Have Gun -- Will Travel (1962)

In our last post on this program, covering the 1961 episodes, we discussed how the once top-3-rated series suffered a dramatic decline during its fifth season in 1961-62, falling to #29. Originally, Richard Boone had planned to have the series run only 5 seasons, but when the network offered him a contract he couldn't refuse for a 6th season, totaling some $1.3 million for not only his work on 38 episodes but also the sale of his residuals going forward, the actor who once said that he wasn't interested in acting to become rich saw the lure of financial independence as too great to pass up. Our last post touched on the series' treatment of racism against Black Americans and how that could have alienated certain sections of the viewing audience, but the 1962 episodes make no such bold statements, limiting its few Black characters to ancillary roles that barely affect each story's plot.

However, the series shines brightest in 1962 when it tackles the issue of alcoholism in "Man Who Hit Moonshine" (March 24, 1962), thanks to a sterling performance by William Conrad as Moses Kadish, who retreats to an isolated former fort to kick his habit only to strike whiskey when he drills a well for water. Kadish doesn't realize the property is sitting on top of a basement of stolen war-time supplies, including alcohol, which explains why he gets whiskey when he drills for water. Kadish considers himself cursed in a sense because the last thing he wants is a drink, having promised his wife he was going sober. In the best scene of the episode, Kadish explains in detail to Paladin how each successive drink turns him from timid milquetoast to confident man of great accomplishments to raving lunatic when he has had too many. His wife actually prefers him drunk because he seems to suffer less and is more pliable. Paladin is mostly a bystander and sympathetic ear in this episode until the owners of the stolen army goods show up and engage in a shooting match to retrieve their booty, which they don't realize has already been destroyed by Kadish wishing to avoid further temptation. Once the villains have been dispatched, Kadish is ready to settle down with his wife in the little getaway he has carved out for himself, claiming to have slain the demon that once held him hostage. The episode is revelatory because it doesn't treat alcohol as a black-and-white issue but one of subtle nuance.

While the series featured an empathic treatment of alcoholism, it's attitude toward women was much more problematic. There are a few independent women sprinkled amongst the 1962 episodes: the titular "Alice" Ferguson (March 17, 1962) who ran a saloon in a virtually all-male mining town, providing not only entertainment and female companionship but also sympathy to the desperate, until the town "grew up" and put on airs of respectability, ashamed of its rowdy past, leading to Alice being ostracized and virtually imprisoned in her own run-down and abandoned saloon. The character of Marie Ellis is similar in "Marshal of Sweetwater" (November 24, 1962), only Marie moves to Sweetwater to run a saloon she has just purchased after the town has been "cleaned up" by one of Paladin's former Army buddies who believes that alcohol and women are the root of all evil, largely because they are his greatest temptations. And "Dream Girl" (February 10, 1962) introduces us to Ginger Adams, a hardened saloon hostess around whom naive prospector Buddy Webster has constructed a romantic fantasy that inspired him to spend 5 years searching for and finally finding enough gold dust to finance their marriage and future life together, only she has and never had any interest in him. After he learns and comes to terms with the fact that his whole purpose in life has been a mirage, Buddy buys the saloon that Ginger works in and then gives it to her, putting her in charge of her own destiny rather than being totally dependent on him as her knight in shining armor. Superficially, these three women all appear to be independent business owners, a rarity in the Old West, and thus a sign of greater freedom for women to control their own lives. But upon closer inspection, the business that all three women own is predicated on serving and entertaining men with alcohol and sex, hardly much of a liberation. It's worth noting that we don't see any women doctors, store owners, hotel owners, etc. during this period on Have Gun -- Will Travel.

Elsewhere Paladin's relations with women are not even remotely progressive. Like nearly all TV western heroes, he has no serious, long-running relationships with women. Those he keeps company with at the Hotel Carlton are mere playthings without a whiff of personality or individuality, rarely even uttering a word. They are merely tokens attesting to Paladin's heterosexual virility, signaling that he is a man's man. What's worse are the two 1962 episodes "Bandit" (May 12, 1962) and "Taylor's Woman" (September 22, 1962) in which Paladin has to teach a woman how to be a woman, that is, a woman who would please a man like himself (incredibly, this latter episode was written by Gene Roddenberry). While this is a common theme that runs through most TV westerns of the era--taming the tomboy or the shrew--the level of arrogant chauvinism that could conceive of such a trope is one that hasn't died off with the passage of time, unfortunately. With his pedantic quoting of Shakespeare and other classic poets, wine snobbery, questionable foray into fine art painting in "Jonah and the Trout" (May 26, 1962), short-lived roles as prosecutor in "Justice in Hell" (January 13, 1962) and defense attorney in "Trial at Tablerock" (December 15, 1962), as well as his constant brow-furrowing and exasperation at "Lord, what fools these mortals be" which he displays with virtually everyone he comes in contact with, Boone attempts to make us believe that Paladin is a man of infinite refinement, intelligence, education, and discernment. To be fair, both Boone and his character Paladin could show compassion and generosity towards the disadvantaged and societal rejects like the aforementioned Alice Ferguson, Moses Kadish, or the exploited and mistreated servant Jon in "Pandora's Box" (May 19, 1962). But too often on Have Gun -- Will Travel, which, let's not forget, Boone controlled with an iron fist, he comes off as an arrogant jerk who thinks he is better than everyone else, and nobody likes that guy.

The Actors

For the biographies of Richard Boone and Kam Tong, see the 1960 post for Have Gun -- Will Travel.

Notable Guest Stars

Season 5, Episode 17, "Lazarus": Strother Martin (shown on the left, appeared in Kiss Me Deadly, The Shaggy Dog, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Cool Hand Luke, True Grit, The Wild Bunch, Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, and Slap Shot and played Aaron Donager on Hotel de Paree and R.J. Hawkins on Hawkins) plays timid miner Boise Peabody. Chris Alcaide (was once married to Cher's mother, Georgia Holt) plays mine boss Big Fontana. Gaylord Cavallaro (Det. Sgt. Steve Wall on The Pursuers) plays mine worker Hardy Potter. Gerald Gordon (Dr. Nick Bellini on The Doctors, Felix Morger on Highcliffe Manor, and Skip Franklin on Valerie) plays mine worker Sensible Ogelthorpe. Dabbs Greer (see the biography section for the 1960 post on Gunsmoke) plays mining town physician Doc Halop.

Season 5, Episode 18, "Justice in Hell": William Schallert (shown on the right, see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis) plays former Latin teacher Dallas Burchfield. John Alderson (Sgt. Bullock on Boots and Saddles and Wyatt Earp on Doctor Who) plays accused murderer Rusty Doggett. Alan Carney (played Mike Strager in a series of RKO comedies in the 1940s, appeared in The Absent-Minded Professor, Son of Flubber, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, and Herbie Rides Again, and played Herbie on The Jean Carroll Show) plays refugee town boss Teague.

Season 5, Episode 19, "The Mark of Cain": Philip Coolidge (shown on the left, appeared in I Want to Live!, North by Northwest, The Tingler, Because They're Young, and Inherit the Wind and played Chester Cooper on The Farmer's Daughter) plays British phrenologist Dr. Leopold Avatar. Roy Barcroft (Col. Logan on The Adventures of Spin and Marty and Roy on Gunsmoke) plays legendary killer Jake Trueblood. Iphigenie Castiglioni (wife of actor Leonid Kinskey, appeared in The Story of Louis Pasteur, Conquest of Space, Funny Face, and Rome Adventure) plays Trueblood's partner Pina. Olive Carey (see the biographical section for the 1960 post on Lock Up) plays a storekeeper.

Season 5, Episode 20, "The Exiles": Jay Novello (shown on the right, played Juan Greco on Zorro and Mayor Mario Lugatto on McHale's Navy) plays former Mexican national bursar Count Armando del Casares. Vivi Janiss (Myrtle Davis on Father Knows Best) plays his wife the Countess.

Season 5, Episode 21, "The Hunt": Leonid Kinskey (shown on the left, appeared in Duck Soup, Les Miserables (1935), Ball of Fire, and Casablanca and played Pierre Quincy on The People's Choice) plays Russian Prince Boris Kozlov Radacev. John Mitchum (see the biography section for the 1960 post on Riverboat) plays his servant Niki. Joan Elan (appeared in The Girls of Pleasure Island, The King's Thief, and Darby's Rangers) plays endangered widow Vanessa Stuart. Hank Patterson (Pete Duggan on The New Adventures of Spin and Marty, Fred Ziffel on Green Acres and Petticoat Junction, and Hank Miller on Gunsmoke) plays farmer Jesse.

Season 5, Episode 22, "Dream Girl": Hal Needham (shown on the right, 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 naive prospector Buddy Webster. Peggy Ann Garner  (appeared in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The Pied Piper, Jane Eyre, Daisy Kenyon, and Thunder in the Valley and played Barbara Smith on Two Girls Named Smith) plays saloon girl Ginger Adams. Chuck Couch (stunt coordinator and Jack Lord's stunt double on Hawaii Five-O) plays a saddlemaker. Joseph Dimmitt (costumer on Have Gun -- Will Travel) plays a jeweler.

Season 5, Episode 23, "One, Two, Three": 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 superstitious wealthy man Samuel H. Keel. Jack Elam (shown on the left, played 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 carnival performer Arnold Shaffner. William Woodson (the narrator on Dick Tracy, The Invaders, and Centurions, voiced J. Jonah Jameson on Spider-Man and Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends,  and played Sgt. Ed Blankey on This Man Dawson) plays the carnival barker. Lloyd Corrigan (starred in A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob, Hitler's Children, Captive Wild Woman, The Bandit of Sherwood Forest, and Son of Paleface and played Papa Dodger on Willy, Wally Dipple on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Ned Buntline on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Uncle Charlie on Happy, and Professor McKillup on Hank) plays Indian massacre conspirator Carl Wellesley. Eve McVeagh (starred in High Noon, The Glass Web, and Tight Spot and played Frances Moseby on The Clear Horizon and Miss Hammond on Petticoat Junction) plays prostitute Katherine Parsons. Barbara Pepper (Doris Ziffel on Green Acres and Petticoat Junction) plays her madame Della.

Season 5, Episode 24, "The Waiting Room": James Griffith  (Aaron Adams on Trackdown and Deputy Tom Ferguson on U.S. Marshal) plays wanted killer Dave Wilder. Harry Dean Stanton (shown on the right, appeared in Kelly's Heroes, Dillinger, Cool Hand Luke, Repo Man, Pretty in Pink, Alien, and Paris, Texas and played Jake Walters on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Roman Grant on Big Love, and Carl Rodd on Twin Peaks) plays his brother Slim. George Cisar (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Dennis the Menace) plays the Clovis, Dakota marshal. L.Q. Jones (Belden on The Virginian, Sheriff Lew Wallace on The Yellow Rose, and Nathan Wayne on Renegade) plays cowboy Bill Renn. Jester Hairston (appeared in The Alamo, In the Heat of the Night, Lady Sings the Blues, and I'm Gonna Get You Sucka and played Wildcat on That's My Mama and Rolly Forbes on Amen) plays farmhand Moses. Byron Foulger (Mr. Nash on Captain Nice and Wendell Gibbs on Petticoat Junction) plays the Clovis undertaker. John Harmon (hotel clerk Eddie Halstead on The Rifleman) plays a railway stationmaster.

Season 5, Episode 25, "The Trap": Jeanette Nolan (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 boarding house owner Jeri Marcus. Crahan Denton (appeared in The Parent Trap, Birdman of Alcatraz, and To Kill a Mockingbird) plays Pine Bluff Marshal Jim Buell. Frank Sutton (shown on the left, appeared in Marty, Town Without Pity, and The Satan Bug and played Eric Raddison on Tom Corbett, Space Cadet and Sgt. Vince Carter on Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.) plays his prisoner Davy Walsh. Rayford Barnes (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays posse leader Roy Bissell.

Season 5, Episode 26, "Don't Shoot the Piano Player": James T. Callahan (see the biography section for the 1962 post on Dr. Kildare) plays missing pianist Albert. 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 Cavanaugh on Sarge, Bumper Morgan on The Blue Knight, and Carter McKay on Dallas) plays saloon bully Big Jim. 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 saloon owner Nellie. Mike Mazurki (starred in Murder My Sweet, Dick Tracy (1945), and It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World and played Clon on It's About Time) plays Big Jim's enforcer Jo Jo.

Season 5, Episode 27, "Alice": Jeanette Nolan (shown on the left, see "The Trap" above) plays missing saloon owner Alice Ferguson. Jena Engstrom (daughter of actress Jean Engstrom) plays her daughter Maya. Perry Cook (Barney Udall on Hunter) plays hotel proprietor Mr. Briggs. Mary Gregory (appeared in Sleeper and Coming Home and played Dr. Stanwhich on Knots Landing and Judge Pendleton on L.A. Law) plays his wife.

Season 5, Episode 28, "Man Who Hit Moonshine": William Conrad (shown on the right, see the biography section for the 1960 post on Rocky and His Friends) plays alcoholic Moses Kadish. Phyllis Avery (Peggy McNulty on The Ray Milland Show: Meet Mr. McNulty, Ann Shelby on The Clear Horizon, and Ruth Wilkinson on Mr. Novak) plays his wife Sylvia.

Season 5, Episode 29, "Silent Death, Secret Death": Robert Emhardt (Sgt. Vinton on The Kids From C.A.P.E.R. and Willard Masefield on The Edge of Night) plays Army dog robber Sam Hodges. Regina Gleason (shown on the left, played Steffi on The New Adventures of China Smith and Kitty Horton on Days of Our Lives) plays Paladin's client Beatrice Burgess. 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 Nez Perce chief Tamasun. Shug Fisher (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Ripcord) plays Indian victim Emmett Wilhoit.

Season 5, Episode 30, "Hobson's Choice": Milton Selzer (shown on the right, played Parker on Get Smart, Jake Winkelman on The Harvey Korman Show, Abe Werkfinder on The Famous Teddy Z, and Manny Henry on Valley of the Dolls) plays Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel. Parley Baer (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet) plays shipper Sam Thurber. Olan Soule (Aristotle "Tut" Jones on Captain Midnight, Ray Pinker on Dragnet (1952-59), Cal on Stagecoach West, 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 Hotel Carlton assistant manager Mr. Cartwright. Ollie O'Toole (Mr. Meeker on Circus Boy) plays a drunk.

Season 5, Episode 31, "Coming of the Tiger": James Hong (shown on the left, played Barry Chan on The New Adventures of Charlie Chan, Frank Chen on Jigsaw John, and Doctor Chen Ling on Dynasty) plays an insurrectionist Japanese priest. Bob Okazaki (Bruce on Archie Bunker's Place) plays an immigrant general store owner. Beulah Quo (appeared in Girls! Girls! Girls!, The Sand Pebbles, and Yes, Giorgio and played Alice Wong on My Three Sons and Olin on General Hospital) plays his wife. William Wellman, Jr. (son of director William A. Wellman, appeared in Darby's Rangers, A Swingin' Affair, A Swingin' Summer, Winter A-Go-Go, and The Happiest Millionaire and played Dr. Denason on Days of Our Lives) plays a rowdy store customer.

Season 5, Episode 32, "Darwin's Man": Kent Smith (shown on the right, starred in Cat People, This Land Is Mine, Hitler's Children, Curse of the Cat People, Nora Prentiss, The Spiral Staircase, and The Fountainhead and played Dr. Robert Morton on Peyton Place and Edgar Scoville on The Invaders) plays patriarchal ranch owner Avery Coombs. Richard Rust (Hank Tabor on Sam Benedict and Jason Vining on General Hospital) plays his elder son Jayce. Buzz Martin (appeared in Pork Chop Hill, The FBI Story, PT 109, and Shotgun Wedding) plays his younger son Tully. Bud Osborne (played stagecoach drivers in dozens of westerns and in episodes of The Cisco Kid, Annie Oakley, The Range Rider, Hopalong Cassidy, The Lone Ranger, The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, Rescue 8, Zorro, Bronco, Law of the Plainsman, Johnny Ringo, Cheyenne, The Texan, Maverick, and Rawhide) plays a blacksmith. Robert Dornan (Bob Fowler on 12 O'Clock High) plays a cuckolded husband.

Season 5, Episode 33, "Invasion": Robert Gist (shown on the left, directed multiple episodes of Peter Gunn, Naked City, and The Richard Boone Show and was Agnes Moorehead's second husband) plays Irish freedom fighter Gavin O'Shea. Lew Brown (SAC Allen Bennett on The F.B.I. and Shawn Brady on Days of Our Lives) plays enthusiastic recruit Michael Mahoney. Douglas Lambert (Eddie Weeks on General Hospital and Walter Schiff on Inside Story) plays his younger brother Danny. 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 a small-town sheriff. Vicki Benet (French popular singer who recorded for Decca and Liberty Records) plays Paladin's date.

Season 5, Episode 34, "Cream of the Jest": Stanley Adams (shown on the right, played Lt. Morse on Not for Hire and Gurrah on The Lawless Years) plays practical joker Caleb Musgrove. Catherine McLeod (Claire Larkin on Days of Our Lives) plays his wife Nora. Raymond Bailey (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis) plays Santa Fe physician Dr. Walter B. Jonas. Naomi Stevens (Juanita on The Doris Day Show, Mama Rossini on My Three Sons, Rose Montefusco on The Montefuscos, and Sgt. Bella Archer on Vega$) plays saloon proprietor Mrs. Kafka. Peter Brocco (appeared in The Prisoner of Zenda, Spartacus, Our Man Flint, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and played Peter the waiter on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show and Mr. Spencer on The Young Marrieds) plays Paladin's gunsmith Younghusband.

Season 5, Episode 36, "Pandora's Box": Martin West (appeared in Freckles, A Swingin' Summer, Harper, and Family Plot and played Dr. Phil Brewer on General Hospital, Don Hughes on As the World Turns, and Commissioner Dan Samuels on Days of Our Lives) plays wanted murderer Billy Joe Lamont. Lorna Thayer (starred in The Beast With a Million Eyes and played the waitress in Five Easy Pieces) plays traveling saloon owner Hanna. Robert Stevenson (bartender Big Ed on Richard Drum and Marshal Hugh Strickland on Stagecoach West) plays her husband Woody. James Brothers (property master on Drop Dead Diva, Teen Wolf, Revolution, Army Wives, Reckless, Devious Maids, The Gifted, Lodge 49, and Cobra Kai) plays their swamper Jon. Ken Curtis (shown on the left, see the biography section for the 1961 post on Ripcord) plays gambler Lucky Laski.

Season 5, Episode 37, "Jonah and the Trout": Harry Carey, Jr. (starred in Red River, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Mister Roberts, and The Searchers and played Bill Burnett on The Adventures of Spin and Marty) plays fisherman Jonah Quincy. Hank Patterson (shown on the right, see "The Hunt" above) plays insurance agent Mr. Barton. Jerry Summers (appeared in Surf Party, Coogan's Bluff, and Hickey & Boggs and played Ira on The High Chaparral) plays gold robber Orrie. John Mitchum (see "The Hunt" above) plays his accomplice Sanders. Bill Mumy (Will Robinson on Lost in Space, Weaver on Sunshine, and Lennier on Babylon 5) plays a young boy at the Hotel Carlton.

Season 5, Episode 38, "The Knight": Jay Novello (see "The Exiles" above) plays nobleman Baron Otto von Albrecht. Will Corry (appeared in Wild in the Country and Strategy of Terror and co-wrote the screenplay for Two-Lane Blacktop) plays notorious killer Carl Frome. Jean Inness (shown on the left, see the biography section of the 1961 post on Dr. Kildare) plays hotel owner Peguine. Charles Kuenstle (appeared in Death of a Gunfighter and wrote the story for Airport '77) plays her son Waco.

Season 6, Episode 1, "Genesis": James Mitchum (son of Robert Mitchum, appeared in Thunder Road, The Beat Generation, Girls Town, Young Guns of Texas, Ride the Wild Surf, and Hollywood Cop) plays desperate debtor Roderick Jefferson. William Conrad (see "Man Who Hit Moonshine" above) plays debt holder Norge. Parley Baer (shown on the right, see "Hobson's Choice" above) plays Delta Valley minister Reston. Nestor Paiva (Theo Gonzales on Zorro) plays Delta Valley citizen Burton. Ann Morrison (appeared in My Pal Gus, Battle Circus, and The Brothers Karamazov and played Dr. Alma on The Young Marrieds and Mrs. Nelson on General Hospital) plays his wife.

Season 6, Episode 2, "Taylor's Woman": Harry Carey, Jr. (see "Jonah and the Trout" above) plays wealthy rancher Thad Taylor. Kathie Browne (shown on the left, played Angie Dow on Hondo and was Darren McGavin's second wife) plays his housekeeper Lydia Moss. Tom Hennesy (stunt double for Rock Hudson, Randolph Scott, Rod Cameron, and others, played the Gill Man in Revenge of the Creature) plays her brother Clyde.

Season 6, Episode 3, "The Fifth Bullet": Ben Johnson (shown on the right, Oscar winner, starred in Shane, The Wild Bunch, Chisum, and The Getaway and played Sleeve on The Monroes) plays released convict John Bartlett. Peter Boone (Richard Boone's son) plays his son Johnny. Shug Fisher (see "Silent Death, Secret Death" above) plays hotel clerk Harry Kessler. Hal Needham (see "Dream Girl" above) plays a man trying to kill Bartlett.

Season 6, Episode 4, "A Place for Abel Hix": Jean Engstrom (mother of actor Jena Engstrom, appeared in Voodoo Island, The Space Children, and The Restless Ones) plays Abel Hix's widow. Robert Blake (shown on the left, played Mickey in over 30 Our Gang shorts and Little Beaver in 23 westerns, starred in Black Rose, Pork Chop Hill, The Purple Gang, In Cold Blood, Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here, and Electra Glide in Blue, and played Det. Tony Baretta on Baretta and Father Noah Rivers on Hell Town) plays Hix's sheepherder Lauro. 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 saloon owner Judd Bowman. Paul Tripp (host of children's shows Mr. I. Magination and On the Carousel and co-creator of Tubby the Tuba) plays Ram's Head minister Reverend Harper. Bill Hart (see the biography section for the 1962 post on Stoney Burke) plays one of Bowman's thugs Olney. Hal Needham (see "Dream Girl" above) plays another thug Zimmer.

Season 6, Episode 5, "Beau Geste": Paul Richards (shown on the right, appeared in Playgirl and Beneath the Planet of the Apes and played Louis Kassoff on The Lawless Years and Dr. McKinley Thompson on Breaking Point) plays retiring Sheriff John Dobbs. Faith Domergue (starred in Cult of the Cobra, This Island Earth, and It Came From Beneath the Sea) plays his housekeeper Ria. Henry Beckman (Commander Paul Richards on Flash Gordon, Mulligan on I'm Dickens, He's Fenster, George Anderson on Peyton Place, Colonel Harrigan on McHale's Navy, Capt. Roland Frances Clancey on Here Come the Brides, Pat Harwell on Funny Face, Harry Mark on Bronk, and Alf Scully on Check It Out) plays gunman Les Horgan.

Season 6, Episode 6, "The Bird of Time": George Mathews (shown on the left, appeared in Pat and Mike, The Man With the Golden Arm, and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and played Chick Rogers on Glynis) plays wanted killer Ahab Tyson. John Hoyt (starred in My Favorite Brunette, The Lady Gambles, and Blackboard Jungle and played Grandpa Stanley Kanisky on Gimme a Break!) plays his pursuer Stryker. Dal Jenkins (Poet on The Young Ma) plays a young shepherd. Francis de Sales (Lt. Bill Weigand on Mr. & Mrs. North, Ralph Dobson on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Sheriff Maddox on Two Faces West, and Rusty Lincoln on Days of Our Lives) plays veterinarian Dock Kelly. Hal Needham (see "Dream Girl" above) plays one of Stryker's gunmen.

Season 6, Episode 7, "Memories of Monica": Larry Ward (Marshal Frank Ragan on The Dakotas) plays released convict Ben Turner. Judi Meredith (shown on the right, played Bonnie Sue McAfee on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show and The George Burns Show, Monique Devereaux on Hotel de Paree, and Betty Cramer on Ben Casey) plays Turner's former girlfriend Monica. Bing Russell (father of Kurt Russell, played Deputy Clem Foster on Bonanza) plays her husband Sheriff Regan. Hal Needham (see "Dream Girl" above) plays Turner's friend Dink. Garry Walberg (Police Sgt. Sullivan on Johnny Staccato, Sgt. Edward Goddard on Peyton Place, Speed on The Odd Couple, and Lt. Frank Monahan on Quincy M.E.) plays carpenter Charlie.

Season 6, Episode 8, "The Predators": Richard Jaeckel (shown on the left, see the biography section for the 1961 post on Frontier Circus) plays murder suspect John Tyree. James Griffith (see "The Waiting Room" above) plays the leader of a band of marauders.

Season 6, Episode 9, "Shootout at Hogtooth": Patrick McVey (shown on the right, played Steve Wilson on Big Town, Lt. Col. Wesley Hayes on Boots and Saddles, Ben Andrews on Manhunt, and Dr. Hansen on The Doctors) plays blacksmith Clanahan. Doodles Weaver (narrated Spike Jones' horse-racing songs and hosted A Day With Doodle) plays storekeeper Hildreth. Les Damon (Bruce Banning on Guiding Light and Ed Parmelee on The Edge of Night) plays banker Tilbury. Hal Baylor (Jenkins on Rawhide and Mercury on Batman) plays hired gunman Floyd Perrin. Syl Lamont (Yeoman Tate on McHale's Navy) plays a bartender.

Season 6, Episode 10, "A Miracle for St. Francis": Rafael Campos (shown on the left, played Ramon Diaz, Jr. on Rhoda and Jose on Days of Our Lives) plays young thief Paco. Naomi Stevens (see "Cream of the Jest" above) plays statue worshipper Maria. Robert Stevenson (see "Pandora's Box" above) plays cantina owner Lundeen. Hal Needham (see "Dream Girl" above) plays his bartender.

Season 6, Episode 11, "Marshal of Sweetwater": David White (shown on the right, played Larry Tate on Bewitched) plays former army scout turned lawman Marshal Tom Carey. Kathie Browne (see "Taylor's Woman" above) plays new saloon owner Marie Ellis. Paul Birch (Erle Stanley Gardner on The Court of Last Resort, Mike Malone on Cannonball, and Capt. Carpenter on The Fugitive) plays town official Ed Jenkins. 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 town official Mort Tyler. Gordon Jones (appeared in The Green Hornet, Flying Tigers, My Sister Eileen, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, and McLintock! and played Mike Kelley on The Abbott and Costello Show, Pete Thompson on The Ray Milland Show, Hubie Dodd on So This Is Hollywood, and Butch Barton on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet) plays rancher Harry Brawley. John Matthews (Dr. Elliott Kincaid on Days of Our Lives) plays a farmer.

Season 6, Episode 12, "Man in an Hour Glass": Alan Baxter (appeared in Saboteur, Close-Up, Judgment at Nuremberg, and Paint Your Wagon) plays small-town physician Dr. Aaron Moody. Edgar Buchanan (shown on the left, played Uncle Joe Carson on The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, and Petticoat Junction, Red Connors on Hopalong Cassidy, Judge Roy Bean on Judge Roy Bean, Doc Burrage on The Rifleman, and J.J. Jackson on Cade's County) plays escaped prisoner Noah Cardiff. James Stacy (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet) plays dead sheriff's son Johnny Tully. Morgan Woodward (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays Cardiff's former accomplice Canute. Dan White (appeared in Arizona Whirlwind, Taza, Son of Cochise, Attack of the Giant Leeches, and The Sergeant Was a Lady and played Dan Fraser on From These Roots) plays his partner Sam.

Season 6, Episode 13, "Penelope": Lawrence Dobkin (Dutch Schultz on The Untouchables, the narrator on Naked City, Judge Saul Edelstein on L.A. Law, and Judge Stanely Pittman on Melrose Place) plays gold adventurer Col. Oliver Lacey. Joanna Barnes (shown on the right, appeared in Auntie Mame, Tarzan, the Ape Man, Spartacus, The Parent Trap, and The War Wagon and played Lola on 21 Beacon Street and Katie O'Brien on The Trials of O'Brien) plays his wife Penelope. James Brown (appeared in Going My Way, Sands of Iwo Jima, The Sea Hornet, and A Star Is Born (1954) and played Lt. Rip Masters on The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin and Det. Harry McSween on Dallas) plays her ranch foreman Andrews. Jester Hairston (see "The Waiting Room" above) plays her servant Euclid. Jack Donner (Alfred the butler on General Hospital and Walter on The Guest Book) plays a barroom taunter. Ivan Bonar (Chase Murdock on General Hospital, Dean Hopkins on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Judge Gelson, Judge Arthur Fenton, and Judge Clarence Foster on Days of Our Lives, and Henderson Palmer on The Colbys) plays the Hotel Carlton bartender.

Season 6, Episode 14, "Trial at Tablerock": William Mims (shown on the left, see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays Arizona Territory Prosecutor Adams. 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 circuit Judge Bryant. Sherwood Price (Gen. Jeb Stuart on The Gray Ghost) plays gunslinger Virge Beech. Gregg Palmer (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays Tablerock Sheriff Matthew Tyler. Joe Higgins (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Rifleman) plays the jury foreman.

Season 6, Episode 15, "Be Not Forgetful of Strangers": Robert Stevenson (see "Pandora's Box" above) plays saloon owner Jake. Duane Eddy (shown on the right, popular guitar instrumentalist with hits like "Rebel Rouser," "Shazam," and "Ramrod") plays a young cowboy looking for lodging. Josie Lloyd (Nurse Roth on Dr. Kildare) plays his pregnant wife. Roy Barcroft (see "The Mark of Cain" above) plays lonely old man Simon. Hal Needham (see "Dream Girl" above) plays saloon carouser Harry Beldon. Perry Cook (see "Alice" above) plays a barfly. Bill Hart (see "A Place for Abel Hix" above) plays a barfly.

Season 6, Episode 16, "The Treasure": Jeanne Cooper (shown on the left, played Grace Douglas on Bracken's World and Katherine Chancellor Murphy on The Young and the Restless) plays blackjack dealer Edna Harden. 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 ex-convict Al Long. DeForest Kelley (Dr. McCoy on Star Trek) plays stolen money seeker Deakin. Lee Van Cleef (starred in High Noon, The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, The Bad and the Ugly) plays his partner Corbin. Buck Taylor (Newly O'Brien on Gunsmoke, Det. Bussey on Dallas, and Emmett Walsh on Yellowstone) plays stolen money seeker Eddie.

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.