T H E   C L A S S I C   W E S T E R N S   
G U I D E 

Here you will find details of classic western shows from the Golden Age of TV.
PART TWO - THE LONE RANGER TO ZORRO
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 ABC/Apex/ Wrather / 182x30m-e / 1952-56

Creator: George W. Trendle, Fran Striker, James Jewell / Theme Music: Rossini 

Western drama series. The always masked Lone Ranger and his 'Kemo Sabe'(Trusty Scout) Tonto try the clear the West of bad guys. The show was also a long running radio series and a pair of film serials were also made.

Lone Ranger............................. CLAYTON MOORE

Lone Ranger............................. JOHN HART

Tonto....................................... JAY SILVERHEELS

Dan Reid.................................. CHUCK COURTNEY

Jim Blaine................................ RALPH LITTLEFIELD

Cre:Rod Serling CBS/Greenway/Interlaken/TCF / 26x30m-e /  1965 black and white

Western drama series. Following the end of the Civil War a former soldier travels around helping people.

With:- LLOYD BRIDGES 

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

CBS / 23x60m-e / 1988-89

Theme Music: Elmer Bernstein (same as the movies)

Western drama series. A TV version of the classic movie with the Seven helping out the resident of the town of Four Corners. Cancelled midway through season two.

With:- MICHAEL BIEHN as Chris Larabee / ERIC CLOSE as Vin Tanner / DALE MIDKIFF as Buck Wilmington / ANDREW KAVOVIT as John 'JD' Dunn / RON PEARLMAN as Josiah Sanchez / RICK WORTHY as Nathan Jackson / ANTHONY STARKE as Ezra Standish / LAURIE HOLDEN as Mary Travis / ROBERT VAUGHAN as Judge Orin Travis / DANA BARRON as Casey

Cre:E. Jack Newman MGM

P:Vincent Fennelly 34x30m-e /  1966 black and white

Western drama series. After suffering memory loss during the Civil War 'Shenandoah' travels the west trying to find out his true identity.

With:- ROBERT HORTON as Shenandoah

ABC/Warner / 124x60m-e / 1957-62 black and white

Creator/Producer: Roy Huggins / Music: David Buttolph  

Western comedy drama series. Exploits of a pair of con-man brothers Bret and Bart Maverick. Following Garner's departure in 1960, a cousin called Beau was brought in. 

Bret Maverick........................... JAMES GARNER

Bart Maverick........................... JACK KELLY

Samantha Crawford................... DIANE BREWSTER

Beauregard Maverick................. ROGER MOORE

Brent Maverick.......................... ROBERT COLBERT

NBC/Universal /  24x90m-e / 1970-71

Theme Music: Ennio Morricone / Producer: Glen A. Larson

Western drama series. An updated version of the Virginian. It is now the 1890's and former British Army Colonel Alan Mackenzie took over as owner of Shiloh ranch.

The Virginian............................ JAMES DRURY

Trampas.................................. DOUG McCLURE

Col Alan Mackenzie................. STEWART GRANGER

Roy Tate................................. LEE MAJORS

Parker..................................... JOHN McLIAM

CBS/TCF / 39x30m-e / 1956

Western drama series. Stories of a family in the Old West and their horse Flicka.

With:- JOHNNY WASHBROOK / GENE EVANS / ANITA LOUISE

ABC/Warner/ William Blinn / 15x60m-e / 1974

Producer: Philip Leacock 

Western drama series. Stories of an immigrant family trying to make a go of things in Minnesota in the 1850's. 

With:- SCOTT THOMAS / BONNIE BEDELIA / KURT RUSSELL / DONALD MOFFAT

Universal / 1x120m-e  13x60m-e / 1975-76

Western drama series. Stories of a pioneering family in the days of the Old west. The series was pulled before all its episodes were shown.

With:- ROD TAYLOR

ABC/Columbia / 26x60m-e / 1968

Producer: Jon Epstein 

Western drama series. A pair of bounty hunters, one white, the other black team up following the end of the civil war. 

With:- DON MURRAY / OTIS YOUNG

NBC / 50x60m-e / 1960-61 black and white

Western drama series. Stories of a pair of lawmen in the wild west out to catch the bad guys.

With:- BRUCE YARNELL / DON COLLIER / BARTON MacLANE

MCA/Stagecoach/ Revue / 17x60m-e / 1960 black and white

Western drama series. Stories of a pair of stagecoach drivers.

With:- WILLIAM BENDIX / DOUG McCLURE

CBS/Universal / 26x30m-e / 1966-67 First Episode: Saturday 17 September 1966 / 8.30pm Last Episode: Saturday 19 August 1967 / 9.30pm

A period sitcom set in the Old West, in 1870's Wretched, Colorado to be exact, it concerned the Hanks family, Grandpa and Grandma, Henrietta and her daughter Lucy. Lucy had spent quite a bit of time in the city and was at odds with the rest of her gun slinging family. The family prided themselves on their toughness and fair ruled it over the town much to the distress of Sheriff Harold Sikes. The Hanks also had a rather unusual pet in the form of a wolf called Bowser. Other regulars on the series included Buss Courtney and the Indians whom the family did regular battle with, Chief Eagle Shadow, Gray Hawk and Little Bear.

With:- ANN SHERIDAN as Henrietta Hanks / DOUGLAS FOWLEY as Grandpa / RUTH McDEVITT as Grandma / CAROLE WELLS as Lucy Hanks / GARY VINSON s Sheriff Harold Sikes / ROBERT LOWERY as Buss Courtney / LON CHANEY JR as Chief Eagle Shadow / MARC CAVELL as Gray Hawk / ALEX HENTELOFF as Little Bear

NBC / 39x30m-e / 1959 black and white

Western drama series. Stories from the early days of the Pony Express.

With:- GRANT SULLIVAN

NBC/David Gerber Prod. / 1x100m-e 15x60m-e / 1976 (22 September - 29 December / Wednesday 10.00pm)

Creator: Tracy Keenan Wynn / Producers: Mark Rodgers, James H. Brown

Western drama series. In the 1890's brothers Morgan and Quentin Beaudine embark on a quest to find their sister who years before had been kidnapped and had converted to the Indian way of life, he used his Indian skills to help when dealing with various tribes.. Not all the episodes were shown on its original run.

With:- KURT RUSSELL as Morgan Beaudine / TIM MATHESON as Quentin Beaudine 

 CBS /  217x60m-e / 1959-66

Creator/Executive Producer: Charles Marquis Warren / Theme Music: Ned Washington, Dimitri Tiomkin, sung by Frankie Laine 

Western drama series. Stories of a group of cowboys working on cattle drives in the 1860's.

Rowdy Yates........................... CLINT EASTWOOD

Gil Favor.................................. ERIC FLEMING

Pete Nolan.............................. SHEB WOOLEY

Wishbone............................... PAUL BRINEGAR

Jim Quince............................. STEVE RAINES

Joe Scarlett............................ ROCKY SHAHAN

Harkness 'Mushy' Mushgrove... JAMES MURDOCK

Hey Soos Patines................... ROBERT CABAL

Clay Forrester......................... CHARLES GRAY

Ian Cabot................................ DAVID WATSON

Jed Colby............................... JOHN IRELAND

Goodson-Todman / 76x30m-e /  1959-60 black and white

Western drama series. Stories of Johnny Yuma, a former Confederate soldier and his adventures after the end of the Civil War.

With:- NICK ADAMS as Johnny Yuma

REDIGO

NBC/Columbia/Wilrich / 15x30m-e / 1963

Drama series. Stories of a ranch owner.

With:- RICHARD EGAN

MCA/Revue/Window / 77x30m-e / 1958-59 black and white

Western drama series. Stories of a gun for hire during the days of the wild west.

With:- JOHN PAYNE

United Artists / 39x30m-e / 1958 black and white

Western drama series. A pair of Unionists try to make a new start for themselves after the end of the Civil War.

With:- KENT TAYLOR / JAN MERLIN / PETER WHITNEY

CBS/Roy Rogers Prod./ Frontier Prod. / 100x30m-e / 1952-57 black and white

Creator: Roy Rogers / Theme Music: Roy Rogers, Dale Evans / Producers: Roy Rogers, Jack Lacey, Bob Henry, Leslie H. Martinson  

Action adventure series. Roy Rogers tackles crimes in Paradise Valley, helping him was his faithful four legged friend Trigger.

Roy......................................... ROY ROGERS

Dale......................................... DALE EVANS

Pat.......................................... PAT GRADY

Paramount/Titus / 17x60m-e / 1966

Producer: Herb Brodkin 

Western drama series. Stories of a family living out west, based on the the 1950's Alan Ladd classic.

With:- DAVID CARRADINE

Syndicated-MCA-Revue-Shotgun / 78x30m-e /  1959-60 Black and White

Producer: Frank Gruber / Music: Gerald Fried 

Western crime drama series. Cases of an early private detective in the days of the Old West. The title came from the fact that Slade's preferred weapon of choice was a two in one Shotgun. 

With:- SCOTT BRADY as  Shotgun Slade

NBC/MCA/Universal/ Overland/Juggernaut / 167x30m-e 34x60m-e / 1957-61

Creator: Frank Gruber  / Music: Stanley Wilson / Producer: Earle Lyon, Nat Holt 

Western drama series. Cases of Jim Hardie working for Wells Fargo.

Jim Hardie............................... DALE ROBERTSON

Beau McCloud......................... JACK GING

Jeb Gaine................................ WILLIAM DEMAREST

Ovie......................................... VIRGINIA CHRISTINE

MCA/Universal / 26x30m-e / 1959 black and white

Western drama series. In a direct reversal of the actual events Billy the Kid teams up with Sheriff Pat Garrett to fight crime in the days of the Wild West.

With:- BARRY SULLIVAN / CLU GULAGER

Warner / 26x60m-e / 1963 black and white

Western drama series. Exploits of a lawyer plying his trade in the days of the Wild west.

With:- JEFFREY HUNTER / JACK ELAM 

ABC/Ziv   91x30m-e /  1957-59 black and white

Producers: Andy White, Frank Pittman 

Western drama series. Cases of Sheriff Clay Hollister in Tombstone Arizona. Hollister regularly teamed up with newspaper editor Harris Claybourne.

Sheriff Clay Hollister................. PAT CONWAY

Harris Claybourne .................... RICHARD EASTHAM

Four Star / 71x30m-e /  1957-58  black and white

Western drama series. Stories of a Texas Rangers in the 1870's wild west.

With:- ROBERT CULP

MGM / 26x60m-e /  1963 black and white 

Novel:Robert Lewis Taylor 

Western drama series. In the days of the old west, in the 1840's, a young boy joins a Wagon Train.

With:- KURT RUSSELL / DAN O'HERLIHY / CHARLES BRONSON

26 MEN

NBC-Russell Hayden / 78x30m-e / 1957-58 black and white

Western drama series. Exploits of the Arizona Rangers in the days of the old west (around the turn of the twentieth century in fact), the title came from the fact that the platoon consisted of only 26 Men, but mostly two main characters were seen, Captain Tom Rynning and Ranger Clint Travis. The platoon consisted of 20 privates, four sergeants, one lieutenant, one captain.

With:- TRIS COFFIN as Captain Tom Rynning / KELO HENDERSON as Ranger Clint Travis

NBC-Universal- Revue / 208x90m-e / 1962-70 

Creator: Charles Maquis Warren / Theme Music:Percy Faith

Western drama series. A mysterious stranger known only as the Virginian works on the Shiloh Ranch, Wyoming during the 1880's.

With:- JAMES DRURY as The Virginian / CLU GALAGER as Emmett Ryker / DOUG McCLURE as Trampas / GARY CLARKE as Steve / LEE J. COBB as Judge Henry Garth / L.Q. JONES as Belden / JOHN McINTIRE as Clay Grainger /  CHARLES BICKFORD as John Grainger 

NBC/Universal/MCA/Revue / 252x60m-e 32x90m-e / 1957-65

Creator: Bert Glennon / Theme Music: David Buttolph / Producers: Richard Lewis,  Richard Irving / Executive Producer: Howard Christie

Western drama series. In the 1860's a group of pioneers form a Wagon Train. The train picked up and dropped new members on a regular basis. Following the death of Ward Bond who played Wagon Master Major Seth Adams. Chris Hale assumed command of the train. Reruns are sometimes broadcast as Major Adams or Major Adams, Trailmaster.

With:- WARD BOND as Major Seth Adams / ROBERT HORTON as Flint McCullough / JOHN McINTIRE as Chris Hale /  TERRY WILSON as Bill Hawks /  FRANK McGRATH as Charlie Wooster /SCOTT MILLER as Duke Shannon /  ROBERT FULLER as Cooper Smith /  MICHAEL BURNS as Barnaby West

CBS/Four Star/ Malcolm Enterprises / 94x30m-e / 1958-61 black and white

Executive Producer: John Robinson / Theme Music: Rudy Schrager 

Western drama series. Exploits of bounty hunter Josh Randall in the 1870's.

With:- STEVE McQUEEN as Josh Randall /  WRIGHT KING as Jason Nichols 

NBC/Fourstar / 13x30m-e / 1960

Creator/Producer: Sam Peckinpah 

Western drama series. Dave Blassinghame travels the West in the 1890's offering a help to those who need it.

With:- BRIAN KEITH as Dave Blassinghame / JOHN DEHNER as Burgundy Smith 

NBC / 39x30m-e / 1959  black and white

Western drama series. Stories of Marshal Mike Dunbar.

Mike Dunbar JOEL McCREA / JODY McCREA

CBS/Michael Garrison / 104x60m-e / 1965-69

Creator/Executive Producer: Michael Garrison / Music: Richard Markowitz 

Fantasy western adventure series. In the 1870's, two special government agents travel the west combatting evil meglomaniacs, of which there are numerous. The pair travelled in a special luxury train full of gizmo's and gadgets.

With:- ROBERT CONRAD as Major James T. West /  ROSS MARTIN as Artemus Gordon / MICHAEL DUNN as Dr Miguelito Loveless /  CHARLES AIDMAN as Jeremy Pike / CHARLES DAVIS as Tennyson 

Sharpe-Lewis / 34x30m-e /  1958  bw

Western drama series. Yancey Derringer gets involved in adventures in New Orleans after the end of the Civil War.

With:- JOCK MAHONEY as Yancey 

ABC Circle / 2x120m-e 2x60m-e 1975-78 

Novels:Rose Wilder Lane 

Western drama series. In the late 1870's a pair of young Newlyweds move out west.

With:- ROGER KERN / LINDA PURL

ABC - Walt Disney / 70x30m-e / 1957-59  10 October 57 - 24 September 59 Thursdays 8.00pm

Creator: Johnston McCulley / Producer: William H. Anderson / Executive Producer: Walt Disney / Theme Music: Norman Foster, George Bruns  

Western drama series. Episodes, in the 1820's, of  Don Diego de la Verga who assumed the mantle of mask wearing fighter of evil Zorro. Zorro was a major sword - fighting expert whose trademark was cutting a slashing Z figure with his sword. The pop group The Chordettes had a hit with the theme song although Henry Calvin also released a version. 

With:- GUY WILLIAMS as Don Diego de la Vega/Zorro / GENE SHELDON as Bernado / HENRY CALVIN as Sgt Demetrio Lopez Garcia / BRITT LOMOND as Captain Monastario (1958-58) / JOLENE BRAND as Anna Maria Verdugo (1958-59) / GEORGE J. LEWIS as Don Alejandro / JAN ARVAN as Don Ignacio Torres (1957) / VINTON HAYWORTH as Magistrate Carlos Galindo (1958) / ROMNEY BRENT as Padre Felipe (1957) / DON DIAMOND as Cpl Reyes (1958-59)

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