The Westerner
The Westerner was brought to my attention by Ed Bielcik. If you follow the comments appearing on these pages, you’ve probably enjoyed some of Ed’s. I know I do as he is one very knowledgeable fellow when it comes to Western TV and film. I didn’t know if I could find enough material to do a post on a three month run until we got to the syndication story.
Dick Powell discovered quite a few TV Western series on his Zane Grey Theater. He’d pilot them there and package them off to his Four Star Productions Company. The three he added to the Westerner enjoyed varying degrees of success measured in months. One made it to a partial second season. So let’s take a look back at The Westerner, Black Saddle, Johnny Ringo and Law of the Plainsman.
Brian Keith played cowboy drifter Dave Blassingame in Peckinpah’s original The Westerner. Blassingame and his faithful dog Brown, played by Spike better known for his role as Old Yeller, roamed the west fortune seeking funds to fulfill Dave’s dream ranch of his own. A likeable fellow Blassingame could handle trouble with his gun or fists when trouble intruded. He knew how to treat a lady too when one took a shine to him. The show launched on NBC September 1960 and cancelled that December.
Peckinpah wasn’t about to write off good wok. He convinced Powell to give a repackaged version called The Losers a shot in 1963 with Lee Marvin in the title role. The title properly captured the outcome.
The Line Camp episode of The Westerner is credited with inspiring Charlton Heston’s 1968 film Will Penny.
Brian Keith returned to the Blassingame role for an appearance in The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw (‘91) which featured cameo appearances by TV Western stars including Gene Barry as Bat Masterson, Hugh O’Brian as Wyatt Earp, Clint Walker as Cheyenne Brodie and Chuck Connors as The Rifleman.
Next Week: Black Saddle
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Ride easy,
Paul
Dick Powell discovered quite a few TV Western series on his Zane Grey Theater. He’d pilot them there and package them off to his Four Star Productions Company. The three he added to the Westerner enjoyed varying degrees of success measured in months. One made it to a partial second season. So let’s take a look back at The Westerner, Black Saddle, Johnny Ringo and Law of the Plainsman.
Brian Keith played cowboy drifter Dave Blassingame in Peckinpah’s original The Westerner. Blassingame and his faithful dog Brown, played by Spike better known for his role as Old Yeller, roamed the west fortune seeking funds to fulfill Dave’s dream ranch of his own. A likeable fellow Blassingame could handle trouble with his gun or fists when trouble intruded. He knew how to treat a lady too when one took a shine to him. The show launched on NBC September 1960 and cancelled that December.
Peckinpah wasn’t about to write off good wok. He convinced Powell to give a repackaged version called The Losers a shot in 1963 with Lee Marvin in the title role. The title properly captured the outcome.
The Line Camp episode of The Westerner is credited with inspiring Charlton Heston’s 1968 film Will Penny.
Brian Keith returned to the Blassingame role for an appearance in The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw (‘91) which featured cameo appearances by TV Western stars including Gene Barry as Bat Masterson, Hugh O’Brian as Wyatt Earp, Clint Walker as Cheyenne Brodie and Chuck Connors as The Rifleman.
Next Week: Black Saddle
Return to Facebook to comment
Ride easy,
Paul
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