Robert Max Terhune was born February 12, 1891 in Amity, Indiana, and Max would spend most of the first thirty years of his life in the ‘Hoosier’ state. He married Maude Cassada in 1922. Daughter Doris Maxine arrived in 1923, son Robert Max Jr. was born in 1928, and son Roltaire was born in 1930. During the 1920s, Max worked at the Delco-Remy plant in Anderson, Indiana, where he played baseball (pitching) in the evenings for the Delco-Remy team.

He honed his skills in ventriloquism, card tricks, birdcalls, et al during the 1920s. In the early 1930s, he joined the National Barn Dance radio program which was broadcast from Chicago’s WLS radio station. At the Barn Dance, he became friends with Gene Autry and Smiley Burnette.

Tracy Terhune, Max Terhune’s grandson, noted that “The WLS Barn Dance photo was taken in 1934. On my grandfathers own copy, he hand wrote on the back that it was taken the day Gene got his telegram to come to Hollywood and listed the year, 1934.” Autry and Burnette would head to California to begin work with Poverty Row producer Nat Levine at Mascot Pictures. Autry and Smiley would appear in IN OLD SANTA FE (Mascot, 1934) feature and MYSTERY MOUNTAIN (Mascot, 1934) cliffhanger, both of which starred Ken Maynard. Soon after, Autry would be the lead in Mascot’s THE PHANTOM EMPIRE (Mascot, 1935) cliffhanger.

After Autry had begun his western films at Republic, Gene called Terhune to Hollywood where he appeared in several of the singing westerns. Max must have impressed the brass at Republic Pictures, for they signed him to a Term Player contract(s) which ran from September 25, 1936 to March 24, 1939. (Pure guess on my part, but based on those contract dates, Terhune probably had five six-month contracts, or two one-year and a six-monther.) Terhune became ‘Lullaby’ Joslin, one of the Three Mesquiteers, and he would appear in twenty-one consecutive sagebrush adventures. It was during these films that he became friends with another member of the Mesquiteers, Ray ‘Crash’ Corrigan.

Apparently, Republic opted not to renew Terhune’s contract … or Republic wouldn’t give Max a raise. Whatever the specific reason, Terhune was out of the Mesquiteers and gone from Republic Pictures. Screen veteran Raymond Hatton replaced him in the Mesquiteers’ series as ‘Rusty Joslin’. Corrigan had similar money and contract problems, and he also exited Republic in the late 1930s. A few years later, both men went to work at Monogram Pictures in the Range Busters series, and Terhune would appear in all twenty-four of those films which were released during 1940-1943. In the late 1940s, Max would become the trail pard to Johnny Mack Brown, also at Monogram.

Ray Corrigan had purchased some Simi Valley, California property in the late 1930s, and developed the land into his Corriganville Movie Ranch. The ranch was opened to visitors around 1949, and Max Terhune was a frequent performer. Max continued some personal appearances and also had a TV show in the early 1950s.

Texan Doug Bruton saw Max Terhune, Bob Steele and Black Jack O’Shea together in a performance at a local theater. Doug recalls:

“Bob Steele, Max Terhune and Jack O’Shea came to the Star Theater in Denison, Texas in 1949 or 50. They appeared on stage between the features and put on a little stage show. Bob came out and talked about his career and while he was out on stage, a voice from off-stage called out … ‘where is this Steele?’ … ‘this town is not big enough for both of us’. Then Black Jack O’Shea came out and he and Bob drew on each other. Needless to say, Bob shot the gun out of his hand and then they had a dialog. Don’t remember all of it, but Bob asked Jack ‘How many pictures have you been in?’. Jack answered ‘140 Bob’. Bob said ‘How many have you been killed in?’. Jack answered ‘140 Bob!’ Then Max did his act with Elmer and was very funny. After the show I ran around to the stagedoor and talked with them for several minutes and as any 12 or 13 year old might do, I asked a thousand questions and they were very patient and friendly.”

Max Terhune passed away on June 5, 1973 of a heart attack. His wife Maude passed in August, 1985.

Tracy Terhune mentioned that, many years ago, his family did donate one of Max’s Elmers to the Gene Autry Museum. (There’s another Elmer at the Vent Haven Museum in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky.)

In my interviews with western film performers, as well as the tons of material that I’ve read, everyone thought that Max Terhune was a genuine nice guy. And when western film fans think of the great sidekicks and saddle pals, Max Terhune is among the favorites.