Tales of Wells Fargo (1962)

 

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

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

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

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

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

The Actors

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

Notable Guest Stars

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Season 6, Episode 28, "Remember the Yazoo": Jason Evers (starred in The Brain That Wouldn't Die, House of Women, The Green Berets, and Escape From the Planet of the Apes and played Pitcairn on Wrangler, Prof. Joseph Howe on Channing, and Jim Sonnett on The Guns of Will Sonnett) plays New Orleans Wells Fargo branch manager Tom Kelly. Jeanne Bal (Pat Baker on Love and Marriage and Jean Pagano on Mr. Novak) plays his fiance Annette Decatur. Alan Napier (appeared in The House of the Seven Gables, Lassie Come Home, Joan of Arc, Marnie, The Loved One, and Batman: The Movie and played Gen. Steele on Don't Call Me Charlie and Alfred the butler on Batman) plays her father Col. Decatur. James Westerfield (appeared in The Shaggy Dog, The Absent-Minded Professor, and The Love God? and played John Murrel on The Travels of Jamie McPheeters) plays career criminal Sam Heffridge. Robert Cornthwaite (Professor Windish on Get Smart and Howard Buss on Picket Fences) plays robbery plot organizer Anthony Boaz. Richard Devon (Jody Barker on Yancy Derringer) plays co-conspirator Pierre Carondelet.

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

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

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

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

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

Season 6, Episode 34, "Vignette of a Sinner": Jeff Morrow (starred in Sign of the Pagan, This Island Earth, Pardners, and The Giant Claw and played Maj. Bart McClelland n Union Pacific and Dr. Lloyd Axton on The New Temperatures Rising Show) plays bank director Les Caldwell. Joyce Taylor (see the biography section for the 1960 post on Men Into Space) plays his fiance Rachel Whitman. William Mims (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays outlaw for hire Lucius Kramm. Edward Platt (appeared in Rebel Without a Cause, Written on the Wind, Designing Woman, and North by Northwest and played the Chief on Get Smart) plays ex-con physician Doc Bell. Sam Gilman (Sam Grafton on Shane) plays phony elixir salesman Rockaway. Dean Smith (Doug McClure's stunt double on Overland Trail, Dale Robertson's stunt double on Iron Horse, and stunt coordinator on How the West Was Won and Simon & Simon) plays his accomplice Michael. James Craig (starred in Kitty Foyle, The Devil and Daniel Webster, The Human Comedy, Kismet (1944), and Our Vines Have Tender Grapes) plays the Rawlston sheriff.

 

Coronado 9 (1961)

In the last 22 episodes of the inappropriately named Coronado 9 crime drama which aired in 1961, the same problems persisted with the series' identity and premise that we described in our post for the 1960 episodes. Only a few of those 22 episodes take place in Coronado: "Hunt Breakfast" (February 21, 1961) depicts the Coronado Savings and Loan manager Lloyd Tyler being forced open his bank's vault for bank robber Kruger while Kruger's two accomplices keep watch on Tyler's wife and daughter at his home, threatening to kill them if anything goes wrong at the bank. Luckily, Tyler fools the criminals by saying he wasn't scheduled to go into work that day, that he was supposed to go hunting with private investigator Dan Adams instead, thereby allowing him to make a call to Adams to cancel the trip. Adams realizes that something is amiss with Tyler because they had no scheduled hunting trip that day. In the series' final episode, "They Met in Honolulu" (May 30, 1961) the action opens with wealthy businessman Theodore Garth marrying a woman he had recently met in Honolulu with the ceremony performed at the famed Hotel Del Coronado. Adams does not attend the wedding but comes to Garth's aid after returning from Los Angeles when the newly minted husband tells him his wife disappeared immediately after the ceremony. However, even this episode fails to spend its entire 25 minutes in Coronado because Adams has to take a trip to Honolulu to check on the vanished bride's background. The episode opens with an exterior shot of the Hotel Del Coronado, but all the interior shots appear to be on a sound stage, leading one to suppose that perhaps Revue Studios did not bother to get permission or were denied permission to shoot any location shots at the hotel itself, a real pity. A few other episodes are based in nearby communities, including San Diego, Brookwood, Stone River, and San Remo, and the location of "But the Patient Died" (April 11, 1961) and "Come to Me With Thy Loot" (March 21, 1961) is never stated, so they could be based in Coronado or close by.

Instead of focusing on its namesake island and iconic hotel, the series instead plays like a travelogue, sending Adams around the globe for his weekly dose of danger. With him we visit Paris in "Flim Flam" (January 3, 1961), London in "Londonderry Heiress" (January 10, 1961), Havana in "Caribbean Chase" (February 14, 1961), Freetown, Sierra Leone in "Long Way From Detroit" (April 4, 1961), Danzig, Poland in  "The Anxious Mariner" (April 25, 1961), Singapore in "Singapore Girl" (May 15, 1961), and the Middle East in "Blonde Herring" (May 23, 1961). He also makes two trips to New Orleans in successive episodes--"Sincerely Yours, Napoleon" (January 31, 1961) and "Man From Way Down Yonder" (February 7, 1961)--which feature actual location footage showing Adams driving away from the New Orleans airport, and two other trips to more rural Louisiana communities in "Run, Shep, Run" (January 17, 1961) and "Excursion to Algiers" (February 28, 1961). As one would expect given Coronado's proximity to Mexico, he goes south of the border a few times as well in "Flight to La Paz" (March 7, 1961), "The Day Ramon Fell" (March 28, 1961), and "Flee Now, Pay Later" (May 2, 1961). Perhaps the most interesting of these excursions is his trip to Havana, which features stock footage of Cuba in the aftermath of Castro's revolution. Adams is hired by a woman claiming to be the daughter of a businessman who is being persecuted by the revolutionaries and wanting Adams, who has just bought a boat in Havana, to take her and her father back to the States, only it turns out her story is fake and Adams is in more trouble than he bargained for. The episode is also noteworthy because Adams does not win the day and serve up a hefty dose of justice by episode's end. 

As with the 1960 episodes, those that aired in 1961 shed little light on Adams' back story and therefore fail to make him a particularly interesting or sympathetic character. His background as a former Naval intelligence officer resurfaces in "Long Way From Detroit" when he is summoned while in London by an old war buddy now working for an anti-smuggling department that needs an unknown, independent investigator since their regular agents keep getting murdered while trying to crack an international diamond-smuggling ring. In "The Anxious Mariner" he is recruited by a U.S. government agent to accompany a deported former numbers runner back to the States to provide incriminating evidence against his one-time mob associates. And again he is hired by an unnamed government agency in "Blonde Herring" to ferret out the name of the leader of another international smuggling operation. Otherwise, all we know about Adams is that he appears to be an avid hunter and fisherman because he is often brought into cases by people he has crossed paths with in those pursuits, as in the aforementioned "Hunt Breakfast" episode. His trip to the swamps of Louisiana in "Run, Shep, Run" is precipitated by a hunting invitation. He is called back to New Orleans by an old hunting buddy who runs a jewelry store in "Man From Way Down Yonder" when the buddy's wife receives a tarantula in the mail as part of a blackmail operation. Adams rushes down to Mexico in "The Day Ramon Fell" when he reads about his one-time hunting guide Ramon Ortega being charged with murder. And in "Flee Now, Pay Later" Adams is called by Julie Telford whose missing husband Mike runs a charter airplane business Adams once used on a hunting trip. Rather than giving us a glimpse into Adams's character that we might be able to latch on to, these flimsy and somewhat contrived connections remind us that Adams is only a stereotype of the man of action rather than a real human being. It's easy to see why the series never developed a sizable following given the formulaic portrayal of its protagonist. By contrast, the success of the competing crime drama series 77 Sunset Strip was due in large part to the colorful, if somewhat cliched, character of Ed "Kookie" Byrnes. Dan Adams may have been clever and tough and may have visited exotic destinations, but his lack of personality failed to spark the imagination of the viewing audience and doomed Coronado 9 to a single season.

The Actors

For the biography of Rod Cameron, see the 1960 post for Coronado 9.

Notable Guest Stars

Season 1, Episode 18, "Flim Flam": Mary LaRoche (shown on the left, appeared in Run Silent, Run Deep, Gidget, Bye Bye Birdie, and The Swinger and played Barbara Scott on Karen) plays Paris dancer Marie Moraud. 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 blackmailer Voss. Read Morgan (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Deputy) plays his accomplice Mark Sidon.

Season 1, Episode 19, "Londonderry Heiress": James Flavin (Lt. Donovan on Man With a Camera and Robert Howard on The Roaring 20's) plays American ex-pat gangster Patrick Conlon. Patricia Medina (Margarita Cortazar on Zorro) plays his daughter Patricia. John Maxwell (Alex Gregory on The Court of Last Resort) plays Scotland Yard Inspector Daugherty. Norma Vardon (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Hazel) plays kidnapper Mrs. Wendell.

Season 1, Episode 20, "Run, Shep, Run": Walter Coy (Zoravac on Rocky Jones, Space Ranger and was the narrator on Frontier) plays jealous husband Jason Trumball. Dorothy Green (Lavinia Tate on Tammy) plays his wife Myra. DeForest Kelley (shown on the right, played Dr. McCoy on Star Trek) plays visiting hunter Shep Harlow. Jay Novello (Juan Greco on Zorro and Mayor Mario Lugatto on McHale's Navy) plays town physician Dr. Sage. Leo Gordon (Big Mike McComb on Maverick) plays Trumball's caretaker Kyte.

Season 1, Episode 21, "Wrong Odds": Oliver McGowan (Harvey Welk on Empire) plays manufacturing mogul Warren Chandler. Larry J. Blake (the unnamed jailer on Yancy Derringer and Tom Parnell on Saints and Sinners) plays bookmaker Sam Beal. Bern Hoffman (Sam the bartender on Bonanza) plays his henchman Truck Quill. 

Season 1, Episode 22, "Sincerely Yours, Napoleon": Vaughn Taylor (shown on the near left, see "Flim Flam" above) plays Napoleon scholar John Hammock. Virginia Christine (was the Folger's Coffee woman in commercials and starred in The Mummy's Curse, The Killers, and Night Wind and who played Ovie Swenson on Tales of Wells Fargo) plays his wife Margaret. Sue Ane Langdon (shown on the far left, played Kitty Marsh on Bachelor Father, Lillian Nuvo on Arnie, Rosie on Grandpa Goes to Washington, and Darlene on When the Whistle Blows) plays his mistress Carol.

Season 1, Episode 23, "Man From Way Down Yonder": Byron Morrow (Capt. Keith Gregory on The New Breed and Pearce Newberry on Executive Suite) plays jewelry shop owner Arthur Charles. Claudia Barrett (starred in Robot Monster) plays his sister-in-law Barbara Danby.

Season 1, Episode 24, "Caribbean Chase": John Berardino (shown on the right, former major league baseball player, played Special Agent Steve Daniels on I Led 3 Lives, Sgt. Vince Cavelli on The New Breed, and Dr. Steve Hardy on General Hospital) plays Cuban casino owner Andre Machado. 

Season 1, Episode 25, "Hunt Breakfast": William Keene (played various reverends on The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry R.F.D.) plays bank manager Lloyd Tyler. Eve McVeagh (starred in High Noon, The Glass Web, and Tight Spot and played Miss Hammond on Petticoat Junction) plays his wife Laura. Cynthia Chenault (appeared in I Was a Teenage Werewolf, Dino, and This Earth is Mine and played Carol Potter on The Tom Ewell Show) plays their daughter Abby. Ken Lynch (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Checkmate) plays bank robber Kruger. Jan Merlin (Roger Manning on Tom Corbett, Space Cadet and Lt. Colin Kirby on The Rough Riders) plays his accomplice Boxer. Jack Emrek (husband of Sue Ane Langdon) plays accomplice Alfie Rover.

Season 1, Episode 26, "Excursion to Algiers": Dorothy Green (shown on the left, see "Run, Shep, Run" above) plays widow Doret Hamlin. John Berardino (see "Caribbean Chase" above) plays her best friend's husband Will Harlow. Tom McKee (Comrade Brisson Laylock on I Led 3 Lives, Capt. Davis on The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, and Fire Chief Tucker on Rescue 8) plays police Det. Straker. 

Season 1, Episode 27, "Flight to La Paz": Robert Knapp (Ben Olson on Days of Our Lives and SAC Noel McDonald on The F.B.I.) plays salesman Welby Finch. 

Season 1, Episode 28, "Three's a Shroud": Eve Miller (appeared in Inner Sanctum, Pier 23, The Winning Team, and April in Paris) plays sanitarium escapee's wife Julie Saxton. Ann McCrae (Midge Kelsey on The Donna Reed Show) plays murder victim's wife Linda Bowen. 

Season 1, Episode 29, "Come to Me With Thy Loot": Vaughn Taylor (see "Flim Flam" above) plays dentist Dr. Henry Dakin. Ruth Terry (starred in Call of the Canyon, My Buddy, Pistol Packin' Mama, and Smoky River Serenade) plays jewelry thief's wife Paula Rhem.  Al Hodge (shown on the right, played Captain Video on The Secret Files of Captain Video and Captain Video and His Video Rangers) plays police investigator Sgt. Hollister.

Season 1, Episode 30, "The Day Ramon Fell": Estelita Rodriguez (starred in Cuban Fireball, Havana Rose, The Fabulous Senorita, Rio Bravo, and Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter) plays dude ranch entertainer Elena Rosales. Jean Willes (appeared in Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Ocean's 11, and Gypsy) plays ranch co-owner's wife Stella Bowers. 

Season 1, Episode 31, "Long Way From Detroit": Vito Scotti (Jose on The Deputy, Capt. Gaspar Fomento on The Flying Nun, Gino on To Rome With Love, and Mr. Velasquez on Barefoot in the Park) plays diamond smuggling ringleader Alexander Kouri. Barbara Stuart (shown on the left, played Bessie on The Great Gildersleeve, Alice on Pete and Gladys, Bunny on Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., Peggy Ferguson on The McLean Stevenson Show, Marianne Danzig on Our Family Honor, and Alice on Huff) plays his accomplice Jeanne Lamar. Rayford Barnes (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays Kouri's hitman Ryker. Lester Matthews (Sir Dennis Nayland Smith on The Adventures of Dr. Fu Manchu and Fleming Pendleton on The Beverly Hillbillies) plays Adams' old war buddy Tony Wingate. Paul Baxley (stunt coordinator on Riverboat, The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, T.H.E. Cat, Wonder Woman, and The Dukes of Hazzard) plays one of Wingate's anti-smuggling agents.

Season 1, Episode 32, "But the Patient Died": Christine White (shown on the right, played Abigail Adams on Ichabod and Me) plays hit-and-run victim's wife Janet Harvey. Wesley Lau (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Perry Mason) plays neurosurgeon Dr. David Travis. Catherine McLeod (Claire Larkin on Days of Our Lives) plays his wife Martha. 

Season 1, Episode 33, "Gone Goose": Jim Davis (Matt Clark on Stories of the Century, Wes Cameron on Rescue 8, Marshal Bill Winter on The Cowboys, and Jock Ewing on Dallas) plays lumber company owner Barton Kincaid. Jean Carson (Rosemary on The Betty Hutton Show) plays his secretary Lois Dixon. Slim Pickens (shown on the left, 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 Stone River Sheriff Harry Fife. Paul Sorensen (Andy Bradley on Dallas) plays Kincaid's henchman Lou Bates.

Season 1, Episode 34, "The Anxious Mariner": Steve Darrell (Sheriff Hal Humphrey on Tales of Wells Fargo) plays deported former numbers runner Joe Cask. Coleen Gray (starred in Kiss of Death, Nightmare Alley, The Killing, The Vampire, The Leech Woman, and The Phantom Planet and played Muriel Clifford on McCloud) plays his daughter Ruth Evans. William Schallert (shown on the right, see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis) plays mobster Alfred Bates. 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 steamer skipper Capt. Rawlings. Bart Burns (Capt. Pat Chambers on Mike Hammer) plays government agent Jim Hastings. 

Season 1, Episode 35, "Flee Now, Pay Later": John Bryant (Dr. Carl Spaulding on The Virginian) plays charter pilot Mike Telford. Nan Leslie (shown on the left, played Martha McGivern on The Californians) plays his wife Jean. Clark Howat (Dr. John Petrie on The Adventures of Dr. Fu Manchu and the police dispatcher on Harbor Command) plays smuggler Bundy. 

Season 1, Episode 36, "The Daley Double": Mary LaRoche (see "Flim Flam" above) plays movie star Belinda Daley. William Keene (see "Hunt Breakfast" above) plays her producer Jay Brisco. Hugh Sanders (starred in That's My Boy, The Pride of St. Louis, The Winning Team, and The Wild One) plays Adams' friend police Lt. Melnick. 

Season 1, Episode 37, "Singapore Girl": Lisa Lu (shown on the right, see the biography section for the 1960 post on Have Gun -- Will Travel) plays go-between Kim Luchan. Lester Matthews (see "Long Way From Detroit" above) plays British intelligence officer Maj. Durham. Beal Wong (Grandpa Ling on Bachelor Father) plays pizza parlor owner Wong.

Season 1, Episode 38, "Blonde Herring": Sue Ane Langdon (see "Sincerely Yours, Napoleon" above) plays nightclub singer Holly Crane. Hugh Sanders (see "The Daley Double" above) plays smuggling ship Capt. Kelly. Harry Lauter (Ranger Clay Morgan on Tales of the Texas Rangers, Atlasande on Rocky Jones, Space Ranger, and Jim Herrick on Waterfront) plays first mate Jake Bricker. Paul Baxley (see "Long Way From Detroit" above) plays a ship engineer.

Season 1, Episode 39, "They Met in Honolulu": 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 wealthy businessman Theodore Garth. Jacqueline Mayo (the special duty nurse on Peyton Place) plays his bride Eve Barstow.