Bus Stop
The bus stop of this series was a dine in Sunrise, Colorado, a small town in Rocky Mountain country. The continuing characters included Grace Sherwood, the working owner of the diner, Elma Gahringer the waitress, Sheriff Will Mayberry and DA Glenn Wagner. The stories revolved around the people passing through Sunrise, and many an unusual character stepped off that interstate bus. The program earned national notoriety and probably early cancellation due to an episode titled "A Lion Walks Among Us", which was based on a Tom Wicker novel and starred rock singer Fabian Forte as a youthful psychopath bent on murder and mayhem. This segment was widely denounced for its explicit violence and sadism and was cited in Congressional hearings on violence in television. The president of ABC-TV when challenged by an angry senator as to whether he allowed his own children to watch such a series, stammered and admitted no he did not. Shortly thereafter the show ended permanently.
Brian Kieth played a cowboy, accompanied by a dog called "dog." John Dhener was in the last three or four episodes, playing a rival. They had some ferocious fist fights. In my favorite episode, Kieth, Ben Cooper and Michael Ansara come down from wintering some cows in Montana. Cooper, the kid, keeps riding Ansara. When they get to town, the kid calls him out. Ansara, standing inside the general store (or saloon, perhaps), finally sees that the kid will not be stopped by anything short of a bullet. While the kid postures in the street, ready to slap leather, Ansara pulls out his pistol, points it at the kid through the door, then walks out. As soon as he sees the kid he pulls the trigger. At episode's end, Ansara and Kieth ride slowly out of town as the wounded kid lies in the street watching. Name the show.
Oooh, I remember Brian Keith and "dog". That was the first time I had seen Brian Keith and I really liked him. Around 1960? I'm thinking the show was called "The Westerner". I don't remember any of the plots, but I can see Brian Keith. And just when I was really into it, the show went off the air.
That's the show. Didn't last a season. If it came out on DVD I would buy it. The last two episodes were not as good ar the rest, because it only concentrated on his attempts to match wits (and strength) with John Dehner, a character only good enough for one episode.
Around the same time as "The Westerner", we watched a western that was a summer replacement - only on for three months and only 30 minutes long - but I loved it. It was about a one-armed gun slinger (lost his arm during the Civil War) who wandered the West and would leave (when he had to travel on) his Kansas City P.O. Box Address with the friends he made in case they'd ever need his help again.
If this one came out on DVD, I'd buy it.
Can you name the show?
I remember the show, but the name is hard to recall. It had the ring of a name like Slade or something. I know that's not right. I need time to ruminate . . .
Yes, you're close. I always had trouble remembering his name, too.
The actor appeared on cigarette commercials, too.
I give up. I'll never remember.
Phoenix: Thank you. Great site.
Edgar: You were close enough with Slade. It almost rhymes with "Tate".
David McLean appeared for years on television commercials as the Marlboro Man. After he learned he had cancer, he became an anti-smoking crusader. At a meeting of stockholders of Philip Morris, maker of Marlboro, Mr. McLean asked them to limit their advertising. In addition to his movie credits, Mr. McLean also appeared on the television programmes 'Tate', 'Bonanza', 'The Westerner', 'The High Chaparral', 'The Virginian', and 'Gunsmoke'.
Robert Redford appeared in two episodes of Tate.
Tate was on from June 8, 1960 to September 28, 1960.
McLean died at age 75 in 1995.
Tate is pretty much forgotten, but the inspiring Marlboro commercials will live, if in infamy, forever.
"Doc" on radios's Gunsmoke was played by whom?
I believe it was Howard McNear, who also played Floyd the Barber on the Andy Griffith Show.
Audie Murphy was said to be the most decorated soldier of WWII, but what other American actor was sometimes called the SECOND-most decorated from WWII? He usually played bad guys in the movies and TV, but was a good guy on TV's "Laredo".
Yup. That was a pretty fast draw, mister. You coulda been on a Western yerself.
I've liked Neville Brand all my life, the old fart.
I could ask something obscure, like, what song did Clint Walker sing on the last season run of Cheyenne, but don't want to show off.
What cast member of tv Gunsmoke was a member of the Sons of the Pioneers?
The same actor played a character called Monk on two episodes of Have Gun Will Travel.
He also appeared on an early episode of Gunsmoke as a totally different character.
Ken Curtis.
Also, Cheyenne's song was Beautiful Dreamer.
