Three Mesquiteers (film)
"Three Mesquiteers" is a series of B-Western films produced by Republic Studios, totaling fifty-one installments. The characters were inspired by novels written by William Colt MacDonald and became famous for their roles as heroic cowboys in a fantastical version of the Old West. By 1940, the series showcased six different actor combinations in its leading roles, with Robert Livingston, Bob Steele, Rufe Davis, Tom Tyler, and Jimmy Dodd portraying the main characters—Stony Brooke, Tucson Smith, and Lullaby Joslin. Later, Duncan Renaldo and Raymond Hatton took over as Rico and Rusty Joslin, respectively.
The Mesquiteers were celebrated for their protective nature towards children and often found themselves engaging in adventures that highlighted themes of patriotism and support for small ranchers and businesses. They served as a significant cultural touchstone during the Great Depression, embodying resilience and heroism in their narratives. This series influenced various other Westerns that emerged in the early 1940s, providing a counterpoint to the popular singing-cowboy genre. Although the trio Westerns waned in popularity by 1945, their legacy endured, notably inspiring the 1986 film "Three Amigos!" which humorously pays tribute to the genre.
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Three Mesquiteers (film)
Identification Series of B-picture Westerns
Producer Republic Studios
Date Released from 1936 to 1943
Set in contemporary times, the Three Mesquiteers films were the most successful of the B-Westerns featuring trios of heroes. John Wayne starred in eight of the Mesquiteers films. The Mesquiteers battled villains from the Third Reich and solved problems in foreign lands. Their popularity prompted studios to create other trio Westerns, such as Republic Pictures’ Range Busters series (1940-1943) and the Producers Releasing Corporation’s Texas Rangers series (1942-1945).
Republic Studios made fifty-one Three Mesquiteers films. The characters originated in novels by William Colt MacDonald. By 1940, the studio’s Three Mesquiteers films had featured six different combinations of actors in the leading roles. After 1940, five actors— Robert Livingston, Bob Steele, Rufe Davis, Tom Tyler, and Jimmy Dodd—played the characters of Stony Brooke, Tucson Smith, and Lullaby Joslin. Duncan Renaldo played Rico and Raymond Hatton played Rusty Joslin, replacing Tucson and Lullaby.
Helping to endear B-Westerns to juvenile audiences, the Mesquiteers typically protected and nurtured children, and they existed in a fantasy Old West. These capable heroes were cowboys, administrators, government agents, engineers, and surveyors. Their horses could outrun cars, buses, trains, and even airplanes. They were patriots and champions of small ranchers and businessmen. Their responsible actions embodied the spirit needed to defeat both the Great Depression and aggressive foreign powers.
Impact
The Mesquiteers influenced at least five other Western series that appeared between 1940 and 1945. A number of other series appeared with a combination of stars such as Tex Ritter and Johnny Mack Brown or Tex Ritter and Bill Elliott. Such Westerns served as a counterweight to the popular singing-cowboy Westerns that featured such stars as Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, and Eddie Dean. By 1945, the trio Westerns had essentially run their course, but in 1986 they were paid a reverential homage in Three Amigos!, a film in which Chevy Chase, Martin Short, and Steve Martin play a trio of down-on-their-luck Western actors who are engaged to protect a Mexican village from bandits by villagers who think their screen exploits are real.
Bibliography
Loy, R. Philip. Westerns and American Culture, 1930-1955. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2001.
McGillis, Roderick. He Was Some Kind of a Man: Masculinities in the B Western. Waterloo, Ont.: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2009.
Tuska, Jon. The American West in Film: Critical Approaches to the Western. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1985.