 RKO s "Powdersmoke" from MacDonald s book, with its "trio" of cowpokes fighting the forces of evil and rescuing the victims of injustice, seems to have launched the long series of 51 B westerns featuring the "Three Mesquiteers" [sic]. From RKO, Republic Pictures picked up the "trio" concept and the 3 heroes  names, but brought in 3 other actors to play those roles in the continuing series: Bob Livingstone (as Stoney), "Crash" Corrigan (as Tucson), and Max Terhune (as Lullaby or Alibi). While the series ran (until 1943), the actors occasionally changed, but the 60-minute adventures continued, at the rate of approximately half a dozen per year. For instance, the obscure John Wayne was brought in as lead cowboy Stoney to replace Livingston for several episodes in the "Mesquiteers" series, up until Wayne s overnight stardom in "Stagecoach" (1939), after which he was promoted to higher budget films ("Long Voyage Home," etc.). But Republic continued to churn out the low-budget "Mesquiteers" series for 4 more years, rotating whenever necessary actors like Bob Steele, Tom Tyler, and Raymond Hatton in and out of the trio.