Santa Fe Stampede

William Farnum sends for The Three Mesquiteers to help him save his mining claim who some unscrupulous townspeople are trying to get a hold of. The villains are headed by town mayor LeRoy Mason.

Mason proves to be a most resourceful villain. He kills Farnum and his little daughter and frames Wayne for the murder. When it looks like the Duke and Crash and Lullaby are going to get out of the frame, he gets a lynch mob going.

This is the second film that I've seen where the Duke was the object of a lynch mob. In Range Law where he's also accused of murder, he's almost lynched as well. Marshal Buck Jones saves him in that one.

LeRoy Mason played a lot of western villains and he gives the Mesquiteers a run for their money. He thinks pretty fast on his feet and it's a less nervy member of his own gang that ruins all his plans.

How does Wayne get out of it? All I can say it's a rescue worthy of some of the serial cliffhangers.

An American Western; A story about a trio of cowboys who foil an attempt by a town mayor's gang to steal a gold mine from a friend. This is a routine B-film, light on actual stampede but heavy on scenes that some young viewers may find disturbing. The plot is standard fare involving the framing of a man for a crime and a potential miscarriage of justice. It is directed in a straightforward way for a short feature but the film has a strong third act of peril, danger, fist fighting and thrills. John Wayne has charisma, carrying the show with moral spirit and fortitude. Head baddie LeRoy Mason is suitably nefarious.

This was a definite look back at the past when John Wayne was very young and starting out on a great career in films. There really is no stampede, except the bad guys trying to blame Stony Brooke, (John Wayne) for a crime he did not commit. However, the local town people want justice and are convinced that Stony is responsible for this crime and must pay for it. Stony is put in jail and his lady friend, Nanvy Carson visits him while the jail is set on fire and they are both destined to die in the blaze. Tucson Smith,(Ray Corrigan) and Lullaby Joslin, (Max Terhune) try to come to his rescue. Lullaby Joslin is also a ventriloquist and there are some funny scenes with his dummy talking and making jokes. If you look real close, you will see the famous villain of all Western Films, Charlie King. Great John Wayne Classic film, enjoy.

Stony, Tucson, and Lullaby riding hard again as The Mesquiteers is all the action you need in this classic Republic film. The boys start off with helping Dave Carson, played by silent film star William Farnum with his goldmine grubstake. LeRoy Mason brilliantly plays the mayor with a band of henchmen, a crooked sheriff, lawyer, and judge have some other ideas. And these are the creme of the crop henchman and B western stalwarts including, Richard Alexander, Yakima Canutt, George Chesebro, and Charles King. Singer, dancer, actress June Martel is stunning as Nancy Carson holding the fort after the runaway buckboard disaster. Martin Spellman shows his great child acting skills and is ever ready to mix it up with the villains. The superb acting and non-stop action is all you need in this one. A stampede would've gotten tired out trying to keep up with everything going on in this film anyway.

The Mesquiteers capture a horse thief who escapes justice through a crooked judge. They gather signatures urging the governor to investigate but a friend with the petition is murdered. Stony is accused.

There's no stampede as the title suggests but there's the usual formulaic story of the 3 mesquiteers coming to the rescue, tackling a crooked mayor, shootout, fisticuffs, however the death of Wayne's friend and the young girl adds some sombreness and drama - the plot twists and turns. Wayne is framed, and a lynch mob - with women among the men demanding him dead - is formed. The highlight is the burning of the sheriff's office where Wayne is imprisoned and it's also dynamited.

A good entry featuring the three fast galloping heroes.