Cheyenne
Born in Hartford Illinois, Clint Walker’s role as a drifter, variously employed as an army scout, a wagon train scout, deputy sheriff and ranch foreman mirrored Walker’s real life. He left school to work in a factory and a riverboat before joining the Merchant Marine. Later he worked as a carpenter, salesman, lumberjack, private detective, prospector, oilfield worker, truck driver, deputy sheriff, cowboy, singer and actor. I’m out of breath just thinking about it. At six feet six, Walker was up to all of it with a physique hewn out of solid oak.
The show premiered in 1955 and ran until 1963 spanning one hundred eight black and white episodes.
Cheyenne Brodie roamed the west, delivering justice against Indians and bad guys most often to the admiration of a beautiful woman. The series gained popularity. In 1958 Walker sought to redo his contract, allowing him to keep more of his personal appearance money and pursue his music career beyond the Warner Brothers label. When the contract dispute reached an impasse, Walker walked out.
The studio replaced Cheyenne with Bronco Lane, played by Ty Hardin. Hardin finished the season and Bronco became popular in its own right. In 1959 Bronco appeared as its own show, sharing the time slot with Cheyenne under Walker’s new contract. A guest appearance ‘discovered’ Will Hutchins, as the correspondence school lawyer, Tom ‘Sugarfoot’ Brewster. Sugarfoot was then added to the Cheyenne rotation.
Ty Hardin was discovered by none other than John Wayne. He earned minor roles in TV and film until Walker’s walk put Warner Brothers in desperate-straights for a new leading man. Sugarfoot’s Tom Brewster counterpointed the Brodie and Bronco ready for action characters with a character averse to the use of firearms, preferring the use of a law book instead. When left with no alternative, even the Sugarfoot could resort to the use of force.
All three characters made guest appearances in their sibling’s slots, on occasion an episode might feature all three of them. Guest appearances also extended to other Warner Brothers productions including Maverick, Lawman and Colt .45.
Next Week: Gunsmoke ’55-‘75
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Ride easy,
Paul
The show premiered in 1955 and ran until 1963 spanning one hundred eight black and white episodes.
Cheyenne Brodie roamed the west, delivering justice against Indians and bad guys most often to the admiration of a beautiful woman. The series gained popularity. In 1958 Walker sought to redo his contract, allowing him to keep more of his personal appearance money and pursue his music career beyond the Warner Brothers label. When the contract dispute reached an impasse, Walker walked out.
The studio replaced Cheyenne with Bronco Lane, played by Ty Hardin. Hardin finished the season and Bronco became popular in its own right. In 1959 Bronco appeared as its own show, sharing the time slot with Cheyenne under Walker’s new contract. A guest appearance ‘discovered’ Will Hutchins, as the correspondence school lawyer, Tom ‘Sugarfoot’ Brewster. Sugarfoot was then added to the Cheyenne rotation.
Ty Hardin was discovered by none other than John Wayne. He earned minor roles in TV and film until Walker’s walk put Warner Brothers in desperate-straights for a new leading man. Sugarfoot’s Tom Brewster counterpointed the Brodie and Bronco ready for action characters with a character averse to the use of firearms, preferring the use of a law book instead. When left with no alternative, even the Sugarfoot could resort to the use of force.
All three characters made guest appearances in their sibling’s slots, on occasion an episode might feature all three of them. Guest appearances also extended to other Warner Brothers productions including Maverick, Lawman and Colt .45.
Next Week: Gunsmoke ’55-‘75
Return to Facebook to comment
Ride easy,
Paul
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Thank you Charles. I believe Cheyenne's back story did include an Indian upbringing. I don't recall if they ever did an episode on it. If Cheyenne wasn't the first series to go to a one hour format, it was one of the first. Judging by the comments coming in on my Facebook page, the shirt-thing seems to have worked with the ladies!
In season 2, Episode 12, Cheyenne Bodie said to Jeannie (Angie Dickinson), "I lived with the Cheyenne till I was twelve years old." Then said, "my folks were killed in a wagon train massacre; the Indians picked me up and raised me."
Charles Burge