This is a special shout-out to one of our regular readers, Grant Lockhart. Enjoy, Grant! Sorry about the fuzzy quality. It’s the best I can do.
Update: Dear friends, I regret to report the loss of one of our regulars, Grant Lockhart, the father of Claire Lockhart, whom many of you know. Grant was an expert on old films and regularly identified our mystery movies. You may recall that he recognized last week’s mystery film, “Flesh,” from the first image. Claire writes by way of biography: “He was a celebrity journalist with the Daily Mail and Weekend magazine in London. Old movies were his great passion.”
Grant had been in declining health for some time and was a fan of B-Westerns, so I thought he would enjoy seeing an old “horse opera” as a mystery movie, and I planned this week especially for him. Sadly, he passed away without ever seeing it. So let’s finish out the week in his honor. I apologize for the fuzzy quality of these pictures, but I don’t have any B-Westerns in the archives and I had to obtain this from another source.
Here’s one 1930s movie star I *have* seen in person.
The fellow on the right in Monday’s photo has been identified by Michael Ryerson, Mary Mallory, Mike Hawks, Patrick and Rick Scott. Congrats!
There’s that famous shirt. I think our mystery fellow wore it in every episode. Tuesday’s mystery guest has been identified by Don Danard, Lorenzo (correct about the mystery fellow on the left, too), Mary Mallory, William, Patrick and Rick Scott. I’m going to try running the pictures a bit smaller so they don’t lose so much detail.
Don Danard says: The man on the right in the first photo is XXXXX. So it’s either a 3 Mesquiteers duster or a Range Buster western. Still don’t know the guy holding the gun.
Patrick says: Why, that’s XXXX of course. I’ve seen him too, not in the flesh but in the wood at the Autry Museum.
And here we have a mystery woman for Thursday.
Please congratulate John Brooker, a friend of Grant Lockhart, who nailed the cast, the film and provided a mini biography of Monday’s mystery fellow. Very impressive and welcome to the L.A. Daily Mirror!
Don Danard has identified Wednesday’s mystery trio, and Mary Mallory, Denis Gilliam, Mike Hawks, Sam Flowers and LC identified you know who and his companion. (By the way, several people refer to him as “Alibi,” although he is referred to in the opening credits and in the dialogue as “Lullaby”). Arye Michael Bender is half-right and half-wrong.
And for Friday, our mystery (not) guest.
Please congratulate Mike Hawks for identifying the gent on the left in Wednesday’s picture and Rick Scott for identifying the gent on the right in Wednesday’s picture.
Just a wild from left field guess first thing in the morning….
Charles Bickford in DeMille’s silent “The Squaw Man”.
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Well I’m not sure about the young fella with curly hair and the six-shooter but Max Terhune over here on the right side doesn’t seem too worried about him.
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Tim Holt
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Charles Bickford in The Plainsman
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It looks like Max Terhune on the far right.
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The main mystery person remains unknown to me. However, at far right we have Max Terhune.
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Sterling Hayden in “El Paso.”
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Hi, I’m Grant’s granddaughter April. I’m 12. Hi from across the pond! I think it’s Don “Red” Barry. If I’m right, I’ve met his wife Peggy Stewart.
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Hey thanks for reading! Interesting guess, but alas, no.
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That black hat looks like Smiley Burnette’s , the guys face is totally blurred.
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Don’t know the central character yet, but I think the figure to his left (our right) looks like the front half of Max ‘Alibi’ Terhune.
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WAY out of left field…The gent on right front looks like Max “Alibi” Terhune from a Three Mesquiteer oater. So, how about Kirby Grant in “Red River Range?”
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Tuesday’s “Mystery Puppet” certainly looks like Max Terhune’s puppet “Elmer”.
And condolences to the Lockhart family.
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Thanks so much, Don. And thanks again everybody and especially Larry. Our Pa would have loved this week! Claire, Annabel, Lee & April xoxoxox
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It’s looks a lot like Elmer and his best friend Max Terhune.
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Elmer! Mike and I are friends with Tracy Terhune, Max’s grandson.
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Why, that’s Elmer of course. I’ve seen him too, not in the flesh but in the wood at the Autry Museum.
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My guess the hombre in the black hat is Ray Corrigan. The fellow on the extreme right is Max Terhune.
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John Carradine (left)
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Tues picture is Elmer Sneezeweed (dummy) so the man is probably Max Terhune. I still need to ID ths movie
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The man on the right in the first photo is Max Terhune. So it’s either a 3 Mesquiteers duster or a Range Buster western. Still don’t know the guy holding the gun.
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Monday. George O’Brien
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Tuesday, we have Elmer!
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Today it’s Max Terhune, flanked by John Merton and Yakima Canutt.
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Max again.
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The dude in that wild shirt is Chill Wills. Don’t know the Hee Haw cousin of Charlie McCarthy though.
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The dummy is Elmer Sneezeweed.
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Our wooden actor for tuesday is Elmer.
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My name is John Brooker and Grant Lockhart, who sadly passed away on Sunday, was one of my closest friends. This Memorial Edition would have meant a great deal to him and I’m sure he would have had all the right answers to this week’s Movieland Mystery Photo. I am very happy to sub for him. The film is Republic’s Three Mesquiteer western “Range Defenders” (1937). In the first picture Ray “Crash” Corrigan is on the left threatened by Thomas Carr with the gun. Tommy was better known as a director of over 250 movies and TV episodes. On the right is Max “Alibi” Terhune. In the second picture Earle Hodgins meets Terhune’s dummy Elmer Sneezeweed. The third picture features Terhune flanked by John Merton and legendary stuntman and co-ordinator Yakima Canutt, probably best remembered for his handling of the chariot race in “Ben Hur.”
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John Brooker is the man! Love Claire, Annabel, Lee & April xoxoxoxoxox
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Max Terhune and Elmer Sneezewood are the last two pictures.
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Side kick is Turhune and dummy is Elmer.
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Must be a Max Terhune film. He was the only Old West ventriloquist with an intentional dummy for a sidekick. Also recognized Smiley Burnette. So that puts us into the unintentionally surreal world of the Hollywood Western that also somehow exists in contemporary times. Gene Autry was the master of such time travel. So I am going to guess, site unseen, that the movie was ‘The Big Show’.
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For wednesday I believe that is John Merton at far left.
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Wednesday…Yakima Canutt on the right. Thursday looks like Louise Brooks from “Three Texas Steers.”
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Trail of the Silver Spurs? Max Terhune? They had puppets in Old West? Way over my head in this one. Did someone put acid in the pork ‘n’ beans?
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Yes it’s Max… Don’t be alarmed. I thought your answer was so entertaining I wanted to share it with everybody.
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Luana Walters? Elmer? Winnie Ruth Judge Roy Bean?
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ray corrigan
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kermit maynard
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Yes, an easy one. Ray “Crash” Corrigan. And it looks like John Merton, barely seen on the right.
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Ray ” Crash” Corrigan
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Is this Robert Livingston today?
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It was Eleanor Stewart on Thursday and Ray “Crash” Corrigan on Friday. Hey Dewey, why not puppets in the Old West?? First record of a ventriloquist act with a dummy in the USA was in 1800 and they were used in the old caravan and vaudeville shows that toured the West!! Max Terhune was Lullaby in “The Three Mesquiteers” series and when he left Republic to co-star as one of the “Range Busters” he wanted to take the name with him but Republic wouldn’t allow it. In fact, in the first Range Buster he is asked why he changed his name from Lullaby to Alibi. The new name stuck and he was known as Max “Alibi” Terhune for the rest of his life. His last screen role was as Dr Walker in “Giant.”
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You win. I guess my knowledge of ventriloquism started with Shari Lewis and ended with the guy on Soap. Still don’t understand the same life-long career shirt, though.
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For Friday,,,Ray “Crash” Corrigan
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In addition to Elmer, I’ve also met Friday’s mystery man. I have a photograph of me sitting on his horse getting the drop on him (with his own gun). It was taken in about 1958 at Corriganville. That’s Ray “Crash” Corrigan.
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Dewey: that shirt has been the subject of some amusement to B western devotees over the years. Max Terhune only wore it as a Mesquiteer at Republic. When he left the series his replacement Raymond Hatton inherited it. It was also worn by a homesteader in Roy Rogers’ “Billy the Kid Returns,” Dub Taylor in Don Barry’s “One Man Law” and many others. So was there just one shirt that was shared around or did Republic buy a job lot??
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I wonder if they bought the entire bolt of cloth and made a bunch of them! It is truly remarkable.
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Wow…that John Brooker is a wonder, isn’t he? He’s a dear friend, and we share in missing Grant Lockhart…and man who loved westerns, and vintage film in general. Rest in peace, old pal. I’ll always remember our tour of the old Monogram studios, and your wonderful hospitality in driving Claire and I up to Ulverston to see Stan Laurel’s hometown.
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