Customer Reviews

Trail Blazers [VHS]

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Republic Pictures presents "TRAIL BLAZERS" (11 November 1940) (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
Harry Grey - Producer
William Colt MacDonald - Screenwriter
Barry Shipman - Screenwriter
Earle Snell - Screenwriter
William Nobles - Cinematographer
Cy Feuer - Composer (Music Score)
Tony Martinelli - Editor

Our story line and plot, The Mesquiteers Stony Brooke (Bob Livingston), Tucson Smith (Bob Steele) and Lullaby Joslin (Rufe Davis) try to help their friend Jim Chapman (Carroll Nye) build a telegraph system, despite a local newspaper editor's Jeff Bradley (Weldon Heyburn) attempts to sabotage the lines --- Watch for comic sidekick Rufe Davis perform a signature version of "Jingle Bells" --- Director George Sherman is at the helm with wonderful cinematographer William Nobles behind the camera.

the cast includes:
Robert Livingston ... Stony Brooke
Bob Steele ... Tucson Smith
Rufe Davis ... Lullaby Joslin
Pauline Moore ... Marcia Kelton
Weldon Heyburn ... Jeff Bradley
Carroll Nye ... Jim Chapman
Tom Chatterton ... Major Kelton
Si Jenks ... T.L. Johnson (dentist)
Mary Field ... Alice Chapman
John Merton ... Henchman Mason
Rex Lease ... Engineer Reynolds
Robert Blair ... Fowler

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. Bob Steele (aka: Robert Adrian Bradbury)
Date of Birth: 23 January 1907 - Portland, Oregon
Date of Death: 21 December 1988 - Burbank, California

3. Rufe Davis (aka: Rufus Davidson)
Date of Birth: 2 December 1908 - Vinson, Oklahoma
Date of Death: 13 December 1974 - Torrance, 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
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)