Santa Fe Stampede (1938)

the audience applauded

Just what I expected

Absolutely Fantastic

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

The Three Mequiteers - John Wayne, Ray "Crash" Corrigan, and Max Terhune come to the aid of an old friend who's besieged by a truly nasty group of politically connected claim-jumpers and horse-thieves who plan to steal his goldmine.With lots of atmosphere and suspense to spare, this excellent, rousing entry in Republic Pictures' Three Mesquiteers series is a joy to watch. It's loaded to the rafters with non-stop action, stunts, and close-calls on the part of the heroes. As with other titles in the series, Santa Fe Stampede seems seems like a twelve-chapter serial pressed into just under an hour!Certainly, this is one of the increasingly higher quality pictures leading up to John Wayne's breakthrough role the following year in John Ford's Stagecoach.One thing that's shocking to see in a 1930's Saturday matinée B-western is the sight of a little girl, who dies screaming as her wagon crashes violently from a steep rocky pass! I can't believe they did that!

This was a definite look back at the past when John Wayne was very young and starting out on a great career in films. There really is no stampede, except the bad guys trying to blame Stony Brooke, (John Wayne) for a crime he did not commit. However, the local town people want justice and are convinced that Stony is responsible for this crime and must pay for it. Stony is put in jail and his lady friend, Nanvy Carson visits him while the jail is set on fire and they are both destined to die in the blaze. Tucson Smith,(Ray Corrigan) and Lullaby Joslin, (Max Terhune) try to come to his rescue. Lullaby Joslin is also a ventriloquist and there are some funny scenes with his dummy talking and making jokes. If you look real close, you will see the famous villain of all Western Films, Charlie King. Great John Wayne Classic film, enjoy.

William Farnum sends for The Three Mesquiteers to help him save his mining claim who some unscrupulous townspeople are trying to get a hold of. The villains are headed by town mayor LeRoy Mason.Mason proves to be a most resourceful villain. He kills Farnum and his little daughter and frames Wayne for the murder. When it looks like the Duke and Crash and Lullaby are going to get out of the frame, he gets a lynch mob going.This is the second film that I've seen where the Duke was the object of a lynch mob. In Range Law where he's also accused of murder, he's almost lynched as well. Marshal Buck Jones saves him in that one.LeRoy Mason played a lot of western villains and he gives the Mesquiteers a run for their money. He thinks pretty fast on his feet and it's a less nervy member of his own gang that ruins all his plans.How does Wayne get out of it? All I can say it's a rescue worthy of some of the serial cliffhangers.

"Santa Fe Stampede" is one of many Three Mesquiteers films made by Republic in the late 30s and early forties. The trio in this outing consisted of John Wayne, Ray "Crash" Corrigan and Max Terhune. For Wayne, this was the third of eight Three Mesquiteer films he appeared in and was his final "B" western series prior to his emergence as a major star.As usual the title of the movie bears little or no resemblance to the plot of the picture. The "Santa Fe" of the title is "Santa Fe Junction" and there is no stampede to be found, or for that matter, no cattle.What the film does have is a great cast. Wayne, Corrigan and Terhune look comfortable in their hero roles. Former silent screen star William Farnum, with his stage trained voice and elocution, plays the boys' friend and partner. The chief villain is played by Republic's busiest bad guy of the period, LeRoy Mason. In his gang of henchmen are such "B" western stalwarts as Charlie King, Bud Osborne and Dick Alexander. Tom London also appears as a marshal.In the video I watched, issued by Republic Pictures Home Video there are three minutes cut out. The key scene deleted involves the fate of the Farnum character and his young daughter, which some must have thought was too disturbing for young audiences. But I do not understand why the video didn't contain the complete version.Nevertheless, "Santa Fe Stampede" is a good way to spend an hour.