Bat Masterson

Back in Dodge City’s Queen of the Cow Towns heyday, Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp worked as lawmen in the toughest town in the west. There they became lifelong best of friends. Ironically the Bat Masterson series concept grew out of ABC’s successful Wyatt Earp series. NBC was in the market for its own western hero.

Gene Barry was hand-picked for the role of Bat Masterson by executive producer Fred Ziv after a cattle call audition. Barry turned the role down. He began his career as a concert violinist and singer. Experiences on the Broadway stage led to roles in film. He had no interest in TV. Ziv persisted, eventually enticing Barry to play the unconventional western hero.

The Bat Masterson TV series was based on a biography written by Richard O’Connor. I’ve not read that particular biography; but I’ve read others in the course of researching an upcoming book. I’d have to say the series was ‘loosely’ based on what we know about W. B. ‘Bat’ Masterson. The dapper Bat Masterson played by Berry, styled the character in a dark suit, jaunty derby hat and gold knobbed cane. There is historical precedent for that treatment, though the cane was not a dandified affectation as TV portrayed it. Bat needed it. He walked with a limp owing to a gunshot wound received in a dispute over the favors of a dance hall girl.

Gene Barry’s Bat was portrayed as a ladies man. That was somewhat exaggerated. Bat liked women. He lived with a couple in his younger years. He later settled down with common law wife Emma and, other than one somewhat sensational philander, he remained faithful to her for the rest of his life.

Bat Masterson ran for three seasons, a total of one hundred eight episodes. Despite high ratings, the show ended after three seasons. Barry wanted out. He found TV a grind. In only three seasons Gene Barry came to personify Bat Masterson for most of a generation.

Next Week: Wanted Dead or Alive ’58-‘63
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Ride easy,
Paul