John Wayne, Ray “Crash” Corrigan and Max Terhune are the 3 Mesquiteers in SANTA FE STAMPEDE. It’s a solid, action filled saga directed by George Sherman, who worked with Duke decades later as the producer of THE COMANCHEROS (1961) and directed him again in one of his best later westerns, BIG JAKE in 1971.
SANTA FE STAMPEDE from 1938 was one of Duke’s last B westerns and it’s a good one. It was made just one year before Wayne was to star in John Ford’s influential A-western, STAGECOACH (1939), which took him out of the B movie category he’d been working since the disaster of THE BIG TRAIL (1930). But, even after the release and success of STAGECOACH, Duke honored his contract with Republic Pictures and returned to star in several more 3 Mesquiteers movies, for a total of eight in the series.
In SANTA FE STAMPEDE Duke is falsely arrested for murder and his two sidekicks, Corrigan and Terhune, are trying to solve the case before their pal is lynched. Terhune was one of the most unusual sidekicks because he was a ventriloquist and carried around his “dummy,” Elmer, for generally funny bits.
Republic westerns were always filled with well-staged action. This film is no exception. Once again, the legendary Yakima Canutt is working both in front of and behind the camera staging the fast riding, the shootouts and even a brawl in the courtroom. An uncredited newcomer, George Montgomery, doubles Duke in several sequences. As usual, there are plenty of veteran actors making appearances and SANTA FE STAMPEDE is a veritable showcase for them. You’ll spot LeRoy Mason, William Farnum, Tom London, and Richard Alexander, with Charles King and Bud Osbourne as, what else, bad guys!
This movie is lots of fun and you’ll be able to see how far Duke progressed as an actor from the earlier serials and co-starring roles that we’ve featured here on our annual John Wayne Tribute, A WORD ON WAYNE on our weekly movie showcase WORD’S WAYBACK.
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