Pals of the Saddle

Monium?
The Three Mesquiteers tangle with secret agents in a race to keep the villains from smuggling deadly monium gas to foreign governments. If nothing else, the Three Mesquiteers series "modernized" the Western. This movie begins with a blazing WWI battle scene depicting European armies pounding each other. Historical details are vague. Maybe it's some other European conflict. Anyway, the 3M encounter a '30s Emma Peel-type secret agent at a dude ranch. She is woking for the U. S. Secret Service. Depicting a strong, independent woman is another positive innovation of this little picture. Republic Studios was excellent at producing fast moving B Westerns that stressed outdoor action. Intrusive musical numbers were thankfully absent in the 3M series. Lullaby (Max Terhune) provides ventriloquist comic relief via Elmer, the dummy. Stony (John Wayne), Tucson (Ray Corrigan), and Lullaby are a three man army that stand off the bad guys until the Border Division of the 81st Cavalry arrives. This...

Crisp like being in the theater!
Again a Three Mesquiteers Picture so sharp and clear it's like being in the movie theater. The famous trigger trio is here played by young John Wayne, Ray "Crash" Corrigan and Max Terhune. The plot is exciting, the story intelligent and witty and there are lots of great action. Doreen McKay is a very convincing heroine and it is good to see mainstays like Jack Kirk and Ted Adams. This one is highly recommendable for b-western fans and for newcommers who would like to explore the magic of the genre.

"The Three Mesquiteers Series ... Pals of the Saddle (1938) ... Republic"
Republic Pictures presents "PALS OF THE SADDLE" (28 August 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...

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