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4.0 out of 5 stars
"The Three Mesquiteers Series ... Riders of the Black Hills (1938) ... Republic", March 29, 2008
This review is from: Riders of the Black Hills [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Republic Pictures presents "RIDERS OF THE BLACK HILLS" (15 June 1938) (54 mins/B&W) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) -- The series was based on a series of western novels by William Colt MacDonald, which began with "Law of the .45's" in 1933 --- The Three Mesquiteers is the umbrella title for a series of 51 western B-movies released between 1936 and 1943, including 8 films starring John Wayne --- The name was a play on The Three Musketeers, and each film featured a trio of stars --- The series blended the traditional Western period with more modern elements, which was not unknown with other B-Western films and serials --- Towards the end of the series, during World War II, the trio of cowboys were opposing Nazis --- 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 --- For example, from 1937 to the end of the series in 1943, The Motion Picture Herald consistently ranked the series in its top ten, reaching a peak of 5th place in 1938, when a pre-Stagecoach John Wayne was the series lead
Under the production staff of:
George Sherman - Director
William A. Berke - Producer
Betty Burbridge - Screenwriter
William Nobles - Cinematographer
Alberto Colombo - Musical Direction/Supervision
Les Orlebeck - Editor
Bernard McConville - Short Story Author
Our story line and plot, Our heroes Stony Brooke (Robert Livingston), Tucson Smith (Ray "Crash" Corrigan) and Lullaby Joslin (Max Terhune) members of the Three Mesquiteers The famous race horse Black Knight has been stolen and a ransom is being asked. The Mesquiteers become involved when they are arrested for the theft. Mrs. Garth clears them and their look-alike horse is then used in the big race posing as Black Knight. When he wins the kipnapers now demand the entire purse --- The strong supporting cast includes Maude Eburne as the feisty owner of Black Knight --- Roscoe Ates as a stuttering sheriff and Ben Hall as a lamebrained reporter --- Riders of Black Hills is the second of 13 consecutive "Three Mesquiteers" westerns directed by George Sherman ---
the cast includes:
Robert Livingston ... 'Stony' Brooke
Ray Corrigan ... 'Tucson' Smith
Max Terhune ... 'Lullaby' Joslin
Ann Evers ... Joyce Garth
Roscoe Ates ... Sheriff Brown (as Rosco Ates)
Maude Eburne ... Mrs. Peggy Garth
Frank Melton ... Don Weston
Johnny Lang Fitzgerald ... Jockey Buck
Jack Ingram ... Henchman Lefty
John P. Wade ... Ed Harvey, Horse Trader
Edward Earle ... Race Track Steward
Monte Montague ... Deputy Sam
Ben Hall ... Reporter Ethelbert
Frank O'Connor ... Doctor
Tom London ... Henchman 'Red' Stevens
Fred 'Snowflake' Toones ... Snowflake (as Snowflake)
Art Dillard ... Henchman
Elmer ... Elmer, Lullaby's Dummy
George Magrill ... Pilot
John Merton ... Irate Theatre Patron
Milburn Morante ... Race Spectator
Bud Osborne ... Henchman
Jack O'Shea ... Race Spectator
David Sharpe ... Co-pilot
Lester Sharpe ... Actor in Theatre Movie
Slim Whitaker ... Posse Rider
BIOS:
1. Robert Livingston (aka: Robert Edgar Randall)
Date of birth: 9 December 1904 - Quincy, Illinois
Date of death: 7 March 1988 - Tarzana, California
2. Ray 'Crash' Corrigan (aka: Raymond Benard)
Date of Birth: 14 February 1902 - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Date of Death: 10 August 1976 - Brookings Harbor, Oregon
3. Max Terhune
Date of Birth: 12 February 1891 - Anderson, Indiana
Date of Death: 5 June 1973 - Los Angeles, California
If you crave action, drama and plenty of adventure check out other western double features --- Ask Amazon.Com to carry the volumes as they are not available on Amazon as of yet --- you can order and pick up your copy now from VCI Entertainment
THREE MESQUITEERS WESTERN DOUBLE FEATURES FROM VCI ENTERTAINMENT
VOL 1 -- GHOST TOWN GOLD & COME ON COWBOYS - (VCI #7215)
VOL 2 -- HIT THE SADDLE & HEART OF THE ROCKIES - (VCI #7218)
VOL 3 -- THE THREE MESQUITEERS & ROARIN' LEAD - (VCI #7254)
VOL 4 -- PURPLE VIGILANTES & PRAIRIE PIONEERS - (VCI #7277)
VOL 5 -- OUTLAWS OF SONORA & WEST OF CIMARRON - (VCI #7290)
VOL.6 -- CALL THE MESQUITEERS & RIDERS OF THE WHISTLING SKULL - (VCI #7310)
VOL.7 -- GANGS OF SONORA & PIONEERS OF THE WEST - (VCI #7321)
VOL.8 -- CODE OF THE OUTLAW & OKLAHOMA RENEGADES - (VCI #7330)
VOL.9 -- GAUCHOS OF EL DORADO & OUTLAWS OF CHEROKEE TRAIL - (VCI #7332)
VOL.10 - HEROES OF THE SADDLE & THE KANSAS TERRORS - (VCI #7337)
VOL.11 - RIDERS OF THE RIO GRANDE & SHADOWS ON THE SAGE - (VCI #7339)
Hats off and thanks to Les Adams (collector/guideslines for character identification), Chuck Anderson (Webmaster: The Old Corral/B-Westerns.Com), Boyd Magers (Western Clippings), Bobby J. Copeland (author of "Trail Talk"), Rhonda Lemons (Empire Publishing Inc) and Bob Nareau (author of "The Real Bob Steele") as they have rekindled my interest once again for B-Westerns and Serials --- If you're into the memories of B-Westerns with high drama, this is the one you've been anxiously waiting for --- please stand up and take a bow --- all my heroes have been cowboys!
Total Time: 54 min on VHS/DVD ~ Republic Pictures ~ (1/01/1998)
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