Roarin' Lead

I never expect brilliance from a Three Mesquiteers movie. After all, they were cheap B-westerns and Monogram Studio churned them out by the dozen. However, even compared to the level of quality I expected, this one is awfully bad. Not only does it feature the usual cowboy film clichés but it also has orphans...and these orphans, unfortunately, like to sing and dance. As a result, it's a syrupy sweet and slightly nauseating film.

When "Roarin' Lead" begins, an evil administrator is not only working with his gang to rustle cattle but this meanie wants to close down the orphanage and sell the children as slaves! Fortunately, the Mesquiteers arrive and put a stop to all the shenanigans. Unfortunately, this also means a big charity benefit for the orphans--complete with (yuck) Tex Terhune and his god-awful puppet and the worst singing and dancing I can recall that isn't attributable to a seizure disorder or demonic possession. My guess is that the audience had to pay in order to get to leave and that's how they raised all the money for the kids! Overall, it's a real chore to see this one from start to finish.