The Night Riders

...from Republic Pictures and director George Sherman. The Three Mesquiteers (John Wayne, Ray Corrigan, and Max Terhune) try to help landowners who are being squeezed by a con-man (George Douglas) claiming to be Spanish royalty with rights to all of their land. The Mesquiteers are forced to don costumes to fight the bad guy's army of henchmen. Also featuring Doreen McKay, Ruth Rogers, Tom Tyler, Kermit Maynard, Sammy McKim, Walter Wills, Ethan Laidlaw, and Glenn Strange.

The entry is unique in a few ways. The title, combined with the white hoods and cloaks that our heroes wear, unfortunately calls to mind the Klan, which I'm only 75% sure was not intended. The story is based on the same strange-but-true tale that inspired the later Baron of Arizona starring Vincent Price. And while most of the Mesquiteer movies that I've watched have been set in then-modern times, this one is set in 1881, since part of the story concerns President James Garfield's assassination. Despite all of this, the movie is still simple-minded, predictable, and a bit dull.

The film essentially begins with the Three Mesquiteers traveling on a riverboat when they witness a card shark by the name of "Pierce Talbot" (George Douglas) being called out for cheating and getting into a fight over it. Things quickly escalate from that point when Pierce is thrown overboard after drawing a knife. Managing to reach the riverbank, Pierce eventually finds refuge in a house owned by fraudster by the name of "Hazelton" (Walter Wills) who has drawn up a phony deed to a tract of land encompassing over 13 million acres with the owner being a man that greatly resembles Pierce. As one might expect, it isn't long before Pierce assumes the name of this owner and, once the deed is accepted in court, he immediately lays claim to everything. Naturally, this causes a great deal of concern with the people who have already settled on this land and subsequently have to pay Pierce--now known as Luis de Serrano--an excessive price just to stay there. To that effect, a great number of these settlers are soon forced off of their ranches due to the exorbitant rent being charged--and that includes the Three Mesquiteers. That said, recognizing the inequity of the situation, the Three Mesquiteers don disguises and, under the alias of "Los Capaqueros" start robbing the rent collectors give the proceeds to those who need it the most. Needless to say, this angers Pierce to such an extent that he issues a bounty for their capture--dead or alive. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was an entertaining addition to the Three Mesquiteers series due to the brisk action and the "Robin Hood" nature of the overall plot. Admittedly, there are a few issues that strain credibility--with the main one being the pure white horse owned by "Tucson Smith" (Ray Corrigan) being identical to the one ridden by a member of Los Capagueros. Yet nobody seemed capable of making that rather obvious connection. Only in Hollywood. In any case, although this clearly wasn't a great Western by any means, I thought it was one of the better films in the series, and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.

The cast of the Republic Three Mesquiteers series was never consistent, with the various three leading men everchanging. For a while, the lead was played by John Wayne, but considering that his career was taking a fast turn for the better, it's not surprising he soon left the series. "The Night Riders" is one of these Mesquiteer films featuring Wayne.

In this installment, a baddie poses as Don Luis de Serrano, a Spanish nobleman. He creates a phony land grand deed with the help of another local jerk and now goes to court and seeks control of 13,000,000 acres. Then, he taxes everyone to death and is a general nuisance. So, it's up to the Mesquiteers to take the law into their own hands to stop Don Luis. And, perhaps, along with the help of the ill-fated President Garfield as well!

This film marks a first. Lullaby's really annoying and strange use of ventriloquism in the old west is strange and way out of place. But in a first, it actually comes in handy in a scene early in the film. Heck, it might be the first time Lullaby did ANYTHING much to help!

Overall, a father formulaic but enjoyable installment in the series. It's also unusual because the message seems to be 'if the law doesn't work, take it into your own hands or resort to mob rule and vigilanteism'! Strange but worth your time is you like B-westerns.

I imagine that Night Riders was probably done immediately after Stagecoach was finished shooting, but was not out yet. No one knew that it would be the film that would make John Wayne a huge star, so he was back doing the Three Mesquiteers western series for Republic Pictures. It is the film listed immediately after Stagecoach on IMDb and in the Films of John Wayne book.

In this entry Wayne, Ray Corrigan, Max Terhune and a whole bunch of other honest folk are being tossed off their ranches by a man showing up with titles from an old Spanish land grant. The only problem here is that you're dealing with the Three Mesquiteers who ain't gonna take this lying down.

The three of them, Duke included, decide to go Zorro on the bad guys. They dress up as three stylish bandits with caped hoods and call themselves, Los Capequeros. They rob the rent collectors from the "Don" and give it back to the ranchers. Even sheriff Kermit Maynard is sympathetic to them.

What makes Night Riders interesting is the fact that the Three Mesquiteers go calling on President James A. Garfield who is making a goodwill trip out west. They are looking to elude the rent collectors and break in on President Garfield while he's reading in bed. Don't say much for Presidential security, but they put up their guns and Garfield doesn't give them away. And he offers to help if they can get the evidence after the Mesquiteers tell their tale.

Of course Garfield never went west in the brief three months he had as President in 1881 before an assassin shot him in Washington's Union station. Oddly enough his successor Chester A. Arthur did make a trip west, a well publicized good will trip that was worked into the plot of the Robert Taylor western, Cattle King which I also reviewed. Garfield's shooting was worked in, albeit in a minor way, in the climax of Night Riders.

The Garfield connection does make Night Riders somewhat interesting to watch. And the Three Mesquiteer films were a bit above average of the ordinary B picture westerns of the time.

I hope no one sees that title and assumes some cartoon cat guest starred with the Duke in one of his films.

Confession: I nearly always find early b-Westerns more or less enjoyable, there's usually a lot of pleasant easy familiarity and a lot of dated stuff that can or should be forgiven. Just switch off the analysin'. John Wayne made approximately one million of these swift potboilers before he made his name – the same year as Night Riders. Even good old Gene Autry didn't make as many.

Baddies forge old document proving the legality of their claim to thirteen million acres of land – they promise fairness to the tenants but deliver harshness, endless taxes and death instead. How very like all politicians always! Wayne and his two sidekicks object to this and begin a fightback as mysterious caped crusaders – Los Capaqueros replacing The Three Mesquiteers. It's the usual stuff, sub-Zorro fisticuffs and shootouts complete with self conscious melodrama: therefore all I'd hoped for, nothing more. Wayne's cohorts Ray Corrigan and Max Terhune kept on mining the b-picture vein throughout the '40's while Wayne began his climb to superstardom and the making of many movie classics. Highly enjoyable non-serious time-filler!