Pals of the Saddle

"Pals of the Saddle" is the first of eight Three Mesquiteer series westerns that John Wayne made for Republic's 1938-39 season. During this time, "Stagecoach" would be released, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Comparing this film to some of his earlier efforts, one can see how far Wayne had developed his on-screen presence. He appeared much more confident and more at ease. In one scene he even impersonates a grizzled and hokey prospector complete with old clothes and whiskers. As was the case in many of the Mesquiteer films, this one is set in "modern" (the late 30s) times.

In this outing he joins fellow Mesquiteers Ray "Crash" Corrigan and Max Terhune as "Stoney Brooke" in an effort to foil the evil doers plans to smuggle banned war materials out of the country to an unnamed foreign power to manufacture poison gas. At this juncture, America was still selling its neutrality in respect of the European conflict.

The film is still quite entertaining and is enhanced by Wayne's performance. I was a little disappointed not to see any of Republic's familiar roster of bad guys in the picture. The supporting cast was for me totally unrecognizable. Anyway, Stoney Brooke is a long way from "Singin" Sandy Saunders.

Pals of the Saddle (1938)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

The first of eight Three Mesquiteer films John Wayne made for Republic from 1938-39. In the film, Wayne is accused of murder so he and the two others must try and clear his name while bringing down bad guys trying to sell poison gas. This is one of the better films in the series that I've seen. Wayne is his usual self, although he certainly wasn't the legend he was to become. The story movies pretty fast at 55-minutes and the supporting cast adds nice support. The fight scenes are all pretty well done.

This film begins with the announcement that war has broken out in Europe and that the United States has announced it neutrality. To that effect, with the discovery in the American Southwest of an important mineral known as monium, which is useful in the production of poison gas, the Roosevelt Administration has instituted a strict embargo on the product preventing its export. Needless to say, this doesn't sit well with some of the countries currently at war--with one in particular intent on acquiring sufficient quantities at all costs. What this nation doesn't count on, however, is a head-to-head confrontation with the Three Mesquiteers who just happen to stumble upon their smuggling operation. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was the first film in the series to feature John Wayne in the role of "Stoney Brooke" (typically played by Robert Livingston). Quite frankly, although I was fond of Robert Livingston in that role, I have to say that John Wayne performed at least as well--if not better. Be that as it may, although rather short (approximately 55 minutes) and quite dated, I enjoyed this film, and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.

Remember Saturday mornings at the movies? This is a perfect example of the memories. Almost an hour of good guys, bad guys, pretty gal in trouble and gun play. Three saddle pals stop foreign spies from smuggling a dangerous chemical into Mexico. The chemical is used to make poison gas. Fast horses and stray bullets travel with the familiar generic background music.

John Wayne, Ray 'Crash' Corrigan and Max Terhune are the saddle pals. Doreen McKay is the government agent that needs help catching the bad guys.

An American Western; A story about three cowboy pals known as the Three Mesquiteers who befriend a woman and then are involved in foiling enemy agents who plan to smuggle poisonous gas into Mexico. This is the first in a long series of films based on the Western novels of William Colt MacDonald involving a trio of travelling cowboys set in the modern West. It's a formulaic oater of modest means but it keeps a good brisk flow of drama. The plot is protracted and the falsely accused of murder device is well-worn. John Wayne is lively and has presence as the hero with the stubble. Doreen McKay as a strong female character makes their scenes together attractive.