Pop Culture Chronicles

Top Ten TV Westerns (50s-60s) Part 2

I now give you my choices for top five westerns of the 50s-60s. Since each western also appeared in comics, a comic cover will accompany each.

# 5 - Sugarfoot - I'm still not sure what a sugarfoot is, but I think it's like a tenderfoot with a sweet disposition. This was the character Will Hutchins played in this classic Warner Brothers series. Tom Brewster was a drifter studying law from the mail order books in his saddlebags (which is where his gun-belt stayed most of the time as well). This story about an experienced cowboy who was also a lawyer wannabe made for some very unique plots. About six issues of the comic were published as a part of Dell's Four Color series. 

 

# 4 - Big Valley- This series was the big break that made Lee Majors and Linda Evans TV stars. Ahead of its time, this series dealt with more mature issues as the illegitimate Barkley son returns to collect his share of the inheritance. Older brother, Jarrod (Richard Long) is a lawyer and middle brother, Nick (Peter Breck) is the hot tempered ranch boss. It didn't hurt that this series featured veteran actress, Barbara Stanwyck as matriarch Victoria. Dell published six issues of the comic series. 

 

# 3 - Gunsmoke - The longest running Western series in history, Gunsmoke stayed in prime time for 20 years (1955-1975), making James Arness the only actor to play the same character in a single series for two decades. Our family is currently making our way through the first season of this series which is now being released in official DVD season sets. The first three seasons are already out. The first 27 issues of the comic series were published by Dell beginning in 1957 as a part of the Four Color series. In 1969-70, six issues of Gunsmoke were published by Gold Key. 

 

# 2 - Bonanza- On DVD, finally! The first two seasons of this series recently came out on DVD. Until now VHS tapes and DVDs of public domain episodes were released, but often minus the original theme music. The new sets are "official" and even include original promo material, photo stills, and other special features. Most of these episodes have never before been released on video. The series was about the ranch family of patriarch Ben Cartwright, a three time widower with a grown son by each wife.

The chemistry of the original cast was excellent, but midway through, Pernell Roberts (eldest brother, Adam) left the show and Dan Blocker (Hoss) died just prior to the final season. The only original cast members left were Lorne Greene (Ben) and Michael Landon (Little Joe), so things just weren't the same by series end. The writing had also deteriorated. But in its heyday Bonanza was one of the best series ever. The first few seasons are exceptional and you can see how the Cartwright clan evolved and developed over time. A few issues of Bonanza were published as a part of Dell's Four Color series, followed by 37 issues published by Gold Key.   

# 1 - Maverick - What can be said that I haven't already mentioned in my previous Maverick post? While I'm a fan of traditional westerns, this one was anything but traditional. Cerebral plots and comedic episodes were common. Some episodes didn't even seem like westerns, with stories in settings like Louisiana, Mexico, on riverboats, and even in South America. James Garner was the original Maverick, but Jack Kelly, who played Brother Bart, was also very talented and likable.

The series was about two gamblers traveling the west and occasionally crossing paths. The first three seasons, featuring Garner, were the absolute best. The fourth season with Roger Moore as Beau and Robert Colbert as Brent were okay, but not as good. I do like the Roger Moore episode, Bolt from the Blue which guest stars Will Hutchins (as Sugarfoot?). 

For the fifth season Bart went solo, explaining why there are more episodes with him. One redeeming thing about this season was the recurring role of Peter Breck (pre-Big Valley) as Doc Holiday. My favorite fifth season episode is the hilarious Marshall Maverick with Jack Kelly and Peter Breck.

What makes this my favorite western is the stories and the acting of Garner and Kelly. Most of the Warner Brothers stable of westerns (including Maverick, Cheyenne, Colt 45, Sugarfoot, Bronco, and Lawman) have not made it to DVD. Exceptions include the first season of Cheyenne which is available and only three episodes of Maverick. These are all rare or nonexistent in syndication as well making the need for DVD collections even greater. But Maverick is available to Netflix members on streaming video.

Top Ten TV Westerns (50s-60s) Part 1

If you've read this blog for any length of time, then you know that one of my favorite television genres is the Western. I cut my teeth on the westerns of the late 60s and the re-runs of earlier Westerns. What all popular 50s and 60s westerns had in common is that they were all in the comic books as well--complete with photo covers. So here I'll go through my top ten westerns displaying the image of a comic cover for each.  

# 10 - Wanted: Dead or Alive - I discovered re-runs of this one weekdays after school while an elementary student. It's where Steve McQueen got his start. He went on to find stardom in the Magnificent Seven playing a character patterned after bounty hunter Josh Randall, his TV part. Two comics were published in the Dell Four Color series and the TV series is available on DVD.

 

# 9 - Lone Ranger - One of my earliest memories is of watching the Lone Ranger. As a child I would set my alarm to watch it at 6:30 weekday mornings before school. On Sunday mornings I would watch the color episodes on another TV station. I also read the comics, watched the cartoons, and owned the action figures. An official anniversary DVD set of the first two seasons has recently been released. The Lone Ranger's history in comics pre-dates his television appearances. 

 

# 8 - High Chaparral - Only one issue of this comic was ever published and is now worth about $70 in mint condition. I remember watching the TV series when it was new and I was a small child back in the late 60s. In the 70s I watched re-runs with my sister on weekday afternoons. We often pretended to be the characters when we played cowboys.  As an adult I saw re-runs on the Hallmark Channel when they dedicated Saturday afternoons to old westerns. They called it Rough and Ready Saturdays. The show was ahead of its time featuring Native Americans and Hispanics in the regular cast. This show is unfortunately unavailable on DVD, but fans are petitioning for it.  

# 7 - The Rifleman - Another show that I discovered in re-runs on weekdays after school. This was a personal favorite when I was a child. They packed a lot of action into 30 minutes. Only a handfull of public domain episodes are on DVD, but no official season sets as of yet.

 

 

# 6 - Cheyenne -An "A" variety Warner Brothers western. Great writing and great acting about a drifter raised by Native Americans. It was the first hour long TV western. This show is another of my earliest memories. I saw the re- runs as a teenager on Saturday afternoons. The first season is on DVD. 

 

Part Two of my top ten coming soon.  

Maverick

Pictured is a gem I recently purchased at a comic book show. I've been hoping to find an affordable issue of Maverick in decent condition for a long time. If you've been reading this blog, you know I love westerns--especially the TV westerns of the 50s and 60s. While the big screen cowboys are okay, my first love is the TV western whose memorable recurring characters get to seem like old friends. 

Maverick is my favorite western and possibly my favorite TV show of all time. Not your typical horse opera, Maverick had complex plots, witty dialog, comedy relief, a reluctant hero, and excellent acting. 

The comic based on the series lasted 19 issues from 1958 to 1962. The first six issues were a part of Dell Publishing's Four Color series, while the seventh issue was published as Maverick # 7 and the numbering continued from there. Each issue featured photo covers and the one pictured below introduced Bart Maverick to comics (I recently purchased this one at a comic shop sale).  

Bret Maverick (James Garner) was originally to be the only Maverick, until Warner Brothers got behind on production of the TV series. Then Jack Kelly was introduced as Bret's brother, Bart Maverick. So now two episodes could be filmed simultaneously with two separate production crews with respective episodes featuring either Bret or Bart. The Bart episodes would alternate with the Bret episodes Sunday nights on ABC. The brothers would occasionally share an episode. 

Garner left the show after three seasons due to a contract dispute. Kelly continued as Bart and Garner was replaced by Roger Moore who played the Mavericks' British cousin, Beau Maverick. On an earlier episode, Moore had appeared as Jack Vandergelt III, a character very much like the Beau Maverick character. This historical episode was the only one in which Garner, Kelly, and Moore all appeared together. It would be great if someone made available some 8 x 10 stills of the three together from that episode.

Moore played Beau Maverick in only 13 episodes, citing mediocre scripts as his reason for leaving the show. Robert Colbert appeared as Bart's brother, Brent Maverick, in two episodes of Season Four. Publicity photos of Kelly, Moore, and Colbert together and in character still survive. While it was intended that the three appear together in the show, Moore left too soon for that to happen. An episode with Bret and Bart together also aired during Season Four, but was actually a hold over filmed during Season Three. So this makes Season Four the only season in which each of the four Mavericks appeared at least once. Only Kelly returned for the fifth and final season. His new episodes alternated with Garner reruns from earlier years. 

The comics stories always starred whatever Mavericks were currently on the TV show. The artist was Dan Spiegle who visited Garner on the set and took great pains to make his characters look like the actors. 

Maverick has appeared somewhere each decade of the last half of the twentieth century. The original series ran from 1957 to 1962. The 1970s saw a made-for-TV movie, New Maverick, with Garner, Kelly, and introducing Charles Frank as cousin Ben Maverick. His series, Young Maverick ran only 8 episodes on CBS with Garner making a cameo in the first show. 

NBC was the third network to pick up Maverick as Garner returned in Bret Maverick for the 1981-82 season. Kelly made a cameo as Bart in the final episode and would have become a regular player had there been a second season. Kelly also appeared as Bart Maverick in Kenny Rogers' 1991 The Gambler Returns: Luck of the Draw. 

The year 1994 saw the theatrical release of Mel Gibson's Maverick in which Gibson played Bret. Co-stars included James Garner and Jodie Foster. 

So where has Maverick shown up in the 21st century? In 2006, a Bret Maverick statue was unveiled at a ceremony with Garner present in his hometown of Norman, Oklahoma. The Encore Westerns cable network is currently airing the original series daily and in chronological order. My DVD recorder is set nightly and I've so far captured Season One. Maverick episodes can be viewed online for free by clicking here. High speed cable internet helps. And of course, Maverick occasionally shows up at a comic shop or show.