The cowboy hero, as portrayed in hundreds of B Westerns in the '30s and '40s, was often too perfect to be believed.
He didn't drink, didn't smoke and didn't chase the ladies. He was calm under pressure and never made mistakes.Then along came the Three Mesquiteers.
Created by Western storyteller William Colt McDonald, the Mesquiteers (named after the mesquite plant) were fun-loving daredevils who roamed the plains getting in and out of trouble. They seemed like naturals for the motion picture screen and, not surprisingly, movie producers were soon knocking on McDonald's bunkhouse.
After a couple of false starts at other studios, The Three Mesquiteers became the stars of a lengthy series at Republic Pictures beginning in 1936.
As portrayed in the movies, the Mesquiteers seemed downright human compared to the other pure-of-heart cowpokes who were galloping across the celluloid praries at the time. They often poked fun at each other, bickered among themselves and sometimes in anger even split up. But you could bet when it was time for the climatic shootout, they'd forget their differences and band together to clean out some no-good gang of ornery varmits.
Republic Home Video has brought back the Mesquiteers in a collection of 12 films, each priced at $9.98. Those who remember when such black-and-white sagas of the sagebrush thrilled the Saturday matinee crowd so many years ago, will enjoy saddling up again.
The series ended in 1943, lasting through 51 films and various cast changes.
The definitive screen Mesquiteers were Bob Livingston, Ray "Crash" Corrigan and Max Terhune, who headlined the first 16 films.
Livingston, a former MGM contract player, played Stony Brook, who had an eye for the ladies and was also something of a hothead. Corrigan, an ex-stuntman, was Tucson Smith, the most level-headed and serious of the three; therefore he was less fun. Terhune, a ventriloquist and radio performer, was Lullaby Joslin, who approached life with a smile and spent much of his time serving as referee between Stony and Tucson.
After 16 films, Livingston left the series and was replaced as Stony by the Duke himself, John Wayne. Eight films later, Wayne, his star soaring with the release of "Stagecoach," departed for the big time. Livingston then returned as Brook for 20 more efforts, finally being replaced by Tom Tyler for the last seven entries.
Other cast changes included character actor Raymond Hatton taking over for Terhune. Hatton was followed by Western comic Rufe Davis and Jimmie Dodd. In the 1950s, Dodd became a familiar face to young TV viewers as the co-host of "The Mickey Mouse Club."
When Corrigan rode away after 24 films, Duncan Renaldo came in to play a character called Rico. Ten years later, Renaldo gained much fame as TV's "The Cisco Kid." He left the Mesquiteers after seven films and was replaced by veteran Western actor Bob Steele, who revived the role of Tucson.
Republic's collection includes a variety of the above combinations. Included are:
The Livingston-Corrigan-Terhine trio: "Hit the Saddle" (1937); "Outlaws of Sonora" (1938); "Riders of the Black Hills." (1938). The first film is noted for its female star, Rita Cansino; later known as Rita Hayworth.
The Wayne-Corrigan-Terhune trio: "Pals of the Saddle" (1938); "Overland Stage Riders" (1938); "Santa Fe Stampede" (1939).
The Livingston-Renaldo-Hatton trio:"The Kansas Terrors" (1939); "Covered Wagon Days" (1940); "Heroes of the Saddle" (1940)
The Livingston-Steele-Davis trio: "Under Texas Skies" (1940); "The Trail Blazers" (1940); "Lone Star Raiders" (1941).