87th Precinct (1962)

 

In our post on the 1961 episodes of 87th Precinct, we discussed how the series somewhat based on Ed McBain's novels seemed intent on showing not only that police detectives are humans like the rest of us, with families and concerns outside the office, but are actually a cut above the ordinary people they come in contact with every day. That theme continued through the remainder of the program's only season, as we continue to see their office visited by civilian cranks such as Mrs. Collier, who claims to have committed multiple crimes in which she had no part in "Out of Order" (January 22, 1962). But in one sense, the program bit off more than it could chew--focusing on not one but four different detectives, each with supposedly a different personality and background, while also following the police procedural format that has to identify and apprehend this week's villain or gang within 60 minutes. In most cases, the procedural format overshadows any character revelation or development amongst the four principals, and the producers made things even more difficult for themselves by frequently introducing new characters that become the center of attention, thereby drawing focus even farther away from the principals. 

The most obvious diversion is Det. Carella's deaf/mute wife Teddy, who was introduced the program's pilot as a way to show the softer side of her husband, as we discussed in our previous post. Unfortunately for the show's producers, viewers found her far more interesting than any of the show's stars and demanded to see more of her, perhaps in every episode, as documented in the February 17, 1962 TV Guide article "She Was Too Much of a Good Thing." After appearing in 3 episodes in 1961, she would show up only once more in the 1962 episode "Step Forward" (March 26, 1962) in a story more focused on her husband's flirtation with leaving the police force for a bank job. After all four detectives spend many episodes complaining about how little they are paid, Carella is finally fed up at not being able to pay his bills, so he takes up an offer from a few years earlier by a bank president who wants him to be his head of security. However, he is soon bored with coddling wealthy customers and literally itches (he develops hives) to get back to solving crimes. Again, the lesson from this episode's sermon is that these four detectives are selfless public servants who will turn down better offers to help themselves--and their families.

Hulking Det. Roger Havilland offers a similar explanation in the last episode to air, "Girl in the Case" (April 30, 1962), when he is asked by a threatened stenographer he has been assigned to protect why he spurned a career in professional football, which he was offered after college, to become a cop--saying he just wanted to do something useful. What he doesn't explain in this episode is why he allows himself to become romantically involved with the stenographer when he is on duty, though as one might expect, she rebuffs his advances and chooses to marry a rich man not for love but for luxury. Like Carella turning down a cushy bank job, Havilland rejects a career that could have earned him enough money to catch a woman like the stenographer, though it is clear we are led to believe he is actually better off not pairing up with someone so shallow.

Det. Meyer is the noble martyr in "Feel of the Trigger" (February 26, 1962) when he tries to ignore a series of blackouts in order to keep doing his job, only his behavior makes as much sense as going to work when you're sick because he can put his partner at risk if one of the blackouts occurs at a critical moment when they are facing a dangerous criminal. Fortunately for the other detectives, Meyer's wife Sarah forces him to go to the doctor who prescribes him some pills to regulate his blood pressure before all his test results come back, and he is able to apprehend a murderous punk with a karate chop after Carella takes a bullet in the leg. Back at the office Meyer hears from Sarah that the doctor said there is nothing wrong with him--he only needs regular sleep and meals, and he tells his colleagues after getting off the phone that women are such worriers. Despite the fact that we are supposed to believe that his physical troubles were no big deal, Meyer has shown poor judgment in trying to power through what could have been a serious health crisis if it happened at the wrong time. His attempt to comically brush off his wife's legitimate concern shows us that he hasn't really learned his lesson.

And yet detective-on-loan Cotton Hawes (yet another new character who distracts from the principals) does learn his lesson in not trying to be a hero in "New Man in the Precinct" (April 16, 1962). Hawes is temporarily reassigned from his cushy, wealthy precinct to the 87th and isn't used to dealing with the rough-and-tumble ways of the poorer side of town. He notes that domestic disputes are very civil where he comes from, and his lack of hard knocks almost gets Carella killed when he announces that they are police after Carella pounds on the door of a dangerous suspect. We are thereafter treated to a tableau of all the other detectives telling their families and associates what a stupid, ignorant move Hawes made in announcing himself, but in reality his mistake is no stupider than Meyer's in "Feel of the Trigger"--Meyer is just luckier. After trying to right his wrong on his own, Hawes finally realizes that trying to be a hero is stupid and calls in the other detectives when he learns where the perpetrator has gone to try to escape. His is a character that viewers could have related to since he has not yet achieved perfection, but at the end of the episode he returns to his safer precinct.

In "The Last Stop" (April 23, 1962) we are treated to two more characters with backstories--Lt. Jim Burns, the boss of the four detectives, and his former mentor Det. Mike Power, who has been banished from the prestigious Central Station after an informant in his custody is gunned down in a taxi stalled in downtown traffic. Burns takes pity on Power when the latter is cut adrift only 6 months short of retirement and agrees to give him a home in the 87th to serve out his tenure since he feels a debt to Power. But he soon comes to regret it as Power is a grandstanding know-it-all who sees no problem in bending the rules if it is to his benefit. No one in the precinct can stand him, but they still have to endure him. After Power takes credit to his newspaper reporter friend Ed Bennett for solving a tax fraud scheme that Carella actually unraveled, the hit man who killed his informant comes looking for him to prove to his wife that Power would never recognize him. Power does not show any signs of knowing who he is dealing with when they meet in a bar, and almost gets killed when he tries to return the hit man's lighter he left in the bar, though he later tells the detectives in the 87th Precinct that he knew the hit man all along. Power is held up as the antithesis of the 87th boys--showy, overconfident, and unwilling to admit his shortcomings, while Burns reveals that he can let emotion cloud his judgment in allowing a sloppy detective to work for him out of a sense of debt.

Another policeman who lets emotion overrule his better judgment is patrolman Bill Miller in "A Bullet for Katie" (February 12, 1962). After his wife his shot through the window of their apartment and nearly killed, Miller fixates on ex-con Lou Gantry as the shooter because Gantry had threatened revenge against Miller when he was sent to prison years ago. However, Gantry is truly reformed, but a work colleague named Cole sees his checkered past as an opportunity for blackmail, pressuring Gantry to cover for Cole's embezzlement in exchange for his silence about his past. When Gantry refuses to go along, Cole falsely tells the police that Gantry's alibi on the night of the shooting was a lie, and when an indiscreet dispatcher hears that Havilland and Kling have left to pick up Gantry, he passes the information to Miller, who is afraid that Gantry will somehow escape justice unless he administers it himself. Fortunately, Miller hesitates long enough in shooting Gantry to allow Havilland and Kling to arrive and stop him before telling him that his wife was shot accidentally by a kid who was playing with a friend's father's war trophy. The purpose of episodes such as this one and "The Last Stop" is to venerate the 87th Precinct detectives by contrasting them with other policemen who are not as principled.

But to the series'  credit we also see a policeman who is just as principled as they are in "Square Cop" (March 12, 1962). Like Mike Power in "The Last Stop," veteran officer Otto Forman is near retirement, but when his rookie replacement is shot and killed by a robber who escapes despite Forman having a clear shot at him, and the robber is later identified as Forman's estranged son, we are led to question his motives. His legitimate explanation that he was blinded by the robber's headlights and that there were too many innocent bystanders in the line of fire comes off sounding weak, so the 87th boys stake out his apartment, figuring his son, who took a bullet from the now-dead rookie cop, might show up there seeking help and a means to escape. Their hunch proves correct, but to their surprise Forman refuses to help his son and even challenges him to go ahead and shoot his father. After a tense standoff, Forman helps capture his son, and the 87th men recommend him for a special commendation. As in real life, there are good cops and bad cops, and the 87th Precinct just happens to be blessed with four exceptional cops.

However, despite its relatively realistic take on the lives of policemen and detectives, 87th Precinct didn't really catch on with viewers over the course of the season. Hard-to-please TV Guide reviewer Gilbert Seldes called the series "well-made" in his February 17 issue review but also remarked that while he enjoyed the episode he watched ("Give the Boys a Great Big Hand"), he did not feel compelled to watch it every week. And while the April 28th TV Guide cover story discussed how much fan mail teen heart-throb Ron Harper was receiving while playing Det. Bert Kling, it also mentions that Gregory Walcott, i.e., Det. Roger Havilland, had 87th Precinct business cards made up for himself and his three co-stars as a novelty, but when he presented one to a young lady at a party, she thought it was real, meaning she didn't even know of the show's existence. As documented on the tvobscurities.com web site, 87th Precinct began with poor reviews but improved over time and even started garnering positive press in 1962. As late as March, it was being reported that NBC had said the series would "continue for some time." However, by this time the series may have already lost viewers due to the poorer-quality early episodes, a case in point being "Main Event" (January 1, 1962), which is marred by a worn-out plot and overwrought acting and direction, as compared to the much crisper episode "Man in a Jam" (January 8, 1962) only a week later that presents a novel story about a man trying to be arrested for a murder he committed because he knows the police do not yet have enough evidence to convict him, and after he is acquitted he could not be retried due to double jeopardy laws. Tvobscurities.com notes that early ratings in November and December, 1961 had it tied with The Andy Griffith Show and The Danny Thomas Show, both of which finished in the top 10 at the end of the season, while 87th Precinct failed to crack the top 30 at season's end. Perhaps the improvement in quality came too late to reclaim viewers who had already left the series behind. After its final original episode aired on April 30th followed by a summer of reruns, the series disappeared for good until its 2012 DVD revival.

The Actors

For the biographies of Robert Lansing, Ron Harper, Norman Fell, Gregory Walcott, Gena Rowlands, Ruth Storey, and Dal McKennon, see the 1961 post on 87th Precinct.

Paul Genge

Paul Morgan Genge was born in Brooklyn, NY on March 29, 1913. Little has been published about his life off screen and off stage. He was appearing on Broadway as early as 1935, as he is listed as a member of the male chorus in a production of Panic, which ran for only two days. The following year, he appeared as the captain Francisco in a production of Hamlet that starred Olivia de Havilland and Leslie Howard. The Internet Broadway Database lists him in three more productions--Journey to Jerusalem in 1940, Romeo and Juliet in 1951, and Bernardine in 1952-53. In between these, he enlisted in the U.S. Army on June 2, 1941, rising to the rank of Staff Sergeant during World War II. In 1944 he married Rowena Kirkpatrick, but they divorced two years later. He remarried to Jeanne Elsa Lasher on March 31, 1948, and they remained married until her death in 1976. Genge made his television debut in a 1953 episode of Man Against Crime titled "High Ambush," which aired April 22, 1953. He appeared in a second episode of the series in June of that year but then did not land another TV role for 5 years, finally breaking the streak with an episode of The Walter Winchell File and appeared in 3 more programs and 2 episodes of Perry Mason that year as well as his first feature film role, an uncredited part as a police inspector in I Want to Live! starring Susan Hayward. From then on the work would be steady, both on TV and feature films-- uncredited parts in North by Northwest, The Beat Generation, and The F.B.I. Story in 1959; 3 appearances on Mr. Lucky along with single appearances on Peter Gunn, Tales of Wells Fargo, One Step Beyond, Route 66, and Bonanza in addition to his first credited feature role in The Crowded Sky in 1960, and appearances on The Untouchables, The Twilight Zone, and Shotgun Slade in 1961, the same year he made his first of 5 appearances as Lt. Jim Burns on 87th Precinct.

After his brief, only recurring TV role, Genge's opportunities dwindled somewhat, though he did return to The Untouchables and Perry Mason and other series such as Hawaiian Eye, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. His feature film work also receded somewhat as he was returned to uncredited parts in such noteworthy films as The Americanization of Emily and The Sandpiper in the mid-1960s. He had a credited part as an unnamed policeman in 1967's Hot Rods to Hell and scored perhaps his most-remembered, though small role as shotgun-toting hitman Mike in the 1968 Steve McQueen drama Bullitt. The 1970s saw his roles diminish even further, appearing only in single episodes of The Bold Ones: The Senator and The Streets of San Francisco, with only one feature film, one TV movie, and his final uncredited appearance in the 1975 TV mini-series Lincoln. He died 13 years later at the age of 75 in Los Angeles on May 13, 1988.

 

 

Notable Guest Stars

Season 1, Episode 15, "Main Event": Myron McCormick (starred in No Time for Sergeants and The Hustler) plays boxing manager Scotty Thompson. Arch Johnson (shown on the left, 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 former boxer Bert "Bobo" Felix. Robert Carricart (Pepe Cordoza on T.H.E. Cat) plays mobster Frankie Spain . Henry Corden (Carlo on The Count of Monte Cristo, and Babbitt on The Monkees and did voicework on The Flintstones, Jonny Quest, The Atom Ant Show, The Banana Splits Adventure Hour and Return to the Planet of the Apes) plays his henchman Cyril. Paul Newlan (Police Capt. Grey on M Squad and Lt. Gen. Pritchard on 12 O'Clock High) plays boxing camp owner Dennis Calhoun. Maggie Pierce (Barbara Crabtree on My Mother the Car) plays boxer's girlfriend Martha Costello. Norman Leavitt (Ralph on Trackdown) plays a gas station attendant. Dennis McCarthy (Dr. Sam Hodges on Cimarron City) plays the police lab technician.

Season 1, Episode 16, "Man in a Jam": Lin McCarthy (shown on the right, starred in Yellowneck, The D.I., and Face of a Fugitive and played Bill Talbot on Modern Romances) plays groom-to-be Cleve Tompson. Robert Sampson (Sgt. Walsh on Steve Canyon, Father Mike Fitzgerald on Bridget Love Bernie, and Sheriff Turk Tobias on Falcon Crest) plays his friend Jerry Young. Sheila Bromley (Janet Tobin on I Married Joan and Ethel Weiss on Hank) plays landlord Mrs. Holt. Ed Peck (Officer Clark on The Super, Coach Cooper on Semi-Tough, Police Capt. Dennis McDermott on Benson, and Police Officer Kirk on Happy Days) plays modeling agency owner Mike Waring. Michael Fox (Sig Levy on The Clear Horizon, Coroner George McLeod on Burke's Law, Amos Fedders on Falcon Crest, Saul Feinberg on The Bold and the Beautiful, and appeared 25 times as autopsy surgeons and various other medical witnesses on Perry Mason) plays police forensic investigator Grossman. Jerry Dexter (voiced Chuck on Shazzan, Gary Gulliver on The Adventures of Gulliver, Alan M. on Josie and the Pussycats and Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space, Elmo on The Funky Phantom, Hal Bryant on Sealab 2020, Ted on Goober and the Ghost Chasers, and Drak Jr. on Drak Pack) plays bachelor party guest Pat.

Season 1, Episode 17, "Give the Boys a Great Big Hand": 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 missing sailor Karl Andrade. Theodore Marcuse (starred in Hitler, The Cincinnati Kid, and Harum Scarum and played Von Bloheim on Batman) plays ship Capt. Kromer. Barry Atwater (shown on the left, played Dr. John Prentice on General Hospital) plays choreographer Warren Tudor. Asa Maynor (Dixie on Straightaway) plays his receptionist. Roxanne Arlen (former wife of Red Buttons, appeared in Hot Rod Girl, Bachelor Flat, and Gypsy) plays dancer Taffy. George N. Neise (Capitan Felipe Arrellanos on Zorro, Dr. Nat Wyndham on Wichita Town, and Colonel Thornton on McKeever & the Colonel) plays airline executive Piat. Lorna Thayer (starred in The Beast With a Million Eyes and played the waitress in Five Easy Pieces) plays missing boy's mother Mrs. Livingston. Norman Grabowski (appeared in Girls Town, College Confidential, Sex Kittens Go to College, Roustabout, The Monkey's Uncle, and The Towering Inferno and played Padowski on Hank) plays rookie policeman Linowski. Herb Vigran (Judge Brooker on Gunsmoke) plays Missing Persons Dept. Lt. Bartholdi. Dennis McCarthy (see "Main Event" above) returns as the police lab technician.

Season 1, Episode 18, "Out of Order": Dawn Wells (shown on the right, played Mary Ann Summers on Gilligan's Island) plays chorus girl Kathy Blakely. Mary Gregory (appeared in Sleeper and Coming Home and played Dr. Stanwhich on Knots Landing and Judge Pendleton on L.A. Law) plays landlord Mrs. Gadby. Cheerio Meredith (Emma Brand on The Andy Griffith Show and Lovey Hackett on One Happy Family) plays eccentric crank Mrs. Collier. Jack Smith (singer who hosted his own radio show, appeared in King Kong (1933), On Moonlight Bay, and The Barefoot Executive, and hosted You Asked For It and American West) plays diner owner Telford. C. Lindsay Workman (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Donna Reed Show) plays diner cook Evans. Jack Reitzen (Chopstick Joe on Terry and the Pirates and Flores on Not for Hire) plays a bookie. Jack Regas (director of multiple episodes of The Lost Saucer, Dr. Shrinker, The Brady Bunch Variety Hour, Magic Mongo, and Out of This World) plays a chorus line director. Dennis McCarthy (see "Main Event" above) returns as police lab technician Joe.

Season 1, Episode 19, "The Pigeon": Peter Falk (shown on the left, starred in Robin and the 7 Hoods, Murder by Death, and The Cheap Detective and played Daniel O'Brien on The Trials of O'Brien and Columbo on Columbo) plays son of famous mobster Greg Brovane. Frank Sutton (appeared in Marty, Town Without Pity, and The Satan Bug and played Eric Raddison on Tom Corbett, Space Cadet and Sgt. Vince Carter on Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.) plays robbery gang leader Tully Borgman. Morgan Woodward (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays accomplice Matty Tremaine. Arthur Batanides (Sgt. Olivera on Johnny Midnight) plays accomplice Clay Boudreau. Marjorie Bennett (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis) plays robbery witness Mrs. Turner. Harry Swoger (Harry Sprague on The Big Valley) plays a garage mechanic. Nora Marlowe (Martha Commager on Law of the Plainsman, Sara Andrews on The Governor and J.J., and Mrs. Flossie Brimmer on The Waltons) plays landlord Rosalie Pender. Richard Deacon (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Dick Van Dyke Show) plays D.A. representative Martin. Harlan Warde (John Hamilton on The Rifleman and Sheriff John Brannan on The Virginian) plays prison psychiatrist Dr. Daniels. Clark Howat (Dr. John Petrie on The Adventures of Dr. Fu Manchu and the police dispatcher on Harbor Command) plays a lie-detector-test examiner. E.J. Andre (Eugene Bullock on Dallas) plays a man who gives candy to children.

Season 1, Episode 20, "A Bullet for Katie": Ed Nelson (Michael Rossi on Peyton Place, Ward Fuller on The Silent Force, and Sen. Mark Denning on Capitol) plays policeman Bill Miller. Della Sharman (Nurse Johnson on Dr. Kildare) plays his wife Katie. 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 ex-con Lou Gantry. Patty Ann Gerrity (Alice Holliday on This Is Alice) plays his daughter Wendy. Roger Mobley (Homer "Packy" Lambert on Fury) plays neighbor of the Millers, Lane Connors. Robert Brubaker (Deputy Ed Blake on U.S. Marshal and Floyd on Gunsmoke) plays his father Fred. Catherine McLeod (Claire Larkin on Days of Our Lives) plays Lane's mother. John Fiedler (shown on the right, appeared in 12 Angry Men, That Touch of Mink, The World of Henry Orient, Kiss Me, Stupid, Girl Happy, The Odd Couple, True Grit and played Emil Peterson on The Bob Newhart Show and Woody on Buffalo Bill) plays Gantry's work colleague Cole. William Keene (played various reverends on The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry R.F.D.) plays their boss Mr. Oxman. Harry Holcombe (appeared in The Fortune Cookie, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Foxy Brown, Escape to Witch Mountain, and Empire of the Ants and played Frank Gardner on Search for Tomorrow, Doc Benson on My Mother the Car, Mr. Kendricks on Barefoot in the Park, and Dr. J.P. Martin on Bonanza) plays a doctor.

Season 1, Episode 21, "King's Ransom": 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 shoe company executive Douglas King. Nancy Reagan (shown on the left, second wife of Ronald Reagan, starred in The Next Voice You Hear..., Donovan's Brain, and Hellcats of the Navy) plays his wife Diane. John McLiam (appeared in Cool Hand Luke, In Cold Blood, Sleeper, The Missouri Breaks, and First Blood) plays their chauffeur Charles Reynolds. John Astin (appeared in That Touch of Mink, The Wheeler Dealers, Move Over, Darling, Viva Max, and Freaky Friday and played Harry Dickens on I'm Dickens, He's Fenster, Gomez Addams on The Addams Family, Rudy Pruitt on The Phyllis Diller Show, Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Sherman on Operation Petticoat, Ed LaSalle on Mary, Buddy Ryan on Night Court, Radford on Eerie, Indiana, and Prof. Albert Wickwire on The Adventures of Briscoe County, Jr.) plays phone installer Cassidy. Charles Aidman (narrator on the 1985-87 version of The Twilight Zone) plays kidnapper Eddie Folsom. Virginia Vincent (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Joey Bishop Show) plays his wife Kathy. Dan Tobin (Terrance Clay on Perry Mason) plays con man Adrian Score.

Season 1, Episode 22, "Feel of the Trigger": Jerry Hausner (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Mr. Magoo Show) plays grocer Nathan Kossoff. Renata Vanni (appeared in Pay or Die!, A Patch of Blue, and Fatso and played Rose Brentano on That Girl) plays his wife Maria. Neil Burstyn (third husband of Ellen Burstyn, story editor on The Monkees) plays robber Danny Brodek. Ted de Corsia (Police Chief Hagedorn on Steve Canyon) plays his father John. Ellen Corby (shown on the right played Henrietta Porter on Trackdown and Esther Walton on The Waltons) plays Danny's mother. Bernie Hamilton (Capt. Harold Dobey on Starsky and Hutch) plays police Officer Kendal. Maudie Prickett (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Hazel) plays Meyer's Nurse Crowley. Dick Wessel (see the biography section for the 1960 post on Riverboat) plays suspect's father Howard Pitt. Jean Inness (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Dr. Kildare) plays shoplifter Agnes Burton.

Season 1, Episode 23, "Killer's Choice": Gloria Talbott (starred in The Cyclops, Daughter of Dr. Jekyll,  and I Married a Monster From Outer Space and played Moneta on Zorro) plays liquor store maanger Amy Boone. R.G. Armstrong (Police Capt. McAllister on T.H.E. Cat and Lewis Vendredi on Friday the 13th) plays her boss Franklin Phelps. Rosemary DeCamp (shown on the left, starred in Yankee Doodle Dandy, Rhapsody in Blue, and The Life of Riley and played Peg Riley on The Life of Riley, Margaret MacDonald on The Bob Cummings Show, Aunt Helen on Petticoat Junction, Helen Marie on That Girl, and Grandma Amanda Renfrew on The Partridge Family) plays his wife Marna. John Lasell (Dr. Peter Guthrie on Dark Shadows) plays Amy's ex-husband Ted Boone. Katherine Warren (appeared in The Lady Pays Off, The Glenn Miller Story, and The Caine Mutiny) plays Amy's mother Mrs. Travail. Nancy Kulp (Pamela Livingstone on The Bob Cummings Show, Jane Hathaway on The Beverly Hillbillies, Mrs. Gruber on The Brian Keith Show, and Mrs. Hopkins on Sanford and Son) plays liquor store customer Miss Fitzhenry. Clancy Cooper (see the biography section for the 1960 post on Lawman) plays police Det. Monroe. Sidney Clute (Sgt. Same Gerke on Steve Canyon, Det. Simms on McCloud, the National Editor on Lou Grant, and Det. Paul La Guardia on Cagney & Lacey) plays bartender Blackie. Jonathan Hole (Orville Monroe on The Andy Griffith Show) plays hotel manager Mr. Morgan. Carla Balenda (Patricia Hardy on The Mickey Rooney Show, Betty Leonard on The Adventures of Dr. Fu Manchu, and Miss Hazllit on Lassie) plays phony flight attendant Miss Tilson. Berniece Janssen (David Janssen's mother) plays a Phelps party guest.

Season 1, Episode 24, "Square Cop": Lee Tracy (shown on the right, starred in Doctor X, Blessed Event, Dinner at Eight, Bombshell, and The Lemon Drop Kid and played John J. Malone on The Amazing Mr. Malone, Martin Kane on Martin Kane, and Lee Cochran on New York Confidential) plays 30-year police veteran Officer Otto Forman. Jack Hogan (starred in The Bonnie Parker Story, Paratroop Command, and The Cat Burglar and played Kirby on Combat!, Sgt. Jerry Miller on Adam-12, Chief Ranger Jack Moore on Sierra, and Judge Smithwood on Jake and the Fatman) plays his estranged son Johnny. James Hong (Barry Chan on The New Adventures of Charlie Chan, Frank Chen on Jigsaw John, and Doctor Chen Ling on Dynasty) plays restaurant owner "Mike" #2. Paul Smith (George Howell on The Gertrude Berg Show, Capt. Martin on No Time for Sergeants, Harley Trent on Mr. Terrific, and Ron Harvey on The Doris Day Show) plays aspiring reporter Fred Jamison.

Season 1, Episode 25, "Step Forward": Philip Bourneuf (shown on the near left, appeared in Joan of Arc, Chamber of Horrors, and Pete 'n' Tillie and played Dr. Wickens on Dr. Kildare) plays bank president John Frost. Ray Teal (shown on the far left, see the biography section for the 1961 post on Bonanza) plays Texas millionaire Sam Thorpe. Isobel Elsom (appeared in Of Human Bondage, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Lust for Life, and My Fair Lady) plays wealthy bank customer Andrea Edgerton. Alvy Moore (appeared in Susan Slept Here, Designing Woman, and The Wackiest Ship in the Army and played Howie on Pete and Gladys and Hank Kimball on Green Acres) plays suit salesman Adam Sloan. Byron Foulger (Mr. Nash on Captain Nice and Wendell Gibbs on Petticoat Junction) plays bank guard Frank. Charles Seel (Otis the Bartender on Tombstone Territory, Mr. Krinkie on Dennis the Menace, and Tom Pride on The Road West) plays bank guard Lloyd. Hank Brandt (Leonard Waggedorn on Julia, Morgan Hess on Dynasty, and Dr. Aaron Kranzler on Santa Barbara) plays police patrolman Vic. Alice Backes (Vickie on Bachelor Father) plays Carella neighbor Jane. Leonard A. Mazzola (set decorator on The Sixth Sense, Fame, and Beauty and the Beast) plays robber Barrows.

Season 1, Episode 26, "Idol in the Dust": Michael Dante (Crazy Horse on Custer) plays professional baseball player Larry Brooks. Jeanette Nolan (shown on the right, starred in Macbeth (1948), The Big Heat, Tribute to a Bad Man, and The Reluctant Astronaut, did voicework for Psycho, The Rescuers, and The Fox and the Hound, and played Annette Devereaux on Hotel de Paree and Holly Grainger on The Virginian) plays his mother. Al Ruscio (Paul Locatelli on Shannon, Sal Giordano on Life Goes On, Frank Ruscio on Joe's Life, and Kosta Kanelos on Port Charles) plays his brother Joe. Paddi Edwards (Doris on The Trouble With Harry and voiced Gorda on Phantom 2040, Atropos on Hercules, and Vera Groober-Schwartz on Pepper Ann) plays Joe's wife Betty. Joseph Mell (Bill Pence on Gunsmoke) plays grocer Sol. David Kent (Bill Scott on Leave It to Beaver) plays his son Richard. Robert Biheller (Corky on Here Come the Brides) plays punk Ben Kramer. Frank Bank (see the biography section for the 1960 post on Leave It to Beaver) plays Kramer's friend. Howard Caine (Schaab on The Californians and Maj. Wolfgang Hochstetter on Hogan's Heroes) plays poker game organizer Georgie Meinig.

Season 1, Episode 27, "Ramon": Danny Bravo (voice of Hadji on Jonny Quest) plays young troublemaker Ramon Morales. Willis Bouchey (shown on the left, played Mayor Terwilliger on The Great Gildersleeve, Springer on Pete and Gladys, and the judge 23 times on Perry Mason) plays State Department agent Harry Spencer. Rico Alaniz (Mr. Cousin on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays conspirator Rafael Bencosme.

Season 1, Episode 28, "New Man in the Precinct": Fred Beir (Larry Atwood on Days of Our Lives) plays detective on loan Cotton Hawes. Joan Patrick (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Dr. Kildare) plays his wife Chris. Robert Colbert (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Maverick) plays former boxer Matt Murdock. Elizabeth Perry (shown on the right, played Katy Elliott on Morning Star) plays doctor's daughter Linda Walters. Ray Montgomery (Prof. Howard Ogden on Ramar of the Jungle) plays veteran 87th detective Frank Kanin. Jack Albertson (starred in Days of Wine and Roses, Kissin' Cousins, The Flim-Flam Man, and Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and played Lt. Harry Evans on The Thin Man, Walter Burton on Room for One More, Lt. Cmdr. Virgil Stoner on Ensign O'Toole, Paul Fenton on Mister Ed, and Ed Brown on Chico and the Man) plays boxing manager Maxie Carroll. Margie Regan (Lucy Carr on Michael Shayne) plays Kling's fiance Claire Townsend. John Aniston (Martin Tourneur on Search for Tomorrow and Victor Kiriakis on Days of Our Lives) plays a police officer.

Season 1, Episode 29, "The Last Stop": Victor Jory (shown on the left, starred in Madame Du Barry, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Gone With the Wind, and The Miracle Worker and played Lt. Howard Finucane on Manhunt) plays veteran reassigned detective Mike Power. Lyle Talbot (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet) plays informant Woody Gaynor. Ralph Manza (Al Bonacorsi on The D.A.'s Man, Mike Costello on General Hospital, Jay Drury on Banacek, Ambulance Aide Stanke on A.E.S. Hudson, Padre Guardiano on Mama Malone, Bud on Newhart, and Father Lewis on Days of Our Lives) plays a taxi driver. Sheldon Allman (Norm Miller on Harris Against the World) plays Central Station Det. White. George Cisar (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Dennis the Menace) plays grocer Mr. Starr. Frank Gerstle (Dick Gird on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays newspaper reporter Ed Bennett. 

Season 1, Episode 30, "Girl in the Case": Janis Paige (shown on the right, appeared in Of Human Bondage, Cheyenne, Romance on the High Seas, Silk Stockings, and Please Don't Eat the Daisies and played Jan Stewart on It's Always Jan, Kate Lanigan on Lanigan's Rabbi, Auntie V on Eight Is Enough, Nettie McCoy on Gun Shy, Blanche Riddle on Baby Makes Five, Catherine Hackett on Trapper John, M.D., Aunt Iona Huntington on General Hospital, and Minx Lockridge on Santa Barbara) plays freelance stenographer Cheryl Anderson. Russell Collins (appeared in Niagara, Bad Day at Black Rock, and Fail-Safe and played Owen Sharp on Many Happy Returns) plays dying millionaire Raymond L. Masters. Jerry Paris (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Dick Van Dyke Show) plays his son Douglas. 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 Douglas' girlfriend Monica. Douglas Dick (Carl Herrick on Waterfront) plays elder Masters' nephew Anson Masters. Bill Erwin (Joe Walters on My Three Sons and Glenn Diamond on Struck by Lightning) plays elder Masters' valet George. S. John Launer (Marshall Houts on The Court of Last Resort and the judge 33 times on Perry Mason) plays shady lawyer Warner. Kathleen Freeman (played 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, and Iris Belmont on Lotsa Luc) plays policewoman Miss Wilson. Craig Duncan (Sgt. Stanfield/Banfield on Mackenzie's Raiders) plays a taxi driver. Addison Richards (starred in Boys Town, They Made Her a Spy, Flying Tigers, and The Deerslayer and played Doc Calhoun on Trackdown and Doc Landy on The Deputy) plays elder Masters' brother-in-law Windrow. Norman Grabowski (See "Give the Boys a Great Big Hand" above) plays a policeman. Thomas Browne Henry (Dr. Reno on Rocky Jones, Space Ranger, Mr. Channing on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, J. Homer Radcliffe on Tombstone Territory, and Prof. Hubacher on The Gertrude Berg Show) plays Douglas Masters' lawyer.

Maverick (1961)

In his examination of the subversive origins of Roy Huggins' western TV series Maverick, Dennis Broe covers the way the show critiqued capitalism, the myth of the noble conquest of the west by the white man, and the corrupt system of law and order practiced by the United States both at home and abroad on the world stage. The one theme running through all these topics is the insatiable greed of the human species, which the Maverick brothers are able to exploit not only at the poker table but also in a number of other cons and schemes that only work because their marks are blinded by their own avarice.

But the great irony of Maverick's existence is that it was produced at Warner Brothers, perhaps the most rapacious studio then in business. Perhaps Jack Warner didn't know who he was dealing with in the one-time member of the Communist party Huggins, but after he cheated Huggins out of royalties for creating Maverick and Warner's other hit series of the time, 77 Sunset Strip, by falsely crediting their pilots as having derived from released Warner feature films, Maverick evolved from a series about a wandering gambler with a bit of larceny in his heart to a full-scale attack on the foundations of American society. Warner also underpaid its actors and writers, used stock footage from earlier motion pictures wherever possible, and otherwise worked to maximize the company's profits at the expense of everything else. Tired of being taken advantage of, both Huggins and James Garner left the show and the studio by 1960, leaving Warner with the dilemma of how to sustain one of its most popular, and therefore profitable, series. 

The first step, as described in our post on the 1960 episodes, was to introduce Roger Moore (then under contract to Warner) as the Maverick's English cousin Beau to replace Garner beginning in Season 4. But in agreeing to take on the role, Moore had his contract reworked so that he could leave after a year and citing the declining quality of the scripts over the course of Season 4, Moore left the series after appearing in only 15 episodes as Beau Maverick, the last being "Red Dog" (March 5, 1961) in which Beau just happens to rest at an isolated spot designated by a collection of outlaws as the meeting place to carry out a plot unknown to all but one of them, and Beau has to play along until he figures out a way to wriggle out of the predicament without getting killed.

Three weeks later Robert Colbert was brought on as heretofore never mentioned third Maverick brother Brent in "The Forbidden City" (March 26, 1961). According to Garner in his autobiography The Garner Files, when Colbert was told that he would have to wear Garner's old costume and essentially have to pull off a Garner impersonation, Colbert pleaded, "Put me in a dress and call me Brenda, but don't do this to me!" Though Warner had obviously contemplated adding Colbert before Moore's departure, given the publicity photos of the two and Jack Kelly posing as a Maverick trio, they kept Colbert for only one more episode, "Benefit of the Doubt" (April 9, 1961), before basically ghosting him. Season 4 ended with a two-part story starring Kelly, and Colbert was never informed that he was being dropped but never told to report for Season 5 either.

For Season 5, Warner Brothers tried another sleight of hand worthy of a Maverick--alternating new episodes starring Kelly with re-runs of old Garner episodes but listing Garner in the opening credits for the new Kelly episodes to make it appear that he was still somehow involved. Only 13 new episodes were created for the final season. None of the machinations could save the series, whose ratings plummeted after Huggins and Garner left. Warner had essentially killed its golden goose, and by 1961-62 none of its cookie-cutter productions ranked in the top 30 of the TV ratings.

But what is perhaps even more ironic is that even with Huggins and Garner gone, the series continued to poke at the underbelly of a corrupt establishment. Some of the Season 4 episodes, like the aforementioned "Red Dog," seemed to wander far afield from the original Maverick ethos, most probably because they were derived from earlier Warner properties that had nothing to do with the series. But towards the end of Season 4, the stories begin to get back to the series' original targets: "Flood's Folly" (February 19, 1961) includes a corrupt judge who is trying to rig an estate to favor the woman he is courting, not realizing that she is using him to help a wanted outlaw. "Triple Indemnity" (March 19, 1961) has Bart tangling with small-town kingpin George Parker who has a hand in all the local businesses, especially a life insurance company run by the town undertaker. "The Forbidden City" (March 26, 1961) exposes the sheriff and mayor as being part of a conspiracy to hide the fact that their wealth originated from making a corrupt deal years ago to keep quiet about a wealthy landowner guilty of murder. And "Benefit of the Doubt" (April 9, 1961) has Brent getting mixed up in a corrupt sheriff's attempt to rob his own town's mail company to satisfy his aspiring fiance. Finally, the two-part "The Devil's Necklace" (April 16 & 23, 1961) depicts greed and corruption on all sides as Bart escapes as the only survivor of multiple plots by a madly ambitious army captain, a renegade Apache brave, and a conniving scam-artist peddler.

In Season 5 the stakes are raised from individual bad actors to corrupt institutions. "Dade City Dodge" (September 18, 1961) finds Bart embroiled in a scam run by the leading citizens of Dade City, Texas who for years have run a crooked poker game to fleece anyone unfortunate enough to visit, with the sheriff receiving a cut of the take as well. "The Art Lovers" (October 1, 1961) skewers not only the world of corrupt art dealers but also their ignorant, nouveau-riche tycoon clients, who have no qualms about buying what they believe to be stolen masterpieces but are unable to recognize that the works are forgeries. "The Golden Fleecing" (October 8, 1961) takes aim at investment banking and the easily manipulated stock market, allowing scoundrels like Loftus Jaggers to rob innocent clients of their assets by luring them into stock agreements and then short-selling and feeding the market false information to drive the client to bankruptcy, allowing the banker to swoop in and buy their assets for next to nothing. "A Technical Error" (November 26, 1961) mocks the banking industry, a favorite target of Huggins-era Maverick episodes, when Bart unwittingly accepts ownership of a small-town bank to settle the gambling debts of its owner, only to discover that the bank is missing $20,000 that Bart must then replace to avoid being accused of fraud. He manages to escape calamity by introducing a trading stamp program that the townspeople are obsessed with even though the stamps are redeemable only for literal junk, a racket very popular in the early 1960s because it gave the illusion of getting something for nothing.

Undoubtedly the most popular Season 5 episode from 1961 is the send-up of rival western Bonanza in "Three Queens Full" (November 12, 1961) in which Jim Backus plays the Wheelwright family patriarch whose top priority is to see that the family name is never besmirched and that the true story is never revealed of how they came to acquire their vast empire by stealing it from the Indians, a critique of the very origins of the United States. It's surprising that even with Huggins long gone Warner allowed the show to take shots at the foundations of the society on which its very existence was built. Perhaps they felt that parodying other TV shows and exposing other industries was far enough removed not to be a threat, but more likely, just like the crooks the Mavericks were always trying to outsmart, they were willing to try anything that would make a buck. 

 

The Actors

For the biographies of James Garner, Jack Kelly, and Roger Moore, see the 1960 post on Maverick.

Robert Colbert

Born July 26, 1931 in Long Beach, CA, Robert Colbert's entry into show business began when he was serving as a typist for the Military Police on Okinawa while moonlighting as a radio DJ on KSBK in the evenings. A female member of the Air Force Special Services thought his voice would be a good fit for a local theatrical production of The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, and the experience gave Colbert the acting bug. When he returned to the States he continued acting in theatrical productions until spotted by actor Mickey Shaughessy, who referred him to a talent agency. After a few bit parts in feature films from 1957-59, including the Three Stooges farce Have Rocket -- Will Travel, Colbert was signed to Warner Brothers and began making guest appearances on their programs such as Bourbon Street Beat, Sugarfoot, and Bronco in 1959. He made dozens of appearances on Warner TV shows over the next few years, including his debut on Maverick in 1960 until Warner decided to use him to try to replace James Garner during Season 4.

But by 1962 Colbert, like Garner before him, had had enough of Warner's shenanigans and asked to be released from his contract. He continued to find steady guest roles on shows such as Wagon Train, Perry Mason, and The Virginian, and even made a return appearance on the Warner series 77 Sunset Strip in 1964. But by his own admission, Colbert never really sought out star status: 

I guess I would be considered an underachiever by today's standards. I never went for the gusto of trying to become a star. I never had a publicity agent. I never really made the rounds of the Hollywood parties. I was just content to be under contract to Warner Bros. and work all the time. I didn't do anything to hype my career, but I've never had any major regrets about it. I liked the fact that I could live a normal life, that I could walk down the street or travel on a plane without being mobbed by fans. I was always working; that was good enough.

However, his profile was about to rise, if ever so slightly. After he starred in a failed TV pilot for MGM called The Mayor in 1964, his agent arranged a meeting with producer Irwin Allen, which led to Colbert being cast in one of the lead roles as Dr. Doug Phillips on the 1966-67 science fiction series The Time Tunnel. That series was followed by less frequent guest appearances on shows such as Hawaii Five-O, Mannix, and Land of the Giants. But in 1973 he was cast in the role of Stuart Brooks in the daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless, a role he continued for 10 years. By the 1980s his workload continued to decrease but included multiple appearances on Hunter and occasional feature film roles, most notably in the farces Amazon Women on the Moon and I'm Gonna Git You Sucka. In the 1990s he made a couple of appearances on Reasonable Doubts and Baywatch before retiring from acting. Today at age 87 he still makes occasional appearances at western and science fiction conventions.

Notable Guest Stars

Season 4, Episode 16, "A State of Siege": Ray Danton (shown on the left, starred in Chief Crazy Horse, Onionhead, The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond, The George Raft Story, and Portrait of a Mobster and played Nifty Cronin on The Alaskans) plays wealthy landowner Don Felipe Archuleta. Lisa Gaye (Gwen Kirby on How to Marry a Millionaire) plays his fiance Soledad Lozaro. Slim Pickens (starred in The Story of Will Rogers, Dr. Strangelove, Blazing Saddles, The Apple Dumpling Gang, Beyond the Poseidon Adventure, and The Howling and played Slim on Outlaws, Slim Walker on The Wide Country, California Joe Milner on Custer, and Sgt. Beauregard Wiley on B.J. & the Bear) plays the stagecoach driver.

 Season 4, Episode 17, "Family Pride": Denver Pyle (shown on the right, played 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 Beau's old friend Jerry O'Brien. Robert Cornthwaite (Professor Windish on Get Smart) plays scam artist John Crippen. Karl Swenson (Lars Hanson on Little House on the Prairie) plays imposter General Josiah Warren. Anita Sands (later became astrologer to the stars and a self-help guru) plays his grand-daughter Roseanne. Wallace Rooney (Andrew Winters on The Doctors) plays general store owner Mr. Wallace. Stacy Keach, Sr. (Carlson on Get Smart) plays the Silver City marshal. Olan Soule (Aristotle "Tut" Jones on Captain Midnight, Ray Pinker on Dragnet (1952-59), and Fred Springer on Arnie) plays a hotel clerk.

Season 4, Episode 18, "The Cactus Switch": Edgar Buchanan (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 bank robber and murderer Red Daniels. Robert Logan (J.R. Hale on 77 Sunset Strip and Jericho Jones on Daniel Boone) plays his son Ben. Peter Hansen (shown on the left, played Lt. Col. Van Pelt on Gomer Pyle: USMC, Major Drake on How the West Was Won, and Lee Baldwin on Port Charles and General Hospital) plays con man Lawrence Deville. Fay Spain (starred in Dragstrip Girl, Al Capone, and The Gentle Rain) plays his accomplice Lana Cane. 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 jeweler Mueller. Chubby Johnson (Concho on Temple Houston) plays stagecoach driver Andy Gish. Carolyn Komant (Dixie on The Roaring 20's) plays Beau's date Flossie. Lane Chandler (Tom Pike on Lawman) plays Green River Sheriff Bill Wright.

Season 4, Episode 19, "Dutchman's Gold": Jacques Aubuchon (starred in The Silver Chalice, The Big Boodle, and The Love God? and played Chief Urulu on McHale's Navy) plays prospector The Dutchman. Mala Powers (shown on the right, starred in Cyrano de Bergerac, Rose of Cimarron, and Tammy and the Bachelor and played Rebecca Boone on Walt Disney's Daniel Boone and Mona on Hazel) plays saloon owner Charlotte Simmons. Frank Sully (Danny the bartender on The Virginian) plays her bartender Charlie. Carlos Romero (Rico Rodriguez on Wichita Town, Romero Serrano on Zorro, and Carlo Agretti on Falcon Crest) plays Mexican bandit Ricardo Padilla. Sheldon Allman (Norm Miller on Harris Against the World) plays saddle tramp Vern Tripp.

Season 4, Episode 20, "The Iceman": Andrew Duggan (shown on the left, played Cal Calhoun on Bourbon Street Beat, George Rose on Room for One More, Major Gen. Ed Britt on 12 O'Clock High, and Murdoch Lancer on Lancer) plays gubernatorial candidate Calvin Powers. Shirley Knight (starred in Ice Palace, The Dark at the Top of the Stairs, Sweet Bird of Youth, Dutchman, and As Good as It Gets and played Mrs. Newcomb on Buckskin, Estelle Winters on Maggie Winters, and Phyllis Van De Kamp on Desperate Housewives) plays his daughter Nancy. Virginia Gregg (starred in Dragnet, Crime in the Streets, Operation Petticoat and was the voice of Norma Bates in Psycho and the voice of Maggie Belle Klaxon on Calvin and the Colonel) plays his housekeeper Abbey. Bruce Gordon (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Untouchables) plays his opponent Rath Lawson. John Kellogg (Jack Chandler on Peyton Place) plays Lawson's henchman Ben Striker. James Seay (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays Sheriff Gil McCrary. Nelson Olmsted (Captain Masters, MD on The Phil Silvers Show) plays coroner Eli Sayles. 

Season 4, Episode 21, "Diamond Flush": Carl Esmond (starred in Little Men, Lover Come Back (1946), and Walk a Crooked Mile) plays French nobleman Comte de Lisle. Dan Tobin (Terrance Clay on Perry Mason) plays imposter Ralph Ferguson. Anna Lee (shown on the right, starred in King Solomon's Mines, How Green Was My Valley, Flying Tigers, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, The Sound of Music, and In Like Flint and played Lila Quartermaine on General Hospital) plays his wife Helene. Ted de Corsia (Police Chief Hagedorn on Steve Canyon) plays their co-conspirator Amos Parker. Sig Ruman (starred in Ninotchka,  A Night at the Opera, To Be or Not to Be, House of Frankenstein, and Stalag 17) plays jeweler August Bockenheimer. Phil Tully (Charlie the bartender on The Deputy) plays Pinkerton agent Tim O'Rourke. 

Season 4, Episode 22, "Last Stop: Oblivion": Buddy Ebsen (shown on the left, played Sheriff Matthew Brady on Corky and White Shadow, Sgt. Hunk Marriner on Northwest Passage, Jed Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies, Barnaby Jones on Barnaby Jones, and Roy Houston on Matt Houston) plays Oblivion waystation owner Nero Lyme. Virginia Christine (was the Folger's Coffee woman in commercials and starred in The Mummy's Curse, The Killers, and Night Wind and played Ovie Swenson on Tales of Wells Fargo) plays his wife Verna. Rayford Barnes (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays their son Dirk. Suzanne Lloyd (Raquel Toledano on Zorro) plays stagecoach passenger Laura Nelson. Maurice Manson (Frederick Timberlake on Dennis the Menace, Josh Egan on Hazel, and Hank Pinkham on General Hospital) plays retired undertaker Bascombe Sunday. Hampton Fancher (Deputy Lon Gillis on Black Saddle and co-wrote the screenplay and was executive producer on Blade Runner) plays hot-headed young gun Tate McKenna. Paul Birch (Erle Stanley Gardner on The Court of Last Resort, Mike Malone on Cannonball, and Capt. Carpenter on The Fugitive) plays Medicine Forks Sheriff Miller. 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 wanted killer Durst. 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, Bronco, Law of the Plainsman, Johnny Ringo, Cheyenne, The Texan, and Rawhide) plays stagecoach driver Sam Overman.

Season 4, Episode 23, "Flood's Folly": Alan Baxter (appeared in Saboteur, Close-Up, and Paint Your Wagon) plays Beau's old friend Judge John Scott. Jeanne Cooper (Grace Douglas on Bracken's World and Katherine Chancellor Murphy on The Young and the Restless) plays Scott's client Martha Flood. Michael Pate (shown on the right, starred in Face to Face, Julius Caesar, Hondo, and Tower of London and played Chief Vittoro on Hondo and Det. Sgt. Vic Maddern on Matlock) plays wanted murderer Chet Whitehead.

Season 4, Episode 24, "Maverick at Law": Gage Clarke (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Gunsmoke) plays disgruntled bank teller Myron Emerson. Ken Mayer (Maj. Robbie Robertson on Space Patrol) plays Ten Sleep Sheriff J. Starrett. 

Season 4, Episode 25, "Red Dog": 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 desperado Buckskin Charlie King. John Carradine (shown on the left, starred in Stagecoach, The Grapes of Wrath, House of Frankenstein, House of Dracula, The Ten Commandments, and Sex Kittens Go to College and played Gen. Joshua McCord on Branded) plays crooked Judge Reese. 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 notorious gunman Wolf McManus. Joseph Gallison (Dr. Neil Curtis on Days of Our Lives) plays young gunslinger Kid Curran. Sherry Jackson (Terry Williams on Make Room for Daddy) plays his wife Erma. 

Season 4, Episode 26, "The Deadly Image": Gerald Mohr (narrator on 19 episodes of The Lone Ranger, Christopher Storm on Foreign Intrigue, voice of Mr. Fantastic and Reed Richards on Fantastic 4) plays ex-con Gus Tellson. Abraham Sofaer (starred in Christopher Columbus, Quo Vadis, and Elephant Walk) plays his blind father-in-law Papa Rambeau. Dawn Wells (shown on the right, played Mary Ann Summers on Gilligan's Island) plays Papa's grand-daughter Caprice. Robert Ridgely (Lt. Frank Kimbro on The Gallant Men, the announcer on The Woody Woodbury Show, and Cliff Hamilton on Domestic Life and was the voice of Tarzan on Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle, Flash Gordon on Flash Gordon, and General Ross on The Incredible Hulk) plays U.S. cavalry Lt. Reed. Bartlett Robinson (Frank Caldwell on Mona McCluskey) plays his commanding officer Capt. Ranson. Kelly Thordsen (Colorado Charlie on Yancy Derringer) plays outlaw henchman Hemmett. 

Season 4, Episode 27, "Triple Indemnity": Alan Hewitt (starred in That Touch of Mink, Days of Wine and Roses, The Misadventures of Merlin Jones, and The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes and played Det. Bill Brennan on My Favorite Martian) plays Parkerville kingpin George Parker. Ed Nelson (Michael Rossi on Peyton Place and Ward Fuller on The Silent Force) plays his younger brother William. Peter Breck (shown on the left, played Clay Culhane on Black Saddle and Nick Barkley on The Big Valley) plays Bart's old friend Doc Holliday. Laurie Mitchell (starred in Calypso Joe, Queen of Outer Space, and Missile to the Moon) plays Holliday's sweetheart Ellen. Mickey Simpson (Boley on Captain David Grief) plays elixir peddler Cabella.

Season 4, Episode 28, "The Forbidden City": Robert Foulk (Ed Davis on Father Knows Best, Sheriff Miller on Lassie, Joe Kingston on Wichita Town, Mr. Wheeler on Green Acres, and Phillip Toomey on The Rifleman) plays Sunburst Sheriff Sam Shadley. Gertrude Flynn (appeared in War and Peace, Rome Adventure, and Funny Girl and played Anna Sawyer on Days of Our Lives) plays spinster Nettie Moss. Craig Duncan (Sgt. Stanfield/Banfield on Mackenzie's Raiders) plays poker player Val Joyce. Bill Erwin (Joe Walters on My Three Sons and Glenn Diamond on Struck by Lightning) plays a hotel clerk. 

Season 4, Episode 29, "Substitute Gun": Robert Rockwell (shown on the right, played Phillip Boynton on Our Miss Brooks, Sam Logan on The Man From Blackhawk, Tom Bishop on Diff'rent Strokes, and Wally Overmier on Growing Pains) plays saloon owner Tom Blauvelt. Coleen Gray (starred in Kiss of Death, Nightmare Alley, The Killing, The Vampire, The Leech Woman, and The Phantom Planet and played Dean Ann Boyd Jones on Bright Promise and Muriel Clifford on McCloud) plays his wife Greta. Joan Marshall (Sailor Duval on Bold Venture) plays her sister Connie Malone. Carlos Romero (see "Dutchman's Gold" above) plays rival saloon owner Clete Spain. 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 Spearhead Sheriff Coleman. 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 assassin Wilbur "Smiley" Drake. Norman Leavitt (Ralph on Trackdown) plays undertaker Ezra Gouch. 

Season 4, Episode 30, "Benefit of the Doubt": George Wallace (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays Amber Flats Sheriff Joe Holley. Randy Stuart (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays dance hall girl Mavis Todd. Elizabeth MacRae (shown on the left, played Lou-Ann Poovie on Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. and Jozie on Search for Tomorrow) plays her sister Emily. 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 sheriff-wannabe McGaven. John Alderson (Sgt. Bullock on Boots and Saddles and Wyatt Earp on Doctor Who) plays mail office manager Zindler. Slim Pickens (see "A State of Siege" above) plays stagecoach driver Roscoe. Trevor Bardette (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays waystation manager Bert Coleman. Steve Raines (see the biography section for the 1960 post on Rawhide) plays posse member Sims. 

Season 4, Episode 31, "The Devil's Necklace, Part 1": John Dehner (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 scheming peddler Luther Cannonbaugh. Steve Brodie (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays ambitious U.S. Army Capt. Paul Score. Kasey Rogers (shown on the right, played Julie Anderson on Peyton Place and Louise Tate on Bewitched) plays his wife Angel. John Hoyt (starred in My Favorite Brunette, The Lady Gambles, and Blackboard Jungle and played Grandpa Stanley Kanisky on Gimme a Break!) plays visiting commander Gen. Bassington. Rayford Barnes (see "Last Stop: Oblivion" above) plays Cpl. Sean Cassidy. Mark Tapscott (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Tall Man) plays an unnamed private. Rita Lynn (Ella Russo on The Detectives and Miss Kelly on Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) plays Fort Distress' commanding officer's wife Edith Reidinger. 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 Apache ex-con Bob Tallhorse. 

Season 4, Episode 32, "The Devil's Necklace, Part 2": John Dehner (see "The Devil's Necklace, Part 1" above) returns as scheming peddler Luther Cannonbaugh. Steve Brodie (shown on the left, see "The Devil's Necklace, Part 1" above) returns as ambitious U.S. Army Capt. Paul Score. John Hoyt (see "The Devil's Necklace, Part 1" above) returns as visiting commander Gen. Bassington. Chad Everett (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 Bassington's second-in-command Lt. Gregg. Rayford Barnes (see "Last Stop: Oblivion" above) returns as Cpl. Sean Cassidy. Mark Tapscott (see "The Devil's Necklace, Part 1" above) returns as an unnamed private. Michael Forest (see "The Devil's Necklace, Part 1" above) returns as Apache ex-con Bob Tallhorse. 

Season 5, Episode 1, "Dade City Dodge": Mike Road (see "Red Dog" above) plays con man Pearly Gates. Kathleen Crowley (shown on the right, played Terry Van Buren on Waterfront and Sophia Starr on Batman) plays his partner Marla. Ken Lynch (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Checkmate) plays Dade City Sheriff Clark. Gage Clarke (see "Maverick at Law" above) plays Dade City undertaker Luke Harper. Guy Wilkerson (played Panhandle Perkins in 22 westerns) plays Dade City blacksmith Judd Kerns. Lane Chandler (see "The Cactus Switch" above) plays a U.S. marshal.

Season 5, Episode 2, "The Art Lovers": Jack Cassidy (shown on the left, Tony Award-winning father of David and Shaun Cassidy and husband of Shirley Jones, played Oscar North on He & She) plays tycoon's nephew Roger Cushman. John Hoyt (see "The Devil's Necklace, Part 1" above) plays his uncle George Cushman. 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 railroad tycoon Paul Sutton. Gertrude Flynn (see "The Forbidden City" above) plays his wife Rheba. Leon Belasco (Mr. Appopolous on My Sister Eileen) plays art dealer Cosmo Nardi. John Alderson (see "Benefit of the Doubt" above) plays unscrupulous ship Capt. Bly. 

Season 5, Episode 3, "The Golden Fleecing": Paula Raymond (starred in The Tall Target, Texas Carnival, and The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms) plays investment banker's daughter Adele Jaggers. Myron Healey (Doc Holliday on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays her father's engineer Frank Mercer. John Qualen (appeared in The Three Musketeers(1935), His Girl Friday, The Grapes of Wrath, Angels Over Broadway, Casablanca, Anatomy of a Murder, and A Patch of Blue) plays Quaker farmer Henry Albright. Olive Sturgess (shown on the right, played Carol Henning on The Bob Cummings Show) plays his daughter Phoebe. Charles Meredith (Dr. LeMoyne Snyder on The Court of Last Resort) plays their neighbor Seth Carter. Richard Loo (appeared in The Purple Heart, Back to Bataan, Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing, The Sand Pebbles, and The Man With the Golden Gun and played Master Sun on Kung Fu) plays San Francisco importer Lee Hong Chang. Herb Vigran (Judge Brooker on Gunsmoke) plays stockbroker Mr. Butler. 

Season 5, Episode 4, "Three Queens Full": Jim Backus (shown on the left, see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Mr. Magoo Show) plays wealthy patriarch Joe Wheelwright. Joseph Gallison (see "Red Dog" above) plays his son Small Paul. Frank Ferguson (Gus Broeberg on My Friend Flicka, Eli Carson on Peyton Place, and Dr. Barton Stuart on Petticoat Junction) plays lawman Sheriff Mattson. Harry Lauter (Ranger Clay Morgan on Tales of the Texas Rangers, Atlasande on Rocky Jones, Space Ranger, and Jim Herrick on Waterfront) plays saloon owner Matthew Braze. Willard Waterman (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Dennis the Menace) plays marriage broker Whittleseed. Kasey Rogers (see "The Devil's Necklage, Part 1" above) plays actress Emma Walter. Merry Anders (Joyce Erwin on The Stu Erwin Show, Val Marlowe on It's Always Jan, Mike McCall on How to Marry a Millionaire, and Policewoman Dorothy Miller on Dragnet 1967) plays former saloon girl Cissie Anderson.

Season 5, Episode 5, "A Technical Error": Peter Breck (see "Triple Indemnity" above) returns as Bart's friend Doc Holliday. Reginald Owen (appeared in A Christmas Carol (1938), Mrs. Miniver, Woman of the Year, National Velvet, and Mary Poppins) plays bank president Major Holbrook Sims. Jolene Brand (Anna Maria Verdugo on Zorro) plays bank employee Penelope Baxter. Alma Platt (Mrs. Henehan on These Are My Children) plays bank employee Miss Hennesey. Frank de Kova (shown on the right, played Chief Wild Eagle on F Troop and Louis Campagna on The Untouchables) plays notorious outlaw Blackjack Hardy. Frank London (Shad on Johnny Staccato and Charlie on Peyton Place) plays his younger brother Little Sonny. Paul Barselou (played various bartenders in 9 episodes of Bewitched) plays hotel clerk Ferguson. Gail Bonney (Goodwife Martin on Space Patrol and Madeline Schweitzer on December Bride) plays a townswoman robbed of her trading stamps.