How about a Three Mesquiteers with Tom Tyler and Bob Steele as Stony Brooke and Tuscon Smith? Pretty nifty, eh? In "Gauchos of El Dorado"(1941), they're riding through Walker Ranch when they come upon a dying man named "Jose Ojara" (Duncan Renaldo). He's been shot by a gang of bandits, and in his dying wish, he gives the boys an envelope with five gees inside and asks them to take it to his mother, a nice Senorita with a ranch in the area. "Dona Ojara" (Rosina Galli) is behind on her mortgage and banker "Sam Tyndal" (William Ruhl) is about to foreclose on her. The five grand will pay off the mortgage, but as the movie opened, we saw Jose rob a bank as part of a gang. Then he got a letter from his mama, explaining the fix she was in, and he double crossed the gang. At gunpoint, he stole the money for himself, to give to his mama for the mortgage.
But Jose may be a recurring character called The Gaucho, whose history we don't know because we just jumped into the Mesquiteer films. I'd guess he's a Mexican Federale who infiltrates robbery gangs (and I could be wrong because he dies in this flick, and recurring characters don't usually die) At any rate, the Mesquiteers, being the good guys they are, abide by Jose's dying wish, and take the money to his mama at her ranch. And wouldn't you know it, when Bob Steele knocks on the door, mama answers and immediately thinks he's Jose, whom she hasn't seen since he was a child. The fact that he looks nothing like Jose is papered over with some confabulated expository dialogue. Everyone understands that it's ridiculous except for Dona Ojara and Jose's aunt, both of whom are sure Steele is Jose. But all is well, for a time, when "Jose" gives mama the money. At least the ranch is paid off.
But then, the banker finds this out and is out-reeged. His plan was to foreclose on Dona Ojara, he didn't want the payment, he wanted her ranch. It seems he's in cahoots with the Braden robbery gang. But, worse for Bob Steele, mama now introduces him to his son! (Jose's son). The whole problem is that Bob can't bring himself to tell mama that her real son is dead. We saw this plot in a Tom Tyler film, but anyway, the third Mesquiteer "Lullaby" (Rufe Davis) bonds with the kid and teaches him how to imitate animal noises (think of the Old Macdonald pull toy when you were a kid.) This will be a clue when the boy is kidnapped by the Braden gang as collateral for the money Jose stole from them. If any or all of the preceding is confusing, I'll admit I was confused too, by everything except the central aspect of the plot, which is that Bob Steele doesn't have the heart to tell Dona Ojara that he's not her son Jose, and that Jose is dead. I actually thought that The Three Mesquiteers formula worked better in the first film we saw them in, with Robert Livingston in the lead role as Stony. They seemed more of a unit in that film. Here, it's two big stars (Tyler and Steele), whose personas are bigger than their characters, because we've seen them as leads in so many films. Still, when you've got Tom Tyler and Bob Steele in the same movie, you can't go wrong. Two Big Thumbs Up for "Gauchos of El Dorado, which was released October 24, 1941, just weeks before Pearl Harbor. The picture is very good. /////
On Sunday night, Boston Blackie went to Chinatown, in "Boston Blackie's Chinese Venture"(1949). It happens by coincidence, as these things often do to Blackie and Runt - no sooner do they leave a Chinese laundry, where Blackie has dropped off his shirts, than the owner's daughter "Mai Ling" (Maylia) walks in to find her Papa dead. He's been murdalized and so, Blackie and Runt, having been the last ones inside the establishment, naturally become the suspects. Sgt. Matthews pulls up to them as they walk down the street and hauls them down to the station, where Inspector Faraday is waiting. Blackie has an alibi; he was dropping off his laundry. He even has the ticket (no tickee no shirty), written on the back of a Chinese lotto ticket (he wrote it himself cause the owner appeared not to be in the shop).
Faraday believes him, as far as the murder is concerned, but still thinks that Blackie and Runt may be involved in more jewelry thefts because an uptick has been reported in Chinatown. The Tong Wars are ongoing so, to clear his name, Blackie starts an investigation himself. He goes back to the laundry to talk to Mai Ling, who pours him a delicious cup of tea. When he asks where she got it, she directs him next door to a curio shop run by Benson Fong (Maylia's real life husband). While he's in there, he sees Fong reach under the counter to surreptitiously close a "tea" deal, and figures that Fong must have something in his boxes besides tea leaves. Like diamonds, maybe. The customer involved with the "tea purchase" is a tour bus driver named "Les" (Don McGuire). He may also be a mule for Fong's contraband diamonds, so Blackie and Runt follow him and pay for a ride on his tour bus, a Hollywood-style show-'em-the stars type of deal, except in this case, the stars are the "Authentic Chinese" of Chinatown. The tour itself features a stop at an underground "alley", where doors open to reveal an illicit Fan-Tan card game, a Chinese "slave girl" dance, and a Tong assassin chasing his victim through a hallway with an axe. It's supposed to be an "exotic" tour, two bucks a head, for a view of the forbidden secret world of Chinatown, but when the tourists have passed, the the director cuts to the inside of the various rooms, where the "authentic Chinese" turn out to be Americanised Chinese actors, complete with Brooklyn accents. It's a riot, as they take off their wigs, set down their props, and pop open beers and sandwiches.
It turns out that Benson Fong is indeed smuggling diamonds, as a frontman for "Craddock", the white theater owner next door, who - with the help of a phony Dutch refugee (actually a Nazi) - steals and recuts diamond shipments coming in from the wharf. Despite being the last of the 14 films in the Boston Blackie series (which usually indicates a franchise is running out of gas), I thought it was one of the best BBs, plotwise, that we've seen, with a different kind of setting - Chinatown - that adds a genuine mystery element to the story. There wasn't as much for Inspector Faraday to do this time (and Dick Lane may have been already transitioning to announcing boxing and roller derby), so the comedy element isn't as strong, but Frank Sully is back as the dumbell Sgt. Matthews. The pace is 100mph as usual, so following the plot twists isn't easy. They must've drunk a lot of Chinese tea while shooting this flick, haha. Two Big Thumbs Up for "Chinese Venture". Chester Morris rules, as always, and so does Boston Blackie. The picture is razor sharp. ////
That's all I know for tonight. I'm listening to "Acquiring the Taste" by Gentle Giant, a freaking masterpiece! (pound table and say Tra-MENN-duss!) I hope your week is going well and I send you Tons of Love as always. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
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