Range Defenders

Range Defenders finds the Three Mesquiteers trying to defend Stoney's brother George played by future TV director Thomas Carr from a murder charge. Carr is a small rancher and he's accused of killing the owner of the Ponderosa of sheep spreads. He's on the lam (no pun intended) and looking for brother Bob Livingston and his fellow Mesquiteers Ray Corrigan and Max Terhune to help him out of the jackpot he's in.

The real murderer is lawyer and perennial western villain Harry Woods who now controls the estate for Eleanor Stewart. He's also the political boss of the area with crooked sheriff Earl Hdodgins on the pad. And Hodgins is up for election and Woods is determined to have a good Chicago style election to get him back in.

I always love seeing Earl Hodgins he was always playing engaging rogue types on either side of the law. Having Elmer the dummy get the better of him in a political debate was truly precious.

Three Mesquiteer fans of all ages will like this.

This movie essentially begins with one of the Three Mesquiteers named "Stony Brooke" (Robert Livingston) finding out that his younger brother "George Brooke" (Thomas Carr) has been wrongfully accused of murder and that there is a $5000 warrant on his head. Naturally, wanting to clear his brother of these charges Stony and his two colleagues "Tucson Smith" (Ray Corrigan) and "Lullaby Joslin" (Max Terhune) ride over to town where the murder occurred to investigate on their own. What they don't realize is that there is some dissension between the local cattlemen and some sheep herders which plays directly into the false accusation towards George--and the Three Mesqueteers are headed directly into this conflict. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that, in spite of the fact that this film only ran for about 56 minutes, this was a fairly entertaining Western all the same. Admittedly, it was quite dated and rather predictable, but even so, I enjoyed it for the most part, and I have rated it accordingly. Average.