The Three Mesquiteers Explained

The Three Mesquiteers
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
Released:September 22, 1936 to May 21, 1943
Studio:Republic Pictures
Country:United States
Language:English

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.

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

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). 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 Mesquiteersalign=center width=125pxRay Tayloralign=center width=125px rowspan=9Bob Livingston
align=center width=125px rowspan=24Ray Corrigan
align=center width=125pxSyd Saylor
align=center rowspan=2Kay Hughes
2. Ghost-Town GoldJoseph Kanealign=center rowspan=21Max Terhune
3. Roarin' Lead Sam Newfield
Mack V. Wright		Christine Maple
19374. Riders of the Whistling Skull align=center rowspan=2Mack V. WrightMary Russell
5. Hit the Saddle Rita Cansino
6. Gunsmoke Ranch align=center rowspan=2Joseph KaneJean Carmen
7. Come On, Cowboys Maxine Doyle
8. Range Defenders Mack V. WrightEleanor Stewart
9. Heart of the Rockies Joseph KaneLynne Roberts
10. The Trigger TrioWilliam WitneyRalph Byrd
Sandra Corday
11. Wild Horse Rodeoalign=center rowspan=2George Shermanalign=center rowspan=6Bob Livingston
June Martel
193812. The Purple VigilantesJoan Barclay
13. Call the Mesquiteers John EnglishLynne Roberts
14. Outlaws of Sonora align=center rowspan=13George Shermannone
15. Riders of the Black HillsAnn Evers
16. Heroes of the Hills Priscilla Lawson
17. Pals of the Saddlealign=center rowspan=8John Wayne
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 Outlawalign=center rowspan=9Raymond Hatton
Pamela Blake
24. New Frontier Jennifer Jones
25. The Kansas Terrorsalign=center rowspan=14Bob Livingston
align=center rowspan=7Duncan Renaldo
Julie Bishop
26. Cowboys from Texas Carole Landis
194027. Heroes of the Saddle William Witneynone
28. Pioneers of the West Lester OrlebeckBeatrice Roberts
29. Covered Wagon Days align=center rowspan=2George ShermanKay Griffith
30. Rocky Mountain Rangers Rosella Towne
31. Oklahoma Renegades Florine McKinney
32. Under Texas Skiesalign=center rowspan=3George Shermanalign=center rowspan=20Bob Steele
align=center rowspan=14Rufe Davis
Lois Ranson
33. The Trail Blazers Pauline Moore
34. Lone Star Raiders June Johnson
194135. Prairie Pioneers align=center rowspan=3Lester Orlebeck Esther Estrella
36. Pals of the Pecos June Johnson
37. Saddlemates
38. Gangs of Sonora John English June Johnson
39. Outlaws of Cherokee Trailalign=center rowspan=3Lester Orlebeckalign=center rowspan=13Tom Tyler
align=center rowspan=3Lois Collier
40. Gauchos of El Dorado
41. West of Cimarron
194242. Code of the Outlaw align=center rowspan=4John English none
43. Raiders of the Range align=center rowspan=3Lois Collier
44. Westward Ho
45. The Phantom Plainsmen
46. Shadows on the Sage Lester Orlebeckalign=center rowspan=6Jimmie Dodd
47. Valley of Hunted Men align=center rowspan=2John English none
194348. Thundering Trails
49. The Blocked Trail Helen Deverell
50. Santa Fe Scouts align=center rowspan=2Lois Collier
51. Riders of the Rio Grande Lorraine Miller

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Three Mesquiteers . B-Western Movies . 1 . April 1, 2022.
  2. Book: Powell . Larry . Amsbary . Jonathan H. . Becoming John Wayne: The Early Westerns of a Screen Icon, 1930–1939 . McFarland . 2018 . 118 . 978-14-76629-94-0.
  3. Web site: Outlaw (Gunfighter) Film . AllMovie . 11 . April 1, 2022.
  4. News: Tall in the Saddle in 2 Eras at Once . Kehr . Dave . New York Times . September 28, 2012 . September 28, 2020.
  5. Book: Magers . Boyd . Fitzgerald . Michael G. . Westerns Women: Interviews with 50 Leading Ladies of Movie and Television . McFarland . 2004 . 58–62 . 978-07-86420-28-5.
  6. Web site: The Three Mesquiteers . B-Western Movies . 2 . April 1, 2022.
  7. Hathorn . Billy . 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 . West Texas Historical Association . 89 . 2013 . 115–116.

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