Under Texas Skies

This Saturday matinée entry in the Three Mesquiteers series has plenty of good action sequences. One wonders if Yakima Canutt, who has a part as one of the outlaw henchmen, didn't have a hand in the stunt cinematography credited to William Nobles. This was the seventh trio to play the popular Republic heroes which at one time included the likes of the Duke himself. This trio, Robert Livingston, Bob Steele, and Rufe Davis made seven Three Mesquiteers films and proved to be an effective combination, with Robert Livingston on his white horse playing the indomitable Stony Brooke, Bob Steele as Tucson Smith, the little guy who could fight like nobody else and could whip his weight in bad guys, and Rufe Davis as Lullaby Joslin, who was supposed to be the comic of the three. Though Rufe Davis was likable enough, his humor often seemed forced and usually appealed to small fries only. Robert Livinston bowed out after the seventh film but Bob Steele and Rufe Davis stayed on with a new partner, Tom Tyler, for seven more Three Mesquiteers outings. Then Rufe Davis left the series and Jimmie Dodd continued with Tyler and Steele for six more films. Steele was still playing the role of Tucson Smith when Republic canceled the series in 1943. Bob Steele then changed companies and joined another trio called the Trail Blazers. So one reason to watch this movie is to see Robert Livingston and Bob Steele in action together fighting the bad guys. Plus this Three Mesquiteers outing has a fairly good story to go along with the action with Stony thinking Tucson has killed his father leading to complications since Tucson's sister has had the hots for Stony ever since he pulled her pigtails when they were children together. Lullaby muddies the water by feeding information he picks up in his so-called barber shop to the wrong parties. Watch and enjoy.