The Real McCoys (1962)

The year 1962 was the one that finally toppled the once top-5 rated rural comedy The Real McCoys.  After peaking at #5 in the ratings for 1960-61, it slipped to #14 the following season, as its competition on Thursday at 8:30 stiffened from the unrated Bat Masterson and Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre to the suddenly popular new program Dr. Kildare on NBC. At the end of its fifth season, ABC sold the series to CBS, which slotted it against even tougher competition on Sunday evening at 9:00 opposite the #4 rated program in all of television, Bonanza. In announcing the network switch in its March 17, 1962 issue, TV Guide noted that while agreeing to continue doing the show, Walter Brennan would appear in only a dozen episodes, while co-stars Richard Crenna and Kathy Nolan would carry the bulk of the rest. Neither of those conditions ended up playing out--Nolan left the cast before the season began due to contract demands that weren't met, which is probably why Brennan wound up appearing in 23 of the 39 episodes.

It was perhaps inevitable that Nolan and Brennan would eventually split. In an April 7, 1962 feature story in TV Guide, Nolan describes the camaraderie of the group, "We're a pretty dull group for stories because we all like each other and get along beautifully." But the same article describes Nolan's character as being quick-minded and "its inherent trouble-making capacity for any unwary male who might happen along, whether personally or professionally." As a sign of her determination and capability, she would go on to serve as the first female President of the Screen Actors Guild in 1975. Given the show's success over its first 5 seasons, it is not surprising that Nolan would have wanted a bigger share of the profits after becoming a household name. In the May 12, 1962 issue of TV Guide, a news item reports that Nolan's contract negotiations had grown difficult. After producer Irving Pincus reported a few months earlier that the two parties had agreed to double her salary and give her a percentage of the show, her attorney was reported to have added another 17 demands, including a bigger and better dressing room, car service with a chauffeur, script approval, and the opportunity to direct some episodes (something co-star Richard Crenna also sought and received). Nolan is quoted in the news item as saying the chauffeur demand was false and that she only sought concept approval, not script approval. But the upshot was that she said she would not be doing the series in its final season, which reportedly prompted Brennan to quip, "The tail ain't goin' to wag the dog." But the show was not better off without her, as it limped through the final season into obscurity.

When Nolan, Crenna, and Tony Martinez, who played farmhand Pepino, reunited to talk about the series long after Brennan had died, they all spoke warmly about the series with no mention of how Nolan's departure signaled its death knell. They even went so far as to suggest that Nolan's character Kate injected a proto-feminist perspective into the series by standing up to Brennan's Amos character. Granted, Kate McCoy is often the only one to call out Amos' often deceptive or vindictive behavior, but The Real McCoys advanced the feminist perspective about as much as The Flintstones. The very first episode of 1962, "The Washing Machine" (January 11, 1962), is a case in point. The story begins with Amos and Luke returning home crowing about getting a better price on a produce sale than they expected. Kate, who has been toiling with the laundry in their absence, reminds them that they had promised to buy her a washing machine the next time they got any extra money, and it just so happens there is an affordable used model at the local appliance store. But in typical fashion Amos and Luke hem and haw before admitting they have already spent the extra money on farm equipment that will benefit their workload. Fed up with their empty promises, Kate rounds up other neighbor women without washing machines to pool their money and buy the used machine, which they agree can reside at the McCoy home since Kate came up with the idea. Amos objects to Kate "going behind his back" to make a family decision, since he says he is the head of the household and therefore gets to make all the decisions. But Kate has used her own money, not the family's, and besides the machine is delivered before Amos can do anything about it. If the story had stopped here, one could argue that Kate was a shining example of women's rights, but of course the whole arrangement backfires because the other women in the deal take advantage of Kate, hanging out at her house playing cards, eating her out of house and home, and even barging over to do their laundry on the day that is supposed to be reserved for her. Meanwhile, Amos keeps needling Luke about being a woman because his wife has overruled him, so Luke marches in to tell Kate that he is going to assert his male privilege and tell her that the washing machine arrangement has got to end. She is already worn down by the debacle and agrees with him that she should just follow orders from the men, but she tells him that it means he will have to tell the other women the deal is over, which he is unable to do because they just ignore him. So the task falls to Amos, who decides to tell the women that he is going to charge them for all the food they have eaten at his house over the last several weeks, just as if they had gone to a diner or coffee shop. Since the bill he arrives at is more than their original investment in the washing machine, the other women are happy to walk away and leave the washing machine with Kate. When she later tries to ask Luke how he was able to strike such a good deal, he reminds her of her earlier agreement to just let the men of the house handle all the financial matters. So the moral offered to viewers of this episode is that a woman is not sophisticated enough to work out a business deal without suffering unintended consequences and that only a man like Amos can work out a deal that is to the family's advantage--hardly a victory for the cause of women's rights.

The only other 1962 episode from Season 5 to focus on Kate, "Who's Margie?" (March 1, 1962), has her jump to a jealous conclusion when she hears Luke utter the name "Margie" in his sleep one night just before their wedding anniversary. Rather than asking him directly about who Margie is, Kate tries to surreptitiously identify the mystery woman, asking Amos if Luke had any such named girlfriends before he met her, looking through old photo albums in hopes of finding a Margie, and getting advice from one of her seamstress clients about how to question Luke in his sleep to reveal the woman's identity. When none of these attempts produces results, she then assumes that Luke is having an affair with her client after he is inexplicably delayed when giving the woman a ride home after her car breaks down in front of their house. As with "The Washing Machine" episode, Amos rides Luke for being less than a man for suffering Kate's bad temper over what she thinks is his infidelity, again suggesting that a husband should have complete control over his wife and be able to command her not to be angry, even though he has no idea what she is angry about. As it turns out, "Margie" is merely the name of the song that was playing when Luke and Kate shared their first dance early in their courtship, something that he has remembered through the years but she has forgotten, making her appear foolish when he finally reminds her of the song after buying her a record of it for their anniversary. With plots like this one, no wonder Kathy Nolan wanted concept approval before agreeing to appear in Season 6.

We've documented in our previous posts on The Real McCoys the show's chauvinistic presentation of almost all women outside the McCoy household. While such stories appear rarely in the latter Season 5 episodes in 1962, they return with a vengeance in the final season with Nolan out of the picture. Nolan's absence is explained by merely mentioning that Luke is now a widower about 18 months after Kate's unexplained death in the first episode of Season 6, "Grandpa Pygmalion" (September 30, 1962). Since the men of the McCoy household are inept and uninterested in housekeeping, Amos sends for a distant relative from West Virginia, Tilda Hicks (played by a pre-Gilligan's Island Tina Louise), to work as their housekeeper. Tilda is almost a carbon copy of Elly Mae Clampett--stronger than the men but also an excellent cook of a Beverly Hillbillies favorite, hog jowels--though it is virtually impossible that she was modeled on the Donna Douglas character because The Beverly Hillbillies debuted only 4 days before this episode aired. But that doesn't prevent the McCoys brain trust from trying to cash in on another newly popular sit-com by also using Norma Varden as a helpless socialite keen on hiring Tilda away after her maid abandons her, very reminiscent of Varden's character on Hazel. However, though Tilda proves to be an excellent housekeeper at first, Amos makes the mistake of forcing Luke to take her to a dance when he notices Tilda has taken a liking to the widower, where she is courted heavily by all the other young bachelors in town, and the attention turns her into a worthless movie magazine reader and TV exercise program watcher to make herself more alluring to her new beaus. When she proves uninterested in doing any more housework for the McCoys, Amos pawns her off on Varden's socialite and wheedles a fee out of her to compensate for her travel expenses coming out to California as well as her "training." When he realizes that he has made a profit on the exchange, Amos then sees this as a lucrative side business and immediately sends another letter back home to recruit another housekeeping "trainee" from his relations. Taking advantage of people at both ends of the transaction captures the essence of Amos' character--greed and ego--which is the main reason why this series fails to hold its appeal today.

The next episode, "Three Strikes and Out" (October 7, 1962), has Amos pretend he is romantically attracted to three elderly women so that he con them into doing his housework. And if that isn't bad enough, when the three women find out about his duplicity, they actually thank him because he has made them feel useful doing his housework for free. So much for the show's proto-feminism. Luke falls for the come-on from sexy scammer Sally Burton in "The Roofing Salesman" (October 21, 1962), then nearly gets hooked into an unfortunate marriage by "The New Housekeeper" (November 18, 1962), an older matron who is an efficient homemaker herself but cons the McCoys in allowing her to bring her attractive but worthless daughter to live with them in the hopes that she can nab Luke and thereby ensure their future financial security. Luke gets duped once again into signing a long-term contract by attractive dance instructor Adele Bishop in "The Farmer and Adele" (December 31, 1962) requiring Amos to come to the rescue posing as a new pupil who blabs all the dance studio's underhanded schemes to other prospective victims. Pepino is also frequently the victim of gold-digging girlfriends, such as in "Pepino's Inheritance" (November 26, 1962) in which he thinks he has inherited a valuable parcel of Arizona ranch land that brings back girlfriend Angela who had jilted him for a richer boyfriend. When the inherited land proves to be worthless, Angela bolts before he can even say a word to her. A similar story plays out in "The Love Bug Bites Pepino" (December 16, 1962): after Pepino's work suffers because he has been dumped by latest girlfriend Chiquita for George's new handsome farm hand, Amos wins her back by telling her he is about to make Pepino wealthy by giving him all his back pay. But once George gets wind of Amos' lie when his farm hand mopes after losing Chiquita, George tells her that he is going to make his farmhand an equal partner. Finally Amos and George realize that Chiquita isn't good for either of their farm hands in the long run, so they cook up a ruse to make her think the owner of the restaurant where she works is about to come into some money. The McCoys also run up against scamming "health farm" proprietor Miss Simpson in "The Health Addict" (December 9, 1962), who refuses to buy their produce because her clients are only allowed to eat her own specially grown fruits and vegetables. Inexplicably, Miss Simpson thinks that hiring Luke will attract her bored rich socialite clients to stick with her longer, and when Luke says he is no health and exercise expert, she confesses that her whole set-up is bogus. When Luke becomes brainwashed after working for her only a few days, Amos infiltrates and offers the clients the freedom to eat whatever they want and to get the exercise they need to keep trim--by doing housework at his house, again, striking a blow for women's empowerment everywhere.

However, there are a couple of respectable women in Season 6 episodes. Runaway Swedish Hollywood star Taina Engstrom shows up at the McCoys' home one day trying to get away from her hectic movie-star life, and when she learns they are looking for a housekeeper, pretends that she is answering their advertisement, though why she picked their house for her escape is never really explained adequately. It is quickly clear that she is not a great housekeeper, but Luke falls in love with her and wants to marry her, even after learning she is an actress, until Amos paints for him a picture of an emasculated man who walks her dog rather than working for a living. Taina lets Luke think that he is dropping her even after telling Amos that she has realized she belongs back in Hollywood, but once again a woman has found herself by doing housework supporting men. In "The Girl Veterinarian" (December 3, 1962), Luke secretly calls the local vet when one of their cows is sick and not responding to Amos' family elixir, despite Amos' objection to bringing in what he considers a shyster. But instead of the male vet he expects, Luke gets a new understudy who is a woman and at first discounts her ability because of her gender. After she flares at him for giving him the same chauvinistic response she has been getting elsewhere, he allows her to treat the cow with a more scientific approach but insists that they hide it from Amos by pretending that Luke is dating her. When the cow gets better, Amos thinks it is his family elixir, but when he finally catches the lady vet with her medical bag examining his cow, he throws a fit, even after Luke explains that her treatments healed the cow, not the elixir that Luke stopped giving the cow days ago. Not appreciative that his cow has been healed, Amos instead secretly milks the cow in the middle of the night so that when the lady vet and her boss arrive the next day to see if the cow can produce any milk, it appears that her treatment has failed. The lady vet is so distraught that she resigns her position, saying she has had enough male resistance, and considers abandoning her career. Only after Luke shames Amos for his treatment of her does Amos try to make amends by making her think that the cow can give milk after all. Amos' pattern of behavior in this episode is typical of his character throughout the series--he engages in trickery, sabotage, and flim-flam until he gets caught and is forced to make amends, and yet he gives into his selfish impulses again and again, never becoming a man who chooses to do the right thing the first time and hardly ever admitting that he has done anything wrong.

He tries to burn trash in violation of city air pollution statutes and tries to get away with it by lying that he was just having a barbecue in "The Law and Mr. McCoy" (February 1, 1962). He tries to ditch a date with George's sister Flora after a woman he knew as a youngster back in West Virginia and always considered ugly and a pest turns out to now be attractive and wealthy in "Double Date" (February 15, 1962). He betrays his best friend George in "In Grampa We Trust" (March 22, 1962) by undercutting what he said he was going to charge for his own apple crop when he learns that George has put Luke in charge of selling his apples while George is away, miffed that George picked Luke for the job rather than him. He is ready to let George move away because he is allergic to the corn being grown on Amos' farm rather than sacrifice the profit he might get from the corn in "Allergies Anonymous" (April 5, 1962). He criticizes and disparages the husband of his favorite niece in "Don't Judge a Book" (May 3, 1962), accusing him of being snobbish and the reason she never visits only to find out the niece is the real snob and the husband is a friendly, hard-working and interesting man. He is willing to slaughter and eat an adorable piglet he and George jointly win in "The Raffle Ticket" (May 10, 1962) just because he is too stubborn to accept George's offer to buy his interest in the pig. In "The Good Will Tour" (October 28, 1962), he plays into the hands of visiting Russian propagandists by making American farms seem puny and poor, all because he is jealous that George's farm was originally selected for the tour by foreign dignitaries. And he tries to swindle his own government for more money than he deserves in "Money From Heaven" (November 5, 1962) when an Army paratrooper accidentally lands on and collapses a shed he was planning to take down and replace anyway. And this is the man who is always crowing about the glorious legacy of the McCoy family. Is it any wonder that the series was canceled after Kathy Nolan walked away?

The Actors

For the biographies for Walter Brennan, Richard Crenna, Kathy Nolan, Lydia Reed, Michael Winkelman, Tony Martinez, Andy Clyde, and Madge Blake, see the 1960 post for The Real McCoys.

Notable Guest Stars

Season 5, Episode 13, "The Washing Machine": Lesley Woods (shown on the left, played Evelyn Dark on The Edge of Night, Miriam Bentley on A Flame in the Wind, Vivian Gentry on The Nurses, Andrea Whiting on Search for Tomorrow, Isabel Jones on Bright Promise, Zoe Tate on Return to Peyton Place, Betty Wilson on All My Children, Alma Miller on Falcon Crest, and Grandma Helen Logan on The Bold and the Beautiful) plays neighbor housewife Jane Poplar. Norma Connolly (Lena Karr Gilroy on The Young Marrieds, Mrs. Yost on The Edge of Night, and Ruby Anderson on General Hospital) plays neighbor housewife Carol Dorset.

Season 5, Episode 14, "Pepino McCoy, Citizen": Harry Lauter (shown on the right, played Ranger Clay Morgan on Tales of the Texas Rangers, Atlasande on Rocky Jones, Space Ranger, and Jim Herrick on Waterfront) plays immigration clerk Mr. Beamer.

Season 5, Episode 15, "Meeting Hassie's Friends": Kip King (shown on the left, voice of Shecky on The Biskitts and played Ronald Sandler on Charlie & Co. and Tailor Smurf on The Smurfs) plays Hassie's friend Spookie. May Heatherly (Heather McNabb on The Man From U.N.C.L.E.) plays Hassie's friend Maxine. Quinn O'Hara (appeared in A Swingin' Summer, The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini, Foursome, and The Teacher and played Ashley Davidson on Dallas) plays Hassie's friend Flossie.

Season 5, Episode 16, "The Law and Mr. McCoy": Howard McNear (shown on the right, see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Andy Griffith Show) plays newspaper editor Elroy Gardner. Rhys Williams (Doc Burrage on The Rifleman) plays district Judge Reuter. Hugh Sanders (appeared in That's My Boy, The Pride of St. Louis, The Winning Team, and The Wild One) plays city councilman Everett P. Merken. Ray Kellogg (Deputy Ollie on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays police Officer Dugan.

Season 5, Episode 17, "George's Nephew": Michael Parks (shown on the left, starred in Bus Riley's Back in Town, The Bible: In the Beginning, The Return of Josey Wales, From Dusk Till Dawn, Kill Bill, and Argo, and played Jim Bronson on Then Came Bronson, Phillip Colby on The Colbys, and Jean Renault on Twin Peaks) plays George's nephew Tom MacMichael.

Season 5, Episode 18, "Double Date": Doris Kenyon (shown on the right, starred in Wild Honey (1916), Twilight, The Ruling Passion, Bright Lights of Broadway, The Road to Singapore, Alexander Hamilton, and The Man in the Iron Mask) plays Amos' one-time girlfriend Emmy Lou Springer. Percy Helton (Homer Cratchit on The Beverly Hillbillies) plays the mailman.

Season 5, Episode 19, "Made in Italy": Ziva Rodann (appeared in Forty Guns, The Private Lives of Adam and Eve, The Story of Ruth, and College Confidential and played Nefertiti on Batman) plays Italian immigrant Carla Rinaldi. Alejandro Rey (shown on the left, played Carlos Ramirez on The Flying Nun, Karl Duval on Days of Our Lives, and Capt. Luis Rueda on Dallas) plays her fiance Mario.

Season 5, Episode 20, "Who's Margie?": Joan Taylor (shown on the right, see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Rifleman) plays Kate's dress-making client Mrs. Tate.

Season 5, Episode 22, "In Grampa We Trust": Richard Deacon (shown on the left, see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Dick Van Dyke Show) plays apple-pie company buyer Mr. Milton.

Season 5, Episode 23, "Never a Lender Be": Jon Lormer (shown on the right, played Harry Tate on Lawman, the autopsy surgeon on Perry Mason, Simon Benjamin on The Young Marrieds, and Judge Irwin A. Chester on Peyton Place) plays neighbor farmer Sam Watkins.

Season 5, Episode 24, "Allergies Anonymous": Russell Johnson (shown on the left, starred in It Came From Outer Space, This Island Earth, and Johnny Dark and played Marshal Gib Scott on Black Saddle, Professor Roy Hinkley on Gilligan's Island, and Assistant D.A. Brenton Grant on Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law) plays George's physician Dr. Ross.

Season 5, Episode 25, "Pepino's Fortune": Robert Foulk (shown on the right, played 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 farm equipment dealer Ed Bailey.

Season 5, Episode 26, "Pepino's Vacation": Henry Corden (shown on the left, played 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 Pepino's temporary replacement Pedro. Eddie Quillan (starred in The Grapes of Wrath, Mandarin Mystery, Mutiny on the Bounty, and Hi, Good Lookin'! and played Eddie Edson on Julia and Poco Loco on Hell Town) plays employment office clerk Mr. Nelson.

Season 5, Episode 27, "Bubble, Bubble, Toil, and Trouble": 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 caster of spells Gladys Hunnicutt.

Season 5, Episode 28, "Don't Judge a Book": Virginia Gregg (starred in Dragnet, Crime in the Streets, Operation Petticoat and was the voice of Norma Bates in Psycho, Maggie Belle Klaxon on Calvin and the Colonel, and Tara on Space Stars) plays Amos' favorite niece Sarah. Edward Andrews (shown on the left, appeared in The Harder They Fall, Elmer Gantry, The Absent-Minded Professor, Son of Flubber, Advise and Consent, and The Glass Bottom Boat and played Cmdr. Rogers Adrian on Broadside and Col. Fairburn on The Doris Day Show) plays her husband Harry.

Season 6, Episode 1, "Grandpa Pygmalion": Tina Louise (shown on the right, starred in God's Little Acre, For Those Who Think Young, The Wrecking Crew, and The Stepford Wives and played Ginger Grant on Gilligan's Island and Julie Grey on Dallas) plays distant West Virginia relative Tilda Hicks. Norma Varden (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Hazel) plays helpless society hostess Mrs. Barton.

Season 6, Episode 2, "Three Strikes and Out": Marjorie Bennett (shown on the left, see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis) plays widow Amanda Comstock. Forrest Lewis (Mr. Peavey on The Great Gildersleeve) plays barber Al. Hope Sansberry (Mrs. Nell Hall on The Phil Silvers Show) plays his wife's sister Harriet Dixon. Irene Tedrow (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Dennis the Menace) plays spinster Abigail Dooley.

Season 6, Episode 3, "Army Reunion": Harry Holcombe (shown on the right, 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 outgoing VFW chapter commander Harry Johnson. Emory Parnell (Hawkins on The Life of Riley and Hank the bartender on Lawman) plays George's old Army buddy Curly Brown. Alan Jenkins (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Top Cat) plays George's old Army buddy Skinny Howard. Vince Barnett (appeared in Scarface (1932), The Prizefighter and the Lady, The Corpse Vanishes, and Crazy Mama and played Elmo on The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry R.F.D.) plays George's old Army buddy Scotty Harris.

Season 6, Episode 4, "The Roofing Salesman": 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 roof weatherization salesman Jack Masters. Doris Singleton (Caroline Appleby on I Love Lucy, Susie on Angel, and Margaret Williams on My Three Sons) plays his partner Sally Burton. Jon Lormer (see "Never a Lender Be" above) returns as neighbor Sam Watkins.

Season 6, Episode 5, "The Goodwill Tour": Earl Hammond (shown on the right, played 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 government employee E.D. Young. Leonid Kinskey (appeared in Duck Soup, Les Miserables (1935), Ball of Fire, and Casablanca and played Pierre Quincy on The People's Choice) plays Russian visitor Potko. Ray Montgomery (Prof. Howard Ogden on Ramar of the Jungle) plays a policeman.

Season 6, Episode 6, "Money From Heaven": Leonard Stone (shown on the left, appeared in The Mugger, The Big Mouth, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, and Soylent Green and played Doc Joslyn on Camp Runamuck, Packy Moore on General Hospital, and Judge Paul Hansen on L.A. Law) plays U.S. Army paymaster Capt. Lewis. Tristram Coffin (Lt. Doyle on The Files of Jeffrey Jones and Capt. Tom Rynning on 26 Men) plays his superior Col. Deever. John Wilder (wrote multiple scripts for Peyton Place, Branded, The Streets of San Francisco, and Spenser: For Hire) plays an Army paratrooper.

Season 6, Episode 7, "Actress in the House": Taina Elg (shown on the right, starred in Les Girls, The 39 Steps, Watusi, and Hercules in New York, and played Diana Ross on The Doctors, Dr. Ingrid Fischer on The Guiding Light, Olympia Buchanan on One Life to Live, and Mrs. Mulryan on Loving) plays runaway actress Taina Engstrom. Frank Albertson (starred in Alice Adams, Man Made Monster, and It's a Wonderful Life and played Billy Rose on The Billy Rose Show and Mr. Cooper on Bringing Up Buddy) plays her agent Jerry Williams. Charles Irving (Judge Blanchard on Perry Mason) plays private detective Charlie Martin.

Season 6, Episode 8, "The New Housekeeper": Una Merkel (shown on the left, Academy Award nominee, appeared in Abraham Lincoln, 42nd Street, Destry Rides Again, The Bank Dick, The Parent Trap, and Summer and Smoke) plays new housekeeper Mrs. Gaylord.

Season 6, Episode 9, "Pepino's Inheritance": Gale Garnett (shown on the right, Grammy-winning popular singer who appeared in Tribute, Mr. and Mrs. Bridge, and My Big Fat Greek Wedding) plays Pepino's girlfriend Angela. Neil Hamilton (starred in The Great Gatsby (1926), Why Be Good?, Tarzan the Ape Man (1932), and Brewster's Millions, was the host of Hollywood Screen Test, and played Commissioner Gordon on Batman) plays realtor Mr. Rogers. Frank Wilcox (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Untouchables) plays estate lawyer Jerrold B. Cook. Percy Helton (see "Double Date" above) returns as mailman Mr. Perkins. 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 a car salesman. Jimmy Cross (Jessie Flouge on How to Marry a Millionaire) plays a real estate salesman.

Season 6, Episode 10, "The Girl Veterinarian": Ellen Burstyn (shown on the left, starred in For Those Who Think Young, The Last Picture Show, The Exorcist, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, and Same Time, Next Year and played Dr. Kate Bartok on The Doctors, Julie Parsons on Iron Horse, Ellen Brewer on The Ellen Burstyn Show, Dolly DeLucca on That's Life, Bishop Beatrice Congreve on The Book of Daniel, Nancy Davis Dutton on Big Love, and Evanka on Louie) plays recent veterinary graduate Dr. Dorothy Carter.

Season 6, Episode 11, "The Health Addict": Paula Winslowe (shown on the right, played Martha Conklin on Our Miss Brooks) plays women's health farm proprietor Miss Simpson. Phyllis Gehrig (wife of production manager Norman Pincus, brother of series creator Irving Pincus) plays her assistant Miss O'Toole. Judith Rawlins (second wife of singer Vic Damone) plays health farm client Peggy Reade. Hollis Irving (Mrs. Woodley on Blondie and Aunt Phoebe on Margie) plays client Helen Bradley.

Season 6, Episode 12, "The Love Bug Bites Pepino": BarBara Luna (shown on the left, played Theresa Modesto on Zorro, Maria Roberts on One Life to Live, Anna Ryder on Search for Tomorrow, and Sydney Jacobs on Sunset Beach) plays Pepino's girlfriend Chiquita. Mike de Anda (Ciego on The Big Valley) plays restaurant owner Jose.

Season 6, Episode 13, "Luke the Reporter": Pat Buttram (shown on the right, appeared in numerous Gene Autry movies, played himself on The Gene Autry Show, Mr. Haney on Green Acres and Petticoat Junction, and voiced Cactus Jake on Garfield and Friends) plays auto mechanic Pat Clemens. Virginia Vincent (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Joey Bishop Show) plays his girlfriend Nancy Templeton. Jonathan Hole (Orville Monroe on The Andy Griffith Show) plays newspaper editor Elmer Clark. Norma Connolly (see "The Washing Machine" above) plays laundromat gossiper Ethel. Hollis Irving (see "The Health Addict" above) plays fellow gossiper Ruth.

Season 6, Episode 14, "The Farmer and Adele": Mamie Van Doren (shown on the left, starred in Untamed Youth, High School Confidential!, The Beat Generation, Girls Town, and College Confidential) plays dance instructor Adele Webster. Grant Richards (appeared in A Night of Mystery, Love on Toast, and Under the Big Top and played Warren Nash on Love of Life) plays her manager Michael Bowen. Olan Soule (Aristotle "Tut" Jones on Captain Midnight, Ray Pinker on Dragnet (1952-59), Cal on Stagecoach West, the Hotel Carlton desk clerk on Have Gun -- Will Travel, and Fred Springer on Arnie and voiced Batman on The All-New Super Friends Hour, Challenge of the Superfriends, The World's Greatest SuperFriends, and Super Friends) plays a prospective dance student. James Maloney (Jim on 21 Beacon Street) plays another prospective dance student.

 

 

The Deputy (1960)

The cover of the January 23, 1960 issue of TV Guide included the teaser "Is Henry Fonda Really on TV?" The article inside the issue revealed that yes, he was, but the brevity of his appearances was not without controversy. Fonda played the character of Simon Fry, Chief Marshal of the Arizona Territory in 1880, but as the show's title indicated, the real focus of the series, created by Norman Lear and Roland Kibbee for a fall 1959 debut, was the character of Deputy Marshal Clay McCord, who was played by Allen Case. Fonda's contract, which he claims was worked out by his agent, stipulated that he needed to appear in only 6 full episodes out of the first season's 39 and that all of his screen appearances would be filmed in ten weeks, which created logistical difficulties in scheduling the work for any other actors who might appear with him. This left Fonda free the other 42 weeks of the year to appear in the many films and stage productions to which he was already committed. This work arrangement obviously suited the actor just fine, so much so that Fred MacMurray struck a similar bargain when he agreed to star in My Three Sons a year later. Fonda's contract meant that in most of the episodes he narrates and appears only briefly at the beginning and sometimes the end of the episode. Fonda rationalized that because of his character's relationship with his deputy, his presence is always felt, even when he is not on screen. But not all viewers felt this presence: one viewer quoted in the aforementioned TV Guide article commented, "In walks Fonda, he says 'Howdy,' leaps on his horse, takes off and you don't see him again until the end of the show." The fan response was apparently enough to increase Fonda's screen time for the second season, in which he appeared full-time in 13 episodes.

Speaking of the relationship between the marshal and the deputy, the show maintains a constant give and take between Fry and McCord, initially because McCord is first and foremost a storekeeper, running a general store in Silver City with his sister Fran (Betty Lou Keim). In the earlier episode of the series, Silver City has a regular marshal, Herk Lamson (Wallace Ford), who is nearing retirement and sometimes needs the help of a younger assistant, particularly one with the quick-draw skills of McCord, or needs to go out of town on business. So Fry frequently appears to coax McCord to temporarily put on the deputy badge and help out Lamson, but McCord doesn't relish the role and is usually reluctant. Add to this Fran's downright objection because of her concern that Clay will meet the same fate as their father, who stumbled home one night with a fatal gunshot wound. 

This dynamic changes, however, with the episode "The Truly Yours" (April 9, 1960) in which the McCord's general store is burned to the ground by Clay's childhood friend turned outlaw Coffer. Though we do not see her in this episode, Clay mentions that he has sent Fran to live with some relatives in Colorado since they no longer have a store, and we also learn that Lamson suffered a broken arm and decided to retire from his post as marshal. We never see their characters again, except for the out-of-sequence episode "Ma Mack" (July 9, 1960) that concludes the first season, in which the McCord's store is still standing and Lamson is still marshal. In the next several episodes after "The Truly Yours," Fry holds out the carrot of reward money to Clay as an enticement for his services as deputy, telling him that the money would be a big help in rebuilding his store. But each time the reward money winds up in someone else's hands, such as in "Palace of Chance" (May 21, 1960) when Fry gives the money to Julie Grant who helped Clay nab the Cherokee Kid. These episodes also include a more prominent role for restaurant waiter Jose (Vito Scotti) who becomes a kind of assistant to Clay. Eventually Clay assumes the role of deputy marshal of Silver City full-time, for which he receives a regular salary. Beginning with season 2, Jose has also been jettisoned and Clay has a new sidekick in army Sergeant Hapgood Tasker (Read Morgan), who is introduced in the season's second episode "Meet Sergeant Tasker" (October 1, 1960). The eye-patch-wearing Tasker is stationed in Silver City to run the local supply depot but yearns for more action, having been reduced to being a clerk after a more exciting role in the cavalry, so he frequently accompanies Clay on his rounds and gets involved in some of his more difficult assignments.

Throughout all the character changes and Clay's new job responsibilities, Fry continues to be a supportive though tricky character, often setting up situations to force Clay to resolve problems without knowing that he is being manipulated. In "The Three Brothers" (December 10, 1960), Fry has to prod Clay to work harder on an unsolved murder case and a string of bank robberies when he feels that Clay has gotten too chummy with the titular three brothers, who Fry suspects are deeply involved. And in "Judas Town" (December 31, 1960), Fry assigns Clay to go pick up a prisoner in Slateville to get him out of Silver City and show its citizens how much they need Clay to keep law and order. However, Clay doesn't always follow the Chief Marshal's orders--he never goes to Slateville but waits outside Silver City to re-arrest a band of troublemakers whose initial arrest turned the town against him because it jeopardized future business opportunities for local merchants. This sometimes good-natured, sometimes fractious relationship between Fry and Clay gives the show some depth and makes it something more than the typical western.

Another element that makes the show atypical is Clay's lack of romantic attachments. A young, single, good-looking, upstanding man like Clay McCord would normally have many opportunities and great interest in seeking female companionship, but such encounters are rare in this series. However, in the first half of season 2, we begin to see interest in women start to grow in Clay's character. In "The Fatal Urge" (October 15, 1960), Clay allows himself to be bushwhacked by the duplicitous Martha Jackson when he tries to kiss her. In "Passage to New Orleans" (November 19, 1960), both Clay and Fry fall for Lucy Ballance, whom they are escorting to New Orleans to testify in the murder trial against her fiance, setting up a romantic triangle that almost proves their undoing at the hands of the episode's villain. And in "Sally Tornado" (December 3, 1960), Clay is assigned to take the title character to Yuma to be hanged but along the way the two come to trust each other and awaken deep feelings that cannot last. It should prove interesting to see what further romantic escapades Clay will embark on in the show's remaining episodes that aired in 1961.

The striking and unusually jazzy theme song and score for the series were composed by Capitol Records arranger and guitarist Jack Marshall. While the theme song contains its share of orchestral flourish, particularly the reworked version introduced for season 2, the score for the individual episodes often contains Marshall's swinging jazz guitar lines that are remarkable for a western show. Besides releasing five albums on Capitol and one on Contemporary Records, Marshall arranged for other artists like Judy Garland, The Four Freshmen, Blossom Dearie, Wanda Sá, Howard Roberts, and Jack Sheldon, but his most notable arrangement was for Peggy Lee's hit version of the song "Fever." And he was a prolific session guitarist, playing for artists such as Bing Crosby, June Christy, Louis Prima, Nat King Cole, Nancy Wilson, and many more. Among his compositions, his theme for The Munsters earned him a Grammy nomination. He died September 2, 1971 at the age of 49.

The complete series has been released on DVD by Timeless Media Group.

The Actors

Henry Fonda

Born in Grand Island, NE, Fonda grew up in Omaha and got into acting at age 20 at the insistence of Marlon Brando's mother after dropping out of the University of Minnesota. Though his father was initially against his new career choice, Fonda succeeded at local community theatre before heading to Falmouth, MA and then to New York and Broadway. He continued stage work throughout his career, earning a Tony Award in 1948 for his role in Mister Roberts and another nomination for Clarence Darrow in 1975. He transitioned into films in 1935 when he was cast in the lead role for The Farmer Takes a Wife, a role that he had originated on Broadway. He received his first Oscar nomination for his role as Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath in 1940 but did not actually win the award until 1982 for his work in On Golden Pond. In between those two nominations, he also received a nomination as producer for the film 12 Angry Men in 1957. Other memorable films he starred in included Jezebel, Young Mr. Lincoln, The Ox-Bow Incident, The Lady Eve, Mister Roberts, War and Peace, How the West Was Won, Fail-Safe, Advise & Consent, and Once Upon a Time in the West.

Fonda was a life-long friend and twice a roommate of Jimmy Stewart, though the two nearly ended their friendship in an argument over the McCarthy hearings in the 1950s. Fonda was a staunch liberal but was still good friends with John Wayne and John Ford until the latter punched him in the mouth while filming Mister Roberts in 1955. Like Stewart, he was known as a ladies' man who married five times and had numerous affairs. According to his daughter Jane, Fonda was deeply in love with Lucille Ball. However, despite his easy-going friendly disposition on screen, he was described as aloof and often angry in person. His relationship with his children, particularly Jane and Peter, has been described as "emotionally distant." Yet despite any personal shortcomings, he is considered one of the greatest actors in the history of American film. He died August 12, 1982 from heart disease at the age of 77.

Allen Case

Case grew up in Dallas, TX, attended Southern Methodist University, and appeared locally on TV in a number of variety shows before moving to New York and successfully auditioning for a singing role on Arthur Godfrey's morning TV program. Following that success he began singing in nightclubs and in musical theatre on Broadway. More airtime on Godfrey's show, plus an appearance on Jack Paar led to a small role in the film Damn Yankees and a move to Hollywood. From there, he had guest appearances on a number of westerns, including Wagon Train, Gunsmoke, The Rifleman, and Have Gun--Will Travel. He returned to New York briefly for more musical theatre work off-Broadway but was then cast as Clay McCord on The Deputy. During the show's 2-year run, he also recorded a record of vocal standards for Columbia titled The Deputy Sings with arrangements by Frank DeVol.

After The Deputy ended, Case made occasional appearances on shows like Perry Mason and The Virginian and was then cast as Frank James for the show The Legend of Jesse James, which ran for only one season in 1965-66. More occasional appearances followed that on shows like The Bob Newhart Show, The Life and Times of Eddie Roberts, and CHiPs, the last appearance being in 1982. Case died of a heart attack at the age of 51 while on vacation in Truckee, CA on August 25, 1986.

 

Betty Lou Keim

Born in Malden, MA, the daughter of a choreographer and a dancer, Keim grew up in New York and first appeared on the stage at age 7. She broke into TV work with a regular role on the show My Son Jeep in 1953 and later appeared in films such as These Wilder Years, Teenage Rebel, and Some Came Running. After being cast for and appearing in 23 episodes of The Deputy, Keim married actor Warren Berlinger and retired from acting to raise a family of four children. She died at the age of 71 from lung cancer on January 27, 2010.

Wallace Ford

Born in England as Solomon Jones Grundy, Ford was separated from his parents at an early age and was sent to live in an orphanage, eventually transferred to one of its branches in Toronto, and from there lived in a series of 17 foster homes before running away to join a vaudeville troupe at the age of 11. He then joined a friend in the life of a hobo riding the rails in America until that friend was crushed to death by a railroad car, at which point Ford took that friend's name--Wallace Ford--in his memory. After working in vaudeville and various theatre groups, Ford made it to Broadway in 1921. A decade later he starred in his first film, opposite Joan Crawford in Possessed. The next year he played the lead role in the cult classic Freaks and had a major role in the crime drama The Beast of the City. The film roles continued steadily throughout the 30s, 40s, and into the early 50s in pictures such as The Whole Town's Talking, The Mummy's Hand, Blood on the Sun, and Harvey. He added TV work to his resume beginning with an appearance on Death Valley Days in 1953 until being cast as Marshal Herk Lamson on The Deputy in 1959. He appeared in 24 episodes during the show's first season but was not brought back for its second. Thereafter, he had the odd single appearance on shows like Lassie and The Andy Griffith Show before making his final film appearance in the Sidney Poitier hit A Patch of Blue in 1965. He died of a heart attack June 11, 1966 at the age of 68.

Read Morgan

A Chicago native who attended and played basketball for the University of Kentucky, Morgan found his niche playing athletic types in many of his early roles, first appearing as a wrestler on The United States Steel Hour in 1956. By 1959 he was appearing in a number of westerns, such as Tales of Wells Fargo, Riverboat, Laramie, and Shotgun Slade before being cast as Sergeant Hapgood Tasker for the second season of The Deputy. That was to be his only regular television role, though he had a string of appearances that included 10 turns on Gunsmoke in different roles and four each on Police Woman and Barnaby Jones. He also had minor roles in a number of films, from exploitation B-movies like The Beach Girls and the Monster to more serious fare like The New Centurions and Dillinger. His last film role was in the revisiting of the 1950s TV western Maverick in 1994.

Notable Guest Stars

Season 1, Episode 16, "Backfire": Charles Cooper (the sheriff on Father Murphy and Judge Robert Boucher on The Practice) plays outlaw Con Marlowe. Bob Steele (starred in Breezy Bill, Of Mice and Men, and The Big Sleep, played Billy the Kid in 6 westerns and Tucson Smith in 19 others, and played Trooper Duffy on F Troop) plays hired gun Fred Sooley.

Season 1, Episode 17, "Hang the Law": Robert Foulk (Jackley on The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure, Ed Davis on Father Knows Best, Joe Kingston on Wichita Town, Sheriff Miller on Lassie, Deputy Sheriff Clem on Bonanza, and Roy Trendell on Green Acres) plays cattle thief Dick Easter. Forrest Lewis (Mr. Peavey on The Great Gildersleeve) plays Clay's friend Alf Borroway. Martha Hyer (starred in Sabrina, The Delicate Delinquent, My Man Godfrey, Houseboat, Bikini Beach, and First Men in the Moon) plays Reverend Cartwright's daughter Joy. Sam Flint (Mr. Armstead on Father Knows Best) plays Judge Davidson. 

Season 1, Episode 18, "The Silent Gun": Dean Fredericks (Kaseem in Jungle Jim, Komawi in The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, and Lt. Col. Steve Canyon in Steve Canyon) plays mute stranger Pete Clemson. Marcia Henderson (starred in Thunder Bay, Naked Alibi, The Naked Hills, and Riot in Juvenile Prison and played Mickey Riley on Dear Phoebe) plays school-teacher Marion Whelan. Herbert Lytton (Admiral Reynolds on McHale's Navy) plays bank robber Parnell Locke. Grandon Rhondes (Mr. Vanderlip on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, Dr. Stevens on Lassie, Dr. J.P. Martin on Bonanza, and the judge 16 times on Perry Mason) plays Mayor Dorsey. 

Season 1, Episode 19, "The Hidden Motive": Jeremy Slate (starred in The Sons of Katie Elder, The Devils Brigade, and True Grit and played Larry Lahr on The Aquanauts) plays one of the Dawson Brothers. 

Season 1, Episode 20, "Lawman's Blood": 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 Silver City's Doc Landy. Ronnie Burns (adopted son of George Burns and Gracie Allen, played Ronnie Burns on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show and The George Burns Show and played Chris Day on Happy) plays renegade Morgan Burch. 

Season 1, Episode 21, "The Return of Simon Fry": Stacy Keach, Sr. (father of Stacy Keach, Jr. and played Carlson on Get Smart) plays ruffian Vic Rufus. Peter Mamakos (Jean Lafitte on The Adventures of Jim Bowie) played henchman Jubba.

Season 1, Episode 22, "Queen Bea": Frank Cady (shown on the right, played Doc Williams on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet and Sam Drucker on The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, and Petticoat Junction) plays store owner Mr. Rickert. Phyllis Avery (Peggy McNulty on The Ray Milland Show: Meet Mr. McNulty) plays store owning entrepreneur Beatrice Vale.

Season 1, Episode 23, "The Two Faces of Bob Claxton": Joseph Mell (Bill Pence on Gunsmoke) plays peddler Amos Cash. Johnny Seven (Lt. Carl Reese on Ironside) plays outlaw Pete Claxton. William Lally (Tommy Clifford on My Son Jeep) plays the prosecuting attorney.

Season 1, Episode 24, " Lady With a Mission": Jan Clayton (starred in Sunset Trail, The Wolf Hunters, and This Man's Navy and played Ellen Miller on Lassie) plays suffragette Agatha Stone. Helen Kleeb (Mrs. Holland on Dennis the Menace and Mamie Baldwin on The Waltons) plays welcoming committee head Mrs. Lillem. Carleton Young (starred in Dick Tracy (1937), The Brigand, Thunderhead - Son of Flicka, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and played Harry Steeger on The Court of Last Resort) plays liquor distributor Sam Hodges. James Lanphier (starred in Flight of the Lost Balloon and The Pink Panther and who played Leslie on Peter Gunn) plays Hodges' henchman Sloan. Tim Graham (Homer Ede on National Velvet) plays bartender Willis.

Season 1, Episode 25, "The Border Between": George J. Lewis (Don Alejandro de la Vega on Zorro) plays Mexican land-owner Don Renaldo del Cortio. Anna Kashfi (Marlon Brando's first wife) plays his daughter Felipa. Leo Gordon (Big Mike McComb on Maverick) plays mine owner Evan Sloate. Laurie Mitchell (starred in Calypso Joe, Queen of Outer Space, and Missile to the Moon) plays saloon girl Lorrie. 

Season 1, Episode 26, "Final Payment": 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 mortgage owner Dustin Groat. Henry Hunter (Doctor Summerfield on Hazel) plays bank official Mr. Monroe. Kevin Hagen (John Colton on Yancy Derringer, Inspector Dobbs Kobick on Land of the Giants, and Dr. Hiram Baker on Little House on the Prairie) plays Groat's hired gun Kemmer. Charles Seel (the bartender on Tombstone Territory, Mr. Krinkie on Dennis the Menace, and Tom Pride on The Road West) plays Doc Miller. 

Season 1, Episode 27, "Dark Reward": John Dennis (Dutch Schultz on The Lawless Years) plays reward scammer Hawkins. Richard Garland (Clay Horton on Lassie) plays his boss Matt Ross. Jean Willes (starred in 5 Against the House, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Desire Under the Elms, and The FBI Story) plays saloon girl Rosy. 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 Mr. Carter, a shooting victim's father. 

Season 1, Episode 28, "Marked for Bounty": Ron Hayes (Wyatt Earp on Bat Masterson, Lincoln Vail on Everglades, Ben Jones on The Rounders, and Hank Johnson on Dallas) plays prisoner Ralph Jenson. Regis Toomey (starred in Alibi, Other Men's Women, The Finger Points, His Girl Friday, and The Big Sleep and played Joe Mulligan on The Mickey Rooney Show, Lt. Manny Waldo on Four Star Playhouse, Lt. McGough on Richard Diamond, Private Detective, Det. Les Hart on Burke's Law, and Dr. Barton Stuart on Petticoat Junction and Green Acres) plays prison warden Jess Martin. Vito Scotti (shown on the left, played Capt. Gaspar Fomento on The Flying Nun, Gino on To Rome With Love, and Mr. Velasquez on Barefoot in the Park) plays restaurant waiter Jose. Charles Seel (see "Final Payment" above) reappears as Doc Miller. 

Season 1, Episode 29, "The Truly Yours": James Coburn (shown on the right, starred in The Magnificent Seven, Charade, Our Man Flint, and In Like Flint and played Jeff Durain on Klondike and Gregg Miles on Acapulco) plays outlaw Coffer. 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 Coffer's accomplice Fancy.  

Season 1, Episode 30, "A Time to Sow": Richard Crenna (shown on the left, starred in The Pride of St. Louis, Our Miss Brooks, The Sand Pebbles, Wait Until Dark, First Blood, Rambo: First Blood, Part II, and Rambo Three and played Luke McCoy on The Real McCoys, James Slattery on Slattery's People, Richard C. Barrington on All's Fair, Dr. Sam Quinn on It Takes Two, Mitch O'Hannon on Pros and Cons, and Jared Duff on Judging Amy) plays hitman Andy Willis. Coleen Gray (starred in Kiss of Death, Nightmare Alley, and The Killing and played Muriel Clifford on McCloud) plays his wife Lucy. Frank Ferguson (Gus Broeberg on My Friend Flicka, Eli Carson on Peyton Place, and Dr. Barton Stuart on Petticoat Junction) plays cattle rancher Tim McCullough. Robert Carricart (Pepe Cordoza on T.H.E. Cat) plays hitman go-between Fraser. 

Season 1, Episode 31, "The Last Gunfight": Robert Redford (shown on the right, starred in Barefoot in the Park, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, and All the President's Men) plays young thug Burt Johnson. Charles McGraw (Mike Waring on The Adventures of Falcon) plays legendary gunslinger Johnny Dean. Monica Lewis (jazz singer who starred in Excuse My Dust, Affair With a Stranger, and The D.I.) plays his fiancé Helen Ivers.

Season 1, Episode 32, "Chain of Action": Lee Patterson (Dave Thorne on Surfside 6 and Dr. Kevin Cook on Texas) plays outlaw Lige Schofield. Bek Nelson (Dru Lemp on Lawman and Phyllis Sloan on Peyton Place) plays his girlfriend Claudia, Francis de Sales (Lt. Bill Weigand on Mr. & Mrs. North, Ralph Dobson on The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, Sheriff Maddox on Two Faces West, and Rusty Lincoln on Days of Our Lives) plays Marshal Porter. Will Wright (Mr. Merrivale on Dennis the Menace and Ben Weaver on The Andy Griffith Show) plays Sheriff Delaney.

Season 1, Episode 33, "The Lucifer Urge": George Tobias (shown on the left, starred in Sergeant York, This Is the Army, and Yankee Doodle Dandy and played Pierre Falcon on Hudson's Bay, Trader Penrose on Adventures in Paradise, and Abner Kravitz on Bewitched) plays land grabber Barney Wagner. Ralph Moody (Doc Burrage on The Rifleman) plays property owner Walt Conroy. Vito Scotti (see "Marked for Bounty" above) reappears as waiter Jose.

Season 1, Episode 34, "Palace of Chance": Lee Van Cleef (shown on the right, starred in For a Few Dollars More and The Good, The Bad and the Ugly) plays prison escapee the Cherokee Kid. Dennis Cross (Cmdr Arthur Richards on The Blue Angels) plays gambling house owner George Reed. Steve Brodie (Sheriff Johnny Behan on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays his assistant Fisher.

Season 1, Episode 35, "The X Game": John Hoyt (starred in My Favorite Brunette, The Lady Gambles, and Blackboard Jungle and played Grandpa Stanley Kanisky on Gimme a Break!) plays horse raiser Hap Allison. Tom McKee (Comrade Laylock Brisson on I Led 3 Lives, Captain Davis on The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, and Fire Chief Tucker on Rescue 8) plays phony government agent Les Coyle. Don Gordon (Lt. Hank Bertelli on The Blue Angels and Richard Jensen on Peyton Place) plays henchman Queed. Eddie Foster (starred in Highway Patrol(1938), Angels Over Broadway, and Killer Ape and played Mason on Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe) plays henchman Tomaso.

Season 1 Episode 36, "The Stand-Off": Alan Hale, Jr. (shown on the left, played Biff Baker on Biff Baker U.S.A., Casey Jones on Casey Jones, Sculley on The Texan, and The Skipper on Gilligan's Island) plays escaped convict Frank Engle. Ann McCrea (Midge Kelsey on The Donna Reed Show) plays his girlfriend Helen Swayde. Addison Richards (starred in Boys Town, They Made Her a Spy, Flying Tigers, and The Deerslayer and played Doc Calhoun on Trackdown) plays Doc Landy.

Season 1, Episode 37, "Trail of Darkness": Clu Gulager (Billy the Kid on The Tallman, Emmett Ryker on The Virginian, and Cuda Weber on The MacKenzies of Paradise Cove) plays wagon driver Sanford. Donald Woods (John Brent on Tammy and Craig Kennedy on Kennedy, Criminologist) plays criminal ringleader Mr. Brainerd. John Mitchum (starred in Dirty Harry, Magnum Force, and The Enforcer and played Pickalong on Riverboat, Trooper Hoffenmueller on F Troop, and the bartender on The Virginian) plays henchman Stubbs. Vito Scotti (see "Marked for Bounty" above) reappears as waiter Jose. Addison Richards (shown on the right, see "The Stand-Off" above) reappears as Doc Landy.

Season 1, Episode 38, "The Choice": Vince Edwards (shown on the left, starred in The Killing, The Scavengers, and The Devil's Brigade and played Dr. Ben Casey on Ben Casey and Dr. Matt Lincoln on Matt Lincoln) plays ex-convict Dory Matson. Vito Scotti (see "Marked for Bounty" above) reappears as waiter Jose. Addison Richards (see "The Stand-Off" above) reappears as Doc Landy.

Season 1, Episode 39, "Ma Mack": Jack Hogan (starred in The Bonnie Parker Story, Paratroop Command, and The Cat Burglar and who 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 Ma Mack's son Abner. Gregory Walcott (starred in Badman's Country and Plan 9 From Outer Space and played Det. Roger Havilland on 87th Precinct) plays drunkard Reece. Douglas Kennedy (starred in Adventures of Don Juan, I Was an American Spy, and Jack McCall, Desperado and played Marshal Steve Donovan on Steve Donovan, Western Marshal and Sheriff Fred Madden on The Big Valley) plays Sheriff Bates. 

Season 2, Episode 1, "The Deadly Breed": Susan Oliver (shown on the left, played Ann Howard on Peyton Place) plays blackmailer Julie Desmond. Lyle Bettger (starred in The Vanquished, Destry, and The Fastest Guitar Alive and played Sam Larsen on The Court of Last Resort and Harry Driscoll on The Grand Jury) plays her father Aces Thompson. Robert P. Leib (Harry Thompson on Hazel) plays a sucker named Baker. Francis de Sales (see "Chain of Action" above) plays a sucker named Mattson.

Season 2, Episode 2, "Meet Sergeant Tasker": Joan O'Brien (shown on the right, starred in The Alamo and It'$ Only Money) plays saloon girl Emily Price. Rayford Barnes (Ike Clanton on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays card cheater Charlie.

Season 2, Episode 3, "The Jason Harris Story": Jeff Morrow (starred in Sign of the Pagan, This Island Earth, Pardners, and The Giant Claw and played Dr. Lloyd Axton on The New Temperatures Rising Show) plays accused Marshal Jason Harris. Dianne Foster (starred in Night Passage, The Last Hurrah, and The Deep Six) plays his wife Laurie. Myron Healey (Doc Holliday on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays crook Johnny Dustin. Robert Stevenson (bartender Big Ed on Richard Drum) plays henchman Morgan.

Season 2, Episode 4, "The Fatal Urge": Kathleen Crowley (Terry Van Buren on Waterfront and Sophia Starr on Batman) plays grieving auctioneer's niece Martha Jackson. Tony Young (Cord on Gunslinger) plays outlaw Tweed Younger.

 Season 2, Episode 5, "Mother and Son": James Franciscus (shown on the left, played Det. Jimmy Halloran on Naked City, Russ Andrews on The Investigators, John Novak on Mr. Novak, Mike Longstreet on Longstreet, Benjamin Elliot on Doc Elliot, and James Hunter on Hunter) plays outlaw William Stanhope. Josephine Hutchinson starred in The Story of Louis Pasteur, Son of Frankenstein, and Tom Brown's Schooldays) plays his mother. Robert Karnes (Max Fields on The Lawless Years and Deputy D.A. Victor Chamberlin on Perry Mason) plays Stanhope gang member Sam Nelson.

Season 2, Episode 6, "Bitter Root": 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 isolated spinster Hester Macklin. Don Megowan (Captain Huckabee on The Beachcomber) plays outlaw Don Brandon. Paul Sorensen (Bradley on Dallas) plays gang member Will Terry.

Season 2, Episode 7, "The Higher Law": John Larch (shown on the right, starred in The Wrecking Crew, Play Misty for Me, and Dirty Harry and played Deputy District Attorney Jerry Miller on Arrest and Trial, Gerald Wilson on Dynasty, and Arlen & Atticus Ward on Dallas) plays Indian attacker Jack Rivers. H.M. Wynant (Frosty on Batman and Ed Chapman on Dallas) plays Mescalero Black Wing. Michael Hinn (Luke Cummings on Boots and Saddles) plays saloon patron Jed Pitt. Addison Richards (see "The Stand-Off" above) reappears as Doc Landy.

Season 2, Episode 8, "Passage to New Orleans": Patrice Wynmore (starred in She's Working Her Way Through College, She's Back on Broadway, and Ocean's Eleven) plays chief witness Lucy Ballance. Carl Benton Reid (starred in The Little Foxes, In a Lonely Place, Lorna Doone, and The Left Hand of God and played The Man on Burke's Law) plays the accused's father Mr. Carruthers. 

Season 2, Episode 9, "The World Against Me": Dennis Olivieri (Roy Strickland on The Betty Hutton Show and Stanley Gabriel on The New People) plays bitter orphan Tommy White.

Season 2, Episode 10, "Sally Tornado": Fay Spain (shown on the left, starred in Dragstrip Girl, Al Capone, and The Gentle Rain) plays bank robber and murderer Sally Tornado. William Fawcett (Clayton on Duffy's Tavern, Marshal George Higgins on The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, and Pete Wilkey on Fury) plays trapper and prospector Jipsom.

Season 2, Episode 11, "The Three Brothers": Jack Ging (Beau McCloud on Tales of Wells Fargo, Dr. Paul Graham on The Eleventh Hour, Lt. Dan Ives on Mannix, Lt. Ted Quinlan on Riptide, and Gen. Harlan "Bull" Fullbright on The A-Team) plays brother Jay Bennett. Lew Gallo (Major Joseph Cobb on 12 O'Clock High) plays brother Frank Bennett.

Season 2, Episode 12, "Day of Fear": Mary Tyler Moore (shown on the right, played Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show, Mary Richards on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Mary Brenner on Mary, and Annie McGuire on Annie McGuire) plays quarantined stage passenger Amy Collins. Tyler McVey (starred in Hot Car Girl, Night of the Blood Beast, and Attack of the Giant Leeches and played Maj. Gen. Norgrath on Men Into Space) plays her father Stu. Robert Ridgely (Lt. Frank Kimbro on The Gallant Men, the announcer on the The Woody Woodbury Show, Cliff Hamilton on The Domestic Life, and did voicework for many cartoons, including Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle, The Dukes, and The Incredible Hulk) plays visiting deputy Pete. Addison Richards (see "The Stand-Off" above) reappears as Doc Landy.

Season 2, Episode 13, "Second Cousin to the Czar": George Wallace (starred in Radar Men From the Moon, Destry, and Forbidden Planet and played Judge Milton Cole on Hill Street Blues and Grandpa Hank Hammersmith on Sons and Daughters) plays con man Dan Farrell. Carl Esmond (starred in Little Men, Lover Come Back (1946), and Walk a Crooked Mile) plays his accomplice Duke Dimitri. Clancy Cooper (Timmo McQueen on Lawman) plays horse raiser Hawkins. Terry Frost (Sgt. Moore/Morse/Morris on Highway Patrol) plays drifter Burke.

Season 2, Episode 14, "Judas Town": Ed Nelson (Michael Rossi on Peyton Place and Ward Fuller on The Silent Force) plays spoiled rich kid Pete McCurdy. Roy Roberts (Capt. Simon P. Huxley on The Gale Storm Show, Admiral Rogers on McHale's Navy, John Cushing on The Beverly Hillbillies, Mr. Cheever on The Lucy Show, Frank Stephens on Bewitched, Norman Curtis on Petticoat Junction, and Mr. Botkin/Bodkin on Gunsmoke) plays his father Linc.