Riders Of The Black Hills

Republic release of William Berke production. Directed by George Sherman. Screenplay by Betty Burbridge from a story by Betty Burbridge and Bernard McConville. Photography William Nobles; editor Leslie Orlebeck; musical director Alberto Colombo. Release date June 15. Running time 55 minutes.

Weekly Variety, June 22, 1938: Literally a film on the hoof. There’s no end of horses, chases and assorted saddle acrobatics from the racetrack to the range. For all the hard riding, the film is entertaining, brevity and variance of plot from cactus carbon helping much. As good a double depot filler as the next, possibly better on the strength of growing rep of the larrupin’ trio.

Film falls right in with current snatch publicity, only in this instance it’s a horse. Bit of a racetrack tout hijacking a famous nag from train en route to the west motivates. Trio are horse dealers and are mistakenly taken in tow because they own a semi-wild stallion of similar characteristics. Identification by owner of stolen horse frees them, after which they do the sherlocking for purloined pony.

Follows the Hopalong Cassidy theme in keeping boys together and never letting romance take the upper hand. Mild interest there when boyfriend of owner’s niece is bagged as one of the snatchers, giving one of the trio heart throb, but boys go on minus the frail. Finally double wild nag in big race to fool the horsenappers and, although another complication ensues, all ends well, etc.

Couple of amusing lighter moments between Max Terhune (one of the trio) and Roscoe Ates, sheriff. Ben Hall’s dumb reporter bit also fills bill considering surroundings. Terhune doubles in a couple of magic bits and uses a dummy in a ventriloquial turn. Seems out of place, but will only be added laugh for the not-too-technical chair-edge sitters.

The Three Mesquiteers are well nigh perfect on the horse histrionic score. Besides two being lookers and big guys, they possess riding and shooting speed for better characterizations. No one gets hit by their bullets herein, but plenty are roped and grounded. Appears they never get off their mounts except to remount on the other side to neat musical scoring throughout.

Motion Picture Herald, June 25, 1938:

With a minimum amount of talking and an abundance of action, ‘Riders of the Black Hills’ presents the Three Mesquiteers rising hard and furious over the well beaten path of many other westerns, but for western fans the film is more than satisfactory. The Mesquiteers not only catch up with the villain and his gang but they also stage numerous flailing fist fights. At the projection room showing the resounding smacks when fist met jaw were so loud as to indicate the receiver had suffered a fracture of the jaw, at least, in the process.

The Mesquiteers, rounding up wild horses for a living, capture ‘Mesquite’, a handsome black animal who looks precisely like a famous race horse, ‘Black Knight’ except for a scar on the right foreleg. The three are taken into custody when they are mistaken for a gang that has stolen ‘Black Knight’. The cowboys are cleared when the owner discovers his mistake.

The three, after meeting Ann Evers, who supplies the romantic interest, then devote their energy to tracking down the thieves (referred to in the film as ‘kidnappers’). Miss Evers, whose aunt owns ‘Black Knight’, permits them to enter ‘Mesqutie’ under the name ‘Black Knight’ in the all important race. ‘Mesquite’ wins and the gang is trapped.

Max Terhune makes little use of his ventriloquism, but his adventures with the tame circus gorilla are humerous. Roscoe Ates, the stuttering comedian of the stage and screen, is the sheriff.

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