Monday, December 16, 2013

Frontier Horizon (1939)

Frontier HorizonRepublic Pictures presents "NEW FRONTIER" (10 August 1939) (57 mins/B&W) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) -The series was based on a series of western novels by William Colt MacDonald, which began with "Law of the .45's" in 1933 --The Three Mesquiteers is the umbrella title for a series of 51 western B-movies released between 1936 and 1943, including 8 films starring John Wayne --The name was a play on The Three Musketeers, and each film featured a trio of stars --The series blended the traditional Western period with more modern elements, which was not unknown with other B-Western films and serials --Towards the end of the series, during World War II, the trio of cowboys were opposing Nazis --The Three Mesquiteers series was extremely popular at the time of its release --The series was the only one of its kind to be specifically named and ranked in contemporary polls of the top western film stars --For example, from 1937 to the end of the series in 1943, The Motion Picture Herald consistently ranked the series in its top ten, reaching a peak of 5th place in 1938, when a pre-Stagecoach John Wayne was the series lead

Under the production staff of:

George Sherman Director

William A. Berke Producer

Betty Burbridge Screenwriter

Luci Ward Screenwriter

Reggie Lanning Cinematographer

William Lava Composer (Music Score)

Tony Martinelli Editor

Our story line and plot, Our heroes Stony Brooke (John Wayne), Tucson Smith (Ray "Crash" Corrigan) and Rusty Joslin (Raymond Hatton) members of the Three Mesquiteers convince a group of settlers to exchange their present property for some which, unbeknownst to our goodguys, is going to be worthless --They are captured before they can warn the ranchers --When the New Hope Valley ranchers learn their land has been condemned for construction of a new dam, they decide to fight --When they delay the construction, Proctor suggests they relocate in a desert valley that will be irrigated by a new pipeline --The dam is then completed but when the Mesquiteers check on the site, they see there was no intention of building a pipeline --first attempt at film stardom for Phyllis Isley, age 20 at the time, whose name was changed in 1942 to the better known, Jennifer Jones, at the request of David O. Selznick, her mentor and later husband --John Wayne said farewell to the Three Mesquiteers film series and to the character of Stoney Burke he had played in them. The Mesquiteers would continue on without the Duke as they had before him. Herbert J. Yates and Republic finally decided that Wayne had become too big a star to continue him in B westerns. His next film after this was a loan out to RKO, Allegheny Uprising --In fact there was another change in the cast, Max Terhune left the series even before this and was replaced by Raymond Hatton.

the cast includes:

John Wayne ... Stony Brooke

Ray Corrigan ... Tucson Smith

Raymond Hatton ... Rusty Joslin

Jennifer Jones ... Celia Braddock (as Phylis Isley)

Eddy Waller ... Major Steven Braddock

Sammy McKim ... Stevie Braddock

LeRoy Mason ... M.C. Gilbert

Harrison Greene ... William Proctor

Reginald Barlow ... Judge Bill Lawson

Burr Caruth ... Dr. William 'Doc' Hall

Dave O'Brien ... Jason Braddock

Hal Price ... Sheriff

Jack Ingram ... Henchman Harmon

Bud Osborne ... Henchman Dickson

Slim Whitaker ... Rancher Jed Turner (as Charles Whitaker)

Bob Burns ... Jailed Rancher

Fred Burns ... Fiddle Player

George Chesebro ... Deputy

Special footnote -The 32 year old John Wayne was fortunate enough to have talented writers around him to write novels that could be adapted into vehicles for his career, as well as short stories and screenplays that would immortalise him as the American hero --This film is one such example --When you watch this film you're not watching it for the story (like you would do in 'Rio Grande' or 'The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance'), you're watching it to see John Wayne in action --He is the romantic embodiment of what it was like for the settling community to live in the post-civil war era --Despite the fact that most of these westerns distort history, what Wayne delivers gives you access to his humanity --That's what we like about him.

BIOS:

1. John Wayne (aka: Marion Robert Morrison)

Date of Birth: 26 May 1907 Winterset, Iowa

Date of Death: 11 June 1979 Los Angeles, California

2. Ray 'Crash' Corrigan (aka: Raymond Benard)

Date of Birth: 14 February 1902 Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Date of Death: 10 August 1976 Brookings Harbor, Oregon

3. Raymond Hatton (aka: Raymond William Hatton)

Birth Date: 7/07/1887 Red Oak, Iowa

Died: 10/21/1971 Palmdale, California

If you crave action, drama and plenty of adventure check out other western double features --Ask Amazon.Com to carry the volumes as they are not available on Amazon as of yet --you can order and pick up your copy now from VCI Entertainment

THREE MESQUITEERS WESTERN DOUBLE FEATURES FROM VCI ENTERTAINMENT

VOL 1 -GHOST TOWN GOLD & COME ON COWBOYS (VCI #7215)

VOL 2 -HIT THE SADDLE & HEART OF THE ROCKIES (VCI #7218)

VOL 3 -THE THREE MESQUITEERS & ROARIN' LEAD (VCI #7254)

VOL 4 -PURPLE VIGILANTES & PRAIRIE PIONEERS (VCI #7277)

VOL 5 -OUTLAWS OF SONORA & WEST OF CIMARRON (VCI #7290)

VOL.6 -CALL THE MESQUITEERS & RIDERS OF THE WHISTLING SKULL (VCI #7310)

VOL.7 -GANGS OF SONORA & PIONEERS OF THE WEST (VCI #7321)

VOL.8 -CODE OF THE OUTLAW & OKLAHOMA RENEGADES (VCI #7330)

VOL.9 -GAUCHOS OF EL DORADO & OUTLAWS OF CHEROKEE TRAIL (VCI #7332)

VOL.10 HEROES OF THE SADDLE & THE KANSAS TERRORS (VCI #7337)

VOL.11 RIDERS OF THE RIO GRANDE & SHADOWS ON THE SAGE (VCI #7339)

Hats off and thanks to Les Adams (collector/guideslines for character identification), Chuck Anderson (Webmaster: The Old Corral/B-Westerns.Com), Boyd Magers (Western Clippings), Bobby J. Copeland (author of "Trail Talk"), Rhonda Lemons (Empire Publishing Inc) and Bob Nareau (author of "The Real Bob Steele") as they have rekindled my interest once again for B-Westerns and Serials --If you're into the memories of B-Westerns with high drama, this is the one you've been anxiously waiting for --please stand up and take a bow --all my heroes have been cowboys!

Total Time: 57 min on VHS/DVD ~ Republic Pictures ~ (1/01/2004)

New Frontier was the original theatrical title for this film. Frontier Horizon was the title used for TV syndication to distinguish the 1939 film from Wayne's earlier, 1935, film of the same title. They are not the same story, but Republic occasionally reused titles for different scripts. This film has location work at the movie ranch, now a public park, once owned by Ray Corrigan. If you know the film, you can go to the park, which is in Simi Valley, and spot the locations. The big rock with the hole in it is there, but the hole is covered with brush. The film material is very good. For fans of the early Wayne films at Republic, grab them while they are available in new transfers.

Buy Frontier Horizon (1939) Now

John Wayne, Ray Corrigan and Raymond Hatton are one of the best trigger trios ever namely the Three Mesquiteers. The print is good and sharp and there are lots of riding, fighting and shooting. Some seconds of the action and stunts are fill-ins from older movies and that's a bit irritating but one can live with it. It is always a pleasure to see great actors like Leroy Mason, Eddy Waller, Jack Ingram and many more. Billed under her real name Phyllis Isley, you are witness to the film debut of Jennifer Jones. And then it is a bit funny to think that this b-western is from the same year that Wayne starred in John Ford's Stagecoach.

Read Best Reviews of Frontier Horizon (1939) Here

Another excellent John Wayne "B" movie, one needs to like J.Wayne plus being able to enjoy the early movies, they are poor qulity compaired to today's hi-tech movies. It is cute to watch these early producers and how they slip in some special effects.

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