Here
you will find details of classic western shows
from the Golden Age of TV.
PART ONE - ACTION IN THE AFTERNOON TO THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF WYATT EARP. Next
ACTION
IN THE AFTERNOON
CBS / x30m-e / 1953-54 (First
Episode Broadcast: Monday 2 February 1953 / 4.30pm)
Western drama series. This was a
daily and live show set in the 1890's in the Montana town of Huberle (pronounced
Hubber-Lee), most of the Action centred around the do-gooding (and often
singing) cowboy Jack Valentine and the sheriff Ace Bancroft, also playing an
integral part was newspaper woman Kate. An interesting fact is that the name of
the town was coined by joining together the names of two of CBS's key personnel
Hubbell Robinson Jr and Harry Ommerle.
With:- BARRY CASSELL as Ace
Bancroft / JACK VALENTINE as Jack Valentine / HARRIS FORREST as Ozzie Matthews /
JOHN ZACHERLEY as The Coroner / MARY ELAINE WATTS as Kate / BLAKE RITTER as The
Narrator / CHRIS KEEGAN / THE TOMMY FERGUSON TRIO / SAM KRESSEN / CREIGHTON
STEWART
THE ADVENTURES OF CHAMPION
Syndicated-Flying A. / 29x25m-e / 1955-56 30 Septmeber 55 - 3 February 56
Creator: Gene Autry / Producers: Gene Autry, Eric Jenson,
Louis Gray /
Theme sung by Frankie Laine
Western adventure series.
In the 1880's Wild West twelve year old Ricky
North adopts Champion, a wild stallion. Ricky lived on a ranch with his Uncle
Sandy and also had a German Shepherd dog called Rebel. Champion was Gene Autry's
own horse.
With:- BARRY CURTIS as
Ricky North
JIM BANNON as
Sandy North / FRANCIS McDONALD as
Will Calhoun / EWING MITCHELL as
Sheriff Powers
THE ADVENTURES OF JIM BOWIE
ABC/Louis Edelman /
78x30m-e / 1956-58 7 September 56 - 29 August 58 Fridays 8.00pm black and white
Book: Tempered Blade by Monte
Barrett
Western drama series.
Stories of famed frontiersman, especially after
the time of the Louisiana Purchase.
With:- SCOTT FORBES as
Jim Bowie / ROBERT CORNTHWAITE as John James Audubon / PETER HANSON as Rezin
Bowie
THE ADVENTURES OF JUDGE ROY BEAN
Barrett/Quintet /
39x30m-e / 1955
Western drama series.
Elderly Judge Roy Bean plies his trade in the days
of the old west. Made in color.
With:- EDGAR BUCHANAN as
Judge Roy Bean /
JACK BEAUTEL
THE ADVENTURES OF KIT CARSON
Universal /
104x30m-e / 1952-54 black and white
Western drama series.
In the days of the old west Kit Carson plies his
trade as a scout.
With:- BILL WILLIAMS as Kit Carson /
DON DIAMOND as El Toro / HANK PETERSON as Sierra Jack
THE ADVENTURES OF RIN TIN TIN
ABC/Screen Gems/ Herbert B. Leonard Prod.
/ 165x25m-e / 1954-59
Producer: Herbert Leonard, Fred Briskin
Western adventure series. Stories of German Shepherd dog Rin Tin Tin
and his orphan master Rusty, the pair were taken under the wing of the Fighting Blue Devils of the
101st Cavalry during the days of the old west. Rin Tin Tin had previously featured in a long
running series of films.
With:- LEE AAKER as Rusty / JAMES L. BROWN
as Lt Rip Masters / JOE SAWYER as Sgt Aloysius 'Biff' O'Hara / JOHN HOYT
as Col Barker / RAND BROOKS as Corp Randy Boone
THE
ADVENTURES OF WILD BILL HICKOK
Syndicated / 113x30m-e / 1951-58
Western drama series. The
adventures of Wild Bill Hickok, a marshal in the days of the Old West. Bill had
a fat partner called Jingles and a horse called Buckshot. Only very loosely
based on the real Wild Bill. The duo also starred in a radio version throughout
most of the 1950's.
With:- GUY MADISON as Marshal
James Butler Hickok / ANDY DEVINE as Jingles
ANNIE OAKLEY
Syndicated/Flying A. Prod. /
81x30m-e / 1953-57 black and white
Western drama series. Expoits of deadshot Annie Oakley in the town of Diablo
during the days of the old west. There was a real life Annie Oakley (she died in
1926 after spending years working with Buffalo Bill and the like).
With:- GAIL DAVIS as Annie Oakley /
BRAD JOHNSON as Deputy Sheriff Lofty Craig / JIMMY HAWKINS as Tagg Oakley
NBC-Ziv-United Artists /
108x30m-e / 1958-61 (8 September 58 - 21 September 61) black and white
Producers: Andy White, Frank Pitman
Western drama series. Exploits of
lawman Bat Masterson in the days of the Old West. Based on a real character
(though it's unlikely he was anything like he was portrayed here). In the series
Bat wore a Derby hat and carried a gold topped cane as did, apparently the real
Bat.
With:- GENE BARRY as Bat
Masterson
THE BIG VALLEY
ABC/Four Star / 112x60m-e / 1965-69
Creators: Al Bezzarides, Louis F. Edelman /
Theme Music: Lalo Schifrin / Producers: Louis F. Edelman, Arnold Laven,
Arthur Gardener, Jules Levy
Western drama series.
Stories of the ranch owning Barkley family in the
Old West.
With:- BARBARA STANWYCK as
Victoria Barkley / RICHARD LONG as
Jarrod Barkley / PETER BRECK as
Nick Barkley / LEE MAJORS as
Heath Barkley / CHARLES BRILES as
Eugene Barkley / LINDA EVANS as
Audra Barkley / NAPOLEON WHITING as Silas
Creator/Executive Producer: David Dorhort /
Theme Music: Jay Livingston, Ray Evans
Western drama series.
Ben Cartwright and his sons Little Joe, 'Hoss' and
Adam run their Ponderosa ranch in Virginia City,
Nevada during the civil war years.
With:- LORNE GREENE as
Ben Cartwright / MICHAEL LANDON as
Little Joe Cartwright / DAN BLOCKER as
Eric 'Hoss' Cartwright / PERNELL ROBERTS as
Adam Cartwright / VICTOR SEN YUNG as
Hop Sing / DAVID CANARY as Candy / RAY TEAL as
Sheriff Ray Coffee / LOU FRIZZEL as
Dusty Rhodes / MITCH VOGEL as
Jamie Hunter / BING RUSSELL as
Deputy Clem
BOOTS AND SADDLES
Californian National Prod. / 39x30m-e / 1957-59
Producer: George Cahan, Robert
Stillman
Western drama series.
In the 1870's the Fifth Cavalry come into regular
conflict with marauding Indians as well as the odd
outlaw.
With:- JACK PICARD as
Capt Shank Adams / PATRICK McVEY as
Lt Col Hays / DAVID WILLOCK as
Lt Bunning / GARDNER McKAY as Lt Kelly / JOHN ALDERSON as
Sgt Bullock / MICHAEL HINN as
Luke Cummings
Creator: Larry Cohen / Producers: Andrew J. Fenady, Cecil Baker /
Theme Music: A. Alch, Dominic
Frontiere
Western drama series.
In the 1880's, after being wrongly accused of
being a coward, Captain Jason McCord determines to
clear his name.
With:- CHUCK CONNORS as Jason McCord / JOHN CARRADINE as
Joshua McCord
BRAVE
EAGLE
CBS / x30m-e / 1955-56 (28
September - 6 June 56)
Western drama series. Stories of
an Indian tribe led by the young Brave Eagle, other characters included his
'main squeeze' Morning Star and his foster son Keena.
With:- KEITH LARSEN as Brave
Eagle / KEENA NOMKEENA as Keena / KIM WINONA as Morning Star / BERT WHEELER as
Smoky Joe
BROKEN ARROW
ABC/TCF /
72x30m-e / 1956-57 black and white
Western drama series.
Stories of an Indian agent working with the Apaches
in an attempt to bring peace. Based on the film of
the same name.
Western drama series.
Former Confederate Army Captain Bronco Lane
wanders the old west having adventures. The
character of Bronco was first seen in the show Cheyenne.
With:- TY HARDIN as
Bronco Lane
BUFFALO BILL JR
Flying A /
40x30m-e / 1955 black and white
Producer: Gene Autry
Western adventure series.
Stories of a young Buffalo Bill.
With:- DICK JONES as
Buffalo Bill Jr /
NANCY GILBERT
Western drama series.
Exploits of Kentucky frontiersman Daniel Boone.
With:- FESS PARKER as
Daniel Boone / ALBERT SALMI as Yodkin / ED AMES as Mingo / PATRICIA BLAIR as
Rebeca Boone
DAVY CROCKETT
ABC/Walt Disney / 5x52m-e / 1954-55 black and white
Creator/Executive Producer: Walt Disney / Music: George Bruns / Producer: Bill Walsh
Western drama serial.
The life of the King of the Wild Frontier himself who led the
famous stand at the Alamo. The episodes were quickly
re-edited and given a cinema release.
Western drama series.
Cases of a lawyer in the old west who travelled
with a minder.
With:-
JOHN MILLS /
SEAN GARRISON
EMPIRE
NBC/Columbia / 26x60m-e / 1962
Creator: Frank Nugent / Producer: William Sackheim / Music: Johnny Green
Drama series.
Stories of the Garret ranch based in New Mexico, following
the demise of the show there was a brief follow up
called Redigo(x30m-e).
With:-
RICHARD EGAN /
ANNE SEYMOUR /
TERRY MOORE /
RYAN O'NEAL
THE GALLENT MEN
Warner /
26x60m-e / 1962 black and white
Wartime drama series.
Exploits of a group of correspondents based in
Italy during World War II.
With:-
ROBERT McQUEENEY /
WILLIAM REYNOLDS
THE GENE AUTRY SHOW
Flying A /
85x30m-e / 1950-53 black and white
Western drama series.
Stories of the owner of the Melody Ranch, also known
as Gene Autry's Melody Ranch.
With:- GENE AUTRY /
PAT BUTTRAM /
GAIL DAVIS
THE GRAY GHOST
Syndicated - Lindsay Parsons /
39x30m-e / 1957 black and white
Book: Gray Ghosts and Rebel
Raiders by Virgil Carrington Jones
Western drama series. Daring exploits of derring do by Major John Singleton
Mosby during the Civil War, Mosby was part of the 43rd battalion of the 1st
Virginia Calvalry and specialized in one man raids on the union forces, his
nickname gave the show its title.
With:-
TOD ANDREWS as Major John Singleton Mosby /
PHIL ANDREWS as Lt St Clair
GUNSLINGER
CBS / x60m-e / 1961 (First
Episode: Thursday 9 February / 9.00pm)
Theme sung by Frankie Laine
Western drama series. At the end
of the Civil War undercover agent Cord tackles various cases for Captain Zachary
Wingate who was based at Fort Scott in New Mexico.
With:- TONY YOUNG as Cord /
PRESTON FOSTER as Captain Zachary Wingate / CHARLES GRAY as Pico McGuire
Creator: Charles Marquis Warren / Executive Producers: Robert Stabler, Charles Marquis
Warren, John Mantley, Philip Leacock
Western drama series.
Cases of frontier lawman Marshall Matt Dillon in
Dodge City, Kansas during the 1870's. Started on
radio and is also known as Gun Law and Matt
Dillon, John Wayne was originally offered the role
of Matt Dillon but declined.
With:- JAMES ARNESS as
Marshall Matt Dillon / AMANDA BLAKE as
Kitty Russell / MILBURN STONE as 'Doc' Galen Adams / DENNIS WEAVER as
Deputy Chester Goode / KEN CURTIS as
Dep Festus Hagen / BURT REYNOLDS as
Quint Asper / GLENN STRANGE as
Sam
THE GUNS OF WILL SONNETT
ABC/Spelling-Thomas /
50x30m-e /
1967-68
Western drama series.
A young lad and his grandfather travel the west
searching for the lads gunslinger father.
CBS/Filmaster /
226x30m-e / 1957-63 black and white
(First Episode: 14 September 1957)
Creator: Herb Mendow, Sam Rolfe /
Theme Music: Johnny Western, Richard
Boone, Sam Rolfe /
Sung by Johnny Western / Producers: Frank Pierson, Don Ingalls,
Robert Sparks, Julian Claman,
Western drama series.Gun For Hire Paladin (a man of refinement who dressed
in black and had white chess knights on his gun
holsters) plies his trade out of the Hotel Carlton in
San Francisco.
Paladin's calling card featured the white chess knight known as a Paladin, it
also proclaimed 'Have Gun, Will Travel...Wire Paladin, San Francisco'. Hey Boy
who brought Paladin the messages detailing his 'clients' wishes was replaced for
a season by Hey Girl but only because actor Tam Tong was appearing in The
Garlund Touch.
With:- RICHARD BOONE as Paladin / KAM TONG
as
Hey Boy / LISA LU as
Hey Girl
NBC/Universal/ Mark VII Ltd /
10x90/120m-e / 1972-74
(8 October 72 - 25 August 74 / Sundays 8.30pm)
Creator/Executive Producer: Jack Webb / Music: Fred Steiner, Lee Holdridge
Western crime drama series.
Deputy Hec Ramsey (a former gunfighter), working
in the town of New Prospect, Oklahoma in 1901, tries
to use the latest forensic techniques to crack crimes. Hec worked under the very young
Sheriff Oliver B. Stamp. Shown as part of the Mystery Movie rotating
segment.
Hec Ramsey........................... RICHARD BOONE
Sheriff Oliver B. Stamp............. RICHARD LENZ
Doc Amos B. Coogan.............. HARRY MORGAN
Arne Tornquist ....................... DENNIS RUCKER
HONDO
ABC-Batjac-Fenady-MGM /
17x60m-e /
1967 (8 September - 29 December / Fridays 8.30pm)
Western drama series.
Stories of Cavalry scout Hondo Lane who operated during the time of
the Indian wars in the Arizona Territory, Hondo had once lived with Apaches and
sometime sought advice from Chief Vittorio (Hondo had been married to his
daughter but she was killed by the army), Hondo also had a dog called Sam. There
was a John Wayne fil featuyring the same character that appeared in 1953 (also
called Hondo) and the character was created by Louis L'Amour.
with:-
RALPH TAEGER as Hondo Lane /
NOAH BEERY JR as Buffalo Baker /
KATHIE BROWNE as Angie Downe /
MICHAEL PATE as Chief Vittoro / WILLIAM BRYANT as Colonel Crook / BUDDY FOSTER
as Johnny Dow
Creators: Stephen Kandel, James
Goldstone / Executive Producer: Charles Marquis Warren
Western drama series. Ben Calhoun builds the Buffalo
Pass, Scalplock and Defiance railroad across the
old west during the 1870's. Originated as a TV Movie
called Scalplock.
Ben
Calhoun........................... DALE ROBERTSON
Dave Tarrant...........................
GARY COLLINS
Nils Torvald.............................
ROGER TORREY
Barnabus
Rogers..................... BOB RANDOM
Julie
Parsons........................... ELLEN McRAE
LANCER
Fox / 51x60m-e / 1968-71
Creator: Sam Peeples /
Theme Music: Jerome Moross / Producers: Sam Wanamaker, Alan A. Armer
Western drama series.
In 1870's California, Murdoch Lancer and his sons
Johnny and Scott are determined to keep their ranch
out of the hands of land barons.
Old Murdoch Lancer................ ANDREW DUGGAN
Scott Lancer........................... WAYNE MAUNDER
Johnny Madrid Lancer.............. JAMES STACY
Jelly Hoskins.......................... PAUL BRINEGAR
Teresa O'Brien........................ ELIZABETH BAUR
Andy Sherman......................... BOBBY CRAWFORD JR
Mort Corey.............................. STUART RANDALL
Mike Williams......................... DENNIS HOLMES
Daisy Cooper.......................... SPRING BYINGTON
Gandy..................................... DON DURANT
LAREDO
NBC/Universal /
56x60m-e /
1966-67
Western drama series.
Stories of a trio of Texas Rangers.
With:-
NEVILLE BRAND /
WILLIAM SMITH /
PETER BROWN /
PHIL CAREY
THE LAW OF THE PLAINSMAN
NBC/Four Star/
Cardiff /
30x30m-e / 1959 black and white
Western drama series.
Stories of a Marshall in 1880's New Mexico who just
happens to be an apache.
With:-
MICHAEL ANSARA
LAWMAN
ABC / x30m-e / 1958-62 First
Episode: Sunday 5 October 1958
Western drama series. Stories of
Laramie Marshal Dan Troop, specialist in catching bad guys, Troop had a deputy
called Johnny McKay. Troop's favored watering hole was the Birdcage Saloon run
by Lily Merrill.
With:- JOHN RUSSELL as Marshal
Dan Troop / PETER BROWN as Deputy Johnn McKay / BEK NELSON as Dru Lemp (1958-59)
/ PEGGY CASTLE as Lily Merrill (1959-62) / DAN SHERIDAN as Jake (1961-62)
THE LEGEND OF JESSE JAMES
TCF / 26x30m-e / 1965 black and white
Creator: Samuel A. Peeples / Producer: David Weisbart
Western drama series.
Stories from the life and times of outlaw Jesse James.
With:-
CHRIS JONES /
ALLEN CASE /
ANN DORAN
THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF WYATT EARP
ABC/Wyatt Earp Ent/ Desilu / 226x30m-e / 1955-61 black and white
Creator: Frederick Hazlitt Brennan /
Theme Music: The Ken Darby Singers / Producers: Louis F. Edelman, Robert Sisk,
Roy Roland
Western drama series.
Stories from the life of the famed Marshall as he sets
about cleaning up various towns including Dodge City
and Tombstone, Arizona.
With:- HUGH O'BRIEN as
Wyatt Earp / DENVER PYLE as
Ben Thompson / MASON ALAN DIEHART III as
Bat Masterson / GLORIA TALBOT as
Abbie Crandall / DON HAGGERTY as
Marsh Murdock / LLOYD CORRIGAN as
Ned Buntine / DOUGLAS FOWLEY as
Doc Fabique / PAUL BRINEGAR as
Jim 'Dog' Kelly / RALPH SANDFORD as
Jim 'Dog' Kelly (2) / DOUGLAS FOWLEY as
Doc Holliday / DIRK LONDON as
Morgan Earp / JOHN ANDERSON as
Virgil Earp / TREVOR BARDETTE as
Old Man Clanton / LASH LARUE as
Sheriff Johnny Behan
ABC/Four Star / 112x60m-e / 1965-69
ABC/Spelling-Thomas /
50x30m-e /
1967-68
