Tales of Wells Fargo (1962)

 

In our post on the 1961 episodes, we covered the changes made to the program for Season 6 in an attempt to recapture its early-life appeal and compete with other higher profile westerns that had entered the market, in particular Bonanza, and how these changes had not had the intended effect of increasing viewership. Nothing of significance changed in the latter 2/3 of Season 6, the episodes that aired in 1962. The series continued to rely on shopworn plots already used on every other western series of the era, a device so obvious that even reviewers on imdb.com have complained about it, most notably for the episode "Don't Wake a Tiger" (May 12, 1962). And the expanded cast introduced at the beginning of Season 6 to appeal to a wider demographic was used less and less as the season progressed, with some characters not appearing at all in several consecutive episodes. Many of the final episodes have Jim Hardie on the road or stuck in some remote location away from his horse farm and neighbors. The last time we see the character of Mary Gee is in episode 24, "Chauncey" (March 17, 1962), meaning she misses the last 10 episodes of the series. In fact, we see more of Wells Fargo clerk Sam Whipple (played by Phil Chambers) than we do of Mary Gee.

But speaking of the episode "Chauncey," it is perhaps the lone episode centered on the character of Tina Swenson, who somehow falls in love with a psychopath "poetic" drifter and refuses to heed the warnings of her mother and Hardie about the young man's instability. While it's not completely unbelievable that an educated young woman might be attracted to a man who talks about metaphysical subjects rather than just farming, is able to paint pictures, if crudely at that, and talks about achieving his dreams through sheer willpower, Chauncey Evans is clearly brutish in grabbing whatever he wants and a little too smooth in coming up with excuses for the lies he keeps spinning to keep others at bay. As Hardie and the law get closer to pinning the murder of a Wells Fargo agent in another town on him, he grows more desperate, and the story devolves into a Snidely Whiplash-style melodrama with Chauncey kidnapping Tina and driving her to the iconic house used in Hitchcock's Psycho, if there was ever any doubt about Chauncey's mental state. Reviewers on imdb.com have lauded this episode for its early, if oversimplified and sensationalized, examination of mental illness, but newly popular medical series such as The Eleventh Hour and Ben Casey were already offering a more measured, if still sensationalized, view of mental issues. More interesting in this Tales of Wells Fargo episode is the treatment of Tina's too-easy willingness to ignore Chauncey's obvious red flags in her desperation to find a lover. This form of mental imbalance is far more common and at times harder to recognize. Certainly Tales of Wells Fargo wasn't the first television show to examine romantic abuse, but it still deserves credit for broaching a female-centered problem in a genre almost exclusively devoted to unreal male action heroes.

Another episode that deserves a modicum of praise is the series finale "Vignette of a Sinner" (June 2, 1962). It, too, revolves around a woman choosing a romantic partner for all the wrong reasons--this time out of a misplaced sense of loyalty to her father. Rachel Whitman plans to marry banker Les Caldwell because he loaned her late father $30,000 to try to keep his renowned horse farm afloat, but even the loan was not enough to save the farm, and Rachel doesn't realize that since then Caldwell has resorted to embezzlement, robbery, and attempted murder to make back the money he loaned. Enter Jim Hardie, who with a little prodding from Jeb Gaines, is immediately smitten with Rachel when she demonstrates she can ride a jumping horse. Even after learning of Caldwell's crimes, Rachel sticks by him, thinking she has no other choice when he is seriously wounded exchanging gunfire with his hired safe-cracker. Caldwell, of course, must pay for his crimes and dies from the gunshot wound, but Hardie does not see any flaws in Rachel for abetting his attempt to evade the law, and at episode's end, he asks her to stay after she boards a stagecoach bound for Kentucky, her original home. This is a significant change for Hardie, whom we have earlier seen reject an attempted reunion with former lover Ella Congreve, who chose a life on the stage rather than becoming Hardie's housewife, in "Return to Yesterday" (January 13, 1962).  It would have been a fitting ending to the series to have Rachel accept Hardie's invitation to stay, suggesting that perhaps he would settle down with her on his horse farm, a mutual interest for the couple, possibly even retiring from Wells Fargo to do so. But this was not the era of tidy series finales, as would be later seen on programs such as The Mary Tyler Moore Show or M*A*S*H. So instead we have Rachel tell Hardie that after what has just happened, she needs time to recover, but also adds that one day she may be ready, leaving the door open just a tiny sliver that they may eventually wind up together. Given that Hardie is a man who typically gets what he is after, we can conjecture that after thinking things over, if he still wants her, he will find a way to make it happen. But the final image we get is her stagecoach driving away with Hardie standing there watching her go. That's about the closest we can get to having a series wrapped up in a meaningful way circa 1962.

One final note: Tales of Wells Fargo seemed to get more coverage in the pages of TV Guide after it was dead in the water than it had the previous two years. The April 21, 1962 issue featured a two-page photo spread about Dale Robertson's office at Revue Studios, decorated as if it were a set for the program. Given that the show would air only until June 2 of that year, and the same issue reported renewals for shows such as Bonanza and Laramie, as well as the cancellation of Thriller, surely the days of Tales of Wells Fargo were already numbered by late April. And yet, this is the kind of photo feature that could have been shot and written at any time and then run in the magazine whenever there was a particularly slow news week. The June 2, 1962 edition of the magazine contained a feature story on actress Lory Patrick, who played Tina Swenson, mentioning that Tales of Wells Fargo "won't be around next season," but then adding that Revue was keeping her under contract to guest star on "prestige shows" as well as all the Revue-produced shows in the upcoming season. Though Patrick appeared on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Wide Country, Alcoa Premiere, It's a Man's World, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Laramie, and Wagon Train in late 1962 and 1963, her career slowed down dramatically thereafter and was over by 1967. Dale Robertson by this time had moved on to star in another western series, Iron Horse, trading his stagecoach on Tales of Wells Fargo for a train.

The "Notable Guest Stars" section below contains screen grabs for all the episodes included on the Timeless Media Group box set for the final season, which does not include all the episodes from that season. The remaining episodes can be found on the Starz streaming service, which requires a paid subscription. However, there is a problem viewing these episodes with the Firefox browser, which is why these episodes have no screen grabs below.

The Actors

For the biography of Dale Robertson, see the 1960 post on Tales of Wells Fargo. For the biographies of William Demarest, Virginia Christine, Mary Jane Saunders, Lory Patrick, and Steve Darrell see the 1961 post on Tales of Wells Fargo.

Notable Guest Stars

Season 6, Episode 15, "Moneyrun": Michael Ansara (shown on the left, husband of actress Barbara Eden, appeared in Julius Caesar, The Robe, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, and Harum Scarum, played Cochise on Broken Arrow and Deputy U.S. Marshal Sam Buckhart on The Rifleman and Law of the Plainsman, and voiced General Warhawk on Rambo) plays renegade Mexican army commander Col. Peralta. Rodolfo Hoyos, Jr. (Luis Valdez on Viva Valdez and Hernandez on General Hospital) plays Mexican army commander Col. Navarro. George Dolenz (father of Micky Dolenz, appeared in The Strange Death of Adolf Hitler, Vendetta, Scared Stiff, and The Last Time I Saw Paris and played Edmond Dantes/The Count of Monte Cristo on The Count of Monte Cristo) plays deposed Mexican Governor Rafael De Lopa. Vinton Hayworth (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Lawman) plays Wells Fargo executive Ben Travers. Frank Gerstle (Dick Gird on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp and voiced Raseem on The Banana Splits Adventure Hour)  plays his agent Tim. Phil Chambers (Sgt. Myles Magruder on The Gray Ghost and Jason the hotel clerk on The Andy Griffith Show) plays telegraph clerk Sam.

Season 6, Episode 16, "Return to Yesterday": Dianne Foster (shown on the right, starred in Night Passage, The Last Hurrah, and The Deep Six) plays world renowned singer Ella Congreve. Addison Richards (starred in Boys Town, They Made Her a Spy, Flying Tigers, and The Deerslayer and played Doc Calhoun on Trackdown, Doc Landy on The Deputy¸ and John Abbott on Ben Jarrod) plays her father Simon. Yvette Vickers (starred in Reform School Girl, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, and Attack of the Giant Leeches) plays her assistant Agnes Jenkins. Lew Gallo (Major Joseph Cobb on 12 O'Clock High and directed multiple episodes of That Girl, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Love American Style, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, and The New Mike Hammer) plays hotel bellhop Harry Bowen. Phil Tully (Charlie the bartender on The Deputy) plays hotel detective McGuire. Jason Robards, Sr. (father of Jason Robards, Jr.) plays Simon's physician Dr. Ira P. Strickland. Phil Chambers (see "Moneyrun" above) returns as Wells Fargo clerk Sam.

Season 6, Episode 17, "Reward for Gaine": John Doucette (shown on the left, see the biography section for the 1960 post on Lock Up) plays Jeb's brother Sgt. Gaine. John Anderson (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays his U.S. Army commander Col. Bledsoe. Steven Terrell (Tom on The Pride of the Family) plays one of Gaine's soldiers Trillby. Robert Karnes (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Lawless Years) plays Beldsoe's adjutant Cpl. Lark. Linda Dangcil (Sister Ana on The Flying Nun, Elena on Villa Alegre, and voiced Carmen Alonso and Raya on Jem) plays Indian chief's daughter Feather.

Season 6, Episode 18, "Assignment in Gloribee": Patricia Owens (starred in The Happiest Days of Your Life, Sayonara, The Fly, and Hell to Eternity) plays journalist Katherine Ann Murdock. Rod Cameron (shown on the right, see the biography section for the 1960 post on Coronado 9) plays ex-con Nathan Chance. George Kennedy (starred in Charade, The Sons of Katie Elder, The Dirty Dozen, Cool Hand Luke, and The Naked Gun and played MP Sgt. Kennedy on The Phil Silvers Show, Father Samuel Cavanaugh on Sarge, Bumper Morgan on The Blue Knight, and Carter McKay on Dallas) plays his robbery partner Hawk. Stafford Repp (Lt. Ralph Raines on The Thin Man, Brink on The New Phil Silvers Show, and Chief O'Hara on Batman) plays wealthy cattle buyer Major Shankford. Leonard P. Geer (Ollie on The Adventures of Spin and Marty) plays bounty hunter Jeelo Curran. Gilman Rankin (Deputy Charlie Riggs on Tombstone Territory) plays rancher Jake.

Season 6, Episode 19, "Incident at Crossbow": Sean McClory (shown on the left, played Jack McGivern on The Californians and Myles Delaney on Bring 'Em Back Alive) plays ex-con bank robber Con Toole. Hal Baylor (Jenkins on Rawhide and Mercury on Batman) plays his henchman Hondo. Dan Sheridan (see the biography section for the 1960 post on Lawman) plays stagecoach driver Sam Storey. Michael Forest (starred in Ski Troop Attack, Atlas, and The Glory Guys and was the voice of Capt. Dorai on Street Fighter II: V and Olympus on Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue) plays gambler Duke Tolliver. Robert Sampson (Sgt. Walsh on Steve Canyon, Father Mike Fitzgerald on Bridget Love Bernie, and Sheriff Turk Tobias on Falcon Crest) plays New Jersey farmer Arthur King. Joyce Meadows (Lynn Allen on The Man and the Challenge and Stacy on Two Faces West) plays his fiance Flo Healey. Russell Thorson (Det. Lt. Otto Lindstrom on The Detectives and William Kennerly on Peyton Place) plays waystation operator Jug Perry. Robert B. Williams (see the biography section for the 1962 post on Hazel) plays lawman Marshal Charlie Dodge.

Season 6, Episode 20, "Portrait of Teresa": Arthur Franz (shown on the right, starred in Flight to Mars, The Member of the Wedding, and The Caine Mutiny and played Bill Winters on World of Giants and Hugh McLeod on The Nurses) plays painter Mel Akins. Simon Oakland (starred in Psycho, West Side Story, and Follow That Dream and played Inspector Spooner on Toma, Tony Vincenzo on Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Brig. Gen. Thomas Moore on Black Sheep Squadron, and Sgt. Abrams on David Cassidy - Man Undercover) plays small village strongman Podario. Rico Alaniz (Mr. Cousin on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays his henchman Lopez. Roberto Contreras (Pedro on The High Chapparal) plays another henchman Antonio. William Fawcett (Clayton on Duffy's Tavern, Marshal George Higgins on The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, and Pete Wilkey on Fury) plays stagecoach driver Charlie. Hal Needham (Hollywood's highest-paid stuntman who invented numerous stunt devices, was a double for Richard Boone and Burt Reynolds, and directed Smokey and the Bandit, Hooper, and Cannonball Run) plays a rowdy cattle drover.

Season 6, Episode 21, "Hometown Doctor": Richard Long (shown on the left, starred in The Stranger, Criss Cross, All I Desire, and as Tom Kettle in 4 Ma and Pa Kettle features, and played Red Randolph on Bourbon Street Beat and 77 Sunset Strip, Jarrod Barkley on The Big Valley, Professor Everett on Nanny and the Professor, and Ernie Paine on Thicker Than Water) plays Dr. Jeremy Wilson, son of the deceased Gloribee physician. Lillian Bronson (Mrs. Drake on Date With the Angels) plays one of his father's patients Missee Blake. Ken Scott (appeared in The Three Faces of Eve, Woman Obsessed, Beloved Infidel, and Desire in the Dust and played Det. Vincent Polk on McCloud) plays cattle trail boss Stringer. Paul Sorenson (Andy Bradley on Dallas) plays one of his drovers Ace. George D. Wallace (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays another drover Cross. Hank Patterson (see the biography section for the 1962 post on Gunsmoke) plays stagecoach driver Sid. Roy Barcroft (Col. Logan on The Adventures of Spin and Marty and Roy on Gunsmoke) plays cattle mogul Sam Rogers.

Season 6, Episode 22, "The Traveler": Jack Warden (starred in From Here to Eternity, 12 Angry Men, and Run Silent, Run Deep and played Matt Gower on The Asphalt Jungle, Major Simon Butcher on The Wackiest Ship in the Army, Lt. Mike Haines on N.Y.P.D., Morris Buttermaker on The Bad News Bears, and Harry Fox, Sr. on Crazy Like a Fox) plays ex-con school teacher Brad Axton. Ken Mayer (Maj. Robbie Robertson on Space Patrol) plays his former partner Sunderman. Warren J. Kemmerling (Judge Rense on How the West Was Won) plays his other former partner Morgan. Celia Kaye (see the biography section for the 1962 post on The New Loretta Young Show) plays his daughter Julie. Tyler McVey (Simon Peter on The Living Christ Series and Maj. Norgrath on Men Into Space) plays Wells Fargo agent Max Andrews. Hank Patterson (see "Hometown Doctor" above) plays returns as stagecoach driver Sid. Phil Chambers (see "Moneyrun" above) returns as the Wells Fargo office clerk and telegrapher. Debbie Megowan (Dorine Peters on My Three Sons) plays Axton's sick pupil Cindy Reeves. Dorothy Lovett (played Judy Price in 5 Dr. Christian feature films, Dr. Robinson McKay on The Seeking Heart, and Edie on The Donna Reed Show) plays her mother.

Season 6, Episode 23, "Winter Storm": Dan Duryea (shown on the right, starred in The Little Foxes, The Pride of the Yankees, Scarlet Street, and Winchester '73 and played China Smith in China Smith and The New Adventures of China Smith and Eddie Jacks on Peyton Place) plays Oregon lawman Marshal Blake. R.G. Armstrong (Police Capt. McAllister on T.H.E. Cat and Lewis Vendredi on Friday the 13th) plays ghost-town resident Hanson. James Beck (appeared in The Bonnie Parker Story, Paratroop Command, Hound-Dog Man, and The Outsider and played Sgt. Highton on Hondo) plays one-armed former soldier Eddy Pierce. Gale Garnett (Grammy-winning popular singer who appeared in Tribute, Mr. and Mrs. Bridge, and My Big Fat Greek Wedding) plays Nez Perce squaw Ruth.

Season 6, Episode 24, "Chauncey": Burt Brinckerhoff (Charles Shannon on Dr. Kildare and directed multiple episodes of Lou Grant, Nine to Five, Remington Steele, ALF, and 7th Heaven) plays violent drifter Chauncey Evans. Andy Albin (Andy Godsen on Julia) plays his Uncle Joe. Phil Chambers (see "Moneyrun" above) returns as Wells Fargo clerk Sam Whipple. Donald Elson (Fred on Little House on the Prairie) plays Willow Creek lawman J.C. Clegg.

Season 6, Episode 25, "Who Lives by the Gun": Judith Evelyn (appeared in Rear Window, Hilda Crane, Giant, The Brothers Karamazov, and The Tingler and played The Woman on Windows) plays small-town mining company owner Emily Callan. Bart Patton (see the biography section for the 1960 post on Riverboat) plays her son Jeff. Paul Birch (Erle Stanley Gardner on The Court of Last Resort, Mike Malone on Cannonball, and Capt. Carpenter on The Fugitive) plays local lawman Sheriff Maxon. John Archer (father of Anne Archer, former husband of Marjorie Lord, appeared in White Heat, Ten Thousand Bedrooms, Blue Hawaii, and How to Frame a Figg) plays saloon owner Grant Reynolds. Kathie Browne (Angie Dow on Hondo and was Darren McGavin's second wife) plays saloon girl Peggy. John Alderson (Sgt. Bullock on Boots and Saddles and Wyatt Earp on Doctor Who) plays Emily Callan's right-hand man Gage. John Mitchum (see the biography section for the 1960 post on Riverboat) plays the saloon bartender.

Season 6, Episode 26, "To Kill a Town": Buddy Ebsen (see the biography section for the 1962 post on The Beverly Hillbillies) plays Hardie's outlaw prisoner Lou Reese. Russell Johnson (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 his pursuer Normalie Hall. Harry Lauter (Ranger Clay Morgan on Tales of the Texas Rangers, Atlasande on Rocky Jones, Space Ranger, and Jim Herrick on Waterfront) plays Hall's hired gunman Pete. Peter Helm (brother of actress Anne Helm) plays hot-headed young gunslinger Jason Moore. Joan Staley (Playboy Playmate who appeared in Cape Fear, Roustabout, Valley of the Dragons, Johnny Cool, and The Ghost and Mr. Chicken and played Tiger on The Lively Ones, Hannah on 77 Sunset Strip, and Roberta Love on Broadside) plays hotel chambermaid Clarissa. Olan Soule (Aristotle "Tut" Jones on Captain Midnight, Ray Pinker on Dragnet (1952-59), Cal on Stagecoach West, the Hotel Carlton desk clerk on Have Gun -- Will Travel, and Fred Springer on Arnie and voiced Batman on The All-New Super Friends Hour, Challenge of the Superfriends, The World's Greatest SuperFriends, and Super Friends) plays the New Madrid storekeeper. Roy Wright (Shipwreck Callahan on The Islanders) plays the New Madrid blacksmith.

Season 6, Episode 27, "End of a Minor God": Lin McCarthy (starred in Yellowneck, The D.I., and Face of a Fugitive and played Bill Talbot on Modern Romances) plays notorious gunman Billy Trent. Jan Merlin (Roger Manning on Tom Corbett, Space Cadet, Lt. Colin Kirby on The Rough Riders, and wrote screenplays for Another World) plays his pursuer Johnny Fullen. Eileen Ryan (mother of Sean, Chris, and Michael Penn) plays mail-order bride Lorry Cannon. William Schallert (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis) plays bookish stage passenger Paul Grieg. Robert J. Stevenson (bartender Big Ed on Richard Drum and Marshal Hugh Strickland on Stagecoach West) plays stagecoach driver Art Riddle. Hank Patterson (see "Hometown Doctor" above) plays shotgun rider Charlie Benson. Jon Lormer (Harry Tate on Lawman, Sam Watkins on The Real McCoys, the autopsy surgeon on Perry Mason, Simon Benjamin on The Young Marrieds, and Judge Irwin A. Chester on Peyton Place) plays Gloribee citizen Bert Hensley. Richard Tyler (appeared in The Bells of St. Mary's, Father Was a Fullback, and Tea and Sympathy and played Henry Aldrich on The Aldrich Family, and Dick and Beta on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet) plays wannabe gunman Beau Enders. Walter Coy (Zoravac on Rocky Jones, Space Ranger, Jason Farrell on A Flame in the Wind, and was the narrator on Frontier) plays Buena Vista Sheriff Vincour.

Season 6, Episode 28, "Remember the Yazoo": 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 New Orleans Wells Fargo branch manager Tom Kelly. Jeanne Bal (Pat Baker on Love and Marriage and Jean Pagano on Mr. Novak) plays his fiance Annette Decatur. Alan Napier (appeared in The House of the Seven Gables, Lassie Come Home, Joan of Arc, Marnie, The Loved One, and Batman: The Movie and played Gen. Steele on Don't Call Me Charlie and Alfred the butler on Batman) plays her father Col. Decatur. 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 career criminal Sam Heffridge. Robert Cornthwaite (Professor Windish on Get Smart and Howard Buss on Picket Fences) plays robbery plot organizer Anthony Boaz. Richard Devon (Jody Barker on Yancy Derringer) plays co-conspirator Pierre Carondelet.

Season 6, Episode 29, "The Angry Sky": Arch Johnson (starred in Somebody Up There Likes Me, G.I. Blues, and The Cheyenne Social Club and played Gus Honochek on The Asphalt Jungle and Cmdr. Wivenhoe on Camp Runamuck) plays mule driver Swede Lowell. Anne Barton (Nan Fry on Big Town) plays his wife Helen. James Griffith (Aaron Adams on Trackdown and Deputy Tom Ferguson on U.S. Marshal) plays heist ringleader Roland Jensen. Fay Spain (starred in Dragstrip Girl, Al Capone, and The Gentle Rain) plays his fiance Marie Jarnier. Robert Colbert (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Maverick) plays Jensen henchman Rossi.

Season 6, Episode 30, "Royal Maroon": Kathleen Crowley (Terry Van Buren on Waterfront and Sophia Starr on Batman) plays aspiring entertainer Royal Maroon. Harold J. Stone (John Kennedy on The Grand Jury, Hamilton Greeley on My World and Welcome to It, and Sam Steinberg on Bridget Loves Bernie) plays general store proprietor Mr. Brian. Ron Foster (Officer Garvey on Highway Patrol) plays his henchman Ken Morris. Frank Ferguson (Gus Broeberg on My Friend Flicka, Eli Carson on Peyton Place, and Dr. Barton Stuart on Petticoat Junction) plays stagecoach driver Sedge. Charles Seel (see the biography section for the 1962 post on Dennis the Menace) plays physician Dr. Fergus. Ken Lynch (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Checkmate) plays the Clearwater sheriff.

Season 6, Episode 31, "The Gold Witch": Ron Rendell (starred in Pacific Adventure, Bulldog Drummond at Bay, Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back, Lorna Doone, and Kiss Me Kate, was the host for The Vise and played Capt. Frank Hawthorn on O.S.S.) plays phony hypnotist Arthur Reardon. Diana Millay (Laura Collins on Dark Shadows and Kitty Styles on The Secret Storm) plays his wife Ruth. Whit Bissell (starred in He Walked by Night, Creature From the Black Lagoon, I Was a Teenage Werewolf, I Was a Teenage Frankenstein, and Hud and played Bert Loomis on Bachelor Father, Calvin Hanley on Peyton Place, and Lt. Gen. Heywood Kirk on The Time Tunnel) plays Wells Fargo stagecoach driver Charlie. Alan Hale, Jr. (shown on the left, played Biff Baker on Biff Baker U.S.A., Casey Jones on Casey Jones, and The Skipper on Gilligan's Island) plays wealthy former miner Paul Denning. Claire Carleton (Nell Mulligan on The Mickey Rooney Show and Alice Purdy on Cimarron City) plays his wife Mary-Sue. Laya Raki (Halima on Crane) plays a gypsy woman.

Season 6, Episode 32, "Don't Wake a Tiger": Jim Davis (Matt Clark on Stories of the Century, Wes Cameron on Rescue 8, Marshal Bill Winter on The Cowboys, and Jock Ewing on Dallas) plays vengeful former Union soldier Jonus Sawyer. Gary Clarke (see the biography section for the 1962 post on The Virginian) plays his brother Davie. Royal Dano (appeared in The Far Country, Moby Dick, and The Outlaw Josey Wales) plays Wells Fargo relay station operator Robert Mapes. Marjorie Reynolds (starred in Holiday Inn, Ministry of Fear, The Time of Their Lives, and The Great Jewel Robber and played Peg Riley on The Life of Riley) plays his wife Helen. Kelly Thordsen (Colorado Charlie on Yancy Derringer) plays Little Bend sheriff Tom. Harp McGuire (appeared in Captain Thunderbolt, On the Beach, Inherit the Wind, and Cage of Evil) plays his deputy Sam Harris. Tom Greenway (Sheriff Jack Bronson on State Trooper)plays Wells Fargo agent Henry Sharp. Hank Patterson (see "Hometown Doctor" above) plays the Wells Fargo stagecoach driver. William Tannen (Deputy Hal Norton on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays barfly Ollie Cooper. Mark Allen (Matt Kissel on The Travels of Jamie McPheeters and Sam Evans on Dark Shadows) plays barfly Bill. Mauritz Hugo (appeared in Revenge of the Zombies, Secret Agent X-9, and Alvarez Kelly and played George Holden on The Cisco Kid) plays the Little Bend Wells Fargo agent.

Season 6, Episode 33, "The Wayfarers": James Coburn (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 stagecoach robber Ben Crider. Hugh Marlowe (starred in Twelve O'Clock High, All About Eve, The Day the Earth Stood Still, and Earth vs. the Flying Saucers and played Ellery Queen on Mystery Is My Business and Jim Matthews on Another World) plays banker George Adams. June Vincent (starred in Honeymoon Lodge, Black Angel, Shed No Tears, and The Creeper and played Dr. Amanda Winninger on Bright Promise) plays his wife Grace. Robert Ellenstein (appeared in 3:10 to Yuma, Too Much Too Soon, and North by Northwest) plays novelist Augustus Parmalee. Robert Bray (Simon Kane on Stagecoach West and Corey Stuart on Lassie) plays disgraced seaman Henry Maxon. Alex Montoya (Miguel Morales on The High Chaparral) plays Mexican bandito Juan Morin.

Season 6, Episode 34, "Vignette of a Sinner": Jeff Morrow (starred in Sign of the Pagan, This Island Earth, Pardners, and The Giant Claw and played Maj. Bart McClelland n Union Pacific and Dr. Lloyd Axton on The New Temperatures Rising Show) plays bank director Les Caldwell. Joyce Taylor (see the biography section for the 1960 post on Men Into Space) plays his fiance Rachel Whitman. William Mims (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays outlaw for hire Lucius Kramm. 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 ex-con physician Doc Bell. Sam Gilman (Sam Grafton on Shane) plays phony elixir salesman Rockaway. Dean Smith (Doug McClure's stunt double on Overland Trail, Dale Robertson's stunt double on Iron Horse, and stunt coordinator on How the West Was Won and Simon & Simon) plays his accomplice Michael. James Craig (starred in Kitty Foyle, The Devil and Daniel Webster, The Human Comedy, Kismet (1944), and Our Vines Have Tender Grapes) plays the Rawlston sheriff.

 

Bronco (1962)

 

In its final 13 episodes, which aired in 1962, Bronco trod much of the same ground it had in previous years, with the titular character serving in a different capacity each week and brushing up against historical figures and events to try to infuse some interest in an otherwise derivative western. In these last episodes he encounters Wild Bill Hickock for the second time in "One Evening in Abilene" (March 19, 1962) where Hickock serves as marshal. He meets General William Tecumseh Sherman in "The Immovable Object" (April 16, 1962), having fought against him in the Civil War as a Rebel captain. And he receives a letter from President Abraham Lincoln while carrying out a secret mission for the U.S. government in "The Last Letter" (March 5, 1962). This is presented as the "last letter" Lincoln wrote before his assassination on April 14, 1865, just 5 days after Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered to Grant to end the Civil War. What are the chances Bronco, an officer in the Confederate Army, would be entrusted with a top secret mission for the government he fought against just 5 days after his General's surrender?

But this episode, like roughly half of those aired in 1962, centers around the theme of burying the hatchet after the bloody and divisive Civil War. This episode also ties into another historical event of the era--the French takeover of Mexico--and Bronco's secret mission is to help fund the deposed Mexican government of Juarez against the French-installed monarchy of Maximilian. Bronco's crew delivering a shipment of gold to Mexico is made up of former Rebel soldiers, dubbed "Reconstructed Rebels." Some are more honorable than others, but the real villain in this and other episodes are those who try to play both sides against each other. In this case, renegade McKee Bucklin conspires with the Comanches to attack his own wagon train so that he can take control of the gold, which he has already agreed to deliver to the French--for a price. The Mexican conflict is featured again in "Until Kingdom Come" (March 26, 1962), only this time Bronco has been recruited to protect a Duchess related to Maximilian, since deposed, whose nephew Philip is heir to the throne. It doesn't make any sense that he would serve on opposite sides of the conflict unless he, too, were nothing more than a mercenary, but we are not expected to look for any consistency from week to week, only to trust that whatever side our hero is on is the right one--for that week, at least.

Bronco clashes with another duplicitous marauder in the last episode of the series, "Then the Mountains" (April 30, 1962). Kent Bohannon led a band of raiders who targeted both sides during the War but was eventually court martialed and sentenced to prison but managed to escape and now has an axe to grind with Bronco, who was one of many who testified against him. He runs into Bohannon after one of Bohannon's associates sells and then steals a group of horses from him while Bronco is leading a wagon train of former Virginia Confederates headed for Oregon. In that wagon train is former Confederate soldier Ben Cullen, who still bears ill will toward any Yankees and makes him distrustful of anything they may tell him. This attitude gets him into trouble while Bronco is away trying to escape from Bohannon and Cullen is advised by Yankee Army deserter Frankie Banton not to take a promised shortcut across the mountains. Banton knows there is no such shortcut and recognizes the fake sign as a trap (by Bohannon, as it turns out), but Cullen refuses to believe a Yankee would tell him the truth and leads the entire wagon train into Bohannon's trap. As with several other episodes from 1962 wherein Bronco, the ex-Confederate, has to tell his compatriots that the war is over and it is time to move forward, the message here is that both sides of the War must learn to live together again, a particularly timely message for 1962 as the Civil Rights Movement was in full swing and moving toward the Civil Rights Act of 1964. However, as with most television programs of the era, there is no mention of slavery as being the central issue of the Civil War (which is only referred to on Bronco as the War Between the States, the preferred term of Southerners who refused to acknowledge the real reason for the War). TV networks and sponsors bent over backwards not to rile up bitter Southerners just waiting for a provocation to get their dander up, which is exactly the attitude we see from Cullen in this episode. appeasement of Southerners is portrayed in this episode by Union Army commander Lt. Ames, who stops Bronco's wagon train while searching for the deserter Banton. Cullen seems ready to take offense at anything Ames says, but Ames is careful to offer his respect to former Confederate officer Bronco as an equal, and when Bronco gives his word that Banton is not in his wagon train, Ames is willing to accept his word without a search, though it turns out that Bronco was mistaken, not knowing that Banton was hiding in one of his own wagons.

Bronco also adheres to the "don't-stir-the-pot" strategy in "One Evening in Abilene" when he advises former Confederate soldier Clay Farraday not to go to Abilene, one of the worst cities for former Yankee-Rebel clashes since the state of Kansas was split down the middle during the Civil War and its citizens still fight against themselves. Like the stubborn Ben Cullen above, Farraday refuses to take Bronco's suggestion and even seems to welcome conflict by proudly wearing his CSA gun belt as a sign of his loyalties, even challenging Abilene Marshal Wild Bill Hickock, knowing that Hickock has a well-documented dislike for Southerners. Farraday allows his infatuation with Abilene belle Donna Coe to cloud his judgment and finally comes to realize that she was only using him to avenge the death of her fiance at the hands of Hickock. He then decides his future lies elsewhere, away from the cauldron of bitterness still brewing in Abilene.

The program also suggests that not all Confederates were guilty of the crimes committed by their colleagues in "A Town That Lived and Died" (April 9, 1962). Bronco is lured under false pretenses to a ghost town where he is taken prisoner and subjected to a mock trial, to be followed by a hanging, for his involvement in the town being burnt to the ground by Confederate soldiers. But as the story is told in flashback, while Bronco admits that he was sent as an undercover Confederate agent to lead the citizens on a wagon train to their new destination of Lost Hope Hill so that he could discover how they were transporting a secret shipment of gold to finance the Union Army, he says he knew nothing about the torching of the town later, after he had completed his assignment, by a Confederate officer who was angry that the gold shipment was stolen out from under him by a savvy band of bank robbers. Bronco makes the argument that he was just following orders, which could be made by any Confederate, even those actually guilty of atrocities. A similar argument is made on behalf of the character Johnny Davis in "Ride the Whirlwind" (January 15, 1962). Davis was a member of the notorious Confederate gang called Quantrill's Raiders and as such is still a trained killer, even though he now serves as a reputable deputy to Yankee Sheriff Ben Lockwood. Davis is fond of and loyal to Lockwood, but his past as a Confederate killer is able to be exploited by revenge-minded hypnotist Dr. Miles Gillis, just released from a 7-year prison sentence for aiding the enemy when he treated Confederate soldiers so that they could return to battle. Gillis shared a prison cell with Davis for 5 years and knows his past well, exploiting it to secretly assign him under hypnotic suggestion to kill Lockwood and others who were responsible for sending Gillis to jail. Davis is presented as an innocent foil for Gillis' evil plan, even though he presumably took part in atrocities during the War. Still, Bronco tries to argue that even those who committed such atrocities could be rehabilitated and should be given a chance to prove so.

Though the subject of slavery is never broached on the program, the first Black character finally shows up in the episode "Moment of Doubt" (April 2, 1962). Bronco is again assigned a secret mission on behalf of the U.S. Government--this time to infiltrate an insurrectionist anti-Democratic group of former Confederates based in New Orleans. He is given a fake court martial to make his record reflect that he would have a motivation for joining the subversives, and his contact in New Orleans is a Black man named Dorso, working as a boot black at a New Orleans hotel. Most notably, Dorso's Blackness is never referred to nor dramatized. Bronco treats him just as he would anyone else, and Dorso has none of the Black stereotypes seen in earlier movies or TV programs. In fact, his role could have been played by a white actor with no changes to the script or blocking. The only reason to cast a Black actor in the role is to demonstrate a Black man being treated just as a white man would be in the same position. This fits in with the approach taken elsewhere in the series--wanting to move past the animosities of the Civil War and the century of prejudice that followed it (and still continues to this day 60 years later) without acknowledging the wrongs done or holding anyone accountable for them. Like much of the peace idealism that came later in the decade, it's admirable that a show like Bronco would advocate for national unity and a more equal future, but perhaps a bit naive to think that deep-seated resentment could be washed away just by not mentioning it.

The Actors

For the biography of Ty Hardin, see the 1960 post on Bronco.

Notable Guest Stars

Season 4, Episode 6, "Beginner's Luck": Buzz Martin (appeared in Pork Chop Hill, The FBI Story, PT 109, and Shotgun Wedding) plays rancher's son Lew Gant. Pamela Austin (starred in Hootenanny Hoot, Kissin' Cousins, and The Perils of Pauline) plays his sister Marion. Virginia Christine (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Tales of Wells Fargo) plays their mother Martha. Hank Patterson (see the biography section for the 1962 post on Gunsmoke) plays ranch hand Railroad Costigan. Hayden Rorke (shown on the left, starred in Father's Little Dividend, When Worlds Collide, and Pillow Talk and played Steve on Mr. Adams and Eve, Col. Farnsworth on No Time for Sergeants, Dr. Alfred Bellows on I Dream of Jeannie, and Bishop on Dr. Kildare) plays rival rancher Matt Wigram. Walter Coy (Zoravac on Rocky Jones, Space Ranger, Jason Farrell on A Flame in the Wind, and was the narrator on Frontier) plays lawman Sheriff Springer. Gregg Palmer (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays gun for hire Wes Taylor. Jean Willes (appeared in Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Ocean's 11, and Gypsy) plays saloon hostess Dolly.

Season 4, Episode 7, "Ride the Whirlwind": 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 Willow Springs Sheriff Ben Lockwood. Chad Everett (shown on the right, starred in Get Yourself a College Girl, Made in Paris, The Singing Nun, and Airplane II and played Deputy Del Stark on The Dakotas, Dr. Joe Gannon on Medical Center, Paul Hagen on Hagen, Wyatt Earp III on The Rousters, Jack McKenna on McKenna, Jack Manhattan on Manhattan, AZ, and Vic on Chemistry) plays his deputy Johnny Davis. 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 ex-con hypnotist Dr. Miles Gillis. Willis Bouchey (Mayor Terwilliger on The Great Gildersleeve, Springer on Pete and Gladys, and the judge 23 times on Perry Mason) plays Gillis' sentencer Judge Fowler. Pamela Austin (see "Beginner's Luck" above) plays his daughter Mary. Robert Anderson (Park Street, Jr. on The Court of Last Resort and Aeneas MacLinahan on Wichita Town) plays livery owner Len Peters. George Petrie (Nathan Wade on Search for Tomorrow, Freddie Muller on The Honeymooners, Don Rudy Aiuppo on Wiseguy, Harv Smithfield on Dallas, and Sid on Mad About You) plays attorney Tom Egan. Fred Sherman (Tommy the tailor on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp and Burt Purdy on Cimarron City) plays Willow Springs Postmaster Freyes.

Season 4, Episode 8, "A Sure Thing": Alan Hale, Jr. (shown on the left, played Biff Baker on Biff Baker U.S.A., Casey Jones on Casey Jones, and The Skipper on Gilligan's Island) plays cattle drover Squire. Mickey Simpson (Boley on Captain David Grief) plays his Buddy Jonah. Trevor Bardette (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays rancher Dutch Vandervort. Barry Kelley (starred in The Asphalt Jungle, The Manchurian Candidate, and The Love Bug and played Charlie Anderson on Big Town, Jim Rafferty on The Tom Ewell Show, Mr. Slocum on Pete and Gladys, and Carol's father on Mister Ed) plays crooked rancher Poole. Joan Taylor (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Rifleman) plays widow rancher Lorain Mitchell. Russell Thorson (Det. Lt. Otto Lindstrom on The Detectives and William Kennerly on Peyton Place) plays fellow rancher Jack Armitage. William Phipps (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays disgruntled rancher Madden. Herb Vigran (Muley Evans on The Life of Riley, Ernest Hinshaw on The Ed Wynn Show, and Judge Brooker on Gunsmoke and voiced Glum on The Adventures of Gulliver and Mr. Dinkle on Shirt Tales) plays general store owner White. 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 hotel clerk Benjamin Carstairs. Marshall Reed (Inspector Fred Asher on The Lineup) plays trail boss Harrison.

Season 4, Episode 9, "Trail of Hatred": Robert Carson (Mr. Maddis on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show) plays U.S. Army fort commander Col. Cummings. Rian Garrick (Det. Bruce Hanna on Manhunt) plays secret assignment commander Lt. Steve Powell. Kent Smith (shown on the right, starred in Cat People, This Land Is Mine, Hitler's Children, Curse of the Cat People, Nora Prentiss, The Spiral Staircase, and The Fountainhead and played Dr. Robert Morton on Peyton Place and Edgar Scoville on The Invaders) plays his father Dana Powell. James Griffith (Aaron Adams on Trackdown and Deputy Tom Ferguson on U.S. Marshal) plays greedy Army soldier Cpl. Fonda. Joseph Gallison (appeared in All the Young Men, The Wackiest Ship in the Army, and PT 109 and played Bill Matthews on Another World and Dr. Neil Curtis on Days of Our Lives) plays naive soldier Pvt. Foster. Ken Mayer (Maj. Robbie Robertson on Space Patrol) plays Sgt. Prouty.

Season 4, Episode 10, "Rendezvous With a Miracle": Mike Road (Marshal Tom Sellers on Buckskin, Lt. Joe Switolski on The Roaring 20's, and provided the voice for Race Bannon on Johnny Quest and Ugh on Space Ghost) plays reformed bank robber Mike Bestor. Gloria Talbott (shown on the left, starred in The Cyclops, Daughter of Dr. Jekyll,  and I Married a Monster From Outer Space and played Moneta on Zorro) plays his girlfriend Valerie Ames. Mabel Albertson (Mrs. Whiting on Those Whiting Girls, Irene Brady on The Tom Ewell Show, Mrs. Sprague on The Andy Griffith Show, Mildred Hollinger on That Girl, and Phyllis Stephens on Bewitched) plays mission leader Mother Maria Theodore. Rico Alaniz (Mr. Cousin on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays Mexican bandit Rick Cardido. Marshall Reed (see "A Sure Thing" above) plays Bestor's pursuer Marshal Hank Barton. Ollie O'Toole (Mr. Meeker on Circus Boy) plays stagecoach worker Clem. Harry Strang (played the sheriff on The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin) plays a stagecoach driver.

Season 4, Episode 11, "Destinies West": Kathleen Crowley (shown on the right, played Terry Van Buren on Waterfront and Sophia Starr on Batman) plays wanted Confederate spy Belle Siddons. Ed Prentiss (the narrator on Trackdown and played Carl Jensen on The Virginian) plays Kansas U.S. Army fort commander Col. Welch. Robert McQueeney (Conley Wright on The Gallant Men) plays Bronco's spy-catching partner Major Creighton. Leo Gordon (appeared in Gun Fury, Hondo, Quantrill's Raiders, and Big Top Pee-wee and played Big Mike McComb on Maverick) plays rancher Nero Hollister. Jon Lormer (Harry Tate on Lawman, Sam Watkins on The Real McCoys, the autopsy surgeon on Perry Mason, Simon Benjamin on The Young Marrieds, and Judge Irwin A. Chester on Peyton Place) plays Bonnetville physician Doc Emmery. Bing Russell (father of Kurt Russell, played Deputy Clem Foster on Bonanza) plays disgraced Union soldier Rance Crosby. Donald "Red" Barry (played Red Ryder in the movie serial The Adventures of Red Ryder, and played Lt. Snedigar on Surfside 6, The Grand Vizier and Tarantula on Batman, Capt. Red Barnes on Police Woman, and Jud Larabee on Little House on the Prairie) plays stable worker Stumpy. Gregg Palmer (see "Beginner's Luck" above) plays Missouri Raider member Colton.

Season 4, Episode 12, "The Last Letter": Robert Colbert (shown on the left, see the biography section for the 1961 post on Maverick) plays "Reconstructed Rebel" Quill. Richard Garland (starred in Attack of the Crab Monsters, Panic in Year Zero, and Mutiny in Outer Space and played Clay Horton on Lassie) plays Bronco's commander Capt. Grey. Robert J. Wilke (appeared in Best of the Badmen, High Noon, The Far Country, Night Passage, and Stripes and played Capt. Mendoza on Zorro) plays renegade McKee Bucklin. Joseph Gallison (see "Trail of Hatred" above) plays his son Rob. Mickey Simpson (see "A Sure Thing" above) plays Reconstructed Rebel Dud Miller. Jackie Searl (began as a child actor, appearing in Tom Sawyer (1930), Huckleberry Finn (1931), Alice in Wonderland (1933), Great Expectations(1934), and Little Lord Fauntleroy) plays Reconstructed Rebel Snowball. Harry Harvey, Jr. (son of actor Harry Harvey, Sr., appeared in Reefer Madness, Moonlight in Vermont, Dangerous Years, and Forbidden Planet, script supervisor on Mannix) plays Reconstructed Rebel Midge. Doye O'Dell (member of music group Sons of the Pioneers, host of Cowboy Thrills) plays Reconstructed Rebel Marsten.

Season 4, Episode 13, "One Evening in Abilene": Jack Cassidy (shown on the right, Tony Award-winning father of David and Shaun Cassidy and husband of Shirley Jones, played Oscar North on He & She) plays Abilene Sheriff Wild Bill Hickock. Lisa Gaye (Collette DuBois on The Bob Cummings Show and Gwen Kirby on How to Marry a Millionaire) plays woman looking for someone to kill him, Donna Coe. George Petrie (see "Ride the Whirlwind" above) plays her father Jack. Tony Young (son of actor Carleton G. Young, played Cord on Gunslinger) plays drifter Tod Chapman. Lee Van Cleef (starred in High Noon, The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, The Bad and the Ugly) plays Bronco's foreman Charley Clune. Bud Osborne (played stagecoach drivers in dozens of westerns and in episodes of The Cisco Kid, Annie Oakley, The Range Rider, Hopalong Cassidy, The Lone Ranger, The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, Rescue 8, Zorro, Law of the Plainsman, Johnny Ringo, Cheyenne, The Texan, Maverick, and Rawhide) plays trail hand Piney.

Season 4, Episode 14, "Until Kingdom Come": Jacqueline Beer (appeared in Pillow Talk, The Prize, and Made in Paris and played Suzanne Fabry on 77 Sunset Strip) plays exiled Mexican Duchess Eugenia. Rodolfo Acosta (appeared in Wings of the Hawk, Flaming Star, and The Sons of Katie Elder and played Vaquero on The High Chaparral) plays her pursuer Juan Rodriguez. Philip Carey (shown on the left, starred in I Was a Communist for the FBI, Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison, Calamity Jane, Mister Roberts, Dead Ringer, and Three For Texas and played Lt. Michael Rhodes on Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers, Philip Marlowe on Philip Marlowe, Capt. Edward Parmalee on Laredo, and Asa Buchanan on One Life to Live) plays former journalist Josh Glendon. Ken Lynch (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Checkmate) plays crooked ex-con Sheriff Lacey. Kathleen Freeman (Katie on Topper, Marilly on Mayor of the Town, Bertha Krause on The Bob Cummings Show, Flo Shafer on The Beverly Hillbillies, Kate Harwell on Funny Face, Iris Belmont on Lotsa Luc, and Sister Mary Dorothy on General Hospital) plays widow rancher Mrs. Kelly.

Season 4, Episode 15, "Moment of Doubt": Frank Wilcox (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Untouchables) plays an Army colonel who gives Bronco his assignment. Walter Brooke (shown on the right, appeared in The Graduate, Tora! Tora! Tora!, and The Nude Bomb and played Bill Morgan on Three Steps to Heaven, Henry Forsythe on The Young Marrieds, D.A. Frank Scanlon on The Green Hornet, Mr. Gibson on Bright Promise, D.A. Wayne Charles on Days of Our Lives, and Clarence Johnson on The Waltons) plays Undersecretary for the Department of War Hammond Craig. Bill Walker (appeared in The Harlem Globetrotters, The Outcast, and Porgy and Bess and played Obadiah on Yancy Derringer) plays boot black Dorso. Tol Avery (Speaker Bert Metcalf on Slattery's People) plays insurrectionist group leader Turlowe. Earl Hammond (Hal Soames on Valiant Lady, Captain Sovine on The Clear Horizon, and voiced Mon-star on Silverhawks and Mumm-ra, Jaga, and Vultureman on Thundercats) plays one of his recruits Oswald Mercer. Doodles Weaver (narrated Spike Jones' horse-racing songs and hosted A Day With Doodles) plays hotel barber Grimes.

Season 4, Episode 16, "A Town That Lived and Died": Robert Rockwell (shown on the left, played Phillip Boynton on Our Miss Brooks, Sam Logan on The Man From Blackhawk, Dean Chalmers and Will Thorne on Lassie, Tom Bishop on Diff'rent Strokes, Dr. Simon Hopkins on Days of Our Lives, and Wally Overmier on Growing Pains) plays former Union Army officer Van Dix. Jolene Brand (Anna Maria Verdugo on Zorro and Pink Cloud on Westward Ho!) plays his wife Emily. Ahna Capri (Mary Rose on Room for One More) plays Emily at age 15. Russell Thorson (see "A Sure Thing" above) plays ghost town former sheriff Frank Sutton. John Alderson (Sgt. Bullock on Boots and Saddles and Wyatt Earp on Doctor Who) plays gold miner Francis Randolph. E.J. Andre (Eugene Bullock on Dallas) plays bank robber Murdo. Lane Chandler (Tom Pike on Lawman) plays gold transfer plotter Tom Finch.

Season 4, Episode 17, "The Immovable Object": William Fawcett (Clayton on Duffy's Tavern, Marshal George Higgins on The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, and Pete Wilkey on Fury) plays cantankerous farmer Tom Christopher. Maggie Pierce (shown on the right, played Barbara Crabtree on My Mother the Car) plays his "granddaughter" Melvina. Mike Road (see "Rendezvous With a Miracle" above) plays newspaper reporter Emmett Dawson. George N. Neise (Capitan Felipe Arrellanos on Zorro, Dr. Nat Wyndham on Wichita Town, and Colonel Thornton on McKeever & the Colonel) plays Army Corps of Engineers commander Major Elijah Moore. Robert Hogan (Gilly Gillespie on The Young Marrieds, Rev. Tom Winter on Peyton Place, Asst. DA Stephens on Bright Promise, Scott Banning on Days of Our Lives, Sheriff Paul Tate on The Manhunter, Sgt. Ted Coppersmith on Richie Brockelman, Private Eye, Lt. Cmdr. Haller on Operation Petticoat, Nathan Welsh on Secrets of Midland Heights, Greg Stemple on Alice, Vince McKinnon on Another World, and L.J. McDermott on As the World Turns) plays his adjutant Capt. Meadows. J. Edward McKinley (appeared in The Angry Red Planet, Advise & Consent, The Interns, The Party, and Where Does It Hurt?) plays the New Mexico governor. Frank Ferguson (Gus Broeberg on My Friend Flicka, Eli Carson on Peyton Place, and Dr. Barton Stuart on Petticoat Junction) plays legendary Union Army commander Gen. William T. Sherman.

Season 4, Episode 18, "Then the Mountains": John Dehner (shown on the left, played Duke Williams on The Roaring '20's, Commodore Cecil Wyntoon on The Baileys of Balboa, Morgan Starr on The Virginian, Cyril Bennett on The Doris Day Show, Dr. Charles Cleveland Claver on The New Temperatures Rising Show, Barrett Fears on Big Hawaii, Marshal Edge Troy on Young Maverick, Lt. Joseph Broggi on Enos, Hadden Marshall on Bare Essence, and Billy Joe Erskine on The Colbys) plays former Confederate soldier Ben Cullen. Med Flory (played clarinet in the Ray Anthony orchestra and founded and played alto sax in the group Super Sax, appeared in Gun Street, The Nutty Professor (1963), and The Gumball Rally, and played Sheriff Mike McBride on High Mountain Rangers) plays fellow former Confederate soldier Vance Pelham. Jim Boles (appeared in The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, The Trouble With Angels, Angel in My Pocket, The Love God?, and The Apple Dumpling Gang and  played Joe on One Man's Family) plays Virginia emigrant Jonathan Hawley. Susan Seaforth Hayes (Carol West on The Young Marrieds, Julie Olson Williams on Days of Our Lives, JoAnna Manning on The Young and the Restless, Patricia Steele on Sunset Beach, and Ms. Preston on Venice the Series) plays his daughter Julie Mae. James Best (Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane on The Dukes of Hazzard and The Dukes) plays Army deserter Frankie Banton. Gerald Mohr (narrator on 19 episodes of The Lone Ranger, Christopher Storm on Foreign Intrigue, and voice of Mr. Fantastic and Reed Richards on Fantastic 4) plays renegade leader Frank Bohannon. Ken Mayer (see "Trail of Hatred" above) plays his horse trader. Myron Healey (Doc Holliday on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays Virginia emigrant Obie Dilks. Robert Nash (Dr. Jenkins on Days of Our Lives) plays Virginia emigrant Pete Calvert. Billy M. Greene (appeared in The Shrike, Never Steal Anything Small, and The Cape Canaveral Monsters and played Skrag on Captain Video and His Video Rangers) plays the Fort Bridger sutler. Gregg Palmer (see "Beginner's Luck" above) plays Union Army cavalry commander Lt. Ames.