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(From Old Corral collection)

Above from L-to-R are John "Dusty" King, Dave Sharpe and Max Terhune (with dummy Elmer), one of the trio variations in Monogram's Range Busters series.

While plying his stunter talents at Republic and other studios, Dave was remembered by the Monogram Pictures brass who needed a quick replacement for Ray 'Crash' Corrigan, the departed Range Busters' star (some say Corrigan left in a contract dispute).  Sharpe was hired and made 3 1/2 films in that series.  His first was TEXAS TO BATAAN (Monogram, 1942), an interesting wartime yarn as the saddle pals deliver cayuses to our Army in the Philippines with Dave adding some spectacular fist fight thrills in a barroom brawl.  TRAIL RIDERS (Monogram, 1942) and TWO-FISTED JUSTICE (Monogram, 1943) were workmanlike sagebrushers. In the middle of HAUNTED RANCH (Monogram, 1943), Sharpe was written out of the script, supposedly to join Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders.  In reality, he left for World War II duty where he would obtain the rank of Captain in the Air Corps.  Veteran Rex Lease arrived near the three-quarter mark of HAUNTED RANCH to replace Sharpe.




(Courtesy of Minard Coons)

Left to right are John King, Max Terhune and Dave Sharpe in a still from TEXAS TO BATAAN (Monogram, 1942). When Corrigan exited the series, King assumed the lead role - and he got a new hat, shirt ... and a white horse.



(Courtesy of Minard Coons)

Above - Range Busters' Dave Sharpe and John 'Dusty' King have the drop on Frank Ellis in TEXAS TO BATAAN (Monogram, 1942). This was the 17th of 24 films in the Range Busters series and the plot involved the trio delivering Army horses to the Phillipines. At the end, there's a radio broadcast announcing the Pearl Harbor attack and the three heroes decide to enlist.



(From Old Corral collection)

Above from L-to-R are Dave Sharpe, Evelyn Finley and John 'Dusty' King in a lobby card from TRAIL RIDERS (Monogram, 1942).



(Courtesy of Minard Coons)

Above from L-to-R are Evelyn Finley, John "Dusty" King, Max Terhune and Dave Sharpe as the Range Busters in a scene from TRAIL RIDERS (Monogram, 1942).  Appears that Sharpe doesn't approve of King's romantic interest in Finley.



(Courtesy of Minard Coons)

Above from left to right are Max Terhune, John King, Dave Sharpe, Forrest Taylor and Evelyn Finley in another still from the Range Busters TRAIL RIDERS (Monogram, 1942).



(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above 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 World War II duty ... and Dennis Moore had joined the series and Ray Corrigan was returning.



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