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.

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.