan William Colt MacDonald, who used the pen name William Colt MacDonald, was an American writer of western fiction born in Detroit, Michigan whose work appeared both in books and on film.
Ray "Crash" Corrigan was an American actor most famous for appearing in many B-Western movies. He also was a stuntman and frequently acted as silver screen gorillas using his own gorilla costumes.
Pals of the Saddle is a 1938 "Three Mesquiteers" Western film starring John Wayne and directed by George Sherman. This is the first of eight films in which Wayne played the lead in the popular series of fifty-one Three Mesquiteers films.
Overland Stage Raiders is a 1938 "Three Mesquiteers" Western film starring John Wayne and directed by George Sherman. The film is notable for being the final film in which silent film icon Louise Brooks performed. Wayne played the lead in eight of the fifty-one films in the popular series.
Santa Fe Stampede is a 1938 American "Three Mesquiteers" Western film directed by George Sherman and starring John Wayne, Ray Corrigan, and Max Terhune. Wayne played the lead in eight of the fifty-one films in the popular series.
Max Terhune was an American actor. He appeared in nearly 70 films, mostly B-westerns, between 1936 and 1956. Among these, Terhune starred in The Three Mesquiteers and Range Busters series.
The Night Riders is a 1939 American "Three Mesquiteers" Western film starring John Wayne, Ray "Crash" Corrigan, and Max Terhune. Wayne played the lead in eight of the fifty-one Three Mesquiteer films. The director was George Sherman. The villain of the film was based on a real-life character in the Old West, James Reavis, who was also known as The Baron of Arizona.
The Three Mesquiteers is the umbrella title for a Republic Pictures series of 51 American Western B-movies released between 1936 and 1943. The films, featuring a trio of Old West adventurers, was based on a series of Western novels by William Colt MacDonald. The eponymous trio, with occasional variations, were called Stony Brooke, Tucson Smith and Lullaby Joslin. John Wayne, who played Stony Brooke in eight of the films in 1938 and 1939, was the best-known actor in the series. Other leads included Bob Livingston, Ray "Crash" Corrigan, Max Terhune, Bob Steele, Rufe Davis and Tom Tyler.
Robert Edward Randall was an American film actor known under his stage name, Robert Livingston. He appeared in 136 films between 1921 and 1975. He was one of the original Three Mesquiteers. He also played The Lone Ranger and Zorro.
Hit the Saddle is a 1937 "Three Mesquiteers" Western B-movie starring Bob Livingston, Ray Corrigan, Max Terhune, and Rita Hayworth, before she became famous. It was second in The Three Mesquiteers series released by Republic Pictures. The film was directed by Mack V. Wright.
The Three Mesquiteers is a 1936 American Western "Three Mesquiteers" B-movie, starring Bob Livingston, Ray "Crash" Corrigan and Syd Saylor. It is first in a 51-film series of "Three Mesquiteers" films based on characters from the novels written by William Colt MacDonald, eight of which starred John Wayne. The film was directed by Ray Taylor, and produced by Nat Levine and written by Jack Natteford.
Wild Horse Rodeo is a 1937 American Western film directed by George Sherman and starring Robert Livingston, Ray Corrigan, and Max Terhune. Written by Oliver Drake and Betty Burbridge, based on a story by Drake and Gilbert Wright, the film is about a champion rodeo rider who returns to his home town in search of a legendary wild horse called Cyclone. The film is part of the Three Mesquiteers series of B-movies produced by Republic Pictures. Wild Horse Rodeo was the first film directed by George Sherman, who later directed numerous Western films for Republic, Columbia Pictures, and Universal Pictures.
Gunsmoke Ranch is a 1937 American Western "Three Mesquiteers" B-movie directed by Joseph Kane.
Ghost-Town Gold is a 1936 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane and was the second entry of the 51-film series of Western "Three Mesquiteers" B-movies. It was based on the 1935 novel of the same name by William Colt MacDonald.
Range Defenders is a 1937 American Western "Three Mesquiteers" B-movie directed by Mack V. Wright.
The Purple Vigilantes is a 1938 American Western film directed by George Sherman and starring Robert Livingston, Ray Corrigan, and Max Terhune. Written by Betty Burbridge and Oliver Drake, the film is about a rancher who organizes other ranchers to form a vigilante group in order to rid their town of outlaws. After the outlaws are defeated, some of the men, posing as the vigilant group, go on a crime spree. The Purple Vigilantes is the 12th entry in the Three Mesquiteers series of B-movies produced by Republic Pictures. The film was released in the United Kingdom as Purple Riders because at that time the word "vigilante" was unknown in Britain.
Call the Mesquiteers is a 1938 American Western "Three Mesquiteers" B-movie directed by John English.
Outlaws of Sonora is a 1938 American Western "Three Mesquiteers" B-movie directed by George Sherman. It stars Bob Livingston, Ray Corrigan and Max Terhune. Livingston has a dual role as Mesquiteer Stony Brooke and his outlaw doppelgänger Dude Brannen. Films in the Mesquiteer series are normally considered traditional Westerns but Outlaws of Sonora is an exception; it has a revisionist theme as an early example of the Outlaw/Gunfighter sub-genre.
Riders of the Black Hills is a 1938 American Western "Three Mesquiteers" B-movie directed by George Sherman and starring Robert Livingston, Ray Corrigan, and Max Terhune.
Heroes of the Hills is a 1938 American Western "Three Mesquiteers" B-movie directed by George Sherman.