Cheyenne (1962)

 

After seven years in the saddle, wandering into all kinds of trouble but remaining the most popular TV western ever produced by Warner Brothers, Cheyenne came to the end of the trail in December 1962. As we noted in our post on the 1960 episodes, Cheyenne was TV's first 1-hour drama and one of the first three series Warner Brothers debuted in their initial foray into television in 1955. TV Guide covered the impending finale in an August 4, 1962 feature story, "'Just Clint and the Cactus,'" which surprisingly quoted Warner Brothers executives speaking dismissively of their most profitable star Clint Walker, with one calling him "that big, dumb farmer." The article additionally notes that the same executives considered the show's success, placing in the top 30 in the ratings from 1955-61, as due more to the formula than Walker's ability. And yet despite Walker's intention to leave at the end of Season 7, he was still being called into Jack Warner's office on a regular basis to try to get him to sign a new contract. Walker had clearly had enough of his indentured servitude at Warners, having already gone on strike for an entire season in 1958-59 and having expressed, as we noted in our post on the 1961 episodes, that he felt the character had already played itself out.

But since they thought they had a successful formula, the producers made no real changes in the 1962 episodes from the latter half of Season 6 and all those for Season 7, though they teased bringing the series to a resolution in the final episode, "Showdown at Oxbend" (December 17, 1962). In this story Cheyenne drives his wagon into the titular town and tells longtime friend Sheriff Ben Jethro that he has come to look into buying a horse ranch from Perly Wilkins with the intention of finally settling down. He tells Jethro he has had his fill of wandering about and wants to permanently put down roots. But we've seen this tease before in plots that seem ready to end Cheyenne's peripatetic lifestyle, and this one is no exception--perhaps driven by Jack Warner's optimism in being able to sign Walker to a new contract. Because when Cheyenne talks to Wilkins about buying his ranch, he considers the selling price too low for a ranch that has everything he wants, and he refuses to take advantage of a man driven to desperation. The desperation comes from an impending sheep drive that is expected to devastate all the grazing in the area and launch a full-out range war with the local group of cattle ranchers, led by the abrasive Ed Foster. Buried in the sheep drive is another favorite theme in the Cheyenne canon--misguided revenge for a sin committed many years ago, in this case the daughter of a sheep-herding man lynched by Foster and his mob some 20 years ago. Even though Cheyenne is able to avert the seemingly inevitable range war at the last minute, he decides to once again move on, telling Jethro that perhaps he will find his final resting place somewhere farther down the line.

Revenge is the main driving force in several other 1962 episodes: "The Bad Penny" (February 26, 1962), again featuring a young woman whose father was lynched many years ago, "Vengeance Is Mine" (November 26, 1962), in which a friend of Cheyenne's took the prison rap for another man in exchange for money to help his mother, which was never delivered, "Johnny Brassbuttons" (December 3, 1962), in which a Mescalero chief tries to sabotage a brave who married the squaw he wanted for himself, and "Wanted for the Murder of Cheyenne Bodie" (December 10, 1962), in which an outlaw gang tries to frame Cheyenne for a murder as revenge for his role in seeing their younger brother hung for another murder.

The other deadly sin dominating the Cheyenne universe is greed , as demonstrated in the episodes "The Wedding Rings" (January 8, 1962), where a small-town Mexican dictator tries to bleed his citizens dry before ascending to a larger role in the revolutionary capitol, "Satonka" (October 1, 1962), in which a mining company agent runs afoul of a local mythical beast in his pursuit of his company's interests, "Sweet Sam" (October 8, 1962), in which a man pretends to be a Good Samaritan to fool everyone in a small town so that he can rob the bank, "Man Alone" (October 15, 1962), where a young man who participated in a bank robbery suffers amnesia after falling from his horse while escaping with the stolen money but then tries to start a new life on the straight and narrow only to be pursued by the other bank robbers, "Indian Gold" (October 29, 1962), in which several citizens in a small settlement defy a U.S. Government treaty to go onto Indian land in search for a legendary treasure, "Dark Decision" (November 5, 1962), in which a greedy gambler kills a casino owner to rob his safe and preys upon a blind singer he has been courting to provide him with an alibi, "The Vanishing Breed" (November 19, 1962), in which a state senator corruptly uses his office to decimate the buffalo population to benefit his secret hide and tanning business, and the aforementioned "Showdown at Oxbend," in which the range war between sheep herders and cattle ranchers is secretly orchestrated by the largest landowner, Foster, to drive smaller ranchers to sell out before the war starts.

Though all these episodes are essentially repetitive variations on a single theme, the most interesting of the lot is "Indian Gold" because one of the greedy gold-seekers is a kind of anti-Cheyenne. Like our hero, Sheriff Matt Kilgore is a white man raised by Indians, in this case the Sioux, the very tribe whose legendary treasure other residents, such as town cook Charlie Feeney, are trying to steal. Kilgore initially appears to be on the side of good, working side-by-side with Cheyenne after showing him his Sioux brand to thwart the efforts of men like Feeney and avoid a full-scale Indian war. But once Feeney has learned where the gold is hidden and is forced to tell Kilgore, who then shoots him in the back, Cheyenne has to try to prevent Kilgore from stealing the gold for himself. Cheyenne reminds Kilgore that he will be betraying the very tribe that raised him and the chief who took him in as his own son, but Kilgore spits back at Cheyenne that despite any kindness he may have received from the Sioux, he is still white, a damning indictment because whiteness is linked to betrayal, murder, and greed. Though most of the true villains on Cheyenne are white men, we also see evil Native Americans, such as the covetous Mescalero chief Chato in "Johnny Brassbuttons." We also get greedy and ruthless Mexicans in "The Wedding Rings" and slave-trading, duplicitous Chinese in "Pocketful of Stars" (November 12, 1962), so essentially no race is singled out for villainy--there is plenty to go around.

As for our hero Clint Walker, the previously mentioned TV Guide article described his future plans, post-Cheyenne, to include acting in movies as well as singing on records, both of which he had done during his tenure on Cheyenne. But while Walker would indeed appear in such feature films as Send Me No Flowers, None But the Brave, and The Dirty Dozen, the singing career never materialized, though he would reprise his role as Cheyenne Bodie in a 1995 episode of Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, his last on-screen appearance. He passed away from congestive heart failure 5 years ago at the age of 90.

The Actors

For the biography of Clint Walker, see the 1960 post for Cheyenne.

Notable Guest Stars

Season 6, Episode 10, "The Wedding Rings": Harold J. Stone (shown on the left, played John Kennedy on The Grand Jury, Hamilton Greeley on My World and Welcome to It, and Sam Steinberg on Bridget Loves Bernie) plays Contadora, Mexico dictator Perez. Roberto Contreras (Pedro on The High Chapparal) plays his henchman Ortega. Margarita Cordova (Rosa Andrade on Santa Barbara and Carmen Torres on Sunset Beach) plays widow Alita Rodriguez. Nestor Paiva (Theo Gonzales on Zorro) plays the local padre. Cyril Delevanti (Lucious Coin on Jefferson Drum) plays a doctor.

Season 6, Episode 11, "The Idol": Jeff Morrow (shown on the right, starred in Sign of the Pagan, This Island Earth, Pardners, and The Giant Claw and played Maj. Bart McClelland on Union Pacific and Dr. Lloyd Axton on The New Temperatures Rising Show) plays notorious gunman turned Creek Point lawman Ben Shelby. Jean Byron (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis) plays new Creek Point school teacher Deborah Morse. Roger Mobley (Homer "Packy" Lambert on Fury) plays her young son Gabe. Robert B. Williams (see the biography section for the 1962 post on Hazel) plays Creek Point citizens council representative Clem Peters. Leo Gordon (appeared in Gun Fury, Hondo, Quantrill's Raiders, and Big Top Pee-wee and played Big Mike McComb on Maverick) plays outlaw gang leader Greg Kirby. Craig Duncan (Sgt. Stanfield/Banfield on Mackenzie's Raiders) plays his brother Daws. Billy M. Greene (appeared in The Shrike, Never Steal Anything Small, and The Cape Canaveral Monsters and played Skrag on Captain Video and His Video Rangers) plays bartender Joe.

Season 6, Episode 12, "One Way Ticket": Philip Carey (shown on the left, starred in I Was a Communist for the FBI, Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison, Calamity Jane, Mister Roberts, Dead Ringer, and Three For Texas and played Lt. Michael Rhodes on Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers, Philip Marlowe on Philip Marlowe, Capt. Edward Parmalee on Laredo, and Asa Buchanan on One Life to Live) plays notorious outlaw Cole Younger. Judson Pratt (Billy Kinkaid on Union Pacific) plays his associate Vince Harper. Robert Anderson (Park Street, Jr. on The Court of Last Resort and Aeneas MacLinahan on Wichita Town) plays U.S. Marshal Johnny Warren. Charles Irving (Judge Blanchard on Perry Mason and Admiral Vincent Beckett on The Wackiest Ship in the Army) plays traveling salesman Orville C. Jones. Roxanne Arlen (former wife of Red Buttons, appeared in Hot Rod Girl, Bachelor Flat, and Gypsy) plays flirtatious train passenger Flo Gibson. Ronnie Dapo (Flip Rose on Room for One More and Andy on The New Phil Silvers Show) plays young boy train passenger Roy Barrington. Lillian Bronson (Mrs. Drake on Date With the Angels) plays his grandmother Mrs. Frazier. 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 train conductor Wilbur Crane.

Season 6, Episode 13, "The Bad Penny": Susan Seaforth Hayes (shown on the right, played Carol West on The Young Marrieds, Julie Olson Williams on Days of Our Lives, JoAnna Manning on The Young and the Restless, Patricia Steele on Sunset Beach, and Ms. Preston on Venice the Series) plays new Calista resident, widow Penelope Piper. Richard Webb (Captain Midnight on Captain Midnight and Deputy Chief Don Jagger on Border Patrol) plays rancher Clay McConnell. Carol Nicholson (Laurie Rose on Room for One More) plays his young daughter Nancy. Robert Hogan (Gilly Gillespie on The Young Marrieds, Rev. Tom Winter on Peyton Place, Asst. DA Stephens on Bright Promise, Scott Banning on Days of Our Lives, Sheriff Paul Tate on The Manhunter, Sgt. Ted Coppersmith on Richie Brockelman, Private Eye, Lt. Cmdr. Haller on Operation Petticoat, Nathan Welsh on Secrets of Midland Heights, Greg Stemple on Alice, Vince McKinnon on Another World, and L.J. McDermott on As the World Turns) plays Penelope suitor Billy Hay. Don Haggerty (Jeffrey Jones on The Files of Jeffrey Jones, Eddie Drake on The Cases of Eddie Drake, Sheriff Dan Elder on State Trooper, and Marsh Murdock on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays businessman Tod Kimball. Richard Collier (Harry Price on Many Happy Returns) plays town photographer Symes. Maurice Manson (Frederick Timberlake on Dennis the Menace, Josh Egan on Hazel, and Hank Pinkham on General Hospital) plays circuit Judge Stone. Bill Idelson (Babcock on The Bill Dana Show and wrote screenplays for multiple episodes of The Andy Griffith Show, Gomer Pyle, USMC, and The Odd Couple as well as many other programs) plays the hotel clerk.

Season 7, Episode 1, "The Durango Brothers":  Ellen Corby (Henrietta Porter on Trackdown and Esther Walton on The Waltons) plays outlaw matriarch Hortense Durango. Jack Elam (Deputy J.D. Smith on The Dakotas, George Taggart on Temple Houston, Zack Wheeler on The Texas Wheelers, and Uncle Alvin Stevenson on Easy Street) plays her son Calhoun. Mickey Simpson (Boley on Captain David Grief) plays her son Homer. Sally Kellerman (shown on the left, starred in Reform School Girl, MASH, Brewster McCloud, Slither, and The Player and played Lola on Chemistry, Constance Bingham on The Young and the Restless, Toni Maron on Maron, and Janet Davidson on Decker) plays her daughter Lottie. Warren Douglas (wrote screenplays for 11 episodes of Sugarfoot, 10 episodes of Cheyenne, and 5 episodes of Bronco) plays drummer Donald Gardner. Chuck Hicks (LaMarr Kane on The Untouchables) plays a traveling salesman.

Season 7, Episode 2, "Satonka": Andrew Dugan (shown on the right, played Cal Calhoun on Bourbon Street Beat, George Rose on Room for One More, Major Gen. Ed Britt on 12 O'Clock High, and Murdoch Lancer on Lancer) plays mining company agent Mark Kendall. Harvey Stephens (starred in Maid of Salem, Swing High, Swing Low, and Abe Lincoln in Illinois) plays missing anthropologist Dr. Clark Dana. Susan Seaforth Hayes (see "The Bad Penny" above) plays his daughter Carol. James Best (Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane on The Dukes of Hazzard and The Dukes) plays Desolation Mountains resident Ernie Riggins. Bill Zuckert (Arthur Bradwell on Mr. Novak and Chief Segal on Captain Nice) plays fellow resident Ed Parker. King Moody (Starker on Get Smart and Ronald McDonald on McDonaldland) plays fellow resident Frank.

Season 7, Episode 3, "Sweet Sam":  Robert McQueeney (shown on the left, played Conley Wright on The Gallant Men) plays Rock Springs Samaritan Sam Pridemore. Denver Pyle (Ben Thompson on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Grandpa Tarleton on Tammy, Briscoe Darling on The Andy Griffith Show, Buck Webb on The Doris Day Show, Mad Jack on The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, and Uncle Jesse on The Dukes of Hazzard) plays banker Cyrus Burton. Frank Ferguson (Gus Broeberg on My Friend Flicka, Eli Carson on Peyton Place, and Dr. Barton Stuart on Petticoat Junction) plays blacksmith Eli Zachary. Roger Mobley (see "The Idol" above) plays his crippled son Billy. Ronnie Haran (owns and operates a film location service and was the original booking agent at the Whiskey A Go-Go who helped get The Doors signed to Elektra Records and took the photograph on the back cover of the band Love's LP Forever Changes) plays town drunk's daughter Mary DeLieu. Joseph Gallison (appeared in All the Young Men, The Wackiest Ship in the Army, and PT 109 and played Bill Matthews on Another World and Dr. Neil Curtis on Days of Our Lives) plays a cruel anonymous gunman. Owen Orr (Pvt. Wally Blanchard on No Time for Sergeants) plays Rock Springs deputy Smitty. Richard Reeves (Mr. Murphy on Date With the Angels) plays gang member Jingles Clark. Dan Sheridan (see the biography section for the 1960 post on Lawman) plays bartender Shorty.

Season 7, Episode 4, "Man Alone": Carl Reindel (shown on the right, appeared in Bullitt, The Cheyenne Social Club, and The Andromeda Strain) plays amnesia victim Terry Brown. Steve Brodie (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays his uncle Buck Brown. Robert Karnes (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Lawless Years) plays Buck's gang member Matt Walsh. John Milford (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays gang member Johnny Duggan. Sherwood Price (Gen. Jeb Stuart on The Gray Ghost) plays Johnny's brother Jimmy. Oliver MacGowan (Harvey Welk on Empire) plays Cattlemen's Association president Jed Belden. Lee Van Cleef (starred in High Noon, The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, The Bad and the Ugly and played John Peter McAllister on The Master) plays bartender Harry. Sarah Selby (see the biography section for the 1962 post on Gunsmoke) plays Buck's mother Sarah.

Season 7, Episode 5, "The Quick and the Deadly": Ray Teal (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Bonanza) plays Travis County Sheriff Matt Corbin. Chris Alcaide (was once married to Cher's mother, Georgia Holt) plays his deputy Gary Thomas. John Litel (starred in Back in Circulation, On Trial, Murder in the Blue Room, four Nancy Drew films, and eight Henry Aldrich films and played the Governor on Zorro and Dan Murchison on Stagecoach West) plays banker Mike Ainley. 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 his son Jud. William Mims (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays Jud's defense attorney. Charles Irving (see "One Way Ticket" above) plays the trial judge. Jeanne Cooper (shown on the left, played Grace Douglas on Bracken's World and Katherine Chancellor Murphy on The Young and the Restless) plays bar maid Molly Spencer. Michael Greene (Deputy Vance Porter on The Dakotas) plays Jud's henchman Cobb. John Harmon (hotel clerk Eddie Halstead on The Rifleman) plays card dealer Jake. Frank Cady (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet) plays bank teller Wayne.

Season 7, Episode 6, "Indian Gold": Peter Breck (shown on the right, played Clay Culhane on Black Saddle, Doc Holliday on Maverick, and Nick Barkley on The Big Valley) plays Cheyenne's old friend Sheriff Matt Kilgore. Frank De Kova (Chief Wild Eagle on F Troop and Louis Campagna on The Untouchables) plays Sioux chief War Cloud. H.M. Wynant (Lt. Bauer on The Young Marrieds, Frosty on Batman, and Ed Chapman on Dallas) plays one of his braves White Claw. Arline Martel (Tiger on Hogan's Heroes and Spock's Vulcan bride on Star Trek) plays White Claw's sick wife Little Fawn. Trevor Bardette (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays town cook Charlie Feeney. 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 local physician Doc Farnsworth. Lane Chandler (Tom Pike on Lawman) plays general store owner Bailey. Norman Leavitt (Ralph on Trackdown) plays miner Pete. Joe Higgins (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Rifleman) plays his partner Joe. Clyde Howdy (Hank Whitfield on Lassie) plays Indian hater Smith.

Season 7, Episode 7, "Dark Decision": Dianne Brewster (shown on the left, starred in Courage of Black Beauty, The Invisible Boy, Torpedo Run, and The Young Philadelphians and played Miss Canfield on Leave It to Beaver and The New Leave It to Beaver, Samantha Crawford on Maverick, and Wilhelmina Vanderveer on The Islanders) plays blind singer Constance Mason. Amanda Rudolph (Mama on The Amos 'n' Andy Show and Louise on The Danny Thomas Show) plays her maid Cleo. Peter Breck (see "Indian Gold" above) plays gambler Tony Chance. James Griffith (Aaron Adams on Trackdown and Deputy Tom Ferguson on U.S. Marshal) plays his partner Joe. Barry Kelley (starred in The Asphalt Jungle, The Manchurian Candidate, and The Love Bug and played Charlie Anderson on Big Town, Jim Rafferty on The Tom Ewell Show, Mr. Slocum on Pete and Gladys, and Carol's father on Mister Ed) plays saloon owner Nathan Alston. John Pickard (Capt. Shank Adams on Boots and Saddles and Sgt. Maj. Murdock on Gunslinger) plays cattle drover Ben Cask. Robert Brubaker (Deputy Ed Blake on U.S. Marshal and Floyd on Gunsmoke) plays Galesburg Sheriff Matt Silvers. Gregg Palmer (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays casino houseman Nick.

Season 7, Episode 8, "Pocketful of Stars": Peter Brown (shown on the right, see the biography section for the 1960 post on Lawman) plays surveyor Ross Andrews. Weaver Levy (Oliver Kee on Adventures in Paradise) Chinese railroad worker Wang. Lisa Lu (see the biography section for the 1960 post on Have Gun--Will Travel) plays another worker's daughter Mei Ling. Nelson Olmsted (Captain Masters, MD on The Phil Silvers Show and Dr. Harkins on Days of Our Lives) plays railroad executive James Melville. 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 his foreman Tom Fanshaw. Robert Anderson (see "One Way Ticket" above) plays freighter John Bishop. Frank De Kova (see "Indian Gold" above) plays Shoshone chief Red Knife.

Season 7, Episode 9, "The Vanishing Breed": 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 state Senator Matson. Harry Lauter (Ranger Clay Morgan on Tales of the Texas Rangers, Atlasande on Rocky Jones, Space Ranger, and Jim Herrick on Waterfront) plays his assistant Walt Taylor. Regis Toomey (shown on the left, 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, Bill Cochran on Shannon, Det. Les Hart on Burke's Law, and Dr. Barton Stuart on Petticoat Junction and Green Acres) plays former state senator Pat Evans. Pat Woodell (Bobbie Jo Bradley on Petticoat Junction) plays his daughter Gail. 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 Matson cohort Judge Kincaid. Marshall Reed (Inspector Fred Asher on The Lineup) plays Indian agent Ab Carter. Paul Mantee (starred in Robinson Crusoe on Mars, Blood on the Arrow, and A Man Called Dagger and played Det. Al Corassa on Cagney & Lacey and Commander Clayton on Hunter) plays Arapahoe brave Johnny Crow. Benny Baker (appeared in Blonde Trouble, Stage Door Canteen, and Paint Your Wagon and played Pete the bartender on F Troop) plays physician Doc Johnson. Robert Carson (Mr. Maddis on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show) plays Senate Speaker Cleaver. Lane Chandler (see "Indian Gold" above) plays state Sen. Maple.

Season 7, Episode 10, "Vengeance Is Mine": Van Williams (shown on the right, played Kenny Madison on Bourbon Street Beat and Surfside 6, Pat Burns on The Tycoon, Britt Reid on The Green Hornet, and Steve Andrews on Westwind) plays Cheyenne's old friend Ray Masters. George Gaynes (Frank Smith on General Hospital, Henry Warnimont on Punky Brewster, and Arthur Feldman on The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd) plays former gun runner Rod Delaplane. Leo Gordon (see "The Idol" above) plays his gunman Dan Gibson. Roberto Contreras (see "The Wedding Rings" above) plays Gibson's henchman Constanza. Jean Willes (appeared in Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Ocean's 11, and Gypsy) plays saloon owner Meg Stevens. Denver Pyle (see "Sweet Sam" above) plays rancher John Hanson.

Season 7, Episode 11, "Johnny Brassbuttons": Tony Young (shown on the left, son of actor Carleton G. Young, played Cord on Gunslinger) plays Indian scout for the U.S. Army Johnny Brassbuttons. Victoria Vetri (appeared in Kings of the Sun, Chuka, Rosemary's Baby, and Invasion of the Bee Girls) plays his wife White Bird. Philip Carey (see "One Way Ticket" above) plays lawman Marshal Frank Nolan. Adam Williams (appeared in Flying Leathernecks, The Big Heat, Fear Strikes Out, and North by Northwest) plays his deputy Jeb Quinn. Yale Summers (Jack Dane on Daktari) plays greenhorn Army Lt. Jackson. Michael Pate (starred in Face to Face, Julius Caesar, Hondo, and Tower of London and played Chief Vittoro on Hondo and Det. Sgt. Vic Maddern on Matlock) plays Mescalero chief Chato. Booth Colman (Zaius on Planet of the Apes, Prof. Hector Jerrold on General Hospital, and Dr. Felix Burke on The Young and the Restless) plays Army fort commander Col. Travers. Adrienne Marden (Mary Breckenridge on The Waltons) plays Army wagon traveler Miss Bolton.

Season 7, Episode 12, "Wanted for the Murder of Cheyenne Bodie": Ruta Lee (shown on the right, appeared in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Funny Face, and Witness for the Prosecution and played Rona on 1st and Ten: The Championship and Pauline Spencer on Coming of Age) plays Walton Gang sister Lenore Hanford. Richard Webb (see "The Bad Penny" above) plays gang leader Bill Walton. Gregg Palmer (see "Dark Decision" above) plays his brother Hal. Dick Foran (Fire Chief Ed Washburne on Lassie and Slim on O.K., Crackerby!) plays Highmore Sheriff Bigelow. Robert Knapp (Ben Olson on Days of Our Lives and SAC Noel McDonald on The F.B.I.) plays his deputy Rankin. Charles Fredericks (Pete Albright on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays bartender Sam. Benny Rubin (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Dick Tracy Show) plays a hotel clerk. Clyde Howdy (see "Indian Gold" above) plays Jefferson City Marshal Masters.

Season 7, Episode 13, "Showdown at Oxbend": Andrew Duggan (see "Satonka" above) plays Oxbend cattle rancher Ed Foster. Owen Orr  (see "Sweet Sam" above) plays his hired gun Hub Clayton. Ray Teal (see "The Quick and the Deadly" above) plays Oxbend Sheriff Ben Jethro. Joan Caulfield (shown on the left, appeared in Duffy's Tavern, Blue Skies, The Unsuspected, and The Lady Says No and played Liz Cooper on My Favorite Husband and Sally Truesdale on Sally) plays newly arrived widow Darcy Clay. James Griffith (see "Dark Decision" above) plays hired gunman Milt Krebs. Jim Boles (appeared in The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, The Trouble With Angels, Angel in My Pocket, The Love God?, and The Apple Dumpling Gang and  played Joe on One Man's Family) plays rancher Perly Wilkins. James Stacy (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet) plays his future son-in-law Luther James.

 

Shotgun Slade (1960)

Shotgun Slade was a show that tried to take elements from a number of already popular shows and combine them into a single series, presumably with the hope of creating a kind of "greatest hits" version of a television show. At the time of its debut, westerns and detective crime dramas were all the rage, so the title character was a cowboy detective in the old west, based in Denver, Colorado. He carried business cards like the popular Paladin of Have Gun -- Will Travel but without the catchy tag line. He also carried a distinctive weapon, like Luke McCain of The Rifleman and Josh Randall of Wanted: Dead or Alive, a shotgun whose top barrel was that of a .32 rifle and whose bottom barrel was that of a 12-gauge shotgun. And the show had a jazzy score like crime dramas Peter Gunn and M Squad. Its strapping title character, played by Scott Brady, was also a cross between the formidable Chuck Connors and the flirtatious Richard Boone. But somehow all these winning features didn't add up to a big hit. The show ran for two seasons and never cracked the top 30 in the ratings.

Part of that failure can be attributed to being a syndicated program that was aired only by stations willing to pay the syndication fee and at whatever time the station chose to run it. In fact, when exactly the program aired is still something of a mystery. Though some episodes from calendar year 1960 have assigned dates according to whoever entered them at imdb.com, others have no date except the year of copyright. And a review of TV Guides from that year provides some apparently conflicting information. For example, imdb.com lists "Lost Gold," episode 38 from Season 1, as having aired on July 5, 1960, but the April 30 Western New England edition of TV Guide shows the following episode, "The Smell of Money," as having aired on May 3, a full two months earlier. It's possible that stations were able to air shows out of order, and it's very likely that they re-ran episodes months after their original showing. Either way, it's probably impossible to nail down a specific first air date for each episode, particularly since some editions of TV Guide list only the show name and not the episode being aired. Of course, other syndicated shows, most notably Sea Hunt, could find success with a haphazard air schedule, but Slade was also hampered by its derivative content.

The show's copy-cat features, however, were merely an attempt to draw in fans of the other shows they were borrowed from because they could be jettisoned for episodes at a time if they didn't fit into that week's narrative. Slade himself, though a detective by trade, would sometimes be hired for other work, such as in "The Spanish Box" where he is hired to transport a gift box to a Lodestone banker and only after the box is switched for one that turns out to be a booby-trap that kills the banker does Slade have to use his detective skills to save his own skin. In "Backtrack" he is hired to transport an embezzler to trial before getting bushwhacked and having to recapture the criminal and his stolen money that has been lifted by a band of train robbers. And he also is not always very good at his job. Again in "The Spanish Box" he fails to notice a man switch identical carpet bags with him after getting off a stagecoach. At the time of the switch, Slade is blithely looking down the road in the opposite direction instead of keeping his eye trained on the bag he is being paid to deliver. His eye for the ladies can also get him into trouble, such as when he is lured to the hotel room of a female stage performer, allowing her accomplice to steal a valuable Stradivarius that he has been hired to protect. These foibles make Slade a more human character, but they hardly inspire confidence in his abilities as a professional.

But what ultimately doomed the series was that the writing and plots just weren't different enough from the other shows being emulated to make Shotgun Slade stand out above the crowd. And with the disadvantages of irregular air times and lack of network backing, the show just couldn't stand up to the competition and folded after two seasons.

The jazz-western theme music and the scores for individual episodes were composed and arranged by Gerald Fried, whose biography can be found in the 1960 post for Riverboat. In an extensive 2-hour 2003 interview that can be viewed at emmtvlegends.org, Fried relates that the idea for a jazz-western score came about as a joke during a cocktail party attended by Fried and Revue Studios producer Jennings Lang. After someone tossed out the idea as a joke, Jennings latched onto it and Fried was given the task of bringing it to life. Coincidentally, Jack Marshall employed a similar approach the same year on his score for The Deputy. Fried's closing theme for Shotgun Slade was given a vocal treatment by Lang's wife, singer Monica Lewis at the end of the episode she starred in, "A Flower for Jenny." This vocal version was pressed on 45 rpm wax but released only as a "complimentary" promo, not for sale, on Bristol Records (Lewis' character in the episode is named Monica Bristol).

Like several other syndicated programs of the era, the DVD releases for Shotgun Slade are somewhat chaotic. There are essentially 15 episodes, all from the spring of 1960, available on various DVD releases by Echo Bridge (which offers all 15 in a 2-disc set), Timeless Media Group, and Alpha Video. There is also one episode from Season 2 available at this time on youtube.com. The print quality of these unremastered episodes is a bit rough.

 

 

 

 

 The Actors

Scott Brady

Born Gerard Kenneth Tierney in Brooklyn, NY, Brady was the son of the chief of New York's aqueduct police force. Brady, called Jerry by his family, grew up in Westchester County, NY and lettered in football, basketball, and track while in high school but dropped out to join the Navy during World War II. He worked as a naval aviation mechanic and earned a heavyweight boxing medal before being discharged in 1946. He moved to Los Angeles where his older brother Lawrence had found success in acting (another brother Edward also became an actor for a while before leaving the profession to become a building contractor). He found work as a lumberjack and taxi driver before being spotted by producer Hal Wallis and given a screen test, which did not go well. Given this setback, he enrolled in the Bliss-Hayden acting school, where he took vocal lessons to rid himself of his thick Brooklyn accent. By 1948 he began getting roles in lesser films like In This Corner before moving up to better fare such as He Walked by Night later that same year. Steady work continued through the 1950s, alternating between heavies and heroes in crime dramas and westerns such as The Model and the Marriage Broker, The Bloodhounds of Broadway, and the cult classic Johnny Guitar. In the mid-1950s he also began appearing in television drama anthologies such as The Ford Television Theatre, Lux Video Theatre, and Schlitz Playhouse before landing the title role in Shotgun Slade in 1959.

After Shotgun Slade's two-year run ended, he continued to work steadily throughout the 1960s and 1970s both in guest spots on TV and in feature films. In the biggest mistake of his life, he turned down the role of Archie Bunker for All in the Family but later appeared in four episodes on the program as the character Joe Foley. In 1973 he scored a recurring role as Vinnie on Police Story, which ran for four years, as well as five appearances on The Rockford Files and significant roles in the films The China Syndrome and Gremlins. Once linked to actresses Dorothy Malone and Gwen Verdon, Brady finally married non-actress Mary Tirony at age 43 in 1967. In 1957 he and roommate/publicist Desmond Slattery were arrested on a narcotics charge when police found a single marijuana butt in their apartment after Brady brought back two women he had met in Hollywood, one of whom turned out to be a police informant. Brady maintained that the arrest was a sting and the charges were later dropped. But in 1963 he was barred from betting on horse races in New York for his association with known bookmakers. In 1981 he collapsed from what was determined to be pulmonary fibrosis and thereafter had to use an oxygen tank. He died four years later at the age of 60 on April 16, 1985.

Notable Guest Stars

Season 1, Episode 23, "The Deadly Key": Vito Scotti (shown on the left, played 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 fortune hunter Bernard Rejon. Mort Mills (Marshal Frank Tallman on Man Without a Gun, Sgt. Ben Landro on Perry Mason, and Sheriff Fred Madden on The Big Valley) plays adversary Ben Wesley. Ann Robinson (Queen Juliandra on Rocky Jones, Space Ranger and Helen Watkins on Fury) plays Wesley's boss Miss Baxter.

Season 1, Episode 25, "Donna Juanita": Ray Montgomery (Prof. Howard Ogden on Ramar of the Jungle) plays general store owner Ed Raff. Carlos Romero (Rico Rodriguez on Wichita Town, Romero Serrano on Zorro, and Carlo Agretti on Falcon Crest) plays Donna Juanita's right-hand man Mario Gallegos. Howard Caine (Schaab on The Californians and Maj. Wolfgang Hochstetter on Hogan's Heroes) plays syndicate shareholder Pedro.

Season 1, Episode 26, "The Spanish Box": George Kennedy (shown on the right, 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 Cavanuagh on Sarge, Bumper Morgan on The Blue Knight, and Carter McKay on Dallas) plays bar-room brawler Tex. Donald Murphy (Ben Cabot on The Loretta Young Show) plays mine-stealer Hal Bates. Michael Hinn (Luke Cummings on Boots and Saddles) plays Lodestone Sheriff Fred Hadley.

Season 1, Episode 27, "The Golden Tunnel": Mary Webster (Rachel Verinder on The Moonstone, Jill Reed on Emergency-Ward 10, Anna on Circus, and Sarah Onedin on The Onedin Line) plays gold baron's wife Cora Davis. Dean Harens (SAC Bryan Durant on The F.B.I.) plays her husband's nephew Jim Palmer. Richard Bull (Thatcher on Nichols and Neels Oleson on Little House on the Prairie) plays an unnamed doctor.

Season 1, Episode 28, "A Flower for Jenny": Dianne Foster (starred in Night Passage, The Last Hurrah, and The Deep Six) plays diva singer Jenny Dupre. Robert McQueeney (Conley Wright on The Gallant Men) plays her accompanist Eddie Howard. Monica Lewis (shown on the left, popular singer who starred in Excuse My Dust, Affair With a Stranger, and The D.I.) plays Deadwood dance-hall singer Monica Bristol. Steve Darrell (Sheriff Hal Humphrey on Tales of Wells Fargo) plays the Deadwood marshal.

Season 1, Episode 29, "The Fabulous Fiddle": Ludwig Stossel (appeared in Casablanca, Kings Row, and Pride of the Yankees and played Peter Van Dyne on Ramar of the Jungle and Anton Kovac on Man With a Camera) plays concert violinist Professor Maximillian. Paul Picerni (Agent Lee Hobson on The Untouchables) plays his manager Quinn.

Season 1, Episode 30, "Crossed Guns": King Calder (Lt. Gray on Martin Kane) plays Grover's Bend Marshal Prescott. Sue Ane Langdon (shown on the right, 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 daughter Lydia. Francis X. Bushman (starred in Romeo and Juliet (1916), Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, Dick Tracy (1937), Sabrina, and The Phantom Planet) plays newspaper publisher Eckhart.

Season 1, Episode 31, "Sudden Death": Jeanne Cooper (Grace Douglas on Bracken's World and Katherine Chancellor Murphy on The Young and the Restless) plays casino hostess Sally Claymore. Robert Bray (Simon Kane on Stagecoach West and Corey Stuart on Lassie) plays her boyfriend Henry Timmons. Beverly Tyler (starred in The Fireball, The Cimarron Kid, and Voodoo Island) plays fellow hostess Peaches. Alan Dexter (Frank Ferguson on Days of Our Lives) plays casino croupier Wilson. Victor Sen Yung (Cousin Charlie Fong on Bachelor Father and Hop Sing on Bonanza) plays Chinese artist Willy Sing.

Season 1, Episode 32, "Ring of Death": Richard Crane (Rocky Jones on Rocky Jones, Space Ranger Dick Preston on Commando Cody, Sky Marshal of the Universe, and Lt. Gene Plehn on Surfside 6) plays trail boss Joe Keith. Bethel Leslie (appeared in 15 episodes of The Richard Boone Show and played Claudia Conner on All My Children and Ethel Crawford on One Life to Live) plays his fiance Kate Heinie. H.M. Wynant (Frosty on Batman and Ed Chapman on Dallas) plays Kate's real boyfriend Len Sterling. Richard Hale (starred in Abilene Town, Kim, San Antone, Red Garters, and To Kill a Mockingbird) plays Len's father Pike. Denver Pyle (shown on the left, played Ben Thompson on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Grandpa Tarleton on Tammy, Briscoe Darling on The Andy Griffith Show, Buck Webb on The Doris Day Show, Mad Jack on The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, and Uncle Jesse on The Dukes of Hazzard) plays local lawman Marshal Berry.

Season 1, Episode 33, "Backtrack": King Donovan (Roger Baker on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show and Harvey Helm on The Bob Cummings Show) plays embezzler Jason Baxter. Connie Hines (Carol Post on Mister Ed) plays train robber Katy Conroy. Wesley Lau (Lt. Andy Anderson on Perry Mason and Master Sgt. Jiggs on The Time Tunnel) plays train robber Jeb.

Season 1, Episode 35, "Killer's Brand": Ruta Lee (shown on the right, appeared in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Funny Face, and Witness for the Prosecution and played Rona on 1st and Ten: The Championship and Pauline Spencer on Coming of Age) plays ranch owner Lily Cody. Dean Fredericks (Kaseem in Jungle Jim, Komawi in The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, and Lt. Col. Steve Canyon in Steve Canyon) plays her suitor Vance. Robert Anderson (Park Street, Jr. on The Court of Last Resort and Aeneas MacLinahan on Wichita Town) plays rival rancher Steve Willis. Orville Sherman (Mr. Feeney on Buckskin, Wib Smith on Gunsmoke, and Tupper on Daniel Boone) plays former employee Harry Potter. Stafford Repp (Chief O'Hara on Batman) plays the local marshal.

Season 1, Episode 36, "A Flower on Boot Hill": Willie Roerick (Richard Gavin on Another World and Henry Chamberlain on Guiding Light) plays widower Dr. John Brighton. Kathie Browne (Angie Dow on Hondo and was Darren McGavin's second wife) plays Susan Bennett, daughter of the general store owner. Sherman Sanders (appeared as a square dance caller in 17 feature films and an episode of The Andy Griffith Show) plays hotel clerk Sam. Paul Langton (Leslie Harrington on Peyton Place) plays an escaped bank robber.

Season 1, Episode 37, "The Charcoal Bullet": Frank Ferguson (shown on the left, played Gus Broeberg on My Friend Flicka, Eli Carson on Peyton Place, and Dr. Barton Stuart on Petticoat Junction) plays the Spring Oak sheriff. Robert F. Simon (Dave Tabak on Saints and Sinners, Gen. Alfred Terry on Custer, Frank Stephens on Bewitched, Uncle Everett McPherson on Nancy, Capt. Rudy Olsen on The Streets of San Francisco, and J. Jonah Jameson on The Amazing Spiderman) plays bank president Bob Baston. Ned Glass (MSgt. Andy Pendleton on The Phil Silvers Show, Sol Cooper on Julia, and Uncle Moe Plotnick on Bridget Loves Bernie) plays barfly artist Eli Gates. Michael Fox (Coroner George McLeod on Burke's Law, Amos Fedders on Falcon Crest, Saul Feinberg on The Bold and the Beautiful, and appeared 25 times as autopsy surgeons and various other medical witnesses on Perry Mason) plays physician Dr. Miller.

Season 1, Episode 38, "Lost Gold": Bing Russell (Deputy Clem Foster on Bonanza) plays undercover agent Marshal Benton. Alan Hale, Jr. (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 Gold Run Sheriff Sloan. Ted de Corsia (Police Chief Hagedorn on Steve Canyon) plays Gold Run Mining boss Ben Douglas. 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 undercover investigator Ward. Stacy Keach, Sr. (Carlson on Get Smart) plays mining company employee Hartley.

Season 1, Episode 39, "The Smell of Money": Robert H. Harris (shown on the right, played Jake Goldberg on Molly and Raymond Schindler on The Court of Last Resort) plays Willow Ridge banker Samuel Matson. John Stephenson (Roger Crutcher on The People's Choice, was the narrator on Dragnet 1967, and did the voices for Mr. Slate on The Flintstones, Fancy-Fancy on Top Cat, Dr. Benton C. Quest on Jonny Quest and Luke and Blubber Bear on Wacky Races, to name but a few) plays general store owner Charlie Cummings. Stuart Randall (Sheriff Art Sampson on Cimarron City, Al Livermore on Lassie, and Sheriff Mort Corey on Laramie) plays Willow Ridge Sheriff Walters.

Season 2, Episode 10, "The Laughing Widow": Allison Hayes (see the biography section for the 1960 post on Bat Masterson) plays supposed widow Lorna Parker. H.M. Wynant (see "Ring of Death" above) plays her companion Chris. Paul Baxley (stunt coordinator on Riverboat, The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, T.H.E. Cat, Wonder Woman, and The Dukes of Hazzard) plays their gunman Paul. Ron Hayes (see the biography section for the 1960 post on BatMasterson) plays Pinewood deputy Bob McMiller. Robert J. Wilke (appeared in Best of the Badmen, High Noon, The Far Country, and Night Passage and played Capt. Mendoza on Zorro) plays Pinewood resident Brannagan.