Absolutely Fantastic

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Blistering performances.

Robert Livingston, Ray Corrigan and Max Terhune were just one of several lineups that were the Three Mesquiteers. In fact, there were about a dozen different lineups and it even featured John Wayne as one of these do-gooders in a few of them. However, oddly, the ones featuring Livingston, Corrigan and Terhune are the ones that are mostly in the public domain. Part of it is because they played the roles the most often but I'd be interested in seeing some of the other lineups--and they are rather difficult to find. For the most part, I've never been that impressed by these public domain Mesquiteer films--but fortunately, "Come On, Cowboys" is worth watching. The film is typical of many of the 1930s B-westerns in that it's set in a bizarre world with 1930s AND late 19th century--with cowboys, crooks AND 1930s things like telephones and electric lights! "Come On, Cowboys" begins oddly--with the trio working for a traveling circus. Despite this, it IS pretty entertaining--and about the best part of the film. Apparently, they are working for one of the circus' owners, as he's a pal in need--and the Mesquiteers ALWAYS are about helping others (sort of like old west social workers). Soon after leaving this circus to return to their ranch, they are recalled to help the owner (the Mesquiteers ALWAYS are trying to go home to their ranch and ALWAYS are interrupted from settling down to a life there). It seems that someone (though it's obvious who) has planted counterfeit bills on the nice owner and now he's been sent to prison. He needs the boys to not only help prove his innocence but take care of his darling daughter.At this point in the film, western film cliché #4 comes into play. There is a pretty governess and, inexplicably, she takes a dislike to the Mesquiteers and she acts very petulantly--and no real woman (except those in need of medication) would behave this way. And, because of her nasty meddling, the three have to fit hard to get custody of the runt.There are some interesting things look for in the film. A nice case of animal cruelty occurs when one of the boys trips some horses using a rope (they really did this--it was not a trick--poor horses!). Also, for once, Max Terhune's ventriloquism (a stupid thing to put in a western) is pretty funny. There also is a bizarre part of the film where one of the boys dresses up like a gorilla to try to coerce a confession!! But to me, the most interesting aspect of the movie is the probably unintentional gay subtext. While many of these western heroes seem indifferent towards women, the three men (who live together and seem to do everything together) seem to hate the thought of sex or marriage to a woman. It's pretty funny seeing Corrigan and Livingston both behaving like marriage to a woman was worse than cancer!! So is it worth seeing? Well, if you are not a fan of B-westerns, probably not. But for lovers of the genre, it's good--funny and breezy entertainment.

The Three Mesquiteers, in this film played by Ray Corrigan, Bob Livingston and Max Terhune are not shown to the best advantage in this particular film. In fact they're almost downright idiots as they just can't bring the villain to just because he's too smart for them most of the way.The guys are ignoring their own spread to travel with a carnival owned and operated 50% by a friend of their's. When someone substitutes counterfeit for some payroll cash and the carnival employees start spreading it around, Ed Cassidy the owner is in one big jackpot.There's no suspense involved since we know almost right away that the real villain is the guy who owns the other 50% of the show. But the Mesquiteers have an additional problem in that Cassidy's juvenile daughter Anne Bennett has to provided for. Instead of getting the goods on the bad guy, the Mesquiteers spend more time in a custodial battle which our villain carefully exploits to best advantage.In the end of course he's brought down and it's comic relief Terhune who actually does it, using a carnival trick we saw him do in the beginning of the film.Far from the best of the Mesquiteer series.

Daft plot has Mesquiteers agreeing to adopt little Nancy, the requirements being that they must stay out of trouble for one week and that either Stony or Tucson must marry Nancy's plank-like governess. They also perform in a circus and round up a gang of not very sinister counterfeiters.The boys bicker in the usual manner, Crash fights the bad guys in his ape suit, Lullaby leaves a trail of playing cards which appear, magically, from his mouth and Elmer insults the punters at the circus.I suspect the Saturday matinée crowd would have loved this one despite a paucity of action.

Rigby, one half of the Rigby-Harris Circus, is running a counterfeiting ring and is trying to buy out his partner so that he can have a front where he has total control of. Harris refuses to sell, so Rigby frames Harris for his crimes and now thinks he has control over the circus. Rigby doesn't realize that Harris' stake in the show is through his visiting daughter Nancy, who Harris has adopted by Stony, Tucson, and Lullaby, who suspect Rigby of being the ringleader. Our three heroes try to get the evidence that will convict Rigby, but have to work against time since Nancy can only be adopted if Stony makes the ultimate sacrifice of (shudder) marrying Nancy's governess Ellen. This entry in the 3 Mesquiteers series is not exactly a winner, but if you like the comedic aspects of the series, you'll enjoy the film nevertheless. The plot really is not fleshed out, Rigby is not the vilest of villains, and action is almost non existent. One of the film's highlights is Corrigan (as Tucson) get into his ape suit to intimidate a henchman. Rating, 5.