Few actors can boast a filmography as extensive astheJohn Wayne; the quintessential Golden Age of Hollywood actor, Wayne was a prolific performer who appeared in dozens of classic films, establishing himself as one of the most recognizable leading men in cinema history. With a particular specialty for starring in Westerns,Wayne defined the image of a Hollywood cowboyas he helped bolster the success of the genre, which was at its most lucrative in the early 20th century. Wayne’s popularity was ubiquitous, and in the late 1930s he starred in arguably the largest Western franchise of the time,The Three Mesquiteers— a series of movies with over 4 dozen installments, easily dwarfing even the exhaustiveMarvel Cinematic Universe.ThoughThe Three Mesquiteersaren’t the household names they once were, their legacy as one of the largest film franchises continues to be felt in the genre, and in cinema, today.
John Wayne, Ray Corrigan, and Max Terhune Played the ‘Three Mesquiteers’
The Three Mesquiteerswere based on a series of books byWilliam Col MacDonald,and were produced byRepublic Pictures. A portmanteau ofThe Three Musketeersand mesquite, a plant common to the Southwestern United States,The Three Mesquiteersfollowed a trio of cowboysnamed Stony Brooke, Tucson Smith, and Lullaby Joslin; throughout the expansive list of films, each of these characters were played by a number of different actors. Taking inspiration from the famous literary trio, the characters embarked onexciting and classic Western adventures. Throughout a whopping 51 films,The Three Mesquiteersfought outlaws, searched for gold, stole from tax collectors, and, in a later movie, even fought Nazis.The Three Mesquiteerswere built onthe foundation of traditional Westerns, but the sheer quantity of their films meant that they explored a truly wide variety of stories.
This Western Movie Actor Appeared in 26 John Wayne Films
There were no small parts in a John Wayne movie.
Though John Wayne is the most recognizable of these performers, he was neither the first nor the longest-tenured of these Western stars. The first in the film series wasThe Three Mesquiteers, which was released in 1936, and starredBob Livingston,Ray Corrigan, and, in his only appearance a mesquiteer,Syd Saylor. Though Saylor wouldn’t return for future installments, Livingston and Corrigan went on to become the most tenured actors in their roles, as Stoney Brooke and Tuscon Smith, respectively. Livingston appeared in an incredible 29 films, while Corrigan appeared in 24.Max Tehrunerounded out the list, as he portrayed Lullaby Joslin 21 times. Despite beingthe most lucrative box-office name, Wayne only starred as Stoney Brooke from 1938 to 1939, though he did get eight movies done in that short span of time. Wayne joined the franchise with 1938’sPals of the Saddle, leaving after 1939’sNew Frontier, which paved the way for Livingston to return as Stoney Brooke. And though she only appeared in seven films, actressLois Collierwas sometimes referred to as the Fourth Mesquiteer because of the prominence of her role during her appearances.
Republic Pictures Made 51 ‘Three Mesquiteers’ Movies
The rollout ofThree Mesquiteersfilms stands as one of the most prolific streaks of filmmaking in Hollywood history, asRepublic Pictures released a tremendous 51 films in less than a decade,from 1936 to 1943. And that number only accounts for the movies made by Republic Pictures, as other studios had also released their own adaptations ofThe Three Mesquiteerswithin that period. However, it was the Republic Pictures installments that truly cemented their legacy and popularity. At their peak in 1939, Republic Pictures released nineThree Mesquiteerfilms, beating out their previous record of eight the year prior. Besides their first year, where they released three installments, the studio never debuted fewer than 4 films in each of the subsequent years.
The Three Mesquiteerswere wildly successful, not just within their genre, but in Hollywood as a whole, influencing other studios to create their own “trigger trios” inspired by the Mesquiteers. Evenamong Western B-movies, which were known for their relatively rapid production and releases,The Three Mesquiteersstands out as the most abundant, creating an enormous film franchise decades before it became the status quo. No other film series can boast the sheer quantity and efficiency this film franchise had. Though the MCU might be more lucrative and cross-platform,Star Warshas become a galaxy in its own right, and iconic characters such asDraculamay have more film appearances in total,The Three Mesquiteershold their ground in Hollywood history.
The Three Mesquiteers
The Three Mesquiteersis currently available to rent or buy on Prime Video in the U.S.
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