The Night Riders

Talbot Pierce, a notorious card shark, is thrown from a riverboat and washes on shore at an inn which also houses a forger Hazelton. Hazelton has the idea of using a forged Spanish land grant that would say Don Luis de Serrano (Pierce) would own 13 million acres of land in Arizona. The courts decide it is authentic and Don Luis takes over the land and charges high taxes, cattle tolls, and rent for his land, and then evicts them after he taken everything they have including the 3M ranch. Stony, Tucson, and Lullaby decide to strike against Don Luis by riding as white robed vigilantes Los Capaqueroes, where they hold up Don Luis' tax collectors and give the money to the next person to be evicted from the valley. While this causes confusion, the Three Mesquiteers lack the evidence that will cause an investigation. They decide to take jobs from Don Luis as hunters for Los Capaqueroes, but Stony recognizes Don Luis as Pierce, but it is too late as our heroes are discovered to be the vigilantes and sentenced to be shot. Decent B western, but nothing really new and exciting considering there was never any chemistry between Wayne and Corrigan & Terhune and it shows here. I do like the Los Capaqueroes idea but the film lacks much action and the resolution to the film is sort of a downer. Remade w/ Don Barry as Arizona Raiders and again (loosely) w/ Vincent Price in the Baron of Arizona. Rating, based on B westerns, 6.

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.

...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.

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!

Talbot uses a phony land grant to rule thirteen million acres, taxing everyone heavily and evicting those who won't pay. The Three Mesquiteers becomes mysterious "night riders" to fight this evil.

Typical Three Mesquiteers entry that has a right amount of humour, intrigue and action. This time the trio are wearing masks and capes while fighting against greedy landowners. Therefore this entry has a swashbuckling feel a la Zorro but without swords. Enjoyable western.

By this time Wayne was a big star - thanks to Stagecoach- however he had to complete Mesquiteers films for republic. In the Mesquiteers he's quite cheerful and takes leadership.