''Hit the Saddle'' is a 1937 "

Three Mesquiteers ''The Three Mesquiteers'' is the umbrella title for a Republic Pictures series of 51 American Western B-movies released between 1936 and 1943. The films, featuring a trio of Old West adventurers, was based on a series of Western novels by W ...

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

B-movie A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double featur ...

starring

Bob Livingston Robert Linlithgow Livingston Jr. (born April 30, 1943) is an American lobbyist and politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Louisiana from 1977 to 1999. A Republican, he was chosen as Newt Gingrich's successor as Speaker of the U.S. H ...

Ray Corrigan Ray may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin Science and mathematics * Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point * Ray (gra ...

Max Terhune Max Terhune (February 12, 1891 – June 5, 1973) was an American film actor born in Franklin, Indiana. He appeared in nearly 70 films, mostly B-westerns, between 1936 and 1956. Among these, Terhune starred in ''The Three Mesquiteers'' and ' ...

, and

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer and producer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined th ...

, before she became famous. It was second in The Three Mesquiteers series released by

Republic Pictures Republic Pictures Corporation (currently held under Melange Pictures, LLC) was an American motion picture production-distribution corporation in operation from 1935 to 1967, that was based in Los Angeles. It had studio facilities in Studio City an ...

. The film was directed by

Mack V. Wright Mack V. Wright (March 9, 1894 – August 14, 1965) was an American actor and film director. Active as a director from 1920 to the late 1940s, he also had an extensive career as an assistant director, second-unit director and production man ...

Plot

A team of men that work for cattle rancher Rance McGowan attempt to capture a herd of wild horses on an Arizona wild horse refuge, but they are protected by the US government. The men are arrested by the sheriff and his men for the attempt. When Sheriff Miller confronts McGowan, he claims that he sent his men to look for some brood mares that he lost. McGowan has his men paint Volcano, his stallion, to disguise him as a

pinto Pinto is a Portuguese language, Portuguese, Spanish language, Spanish, Sephardi Jews, Jewish (Sephardic), and Italian language, Italian surname. It is a high-frequency surname in all List of countries and territories where Portuguese is an officia ...

to infiltrate the wild horse herd in order to cause stampeding. After several stampedes cause crop damage, injury and one death, the other ranchers go to Sheriff Miller for help. Miller and the Three Mesquiteers go in search of the pinto that they feel is causing the wild horses to stampede. Meanwhile McGowan's men are initiating another stampede, using Volcano, which causes Miller's horse to stumble and fall, throwing Miller off his horse injuring him. Before Miller has the chance to move out of the way Volcano stomps on him, killing him. After Sheriff Miller's death, the ranchers petition government officials to revoke the protection of the wild horses. McGowan and his men get ready for a wild horse drive so they can sell the horses. Tucson is then made sheriff, and the Three Mesquiteers head out to find the pinto that's causing the stampedes but after capturing the wild pinto they discover it's never been

shod A horseshoe is a fabricated product designed to protect a horse hoof from wear. Shoes are attached on the palmar surface (ground side) of the hooves, usually nailed through the insensitive hoof wall that is anatomically akin to the human toen ...

, however it was apparent that the horse that horse that killed Miller was wearing horseshoes. The ranchers are adamant that the pinto be put down, even though Stony disagrees with the decision and tries to prove the pinto is not a killer by going into the horse stall with the pinto. Rita has talked Stony into marrying her and convinces Stony to get married that day. She invites everyone to come to their wedding reception that will be held later that day. Tucson and Lullaby are against the wedding and initially agree to stay out of it, then Lullaby offers Rita money to break it off with Stony and leave for New York. Stony realizes they interfered and storms off. Stony steals the pinto stallion, and as he is leading him away, McGowan offers to help Stony by throwing the posse off his trail and by hiding him and the pinto at his ranch. While there, Stony notices Volcano painted to look like a pinto and that he's controlled through a series of whistles. The McGowan's men then put Stony in the bunkhouse and wait for McGowan to get there. McGowan then informs Stony he will have to be killed. Tucson and Lullaby get back to their own ranch just as the late Sheriff's young son, Tim, gets there. Tim informs the two men that he saw Stony leading the pinto towards McGowan's ranch. Tucson and Lullaby get back on their horses and head for McGowan's ranch. The next day McGowan has his men tie up Stony, and they tether the wild pinto nearby in an effort to make it look like the pinto killed Stony. One of the men whistle for Volcano to trample Stony to death, but the pinto breaks free and begins to fight with Volcano. The pinto wards off Volcano and chases him away. All but two of McGowan's men follow the two horses. Tucson and Lullaby spot the two men guarding Stony and jump on them from a nearby ledge and untie Stony. Stony informs them that McGowan's killer stallion is painted to look like a pinto. After McGowan's men capture Volcano they attack the Three Mesquiteers, McGowan attempts to escape by riding away on Volcano. Stony whistles, and Volcano bucks McGowan onto the ground and tramples McGowan. Stony and Tucson chase after the two remaining men and arrest them.

Cast

*Bob Livingston as Stony Brooke, Mesquiteer *

as Tucson Smith, Mesquiteer *

as Lullaby Joslin, Mesquiteer *

as Rita, a saloon singer (Hayworth was billed under her real name as Rita Cansino; in the same year she moved to Columbia Pictures and acquired her more famous stage name) *J. P. McGowan as Rance McGowan, villainous rancher *Ed Cassidy as Sheriff Miller, murdered by McGowan *Sammy McKim as Tim Miller, the Sheriff's son *Yakima Canutt as Buck, one of McGowan's henchmen *Harry Tenbrook as Joe Harvey, one of McGowan's henchmen *Robert Cecil Smith, Robert Smith as Hank, one of McGowan's henchmen *Eddie Boland as Pete

References

External links

* *
The Livingston-Corrigan-Terhune period of Three Mesquiteers films at B-Westerns
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hit The Saddle 1937 films 1937 Western (genre) films American black-and-white films Three Mesquiteers films Republic Pictures films Films directed by Mack V. Wright Films produced by Nat Levine American Western (genre) films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films