Frontier Horizon [Blu-ray]

"The Three Mesquiteers Series ... New Frontier (1939) ... Republic"
Republic Pictures presents "NEW FRONTIER" (10 August 1939) (57 mins/B&W) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) -- The series was based on a series of western novels by William Colt MacDonald, which began with "Law of the .45's" in 1933 --- The Three Mesquiteers is the umbrella title for a series of 51 western B-movies released between 1936 and 1943, including 8 films starring John Wayne --- The name was a play on The Three Musketeers, and each film featured a trio of stars --- The series blended the traditional Western period with more modern elements, which was not unknown with other B-Western films and serials --- Towards the end of the series, during World War II, the trio of cowboys were opposing Nazis --- The Three Mesquiteers series was extremely popular at the time of its release --- The series was the only one of its kind to be specifically named and ranked in contemporary polls of the top western film stars --- For example, from 1937 to the end of the series in 1943,...

New Frontier (1939) AKA Frontier Horizon
New Frontier was the original theatrical title for this film. Frontier Horizon was the title used for TV syndication to distinguish the 1939 film from Wayne's earlier, 1935, film of the same title. They are not the same story, but Republic occasionally reused titles for different scripts. This film has location work at the movie ranch, now a public park, once owned by Ray Corrigan. If you know the film, you can go to the park, which is in Simi Valley, and spot the locations. The big rock with the hole in it is there, but the hole is covered with brush. The film material is very good. For fans of the early Wayne films at Republic, grab them while they are available in new transfers.

Here the mesquiteers go again!
John Wayne, Ray Corrigan and Raymond Hatton are one of the best trigger trios ever namely the Three Mesquiteers. The print is good and sharp and there are lots of riding, fighting and shooting. Some seconds of the action and stunts are fill-ins from older movies and that's a bit irritating but one can live with it. It is always a pleasure to see great actors like Leroy Mason, Eddy Waller, Jack Ingram and many more. Billed under her real name Phyllis Isley, you are witness to the film debut of Jennifer Jones. And then it is a bit funny to think that this b-western is from the same year that Wayne starred in John Ford's Stagecoach.

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