Max Terhune did not appear in the final two Mesquiteer movies of the John Wayne era (Wyoming Outlaw and New Frontier). His contract was up, and he was pissed with Republic Pictures over wage disputes. Thus Max and his terrifying dummy Elmer made their terrifying way over to Monogram Pictures – That’s called “out of the frying pan, into the fire.”
As his replacement, for the following nine movies, Raymond Hatton was cast as Terhune’s replacement. Despite Wayne’s having taken the role of Stony Brooke in Robert Livingston’s absence, Republic apparently felt it would be “confusing” for another man to essay the Lullaby Joslin role Terhune in fact stole from another actor before him. Hence Hatton plays Lullaby’s brother, Rusty Joslin, for what little difference it makes. Having not seen any of Hatton’s performances, I can only assume it means a reduction of ventriloquism terror. That can only be a good thing.
Terhune’s departure was but the first sign of a major shakeup in the Mesquiteers. Ray Corrigan, the sole remaining Mesquiteer since the very start of the franchise, left twenty-four films in. His reasoning was cash, same as Terhune’s. They’d become bosom chums in their time together, Corrigan presumably under Elmer’s evil, puppet-like control the same as Terhune. What they went on to do together is a story for another time, but here’s the short of it – They started another franchise, The Range Busters. (We’ll get to that one someday.)
Corrigan had to be replaced as well. This was done by Duncan Renaldo, who would only earn real fame in the 50s when he played the Cisco Kid in, well, “The Cisco Kid.” That’s a TV show, preceded by a like-named franchise for Monogram. (We’ll get to that one someday.)
For now, though, Renaldo plays Rico Renaldo (ooh, reeeaaal creative), because they weren’t confident enough in having someone else take on the Tucson Smith mantel Corrigan had worn. I have nothing to say about Renaldo’s input either, as I’ve seen nothing he did.
Meanwhile…John Wayne also left. Yup, all the Mesquiteers left Republic over a very short two movie (and two month) period. Wayne’s departure was to greener pastures – Stagecoach, The Searchers, an airport named after him in Orange County. Godspeed, Duke.
So his role of Stony Brooke needed to be recast as well. And who do you now get for the role originated by Robert Livingston? Well, how about Robert Livingston? Indeed, Livingston makes his triumphant return to the Mesquiteers, the series’ worth having risen in Republic’s estimation under Wayne’s guidance. Thus Livingston, a brighter star in Republic’s firmament now than when he started with the Mesquiteers (he’s credited as “Robert” now, rather than “Bob”), was again a welcome addition to the fold. This is the creation of –
THE SECOND ROBERT LIVINGSTON ERA
This era lasted for another fourteen pictures, from 1939 to 1941. Yeah, it took ‘em three years to make as many movies as it might make the Saw guys fourteen years to make – and I’m being generous there. It only ended when Livingston left for other B-picture studios. Having already played the Lone Ranger (in between Mesquiteer stints), it only made sense that producers would wish to confuse us more by having Livingston play someone called the Lone Rider in another franchise, The Lone Rider. (We’ll get to that one someday.)
Even under this new Livingston situation, the franchise was not without actor shakeups. Hatton and Reynaldo jumped The Trigger Trio at the same time, part of a simultaneous contract expiration. Renaldo went off to be useless for half a decade, while Hatton went on to join two other cowboy actors (Buck Jones and Tim McCoy) to start his own western trio franchise, The Rough Riders. (We’ll get to that one someday.)
This means, six films into Livingston’s new reign, he needed two new partners in Mesquiteerism. While it would be two entirely new actors, they would assume the titles previously held by the other original Mesquiteers – that is, it’s the glorious in-name-only return of Lullaby Joslin and Tucson Smith.
“Starring Rufe Davis as Lullaby Joslin.” He doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page.
“Starring Bob Steel as Tucson Smith.” Steel was a B-western star on a par with Wayne for most of the 30s, and like Wayne he starred in a John Ford 1939 masterpiece – this one being The Grapes of Wrath (though its one-year release delay allowed Ford to win the Best Director for both). Apart from his newfound fame as a Mesquiteer, Steele was best known for his Billy the Kid franchise with PRC. (We’ll get to that one someday.)
So that is the history surrounding the Second Robert Livingston Era (SRLE), a history of actor changes. While there is some critical opinion that this is the superior era of Mesquiteer production, as a result of increased Republic resources and a more professional cast, it remains profoundly unavailable. I cannot find a single entry in the remaining 31 Mesquiteer movies…except for Prairie Pioneers. So we’ll get to that one tomorrow, but for now, let us consider what little can be gleaned about the remaining SRLE entries:
The Kansas Terrors (1939) – What’s first after our change of pace in casting? A change of pace in setting. So it’s off to the Caribbean, of all places (not Kansas?), where Stony and Rusty meet Renaldo for the first time. Here they aid him in a peasant revolt, and he permanently joins the Mesquiteers (for 7 entries).
Cowboys From Texas (1939) – A title like that is equivalent to saying Aliens From Outer Space. Homesteaders! Cattlemen! Range wars! I think we’ve seen all this…at least once before.
Heroes of the Saddle (1940) – Once again the series goes the cheap route, and vilifies the Rod Blagojeviches of the world who would murder men for the opportunity to use orphans as child labor. I’m serious. Not that the plot is that focused.
- First: The Mesquiteers’ friend dies in a rodeo accident.
- Second: The trio becomes his daughter’s guardian, but yet is legally required to put her in an orphanage until they can afford to get her out of it. The reasoning for this is beyond me.
- Third: They visit the orphanage, which seems to be in cahoots with the old folks home in Happy Gilmore – the girl’s foot is mysteriously injured.
- Fourth: The Mesquiteers decide to raise the money to repair her foot – forgetting about the other reason they’re raising money. To do this, Stony becomes a boxer. Are you still with me?
- Fifth: The orphanage has already fixed the girl’s foot, entirely to deflect suspicions away from them. Naturally, this makes the Mesquiteers suspicious.
- Sixth: Child sweatshops are found! The villain has ties to Kathy Lee Gifford!
(For some reason, this movie’s IMDb page has a picture of Willie Nelson on it.)
Pioneers of the West (1940) – It’s the “crooked real estate developers” plot again, with baddies selling worthless land to innocent settlers, then trying to get the same land back the instant it becomes useless. Methinks their schemes would work better if they just avoided the whole “victim” middleman. No matter, the Mesquiteers aim to raise the needed money for the settlers, because damned if anyone is to defend for themselves in these movies. The Mesquiteers sell cattle, the bad guys rob their cattle, the bad guys frame the Mesquiteers for robbing their own cattle – okay. The Mesquiteers then lash out with violent force, as is their peaceful wont, as Stony becomes a Masked Rider.
(The Masked Rider conceit is a fallout of Livingston’s Lone Rider role, because this allowed them to reuse footage he produced for The Lone Ranger Rides Again. Ah, show business laziness.)
Covered Wagon Days (1940) – Smuggling into Mexico was the concern of Pals of the Saddle, so this one concerns smuggling from Mexico – silver smuggling. Renaldo’s uncle Don Diego runs a mine, and is murdered, Renaldo’s brother found guilty. The Mesquiteers set off to stop those responsible, and clear Renaldo’s brother. (Framing a guy – the easiest thing in the world to do, according to 30s and 40s movies.)
Rocky Mountain Rangers (1940) – Title aside, this takes place in Texas, specifically in the Panhandle. Apparently, this is lawless Obama-run federal land that is never visited by Texas Rangers (even Chuck Norris). The Mesquiteers, though, will go there, where they find a wounded boy and nurse him back to help. Then the bad guy outlaws simply kill the lad anyway, because these later Mesquiteers seem a bit less squeamish about plot-mandated child murder.
These later Mesquiteers are also heavy with Stony’s exact duplicates existing everywhere. It seems in every other entry, Stony has a doppelganger, suggesting some sort of steam-punk meta plot about cloning conspiracies (like a contemporary TV show would do). In the context of 1940, though, it simply means Stony can infiltrate the baddies’ gang, and bring them to justice.
Oklahoma Renegades (1940) – In a franchise that can never settle down on a historical era, with a century-wide margin of error, it is now the waning days of the Spanish-American War. The actual plot is the same as always – victimized homesteaders terrorized by needlessly violent landlords and/or cattlemen – only the historical context allows those victims to specifically be war veterans. So…it’s the exact same plot as The Three Mesquiteers, which was the very first entry. These guys are lucky the Internet didn’t exist in 1940 to call them out on such shenanigans.
Under Texas Skies (1940) – This is the entry where Bob Steele and Rufe Davis came aboard. That means it’s Tucson and Lullaby again. And the heavens rejoiced.
The filmmakers’ celebration involves killing off Stony’s father. The man thought guilty is none other than Stony’s former friend, Tucson Smith. Stony helps Tucson until his father’s deputy (who is the real villain), convinces him otherwise. It is now friend against friend, as Tucson goes on the lamb from the deputized Stony. He is only permanently convinced of his friend’s innocence when Lullaby Joslin, now the local barber, overhears the villain’s confession mid-shave. You know, this sounds like an actual story, not just a context-free reunion. I would’ve liked to have seen this.
The Trail Blazers (1940) – A telegraph has been erected between two Old West forts, meant to stop a band of local outlaws. But the outlaws retaliate – by killing everybody. And I mean everybody – well, except for the outlaws themselves, naturally…and the Mesquiteers. Everyone else – the love interest, the spunky comic relief children, whomever Yakima Canutt certainly plays – all dead! Holy underwear, Batman, these movies are getting dark! Damn that WWII!
Lone Star Raiders (1940) – The Mesquiteers’ ranch (now named for once – it’s the Circle H) is going under, due to drought, dust storm, rivers of blood and locusts. Or…just the first two. To remain financially solvent, the trio aims to sell their horses for an Army contract. But the bad guy also wants that Army horse contract – so our heroes go to war to ensure their horses can go to war.
Prairie Pioneers (1941) – TBD.
Pals of the Pecos (1941) – Apparently it’s the same old Mesquiteer plot as always, but this time with everyone fighting over the U.S. Post Office. The Post Office! I understand mail delivery was more exciting in the 19th century, but still…
Saddlemates (1941) – In the ninth (of ten) entries to sound like it could be pornography, the franchise goes back to vilifying Native Americans, which was still OK in 1941. Due to the magic of bureaucracy, part of Texas along the Red River is declared Indian Territory – this means the Army is well within its jurisdiction to come in and heroically slaughter whole families of natives. Ever the defenders of the common man, the Mesquiteers nobly serve as the Army’s guides and strategists in their murder campaigns. The villain proves to be a villainous Indian chief, Wanachee, who will stoop as low as self defense to protecting his people against the righteousness of Manifest Destiny. I’m glad I didn’t see this one.
Gangs of Sonora (1941) – Wyoming’s statehood. The villains are involved. The villains opposing it, that is. And someone named Kansas Kate, whose alliterative name invokes the wrong state, is caught up in the middle. Also, Mesquiteers. Meh.
Next up – the only movie from the SRLE made available to civilians: Prairie Pioneers
Related posts:
• No. 1 The Three Mesquiteers (1936)
• No. 3 Roarin’ Lead (1936)
• No. 4 Riders of the Whistling Skull (1937)
• No. 5 Hit the Saddle (1937)
• No. 6 Gunsmoke Ranch (1937)
• No. 7 Come On, Cowboys! (1937)
• No. 8 Range Defenders (1937)
• No. 9 Heart of the Rockies (1937)
• No. 10 The Trigger Trio (1937)
• No. 13 Call of the Mesquiteers (1938)
• No. 14 Outlaws of Sonora (1938)
• Nos. 29 – 38 (1940 – 1941)
• No. 35 Prairie Pioneers (1941)
• Nos. 39 – 51 (1941 – 1943)
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