The Blocked Trail

Having only seen a handful of Three Mesquiteer movies with Tom Tyler as Stony, Bob Steele as Tucson, and Jimmie Dodd as Lullaby, "Blocked Trail" proves to be the best yet in ingenuity and humor which would later influence films like "The Shadow of the Cat" from 1961.

The three men are on their way to a job when Lullaby gets sidetracked by an Indian (a snake-oil salesman, no less) who claims to be dying of thirst and in turn, hands him a valuable map that can lead him to a gold mine. Frequently considered the dimmest of the Three Mesquiteers, Lullaby falls for it, and brings it to the attention of his saddle mates when all of a sudden they are approached by a number of people at different times asking them if they have seen a miniature horse. A miniature horse would not be hard to spot, of course, but unknown to the three heroes, Lullaby is also witness to her owner's murder.

"Blocked Trail" moves at a steady pace, unlike some of the Three Mesquiteer movies by RKO which can be blah ("Raiders of the Range" comes to mind). It is not just the stunts but the humor, mystery and intrigue – including the scenes which show the entire case from Brilliant's point of view – which makes this a highly recommended movie. Tom Tyler, Bob Steele and Jimmie Dodd are all in top shape, and as usual, get mistaken for committing the crime and spend a few hours in jail before they escape. Unlike the latter "The Shadow of the Cat", however, we do not see Brilliant taking matters into her own hooves and attempt to knock off the person who shot her master. Add to the mix the fact that Brilliant was training to be a seeing- eye miniature horse, and you have a well-spent hour of Three Mesquiteer viewing for a Saturday afternoon.