 |  | The Range Busters 24 Films 1940 - 1943 |
| | The Range Busters 24 Films 1940 - 1943 |
 In the above title lobby card from ARIZONA STAGECOACH (Monogram, 1942), John 'Dusty' King has his arm around pretty Nell O'Day. Nell is best remembered for the batch of 1940-1942 Universal oaters she made with Johnny Mack Brown. |
With the success of Republic's Three Mesquiteers, several forces came together around 1940 to develop a new 'trigger trio' for the screen. Involved were Ray Corrigan, a producer named George W. Weeks and Monogram Pictures. It's not clear to me who had the initial idea for the Range Busters, but I would think it was probably Corrigan.
The Range Busters was clearly a lower budget copy of the Mesquiteers. Big, muscular Ray 'Crash' Corrigan was clearly the lead, and comic relief was in the hands of ventriloquist Max 'Alibi' Terhune (and his wise-cracking dummy Elmer).
Both Corrigan and Terhune were ex-Mesquiteers, having played the roles of Tucson Smith and Lullaby Joslin, respectfully, in that outstanding Republic series from 1936 - 1939. And both Corrigan and Terhune left the Mesquiteers and Republic Pictures due to salary issues. In my opinion, the several replacement Mesquiteers that followed Corrigan and Terhune were never as good as these originals. Monogram would distribute the Range Busters but not be directly involved in the productions. The production deal gave Corrigan a substantial share of the film profits (in an interview years later, Ray said he received 50%).
Ray had been on the Hollywood scene since the early 1930s, primarily at MGM as a muscular stand-in and double for Johnny Weissmuller and in walk-ons and bit-parts in films such as MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY. Prior to joining the Mesquiteers in 1936, Corrigan's major roles were in several chapterplays --- a supporting role in THE VIGILANTES ARE COMING (Republic, 1936), and as the star of UNDERSEA KINGDOM (Republic, 1936). Max Terhune had become friends with Gene Autry during their radio work on the WLS Barn Dance. Gene enticed Max to come to Hollywood, helped the Terhune family get settled, and arranged with Republic to give Max a part in the early Autry oater RIDE, RANGER, RIDE (Republic, 1936).
 John 'Dusty' King | | Playing the second lead in the Range Busters was John 'Dusty' King, a big-band singer (Ben Bernie Orchestra) with a reasonably good baritone, who would warble a tune or two in each film. He also had some prior picture experience, including parts in the Deanna Durbin musical THREE SMART GIRLS (Universal, 1937), CHARLIE CHAN IN HONOLULU (20th Century Fox, 1938), and THE HARDYS RIDE HIGH (MGM, 1939). King was also the star of Universal's ACE DRUMMOND serial in 1936. Les Adams, Shoot-Em-Ups co-author, notes that King also had the lead in 1939's GENTLEMAN FROM ARIZONA, a Natural Color (Cinecolor) Monogram offering. |
Film snips of all three heroes were intertwined in the opening credits while the Range Busters' theme song, "Home on the Range", was played.
The initial entry hit the screen in late Summer, 1940, and was aptly named THE RANGE BUSTERS (Monogram, 1940). Several cast changes occurred during the three year life span of the series. Corrigan exited for a while because of a salary disagreement, and was replaced by stuntman/actor Dave Sharpe. When Sharpe departed for WWII service, Rex Lease filled in for half a picture. And veteran Dennis Moore also was a member of the trio. Finally, Corrigan returned after settling his salary issues and John King exited. Terhune appeared in all twenty-four of the Range Busters.
S. Roy Luby was the director on most of the productions. Luby was a veteran in various film production jobs, and had worked at the Max Fleischer cartoon factory and directed some of the Reb Russell oaters during the mid 1930s. Prior to connecting with the Range Busters, Luby spent several years working at producer A. W. Hackel's Supreme Pictures, where he did film editing and directing on westerns with Johnny Mack Brown and Bob Steele.
Some of the flicks were set in modern times and had wartime plotlines, such as TEXAS TO BATAAN (1942), COWBOY COMMANDOS (1943) and BLACK MARKET RUSTLERS (1943).
 Above from L-to-R are an unidentified player, Keene Duncan, and behind the bars are John 'Dusty' King, Max 'Alibi' Terhune, and Dave Sharpe in a scene from TEXAS TO BATAAN (Monogram, 1942). This was the 18th of 24 films in the Range Busters series and the plot involved the trio delivering hosses to the Army. |
My favorite from the Range Busters' series is TRAIL OF THE SILVER SPUR (1941), a pretty good western mystery with prolific western villain I. Stanford Jolley as the 'Jingler', the killer and wearer of the noisy spurs. Can't remember Jolley --- click HERE for a photo of Jolley as the Jingler.
With the last series entry, BULLETS AND SADDLES (1943), the Range Busters rode off into Hollywood western history. Corrigan was tired of the cowboy film rat race, and he had become too busy (and profitable) with his Corriganville movie ranch. Monogram needed a replacement for the Range Busters, and would quickly bring two old timers back to the screen --- Ken Maynard and Hoot Gibson would become the "Trail Blazers".
Around 1937, Ray Corrigan invested in some real estate in California's Simi Valley and developed it as a multi-purpose movie location for use in film production. Most of the Range Busters were done there, as well as A grade features like FORT APACHE (1948) with John Wayne. Also filmed at Corriganville were Columbia's JUNGLE JIM series with Johnny Weissmuller and TV shows such as THE ADVENTURES OF RIN TIN TIN and SKY KING. Corrigan opened the ranch to the public and his staff would stage shoot-em-ups and such. He even employed several of his movie buddies at the ranch, including Max Terhune and Victor Daniels (Chief Thunder Cloud). During it's existence, thousands of films and TV shows were filmed there. In the mid-1960s, Corriganville became Hopetown when it was purchased by Bob Hope.
Another interesting tidbit on Ray Corrigan: I don't know where it all began, but 'Crash' did a fabulous gorilla impersonation, which included the required grunts, chest beating and kicking dust into the air, and this was all done while perspiring under the hairy costume. He performed this role in many films over a span of twenty or more years, and you can take a look at the Internet Movie Database link in this section on the Range Busters and find references to some of his 'ape appearances'.
Like many Hollywood performers during World War II, John King entered the service and served about four years in the Air Corps. After returning from military duty, King could no longer find film roles, so he joined CBS radio. Some years later, he purchased a radio station in Arizona, but ultimately, the King family (John, wife and daughter) relocated to California.
Terhune and Elmer remained busy for years, and Max's last western series was when he replaced Ray Hatton as the sidekick to Johnny Mack Brown at Monogram in the late 1940s. And, of course, he was the featured attraction for many years at the Corriganville movie ranch.
Dave Sharpe made a few more film appearances (such as co-starring with Eddie Dean in COLORADO SERENADE) and then settled in as a second unit director and premier stuntman in films and TV. One of the greatest (and most brutal) movie fight scenes is Roy Rogers vs. Dave Sharpe in BELLS OF SAN ANGELO (Republic, 1947).
 (Courtesy of Les Adams) | On the left is a blurb from the pressbook for the Range Busters' LAND OF HUNTED MEN (Monogram, 1943), and mentions that John King and Dave Sharpe had departed for WW2 duty ... and Dennis Moore had joined the series and Ray Corrigan was returning.  |
