The Three Mesquiteers

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The Three Mesquiteers
The 3 Mesquiteers poster.jpg
Poster for The Three Mesquiteers (1936)
Written by William Colt MacDonald (based on novels by)
Starring Bob Livingston
Ray Corrigan
Syd Saylor
Max Terhune
John Wayne
Ralph Byrd
Duncan Renaldo
Raymond Hatton
Tom Tyler
Bob Steele
Rufe Davis
Jimmie Dodd
Production
company
Release date
September 22, 1936 to May 21, 1943
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

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.

Contents

Background

William Colt MacDonald wrote a series of novels about The Three Mesquiteers, beginning with The Law of 45's in 1933. The name "Mesquiteer" was a play on words, referring to mesquite, a plant common in the Western United States, and the characters of the 1844 Alexander Dumas novel The Three Musketeers . [1] The film series blended the traditional Western period with more modern elements, [2] a technique used in other B-Western films and serials. Toward the end of the series, during World War II, the trio of cowboys were opposing Nazis. One film, Outlaws of Sonora (1938), has a revisionist theme as an early example of the outlaw/gunfighter sub-genre. [3]

Previous non-Republic films

The Mesquiteers

Theatrical release poster for Pals of the Saddle (1938) starring John Wayne PalsOfSaddlePoster.jpg
Theatrical release poster for Pals of the Saddle (1938) starring John Wayne

In the Republic series, the cast list varied but always featured a trio of cowboys. The original and most frequently recurring Mesquiteer characters were:

Other members of the trio over the entire series were:

Stars in supporting roles at various times included:

Actress Lois Collier was sometimes called the Fourth Mesquiteer because seven of the movies featured her as the female lead. [5]

Max Terhune, when playing Lullaby Joslin, would sometimes appear with a ventriloquist dummy called Elmer.

Reception

The Three Mesquiteers series was extremely popular at the time of its release. The series was the only one of its kind to be specifically named and ranked in contemporary polls of the top Western film stars. From 1937 to the end of the series in 1943, the Motion Picture Herald consistently ranked the series in its top 10, reaching a peak of fifth place in 1938, when a pre- Stagecoach John Wayne was the series lead. [6]

Influence

The success of the series led to many "trigger trio" imitators at other studios. The first was The Range Busters (1940–43) from Monogram Pictures, which starred original Mesquiteer Ray "Crash" Corrigan as the character "Crash" Corrigan. Monogram also released The Rough Riders (1941–42), again poaching a Mesquiteer in the form of Raymond Hatton, and The Trail Blazers (1943–44). Producers Releasing Corporation produced two similar series, The Texas Rangers (1942–45) and The Frontier Marshals (1942). [6] On television, NBC broadcast Laredo from 1965 to 1967. It starred Neville Brand, William Smith and Peter Brown as a trio of Texas Rangers. [7]

Films

Republic Pictures produced 51 films in The Three Mesquiteers series between 1936 and 1943:

YearTitleDirectorMesquiteersLead actress
19361. The Three Mesquiteers Ray Taylor Bob Livingston
(Stony Brooke)		 Ray Corrigan
(Tucson Smith)		 Syd Saylor
(Lullaby Joslin)		 Kay Hughes
2. Ghost-Town Gold Joseph Kane Max Terhune
(Lullaby Joslin)
3. Roarin' Lead Sam Newfield
Mack V. Wright 		Christine Maple
19374. Riders of the Whistling Skull Mack V. Wright Mary Russell
5. Hit the Saddle Rita Cansino
6. Gunsmoke Ranch Joseph Kane Jean Carmen
7. Come On, Cowboys Maxine Doyle
8. Range Defenders Mack V. Wright Eleanor Stewart
9. Heart of the Rockies Joseph Kane Lynne Roberts
10. The Trigger Trio William Witney Ralph Byrd
(Larry Smith, Tucson's brother)		Sandra Corday
11. Wild Horse Rodeo George Sherman Bob Livingston
(Stony Brooke)		 June Martel
193812. The Purple Vigilantes Joan Barclay
13. Call the Mesquiteers John English Lynne Roberts
14. Outlaws of Sonora George Shermannone
15. Riders of the Black Hills Ann Evers
16. Heroes of the Hills Priscilla Lawson
17. Pals of the Saddle John Wayne
(Stony Brooke)		 Doreen McKay
18. Overland Stage Raiders Louise Brooks
19. Santa Fe Stampede June Martel
20. Red River Range Lorna Gray
193921. The Night Riders Doreen McKay
22. Three Texas Steers Carole Landis
23. Wyoming Outlaw Raymond Hatton
(Rusty Joslin)		 Pamela Blake
24. New Frontier Jennifer Jones
25. The Kansas Terrors Bob Livingston
(Stony Brooke)		 Duncan Renaldo
(Rico Renaldo)		 Julie Bishop
26. Cowboys from Texas Carole Landis
194027. Heroes of the Saddle William Witneynone
28. Pioneers of the West Lester Orlebeck Beatrice Roberts
29. Covered Wagon Days George Sherman Kay Griffith
30. Rocky Mountain Rangers Rosella Towne
31. Oklahoma Renegades Nate Watt Florine McKinney
32. Under Texas Skies George Sherman Bob Steele
(Tucson Smith)		 Rufe Davis
(Lullaby Joslin)		 Lois Ranson
33. The Trail Blazers Pauline Moore
34. Lone Star Raiders June Johnson
194135. Prairie Pioneers Lester Orlebeck Esther Estrella
36. Pals of the Pecos June Johnson
37. Saddlemates Gale Storm
38. Gangs of Sonora John EnglishJune Johnson
39. Outlaws of Cherokee Trail Lester Orlebeck Tom Tyler
(Stony Brooke)		 Lois Collier
40. Gauchos of El Dorado
41. West of Cimarron
194242. Code of the Outlaw John Englishnone
43. Raiders of the Range Lois Collier
44. Westward Ho
45. The Phantom Plainsmen
46. Shadows on the Sage Lester Orlebeck Jimmie Dodd
(Lullaby Joslin)		 Cheryl Walker
47. Valley of Hunted Men John Englishnone
194348. Thundering Trails Nell O'Day
49. The Blocked Trail Elmer Clifton Helen Deverell
50. Santa Fe Scouts Howard Bretherton Lois Collier
51. Riders of the Rio Grande Lorraine Miller

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<i>Red River Range</i> 1938 film by George Sherman

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<i>Santa Fe Stampede</i> 1938 film

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<i>Three Texas Steers</i> 1939 film

Three Texas Steers is a 1939 American "Three Mesquiteers" Western B-movie directed by George Sherman. It stars John Wayne, Ray "Crash" Corrigan and Max Terhune as the Mesquiteers; with Carole Landis as the female lead. Wayne played the lead in eight of the fifty-one films in the series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Max Terhune</span> American actor (1891–1973)

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<i>Hit the Saddle</i> 1937 film by Mack V. Wright, George Blair

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.

<i>The Three Mesquiteers</i> (film) 1936 film by Ray Taylor

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.

<i>Riders of the Whistling Skull</i> 1937 film

Riders of the Whistling Skull is a 1937 "Three Mesquiteers" Western B-movie 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.

<i>Wild Horse Rodeo</i> 1937 film by George Sherman

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.

<i>Ghost-Town Gold</i> 1936 film 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.

<i>Roarin Lead</i> 1936 film by Sam Newfield, Mack V. Wright

Roarin' Lead is a 1936 American Western film directed by Sam Newfield and Mack V. Wright and was the third entry of the 51-film series of Western "Three Mesquiteers" B-movies.

<i>The Purple Vigilantes</i> 1938 film

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.

<i>Call the Mesquiteers</i> 1938 film

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<i>Outlaws of Sonora</i> 1938 film

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.

<i>Riders of the Black Hills</i> 1938 film

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<i>Under Texas Skies</i> (1940 film) 1940 film

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<i>Prairie Pioneers</i> 1941 film

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<i>Pals of the Pecos</i> 1941 film

Pals of the Pecos is a 1941 American western film directed by Lester Orlebeck and starring Robert Livingston, Bob Steele and Rufe Davis. It was part of the "Three Mesquiteers" B-movie series released by Republic Pictures.

<i>Saddlemates</i> 1941 film

Saddlemates is a 1941 American western film directed by Lester Orlebeck and starring Robert Livingston, Bob Steele and Rufe Davis. Part of the "Three Mesquiteers" B-movie series, it was produced and distributed by Republic Pictures.

<i>Gangs of Sonora</i> 1941 film

Gangs of Sonora is a 1941 American western film directed by John English and starring Robert Livingston, Bob Steele and Rufe Davis. Produced and distributed by Republic Pictures it is part of the "Three Mesquiteers" B-movie series.

<i>Outlaws of Cherokee Trail</i> 1941 film

Outlaws of Cherokee Trail is a 1941 American western film directed by Lester Orlebeck and starring Robert Livingston, Bob Steele and Lois Collier. It is part of the long-running Three Mesquiteers B-movie series released by Republic Pictures. directed by Lester Orlebeck.

References

  1. ↑ "The Three Mesquiteers". B-Western Movies. p. 1. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  2. ↑ Powell, Larry; Amsbary, Jonathan H. (2018). Becoming John Wayne: The Early Westerns of a Screen Icon, 1930–1939. McFarland. p. 118. ISBN   978-14-76629-94-0.
  3. ↑ "Outlaw (Gunfighter) Film". AllMovie. p. 11. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  4. ↑ Kehr, Dave (September 28, 2012). "Tall in the Saddle in 2 Eras at Once". New York Times. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  5. ↑ Magers, Boyd; Fitzgerald, Michael G. (2004). Westerns Women: Interviews with 50 Leading Ladies of Movie and Television. McFarland. pp. 58–62. ISBN   978-07-86420-28-5.
  6. 1 2 "The Three Mesquiteers". B-Western Movies. p. 2. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  7. ↑ Hathorn, Billy (2013). "Roy Bean, Temple Houston, Bill Longley, Ranald Mackenzie, Buffalo Bill, Jr., and the Texas Rangers: Depictions of West Texans in Series Television, 1955 to 1967". West Texas Historical Review. 89. West Texas Historical Association: 115–116.
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