Laramie (1961)

Given the plethora of westerns on the TV airwaves in the early 1960s and the number of different scenarios they used as their formats, it's perhaps understandable that a show like Laramie might have had something of an identity problem. Never able to crack the top 30 in ratings during its four-year run, Laramie began in 1959 as a westernized version of My Three Sons (which, granted, actually debuted a year later than Laramie) featuring an all-male household with brothers Slim and Andy Sherman, "adopted" brother Jess Harper, and housekeeper Jonesy. What was missing was the patriarch figure, though if the show had had one it would have been a direct copy of Bonanza on a more modest scale--the Sherman ranch pales in comparison to the vastness of the Ponderosa. But since this original cast didn't bring home the ratings, Jonesy was jettisoned after Season 1, and Andy's character was also sent packing early in Season 2, leaving the series with two adult males living together for the duration of Season 2. As we chronicled in our entry for the 1960 episodes, this arrangement led to some uncomfortable moments for the era with the boys being forced to take on more domestic responsibilities and Jess being called a woman for wearing an apron when a band of outlaws come calling in the episode "Queen of Diamonds." Though this theme was not reprised in the remaining Season 2 episodes that aired in 1961, the producers obviously felt the need to offload the "woman's work" from its two male leads by bringing in widowed housekeeper Daisy Cooper in the second episode of Season 3, "Ladies' Day" (October 3, 1961). It's worth noting that The Rifleman's Luke McCain also had his share of domestic duties and managed to pull them off in manly fashion, but he shared them with his son, not another adult male. The producers also decided to add another boy to the cast in the person of orphaned Mike Williams to replace the departed Andy Sherman in the Season 3 opener "Dragon at the Door" (September 26, 1961), though it's not clear what value the Mike character adds to the equation--he isn't the central focus even in his debut episode and thereafter mostly serves as a vehicle to introduce cute animal scenes via his pet squirrel and deer fawn. 

The Daisy Cooper character is given a longer tryout in some of the earlier Season 3 episodes that attempt to establish her skills as a softening influence who can adroitly negotiate with men by using her motherly charm. In her debut episode she reveals that she has medical experience, having once worked in a hospital during the war, and is therefore able to remove a bullet from wounded bounty hunter Bud Deever. She also diverts a visiting circuit judge, sent to assess whether Slim and Jess can serve as suitable guardians for Mike, away from a crisis involving a wanted outlaw who has tricked Mike into providing him with a getaway horse. In "Siege at Jubilee" (October 10, 1961), Daisy is able to talk a bank robber out of holding her and several others including Jess as hostages and into returning the stolen money to the authorities simply by reminding him of his mother. "The Mountain Men" (October 17, 1961) involves another hostage crisis, this time involving a vengeful father whose son has been killed and who is intent on taking justice into his own hands when he is unhappy with the lenient sentence handed out to the killer. This time her pointing out to patriarch Ben Sanford that his actions are a violation of the teachings of the Bible he quotes as justification fails to change his mind, but her words perhaps have an effect on Sanford's peace-minded son John, who spoils his father's plot. In "The Accusers" (November 14, 1961) Daisy proves to be the key witness to a murder committed by Slim's stagecoach company boss Allen Winter, but a misunderstanding about who she says committed the murder and her failure to immediately and decisively correct that misunderstanding unnecessarily lengthens and complicates the resolution of the case. We also see her influence waning even with Slim, who has a hard time believing her story about a man he thinks he knows. Even though she is ultimately proved right, the remaining 1961 episodes all focus on either Slim or Jess in isolation, reverting to the formula the producers used through much of Season 2.

While Daisy is portrayed as a positive influence on Slim and Jess, the other women they encounter are nothing but trouble, a familiar trope of westerns of the period in which normal heterosexual couples are virtually nonexistent. In "Cactus Lady" (February 21, 1961) Slim falls for supposedly reformed outlaw-family daughter Troy McCanles and plans to marry her until she is pulled back in by family loyalty (like Michael Corleone of The Godfather trilogy) and tells him it would have never worked before riding off with her father and brothers. In "Killers' Odds" (April 25, 1961) Slim has his eye on a local rancher's daughter until she is swept away by a drifting marked man whom Slim and Jess try to help by giving him a job on their ranch and helping him avoid the assassins sent after him. Jess seems to find a woman he could go for in "Trigger Point" (May 16, 1961) when he gets close to stagecoach passenger Lottie in helping defend her and the other passengers from a ruthless band of robbers, but after she decides at episode's end to move to Laramie to see if things can work out between them we never see her again. Slim gets duped again by the "Widow in White" (June 13, 1961) whose dead husband is believed to have hidden $30,000 of stolen money on their property, though she claims to know nothing about it. After he helps her fend off the other gang members who come looking for the money, she turns her gun on him and lets him know he has been played for a fool, but she can't pull the trigger and he is able to turn the tables on her, grab her gun, and turn over the stolen money while she is sent to jail. Like Slim in "Killers' Odds" Jess is undercut in his bid for the affection of traveling Japanese entertainer Haru when she tells him as her family's wagon is about to leave Laramie that she has agreed to marry martial arts expert Tomomi, also traveling with her family, since he saved her life from a band of drifters who threatened to kill her while searching for what they believed was a shipment of opium. The same scenario plays out in other episodes as well--every woman that Slim or Jess takes a shine to turns out to either be crooked or has already pledged her heart to somebody else. But it's all part of the ratings game--just like with the Cartwright sons, the producers no doubt calculated that Slim and Jess have to remain single to keep their young female viewers interested.

Another type of relationship that gets the male leads into trouble is the debt, which actually is used as the title of one such episode (April 18, 1961). Since Jess is the one with the more checkered past, he is the one more likely to have needed life-saving acts of kindness on his behalf. In this case his former benefactor is accused murderer Harry Markle who is brought to the Laramie jail by a bounty hunter while Jess is serving as temporary deputy in Sheriff Corey's absence. Once the bounty hunter leaves, Markle reveals that he was the one who saved Jess from a hanging 5 years ago, though Jess never knew his savior's name and could never locate him afterward. Markle doesn't demand that Jess release him as recompense but insists that he is innocent of the murder charge against him and plants the seed of guilt in Jess' mind just enough so that he is able to trick Jess, tie him up, and escape. Jess now is caught between his debt to Markle for having saved his life and his damaged reputation at having conspired to let a killer loose, if Markle is actually guilty. His only recourse is to prove that Markle is innocent, which he does by retracing his steps and ensconcing himself with the individuals who claim that Markle committed a bank robbery and killed a guard while getting away. Jess ends up taking a bullet in the ribs and narrowly escapes getting killed, a heavy price to pay but one that essentially evens the score, removing the burden of the debt. Slim runs into a similar situation in "Badge of the Outsider" (May 23, 1961) where he is summoned by notorious outlaw Doc Langley, who reminds him that he saved Slim's life when he was 6 years old, and now wants him to clear his name in the death of one of Sheriff Corey's deputies. Doing so leads Slim to almost being killed, of course, by Longley's gang member Gip and his duplicitous girlfriend Cindy, who are out for Longley's stash of stolen money. By proving that Gip was the one who killed the deputy and being lucky enough to have Gip and Longley kill each other, Slim also escapes his life-long burden of being beholden to another human being. Slim has a similar experience in the very next episode, "Men in Shadows" (May 30, 1961), this time being asked to help wanted outlaw Dixie Howard who once declined to shoot young Slim down during a card game years ago and now claims to be going straight but isn't. Jess is again on the hook in "Man From Kansas" (January 10, 1961) when he is saved during an Indian attack by renowned Robin Hood figure Clay Jackson, who uses his influence on Jess to avoid arrest after holding up a Laramie-bound stagecoach during which he worms his way into the good graces of an unwitting farming couple. Slim suspects Jackson all along and can't get Jess to see that he is being duped, blinded by his sense of debt, until Slim figures out that Jackson needs money and plans to get it from the farming couple, forcing Jess to follow him out to their ranch to protect Slim from getting shot by the faster-drawing Jackson. Loyalty may be an admirable quality when the subject is honest, but in the world of Laramie being beholden is decidedly dangerous to one's well-being.

Besides the sometimes ambiguous lessons the series handed out, it's biggest faults were a reliance on hackneyed, overused plots ("Cactus Lady" is a good example) and a scattershot format that seemed to dabble in the formulas of half a dozen other series without ever establishing an identity of its own. While Slim and Jess are supposedly ranchers (a la Bonanza and The Rifleman), they also run a stagecoach relay station (Tales of Wells Fargo and Overland Trail), occasionally serve as lawmen in support of Sheriff Corey (The Deputy, Lawman, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, and Gunsmoke), and travel cross-country ostensibly on business (buying and selling horses and cattle) so that they run into random rescue situations that are the province of the gun-toting drifter (Cheyenne, Have Gun -- Will Travel, Sugarfoot, and Bronco). While it is not depicted, in "Run of the Hunted" (April 4, 1961) Jess is explained out of the episode so that we can focus on Slim by working on a cattle drive (Rawhide). The only scenarios the show doesn't have Slim and Jess cover are the bounty hunter (Wanted: Dead or Alive) and the wagon train. Though Laramie has maintained a loyal following over the years, it failed to connect with American audiences (the Japanese and Germans loved Robert Fuller) at the time because it tried to cover all the bases rather than forging a unique identity. 

The Actors

For the biographies of John Smith and Robert Fuller, see the 1960 post on Laramie.

Spring Byington

Spring Dell Byington was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the daughter of an educator and school superintendent who died when Byington was only 5. Her mother sent her two daughters to live with relatives while she enrolled in the Boston University School of Medicine. Spring developed an interest in acting while in high school and afterward toured the U.S. and Canada with stock repertory groups. She joined such a group performing in Buenos Aires, Argentina and wound up marrying the group's manager Roy Carey Chandler, with whom she had two daughters before divorcing him in 1920, four years after returning from Argentina. She then began working in New York theater circles while her daughters stayed with friends, and she finally made it to Broadway in 1924. There she was noticed by film studio RKO and was cast as the mother Marmee in the 1933 feature Little Women, which also starred Katherine Hepburn. She left the theater for the world of film by 1935 and went on to have supporting roles in Werewolf of London, Mutiny on the Bounty, The Charge of the Light Brigade, Jezebel, You Can't Take It With You (for which she received an Oscar nomination), The Devil and Miss Jones, Meet John Doe, Heaven Can Wait, and Angels in the Outfield. As her film roles began to dry up in the late 1940s and early 1950s, she turned to radio and was cast in the title role of the sit-com December Bride, continuing in the role of Lily Ruskin when the program transitioned to television in 1954 and ran until 1959. She appeared in her last feature film in 1960's Please Don't Eat the Daisies with Doris Day before being cast as housekeeper Daisy Cooper in Season 3 of Laramie.

By the time Laramie was canceled in 1963, Byington was 77 years old, so her career naturally began winding down, though she did still make a few TV guest appearances on shows such as Mister Ed, Dr. Kildare, Batman, I Dream of Jeannie (as Larry Hagman's mother), and her final credit on a 1968 episode of The Flying Nun. Among her pursuits outside of acting, she was said to have had a keen interest in science fiction, tried learning to fly until her studio squashed her training due to insurance concerns, and acquired a Brazilian coffee plantation late in life. She died from cancer at the age of 84 on September 7, 1971 and had her body donated to medical science for research.

Dennis Holmes

Born in Encino, California, Holmes made his first appearance on film at the age of 6 weeks in the John Wayne war drama Operation Pacific, on which Holmes' grandfather Soldier Graham worked as a gaffer. His acting career began in earnest 7 years later with appearances on Wire Service, Studio 57, The Walter Winchell File, and General Electric Theater. His feature film work began the following year with an uncredited appearance in Violent Road, followed by credited roles in Woman Obsessed with Susan Hayward, Hound-Dog Man with Fabian, Key Witness with Dennis Hopper, and The Fiercest Heart with Stuart Whitman and Juliet Prowse. But most of his work was in television, playing neighborhood kids on Leave It to Beaver, Father Knows Best, and Bachelor Father. His role as orphan Mike Williams beginning in Season 3 of Laramie was his only recurring role.

After Laramie was canceled, Holmes made only two more TV appearances on 1964 episodes of Wagon Train and The Virginian and then retired from acting. He has kept a low profile since then but showed up at the June 2011 Memphis Film Festival for a special segment sponsored by the web site Western Clippings, reuniting him with surviving Laramie actors Robert Fuller and Robert Crawford, Jr. According to the book Television Western Players, 1960-75 Holmes married in 1981 and currently works and lives in Central California as a computer expert.

Eddy Waller

Edward C. Waller was born in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin in 1889. His interest in acting began while attending the University of Wisconsin, and by 1923 he was known as a lead actor, director, and producer of the Grand Players in Indianapolis. His Hollywood career began in 1929 with an appearance in the short Meet the Missus but didn't really get going until 1936, when he began appearing in approximately half a dozen films per year, many uncredited. In his career he amassed some 250 film credits, usually in B-movies, though he would also occasionally land a momentary uncredited appearance in such classics as The Grapes of Wrath and Sergeant York. From 1947 to 1953 he appeared as Rocky Lane's sidekick Nugget Clark in 32 feature films. In 1954 he scored his first recurring TV role as Jonathan Beale on Waterfront, followed by Deputy Marshal Rusty Lee on Steve Donovan, Western Marshal and as Alan Hale, Jr.'s sidekick Red Rock Smith on Casey Jones in 1957-58. During this period he also landed occasional guest spots on series such as The Lone Ranger and The Cisco Kid and in B-movie features like The Night Runner, The Restless Breed, and Day of the Badman. He made his first appearance as stagecoach driver Mose Shell on Laramie in the series' third episode "Circle of Fire" and appeared 18 more times over the program's 4-year run.

Like Spring Byington, Waller was a bit long in the tooth when Laramie was canceled in 1963. He appeared as Matt Krebs in 4 episodes of Lassie in 1963, as well as the Christmas special Lassie: A Christmas Tale but retired from acting thereafter. He succumbed to a stroke at the age of 88 on August 20, 1977.

Notable Guest Stars

Season 2, Episode 14, "The Passing of Kuba Smith": John McIntire (shown on the left, see the biography section for the 1961 post on Wagon Train) plays train robber Kuba Smith. Gloria Talbott (starred in The Cyclops, Daughter of Dr. Jekyll,  and I Married a Monster From Outer Space and played Moneta on Zorro) plays his daughter Jane. Robert Knapp (Ben Olson on Days of Our Lives and SAC Noel McDonald on The F.B.I.) plays deputy Snow. Walter Sande (appeared in To Have and Have Not, A Place in the Sun, and Bad Day at Black Rock and played Capt. Horatio Bullwinkle on The Adventures of Tugboat Annie and Papa Holstrum on The Farmer's Daughter) plays deputy Jake Weardon. Vaughn Taylor (starred in Jailhouse Rock, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Psycho, and In Cold Blood and played Ernest P. Duckweather on Johnny Jupiter) plays the Laramie undertaker. Bartlett Robinson (Frank Caldwell on Mona McCluskey) plays the Laramie sheriff. Harry Tyler (Steve Rhodes on Black Saddle) plays a farmer. Charles Meredith (Dr. LeMoyne Snyder on The Court of Last Resort) plays the Laramie doctor.

Season 2, Episode 15, "Man From Kansas": Jock Mahoney (starred in Pecos River, Junction City, Tarzan Goes to India, and Tarzan's Three Challenges and played The Range Rider on The Range Rider and Yancy Derringer on Yancy Derringer) plays Robin Hood figure Clay Jackson. Adam West (shown on the right, played Det. Sgt. Steve Nelson on The Detectives, Bruce Wayne on Batman, Captain Rick Wright on The Last Precinct, Dr. Noah Goddard on Black Scorpion, and voiced Mayor Adam West on Family Guy) plays deputy Russ. Vinton Hayworth (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Lawman) plays banker Carter Simpson. George Mitchell (Cal Bristol on Stoney Burke) plays farmer August Willoughby. Jocelyn Brando (Marlon Brando's sister) plays his wife Sarah. Kelly Thordsen (Colorado Charlie on Yancy Derringer) plays stage driver Bill Bates. Bartlett Robinson (see "The Passing of Kuba Smith" above) returns as the sheriff.

Season 2, Episode 16, "Killer Without Cause": James Westerfield (appeared in The Shaggy Dog, The Absent-Minded Professor, and The Love God? and played John Murrel on The Travels of Jamie McPheeters) plays rancher Carl Vail. Harry Lauter (Ranger Clay Morgan on Tales of the Texas Rangers, Atlasande on Rocky Jones, Space Ranger, and Jim Herrick on Waterfront) plays his son Luke. Roy Roberts (shown on the left, played Capt. Simon P. Huxley on The Gale Storm Show, Admiral Rogers on McHale's Navy, John Cushing on The Beverly Hillbillies, Mr. Cheever on The Lucy Show, Frank Stephens on Bewitched, Norman Curtis on Petticoat Junction, and Mr. Botkin/Bodkin on Gunsmoke) plays Fort Laramie commander Gen. Taylor Roberts. William Fawcett (Clayton on Duffy's Tavern, Marshal George Higgins on The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, and Pete Wilkey on Fury) plays Sherman ranch hand Ben. Edward Platt (appeared in Rebel Without a Cause, Written on the Wind, Designing Woman, and North by Northwest and played the Chief on Get Smart) plays circuit judge Orin Chase. Dayton Lummis (Marshal Andy Morrison on Law of the Plainsman) plays a corrupt judge. Paul Langton (Leslie Harrington on Peyton Place) plays the Laramie sheriff. John Verros (Billy Twelvetrees on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman) plays Sherman ranch hand Joe.

Season 2, Episode 17, "Stolen Tribute": Jan Merlin (Roger Manning on Tom Corbett, Space Cadet and Lt. Colin Kirby on The Rough Riders) plays ex-con Clint Wade. Edgar Buchanan (shown on the right, played Uncle Joe Carson on The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, and Petticoat Junction, Red Connors on Hopalong Cassidy, Judge Roy Bean on Judge Roy Bean, Bob/Doc Dawson on Tales of Wells Fargo, Doc Burrage on The Rifleman, and J.J. Jackson on Cade's County) plays heist conspirator Tully Casper. Dennis Patrick (Paul Stoddard on Dark Shadows and Vaughn Leland on Dallas) plays Wade's former cellmate Deke Beldon. 

Season 2, Episode 18, "The Lost Dutchman": Rayford Barnes (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays mine seeker George Lake. Karen Steele (starred in Marty, Westbound, and The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond) plays his wife Mary. Robert Emhardt (Sgt. Vinton on The Kids From C.A.P.E.R.) plays swindler Senator Lake. Robert Armstrong (starred in King Kong, The Son of Kong, Framed, Dive Bomber, Blood on the Sun, and Mighty Joe Young and played Sheriff Andy Anderson on State Trooper) plays the Jackson City sheriff.

Season 2, Episode 19, "Cactus Lady": Anita Sands (later became astrologer to the stars and a self-help guru) plays female outlaw Troy McCanles. Arthur Hunnicutt (shown on the left, starred in The Red Badge of Courage, The Last Command, The Cardinal, and Cat Ballou) plays her father Ezra. Harry Dean Stanton (appeared in Kelly's Heroes, Dillinger, Cool Hand Luke, Repo Man, Pretty in Pink, Alien, Paris, Texas and played Jake Walters on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman) plays her brother Virgil. L.Q. Jones (Beldon on The Virginian, Sheriff Lew Wallace on The Yellow Rose, and Nathan Wayne on Renegade) plays her brother Homer. Grandon Rhodes (Mr. Vanderlip on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, Dr. Stevens on Lassie, Dr. J.P. Martin on Bonanza, and the judge 16 times on Perry Mason) plays preacher Mr. Thomson. Katherine Warren (appeared in The Lady Pays Off, The Glenn Miller Story, and The Caine Mutiny) plays his wife. Tom London (starred in Six-Shootin' Sheriff, Song of the Buckaroo, and Riders in the Sky) plays stage driver Charlie.

Season 2, Episode 20, "Riders of the Night": Gregory Walcott (see the biography section for the 1961 post on 87th Precinct) plays wounded robber Ben Yuma. Rhodes Reason (John A. Hunter on White Hunter and Sheriff Will Mayberry on Bus Stop) plays his brother Phil. Richard Coogan (Marshal Matthew Wayne on The Californians) plays veterinarian Tom Kingsley. Mary Murphy (appeared in The Wild One, Beachhead, The Mad Magician, The Desperate Hours, and Junior Bonner) plays card dealer Sandy. James Griffith (Deputy Tom Ferguson on U.S. Marshal) plays gang member Gabe. Norman Leavitt (Ralph on Trackdown) plays a Sherman ranch hand.

Season 2, Episode 21, "Mark of the Manhunters": Charles McGraw (appeared in The Killers, Blood on the Moon, The Narrow Margin, and Spartacus and played Mike Waring on The Adventures of Falcon) plays Marshal Jim Craig. James Coburn (shown on the right, starred in The Magnificent Seven, Charade, Our Man Flint, and In Like Flint and played Jeff Durain on Klondike and Gregg Miles on Acapulco) plays hostile witness Gil Spanner. Nestor Paiva (Theo Gonzales on Zorro) plays bartender Charlie. Don C. Harvey (Collins on Rawhide) plays henchman Colby. 

Season 2, Episode 22, "Rimrock": Lyle Bettger (starred in The Vanquished, Destry, and The Fastest Guitar Alive and played Sam Larsen on The Court of Last Resort and Harry Driscoll on The Grand Jury) plays Rimrock sheriff Grant McClintock. Mort Mills (Marshal Frank Tallman on Man Without a Gun, Sgt. Ben Landro on Perry Mason, and Sheriff Fred Madden on The Big Valley) plays his muscle Rink Banners. Susan Cummings (shown on the left, played Georgia on Union Pacific) plays saloon girl Holly Matthews. Tom London (see "Cactus Lady" above) plays livery man Tim.

Season 2, Episode 23, "Run of the Hunted": Charles Bronson (shown on the right, starred in The Magnificent Seven, The Dirty Dozen, Once Upon a Time in the West, The Valachi Papers, and four Death Wish movies and played Mike Kovac on Man With a Camera, Paul Moreno on Empire, and Linc Murdock on The Travels of Jamie McPheeters) plays ranch inheritor Cory Lake. R.G. Armstrong (Police Capt. McAllister on T.H.E. Cat and Lewis Vendredi on Friday the 13th) plays his uncle Jud Lake. Harry Lauter (see "Killer Without Cause" above) plays Jud's son Harry. Kevin Hagen (John Colton on Yancy Derringer, Inspector Dobbs Kobick on Land of the Giants, and Dr. Hiram Baker on Little House on the Prairie) plays Jud's son David. Harry Harvey (Sheriff Tom Blodgett on The Roy Rogers Show, Mayor George Dixon on Man Without a Gun, and Houghton Stott on It's a Man's World) plays sanitarium owner Tolan. Richard Kiel (starred in The Phantom Planet, Eegah, The Longest Yard, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, and Pale Rider and played Moose Moran on Barbary Coast) plays Tolan's henchman Rake. Percy Helton (Homer Cratchit on The Beverly Hillbillies) plays auctioneer Wes Snyder.

Season 2, Episode 24, "Two for the Gallows": Donald Woods (John Brent on Tammy and Craig Kennedy on Kennedy, Criminologist) plays wanted killer Morgan Bennett. Warren Oates (starred in In the Heat of the Night, The Wild Bunch, and Stripes and played Ves Painter on Stoney Burke) plays juvenile delinquent Pete Dixson. Richard Evans (Paul Hanley on Peyton Place) plays his brother Len. 

Season 2, Episode 25, "The Debt": Harry Carey, Jr. (starred in Red River, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Mister Roberts, and The Searchers and played Bill Burnett on The Adventures of Spin and Marty) plays accused murderer Harry Markle. Jason Evers (starred in The Brain That Wouldn't Die, House of Women, The Green Berets, and Escape From the Planet of the Apes and played Pitcairn on Wrangler, Prof. Joseph Howe on Channing, and Jim Sonnett on The Guns of Will Sonnett) plays bounty hunter Hanson. Roy Barcroft (Col. Logan on The Adventures of Spin and Marty and Roy on Gunsmoke) plays stable owner Fred T. Cotter. Ellen Corby (Henrietta Porter on Trackdown and Esther Walton on The Waltons) plays his wife Hortense. Emile Meyer (starred in Shane, Drums Across the River, Blackboard Jungle, Sweet Smell of Success, and Paths of Glory and played Gen. Zachary Moran on Bat Masterson) plays Dogget Sheriff Pearson. Monica Lewis (shown on the left, popular singer who starred in Excuse My Dust, Affair With a Stranger, and The D.I.) plays saloon girl Clovis. Vaughn Taylor (see "The Passing of Kuba Smith" above) plays bookkeeper Pettis. Dick Elliott (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Andy Griffith Show) plays a traveling jewelry salesman. Richard Reeves (Mr. Murphy on Date With the Angels) plays a barfly. Bartlett Robinson (see "The Passing of Kuba Smith" above) plays the Dogget telegrapher.

Season 2, Episode 26, "Killers' Odds": John Lupton (Tom Jeffords on Broken Arrow and Frank on Never Too Young) plays revenge victim Fred Powers. Russell Johnson (shown on the far right, starred in It Came From Outer Space, This Island Earth, and Johnny Dark and played Marshal Gib Scott on Black Saddle, Professor Roy Hinkley on Gilligan's Island, and Assistant D.A. Brenton Grant on Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law) plays hired assassin Stanton. Lee Van Cleef (shown on the near right, starred in High Noon, The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, The Bad and the Ugly) plays hired assassin Dawson. Paul Carr (Bill Horton on Days of Our Lives, Casey Clark on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Ted Prince on Dallas, and Martin Gentry on The Young and the Restless) plays barfly Pete. 

Season 2, Episode 27, "Bitter Glory": Dick Foran (Fire Chief Ed Washburne on Lassie and Slim on O.K., Crackerby!) plays veteran soldier Billy Jacobs. Dianne Foster (starred in Night Passage, The Last Hurrah, and The Deep Six) plays his wife Ellie. Ed Nelson (Michael Rossi on Peyton Place and Ward Fuller on The Silent Force) plays gambler Cal Mason. Paul Birch (Erle Stanley Gardner on The Court of Last Resort, Mike Malone on Cannonball, and Capt. Carpenter on The Fugitive) plays Jacobs' commanding officer Major Stanton. Chubby Johnson (Concho on Temple Houston) plays a stagecoach driver. Doris Packer (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis) plays a stagecoach passenger. Dick Elliott (see "The Debt" above) plays another stagecoach passenger. Katherine Warren (see "Cactus Lady" above) plays Jacobs' mother. Ryan O'Neal (shown on the left, starred in Love Story, What's Up, Doc?, Barry Lyndon, Paper Moon, A Bridge Too Far, and The Main Event and played Tal Garrett on Empire, Rodney Harrington on Peyton Place, Bobby Tannen on Good Sports, Robert Roberts, Jr. on Bull, Jerry Fox on Miss Match, and Max Keenen on Bones) plays Jacobs' brother Johnny. 

Season 2, Episode 28, "The Tumbleweed Wagon": Jack Elam (shown on the right, played Deputy J.D. Smith on The Dakotas, George Taggart on Temple Houston, Zack Wheeler on The Texas Wheelers, and Uncle Alvin Stevenson on Easy Street) plays captured gang leader Charley Fox. Elisha Cook, Jr. (starred in The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep, The Great Gatsby (1949), and The Killing and played Francis "Ice Pick" Hofstetler on Magnum P.I.) plays card sharp Doc. Walter Sande (see "The Passing of Kuba Smith" above) plays a "marshal." Jon Locke (Officer Garvey on Highway Patrol and Sleestack Leader on Land of the Lost) plays stagecoach robber Billy Pore. Steve Darrell (Sheriff Hal Humphrey on Tales of Wells Fargo) plays farmer's son Joe Warner. Richard Farnsworth (starred in The Grey Fox, The Natural, Misery, and The Straight Story) plays prison wagon guard Hank. Tom London (see "Cactus Lady" above) plays farmer Johnson.

Season 2, Episode 29, "Trigger Point": Frank Ferguson (Gus Broeberg on My Friend Flicka, Eli Carson on Peyton Place, and Dr. Barton Stuart on Petticoat Junction) plays stagecoach driver Scotty. Gregory Walcott (shown on the left, see "Riders of the Night" above) plays gang leader Shelly Stack. Jan Merlin (see "Stolen Tribute" above) plays gang member JoJo. Rand Brooks (Lucky Jenkins in 12 western feature films and on Hopalong Cassidy and Cpl. Boone on The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin) plays gang member Carr. Willard Waterman (Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve on The Great Gildersleeve and Mac Maginnis on The Real McCoys) plays liquor salesman Bender. Lori Nelson (Greta Hanson on How to Marry a Millionaire) plays army wife Grace. Mary Murphy (see "Riders of the Night" above) plays stage passenger Lottie. 

Season 2, Episode 30, "Badge of the Outsider": Roy Barcroft (see "The Debt" above) plays notorious outlaw Doc Langley. Paul Fix (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Rifleman) plays his right-hand man Davey. George Wallace (starred in Radar Men From the Moon, Destry, and Forbidden Planet and played Judge Milton Cole on Hill Street Blues and Grandpa Hank Hammersmith on Sons and Daughters) plays gang member Gip. Jan Shepard (Nurse Betty on Dr. Christian) plays Langley's girlfriend Cindy. Norman Leavitt (see "Riders of the Night" above) plays Sherman ranch hand Jud. 

Season 2, Episode 31, "Men in Shadows": Rod Cameron (shown on the right, see the biography section for the 1960 post on Coronado 9) plays wanted outlaw Dixie Howard. Ken Christy (Bill Franklin on Meet Corliss Archer) plays stagecoach driver Banta. Dennis Patrick (see "Stolen Tribute" above) plays bounty hunter Kramer. Edward Mallory (Bill Horton on Days of Our Lives) plays stage shotgun rider Kelly. 

Season 2, Episode 32, "Strange Company": James Brown (appeared in Going My Way, Sands of Iwo Jima, The Sea Hornet, and A Star Is Born (1954) and played Lt. Rip Masters on The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin and Det. Harry McSween on Dallas) plays stagecoach driver Lon MacRae. Denver Pyle (Ben Thompson on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Grandpa Tarleton on Tammy, Briscoe Darling on The Andy Griffith Show, Buck Webb on The Doris Day Show, Mad Jack on The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, and Uncle Jesse on The Dukes of Hazzard) plays former lawman Bailey. Carl Benton Reid (starred in The Little Foxes, In a Lonely Place, Lorna Doone, and The Left Hand of God and played The Man on Burke's Law) plays banker Herb. Dick Wessel (see the biography section for the 1960 post on Riverboat) plays explosives expert Sam Higgins. William Bryant (McCall on Combat!, President Ulysses S. Grant on Branded, Col. Crook on Hondo, Lt. Shilton on Switch, and the Director on The Fall Guy) plays gunslinger Durango. Mark Dana (SAC Clayton MacGregor on The F.B.I.) plays gambler Bracket.

Season 2, Episode 33, "Widow in White": Sue England (shown on the left, played Mildred Price on Bracken's World) plays widow Sheila Dawson. Ross Elliott (Freddie the director on The Jack Benny Program and Sheriff Abbott on The Virginian) plays her foreman Jim Collins. Richard Coogan (see "Riders of the Night" above) plays small-town Sheriff Cliff. Ben Johnson (starred in Shane, The Wild Bunch, Chisum, and The Getaway and played Sleeve on The Monroes) plays ranch hand Tarp. Rayford Barnes (see "The Lost Dutchman" above) plays ranch hand Birch. 

Season 3, Episode 1, "Dragon at the Door": Ed Nelson (see "Bitter Glory" above) plays drifter Sable. Nobu McCarthy (appeared in The Geisha Boy, Love With the Proper Stranger, The Karate Kid, Part II, and Pacific Heights) plays Japanese traveling entertainer Haru. Joanne Miya (appeared in West Side Story and played Janet Okada on Arrest and Trial) plays her sister Kiko. 

Season 3, Episode 2, "Ladies' Day": William Bryant (see "Strange Company" above) plays bounty hunter Bud Deever. Gloria Talbott (shown on the right, see "The Passing of Kuba Smith" above) plays his wife Sally Malone. Jock Mahoney (see "Man From Kansas" above) plays wanted outlaw Sam Willet. Carl Benton Reid (see "Strange Company" above) plays circuit Judge Henry. Norman Leavitt (see "Riders of the Night" above) plays stagecoach clerk George. 

Season 3, Episode 3, "Siege at Jubilee": Lin McCarthy (starred in Yellowneck, The D.I., and Face of a Fugitive and played Bill Talbot on Modern Romances) plays wanted outlaw Hobey Devon. John Alderson (Sgt. Bullock on Boots and Saddles and Wyatt Earp on Doctor Who) plays his partner Burrows. Ruta Lee (appeared in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Funny Face, and Witness for the Prosecution and played Rona on 1st and Ten: The Championship and Pauline Spencer on Coming of Age) plays card dealer Opal Crane. Ted de Corsia (Police Chief Hagedorn on Steve Canyon) plays prison warden Matthew Witmore. Denver Pyle (see "Strange Company" above) plays stagecoach driver Bates. Percy Helton (see "Run of the Hunted" above) plays Devon conspirator Clemson Frazer. L.Q. Jones (see "Cactus Lady" above) plays Burrows henchman Truk.

Season 3, Episode 4, "The Mountain Men": Dan Duryea (shown on the left, starred in The Little Foxes, The Pride of the Yankees, Scarlet Street, and Winchester '73 and played China Smith on China Smith and The New Adventures of China Smith and Eddie Jacks on Peyton Place) plays vengeful patriarch Ben Sanford. Jason Evers (see "The Debt" above) plays his son Carl. Alex Cord (Jack Kiley on W.E.B., Mike Holland on Cassie & Co., and Michael Coldsmith Briggs III on Airwolf) plays his son John. 

Season 3, Episode 5, "The Fatal Step": Dennis Patrick (see "Stolen Tribute" above) plays stagecoach robber Wes Darrin. Gary Clarke (shown on the right, played Dick Hamilton on Michael Shayne, Steve Hill on The Virginian, and Capt. Richards on Hondo) plays his inside conspirator Tad Kimball. Raymond Bailey (Milburn Drysdale on The Beverly Hillbillies, Dean Magruder on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, D.A. John Carvell on The Untouchables, and Mr. Beaumont on My Sister Eileen) plays stagecoach executive Burch. Allison Hayes (see the biography section for the 1960 post on Bat Masterson) plays saloon girl Francie. Robert J. Wilke (appeared in Best of the Badmen, High Noon, The Far Country, and Night Passage and played Capt. Mendoza on Zorro) plays Billings Marshal Gil Fletcher. Olan Soule (Aristotle "Tut" Jones on Captain Midnight, Ray Pinker on Dragnet (1952-59), and Fred Springer on Arnie) plays a Billings hotel clerk. Harry Harvey (see "Run of the Hunted" above) plays the Billings postmaster. Tom Fadden (Duffield on Broken Arrow, Silas Perry on Cimarron City, and Ben Miller on Green Acres and Petticoat Junction) plays a traveling farmer.

Season 3, Episode 6, "The Last Journey": Rod Cameron (see "Men in Shadows" above) plays ex-con John Cole. Sandra Knight (ex-wife of Jack Nicholson, appeared in Thunder Road, Frankenstein's Daughter, and Blood Bath) plays his step-daughter Mary. Richard Davalos (appeared in East of Eden, I Died a Thousand Times, Cool Hand Luke, and Kelly's Heroes and played Cpl. Jeff Canfield on The Americans) plays his former partner's son Danny Hode. Mort Mills (see "Rimrock" above) plays his former partner Damon Johntry.

Season 3, Episode 7, "Deadly Is the Night": Lloyd Nolan (shown on the left, played Michael Shayne in six movies, starred in Ebb Tide, Pier 13, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The Street With No Name, and Airport, and played Martin Kane on Martin Kane, Special Agent Philip Conroy on Special Agent 7, and Dr. Morton Chegley on Julia) plays famous bank robber Matt Dyer. George Wallace (see "Badge of the Outsider" above) plays his henchman Alby. Harry Lauter (see "Killer Without Cause" above) plays his henchman Rafe Andrews. Vinton Hayworth (see "Man From Kansas" above) plays banker Mr. Thomas. Olive Carey (see the biography section for the 1960 post on Lock Up) plays outlaw's widow Ma Tolliver. Don C. Harvey (see "Mark of the Manhunters" above) plays the Granite City sheriff.

Season 3, Episode 8, "The Accusers": Charles Drake (starred in Winchester '73, Harvey, It Came From Outer Space, Bonzo Goes to College, and I Was a Shoplifter and played John Burden on Rendezvous) plays Slim's stagecoach company boss Allen Winter. Joanne Linville (Amy Sinclair on The Guiding Light) plays his mistress Carla Morton. Kelly Thordsen (see "Man From Kansas" above) plays stagecoach driver Dusty. Carmen Phillips (Lily on The Lieutenant) plays saloon girl Sally. Norman Leavitt (see "Riders of the Night" above) plays a hotel clerk. 

Season 3, Episode 9, "Wolf Cub": Robert Blake (shown on the right, played Mickey in over 30 Our Gang shorts and Little Beaver in 23 westerns, starred in Black Rose, Pork Chop Hill, The Purple Gang, In Cold Blood, Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here, and Electra Glide in Blue, and played Det. Tony Baretta on Baretta and Father Noah Rivers on Hell Town) plays Blackfoot chief's son Lame Wolf. Frank DeKova (Chief Wild Eagle on F Troop and Louis Campagna on The Untouchables) plays his father Red Wolf. Kenneth MacDonald (played the judge 32 times on Perry Mason, played Col. Parker on Colt .45, and appeared in several Three Stooges shorts) plays U.S. Cavalry Capt. Reeves. Arthur Hunnicutt (see "Cactus Lady" above) plays Indian scalp hunter Earl Droody. 

Season 3, Episode 10, "Handful of Fire": George Macready (Martin Peyton on Peyton Place) plays renegade army Col. John Barrington. Karen Sharpe (Laura Thomas on Johnny Ringo) plays his daughter Madge. Myron Healey (Doc Holliday on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays her boyfriend Lt. Paul Harmon. John Pickard (Capt. Shank Adams on Boots and Saddles and Sgt. Maj. Murdock on Gunslinger) plays Barrington's right-hand man Sgt. Bailey. Ross Elliott (see "Widow in White" above) plays one of Barrington's men Cpl. Harris. Herb Vigran (Judge Brooker on Gunsmoke) plays army mess Sgt. Wells. Robert Stevenson (bartender Big Ed on Richard Drum and Marshal Hugh Strickland on Stagecoach West) plays Barrington's court martial prosecutor. 

Season 3, Episode 11, "The Killer Legend": Pat Conway (shown on the left, see the biography section for the 1960 post on Tombstone Territory) plays framed gunslinger Tom Wade. Dick Foran (see "Bitter Glory" above) plays gambler Milt Lane. Harry Lauter (see "Killer Without Cause" above) plays card cheat Joe Bartell. Kevin Hagen (see "Run of the Hunted" above) plays his brother Roy. Hal Smith (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Andy Griffith Show) plays hotel clerk George. Eddie Baker (one of the original Keystone Kops who played the bailiff 9 times on Perry Mason and was the first secretary/treasurer of the Screen Actors Guild) plays Sheriff Corey's father Mort Corey, Sr.

Season 3, Episode 12, "The Jailbreakers": Charles Aidman (narrator on the 1985-87 version of The Twilight Zone) plays Slim's friend Gil Martin. R.G. Armstrong (see "Run of the Hunted" above) plays Cheyenne Marshal Al Dawson. Jan Shepard (see "Badge of the Outsider" above) plays saloon girl Lila Stevens. Will Wright (Mr. Merrivale on Dennis the Menace and Ben Weaver on The Andy Griffith Show) plays Laramie Dr. Burns. Francis de Sales (Lt. Bill Weigand on Mr. & Mrs. North, Ralph Dobson on The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, Sheriff Maddox on Two Faces West, and Rusty Lincoln on Days of Our Lives) plays Sheriff Corey's assistant Jerry.

Season 3, Episode 13, "The Lawless Seven": Lyle Bettger (shown on the right, see "Rimrock" above) plays outlaw former lawman Calvin Hawks. Dorothy Green (Lavinia Tate on Tammy) plays his wife Marian. William Boyett (Sgt. Ken Williams on Highway Patrol and Sgt. MacDonald on Adam-12) plays gang member Walt Cade. Bing Russell (father of Kurt Russell, played Deputy Clem Foster on Bonanza) plays Hawks' former deputy Sam Purdy. Frank Gerstle (Dirk Gird on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp and voiced Raseem on The Banana Splits Adventure Hour) plays Cheynne Sheriff Aikens. Willis Bouchey (Mayor Terwilliger on The Great Gildersleeve, Springer on Pete and Gladys, and the judge 23 times on Perry Mason) plays circuit Judge Petrie.