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{{More citations needed|date=April 2024}}
{{Short description|American western television series}}
{{Infobox television
{{Infobox television
| name = The Westerner
| image = Brian Keith The Westerner 1960.JPG
| image = Brian Keith The Westerner 1960.JPG
| caption = Brian Keith as Dave Blassingame and [[Spike (dog)|Spike]] as Brown, 1960
| caption = Brian Keith as Dave Blassingame and [[Spike (dog actor)|Spike]] as Brown, 1960
| genre = [[Western (genre)|Western]]
| genre = [[Western (genre)|Western]]
| creator = [[Sam Peckinpah]]
| creator = [[Sam Peckinpah]]
| writer = Jack Curtis<br>[[Bruce Geller]]<br>[[Tom Gries]]<br>Robert Heverly<br>Sam Peckinpah
| writer = Jack Curtis<br />[[Bruce Geller]]<br />[[Tom Gries]]<br />Robert Heverly<br />Sam Peckinpah
| director = Sam Peckinpah<br>[[André de Toth]]<br>[[Tom Gries]]
| director = Sam Peckinpah<br />[[André de Toth]]<br />[[Tom Gries]]
| starring = [[Brian Keith]]
| starring = [[Brian Keith]]
| narrated =
| narrated =
| theme_music_composer =
| theme_music_composer =
| opentheme =
| opentheme =
Line 22: Line 23:
| cinematography =
| cinematography =
| camera = [[Single-camera setup|Single-camera]]
| camera = [[Single-camera setup|Single-camera]]
| runtime = 25 mins.
| runtime = 25 mins.
| company = [[Four Star Productions]]
| company = [[Four Star Productions]]
| distributor = [[Four Star Productions]]
| channel = [[NBC]]
| channel = [[NBC]]
| picture_format = [[Black-and-white]]
| audio_format = [[Monaural]]
| first_aired = {{start date|1960|09|30}}
| first_aired = {{start date|1960|09|30}}
| last_aired = {{end date|1960|12|30}}
| last_aired = {{end date|1960|12|30}}
| preceded_by =
| followed_by =
| related =
| related =
| website =
}}
}}


'''''The Westerner''''' is a [[highbrow]] American [[Western (genre)|Western]] series that aired on [[NBC]] from September 30 to December 30, 1960. Created, written and produced by [[Sam Peckinpah]], who also directed some episodes, the series was a [[Four Star Television]] production. ''The Westerner'' stars [[Brian Keith]] as amiable, unexceptional cowhand/drifter Dave Blassingame, and features [[John Dehner]] as rakish Burgundy Smith, who appeared in three episodes.
'''''The Westerner''''' is an American [[Westerns on television|Western television series]] that aired on [[NBC]] from September 30 to December 30, 1960. Created and produced by [[Sam Peckinpah]], who also wrote and directed some episodes, the series was a [[Four Star Television]] production.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tv.apple.com/us/show/the-westerner/umc.cmc.5z4qv7d72l0i88dwmccqhdk4n |title=The Westerner |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=<!--Not stated--> |website=tv.apple.com |publisher=Apple TV+ |access-date=3 May 2024 |quote=}}</ref> ''The Westerner'' stars [[Brian Keith]] as amiable, unexceptional cowhand/drifter Dave Blassingame, and features [[John Dehner]] as rakish Burgundy Smith, who appeared in three episodes.


==Plot==
== Overview ==
Dave Blassingame was a basically decent, ordinary man who was handy with a gun and his fists. A cowboy and drifter, he could sometimes behave amorally in his quest to get enough money together to buy his own ranch, but always did the right thing in the end, and remained true to himself.
Dave Blassingame is a cowboy and drifter who is handy with a gun and his fists, travelling through an often lawless country trying to get enough money together to buy his own ranch.


His equally amiable dog Brown was played by [[Spike (dog)|Spike]], who was trained by [[Frank Weatherwax]] and is best known for playing the title role in ''[[Old Yeller (film)|Old Yeller]]''. Brown figured prominently in a number of episodes, appeared in all of them, and was always seen faithfully following Blassingame in the end credits.
His dog Brown is played by [[Spike (dog actor)|Spike]], trained by [[Frank Weatherwax]] and best known for playing the title role in ''[[Old Yeller (film)|Old Yeller]]''. Brown figures prominently in a number of episodes, appears in all of them, and always appears following Blassingame during the end credits.


==Cast==
== Cast ==

===Main cast===
=== Main ===
* [[Brian Keith]] as Dave Blassingame
* [[Brian Keith]] as Dave Blassingame
* [[Spike (dog)]] as Brown
* [[Spike (dog actor)|Spike]] as Brown
* Hank Gobble as Digger
* Hank Gobble as Digger
* Jimmy Lee Cook as Band Member
* Jimmy Lee Cook as Band Member
Line 53: Line 49:
* [[John Dehner]] as Burgundy Smith
* [[John Dehner]] as Burgundy Smith


===Guest cast===
=== Guest stars ===
Guest stars included [[Malcolm Atterbury]], [[Ben Cooper]], [[Katy Jurado]], and [[John Pickard (American actor)|John M. Pickard]], and one episode (the first, "Jeff") memorably featured [[Warren Oates]] as a drunk quietly passing out at a table.
Guest stars included [[Malcolm Atterbury]], [[Ben Cooper]], [[Katy Jurado]], and [[John Pickard (American actor)|John M. Pickard]], [[Sam Jaffe]], and one episode (the first, "Jeff") memorably featured [[Warren Oates]] as a drunk quietly passing out at a table. Other guest stars, like Ms. Jurado, would later go on to appear in some of Peckinpah's feature films. These included [[John Anderson (actor)|John Anderson]] (''[[Ride the High Country]]''), [[R. G. Armstrong]] (''[[Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid]]''), [[Dub Taylor]] (''[[The Wild Bunch]]'', ''[[The Getaway (1972 film)|The Getaway]]''), and [[Mary Murphy (actress)|Mary Murphy]] (''[[Junior Bonner]]'').


==Production==
== Episodes ==
{{Episode table |background=#FFD700 |overall= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |episodes=
===Broadcasting===
⚫
The pilot for ''The Westerner'' appeared on [[CBS]]'s ''[[Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater]]''. The musical score was largely the work of Four Star's [[Herschel Burke Gilbert]].


⚫
===Syndication as ''The Westerners''===
For rerun syndication it was grouped with three other short-lived Western series from the same company, ''[[Black Saddle]]'' starring [[Peter Breck]], ''[[Johnny Ringo (TV series)|Johnny Ringo]]'' starring [[Don Durant]], and ''[[Law of the Plainsman]]'' starring [[Michael Ansara]], under the umbrella title ''The Westerners'', bracketed with hosting sequences featuring [[Keenan Wynn]].

==Episodes==
{| class=wikitable style="background:#FFFFFF"
! style="background:#FFD700; width:20px"| {{abbr|Nº|Number}}
! style="background:#FFD700"| Title
! style="background:#FFD700"| Directed by:
! style="background:#FFD700"| Written by:
! style="background:#FFD700; width:135px"| Original air date
{{Episode list
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = Pilot
| Title = Trouble at Tres Cruces
| DirectedBy = Sam Peckinpah
| WrittenBy = Sam Peckinpah
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1959|3|26}}
| ShortSummary = This was episode 24 of season 3 of [[Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre]].
| LineColor = FFD700
}}{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 1
| EpisodeNumber = 1
| Title = Jeff
| Title = Jeff
| DirectedBy = [[Sam Peckinpah]]
| DirectedBy = [[Sam Peckinpah]]
| WrittenBy = Robert Heverly,<br> Sam Peckinpah
| WrittenBy = Robert Heverly,<br /> Sam Peckinpah
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1960|9|30}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1960|9|30}}
| ShortSummary =
| ShortSummary =
Line 83: Line 76:
| Title = School Days
| Title = School Days
| DirectedBy = [[André De Toth]]
| DirectedBy = [[André De Toth]]
| WrittenBy = Robert Heverly,<br> Sam Peckinpah
| WrittenBy = Robert Heverly,<br /> Sam Peckinpah
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1960|10|7}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1960|10|7}}
| ShortSummary =
| ShortSummary =
Line 101: Line 94:
| Title = Mrs. Kennedy
| Title = Mrs. Kennedy
| DirectedBy = [[Bernard L. Kowalski]]
| DirectedBy = [[Bernard L. Kowalski]]
| WrittenBy = John Dunkel,<br> Sam Peckinpah
| WrittenBy = John Dunkel,<br /> Sam Peckinpah
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1960|10|28}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1960|10|28}}
| ShortSummary =
| ShortSummary =
Line 137: Line 130:
| Title = The Old Man
| Title = The Old Man
| DirectedBy = André De Toth
| DirectedBy = André De Toth
| WrittenBy = Jack Curtis,<br> Sam Peckinpah
| WrittenBy = Jack Curtis,<br /> Sam Peckinpah
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1960|11|25}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1960|11|25}}
| ShortSummary =
| ShortSummary =
Line 187: Line 180:
| LineColor = FFD700
| LineColor = FFD700
}}
}}
|}
}}

== Production ==

=== Music ===
The musical score was largely the work of Four Star's [[Herschel Burke Gilbert]].

== Release ==

=== Broadcast ===
⚫
The pilot for ''The Westerner'' appeared on [[CBS]]'s ''[[Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre]]''.

⚫
=== Syndication as ''The Westerners'' ===
For rerun syndication it was grouped with three other short-lived Western series from the same company, ''[[Black Saddle]]'' starring [[Peter Breck]], ''[[Johnny Ringo (TV series)|Johnny Ringo]]'' starring [[Don Durant]], and ''[[Law of the Plainsman]]'' starring [[Michael Ansara]], under the umbrella title ''The Westerners'', bracketed with hosting sequences featuring [[Keenan Wynn]].<ref>{{Cite news|title=New...In Syndication! 5 Great Stars...125 Action Half Hours! Keenan Wynn presents The Westerners (originally seen as: Black Saddle / Johnny Ringo / The Law of the Plainsman / The Westerner)|date=May 31, 1965|work=Broadcasting|pages=12–13|quote=Now being filmed in Hollywood! 125 different Keenan Wynn wrap-arounds are being produced and carefully integrated into each of THE WESTERNERS episodes ... giving this series A FIRST RUN LOOK! [...] Fall '65 start! For stripping, once-a-week, or as a back-to-back hour (with special Keenan Wynn bridges). [...] starring Brian Keith as Dave Blasingame, Michael Ansara as Sam Buchart, Peter Breck as Clay Culhane, Don Durant as Johnny Ringo.|id={{ProQuest|1014491186}}}}</ref>


==Reception==
=== Home media ===
⚫
A two-DVD set of the complete series including the pilot episode was released by [[Shout! Factory]] in February 2017.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Westerner: The Complete Series|url=https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/the-westerner-the-complete-series-collector-s-edition?product_id=5185|website=Shout! Factory|accessdate=November 10, 2017}}</ref>
⚫
The critically acclaimed series ran for 13 episodes, but it was cancelled because of low ratings (due to being placed in the same time slot as ''[[The Flintstones]]'' and ''[[Route 66 (TV series)|Route 66]]'').


== Reception ==
⚫
==Spin-offs and remakes==
⚫
The critically acclaimed series ran for 13 episodes, but it was cancelled because of low ratings (due to being placed in the same time slot as ''[[The Flintstones]]'' and ''[[Route 66 (TV series)|Route 66]]'').<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/18/arts/television-where-the-wild-bunch-can-trace-its-birth.html Rafferty, Terrence. "Where the Wild Bunch Can Trace Its Birth." ''The New York Times''. 18 July 2004.]</ref>
⚫
===''The Losers'' (1963)===
⚫
An unsuccessful attempt to update and revive the hardbitten series aired as a January 1963 episode of ''[[The Dick Powell Show|The Dick Powell Theater]]'', "The Losers", directed by Peckinpah and featuring [[Lee Marvin]] as Dave Blassingame and [[Keenan Wynn]] as Burgundy Smith, but set in the modern West. [[Rosemary Clooney]] portrayed the [[leading lady]].


⚫
== Spin-offs and remakes ==
===''Will Penny'' (1968)===
⚫
=== ''The Losers'' (1963) ===
One of the episodes of "The Westerner", "Line Camp", was the basis for the 1968 [[Charlton Heston]] film ''[[Will Penny]]''.
⚫
An attempt to update and revive the hardbitten series aired as a January 1963 episode of ''[[The Dick Powell Show|The Dick Powell Theater]]'', "The Losers", directed by Peckinpah and featuring [[Lee Marvin]] as Dave Blassingame and [[Keenan Wynn]] as Burgundy Smith, but set in the modern West. [[Rosemary Clooney]] portrayed the [[leading lady]].


===''The Gambler Returns'' (1991)===
=== ''Will Penny'' (1968) ===
One of the episodes of ''The Westerner'', "Line Camp" guest-starring [[Robert Culp]], was the basis for the 1968 film ''[[Will Penny]]'' starring [[Charlton Heston]]. [[Slim Pickens]] plays essentially the same role, as a feisty derby-wearing cook, in both the television episode and the movie.
⚫
Brian Keith briefly played the same character again in 1991's ''[[The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw]]'', which featured a number of 1950s and 1960s television Western series leads reprising their roles in quick cameo appearances ([[Gene Barry]] as [[Bat Masterson]], [[Hugh O'Brian]] as [[Wyatt Earp]], [[Jack Kelly (actor)|Jack Kelly]] as [[Maverick (TV series)#Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick|Bart Maverick]], [[Clint Walker]] as [[Cheyenne (TV western)|Cheyenne Bodie]], [[David Carradine]] as ''[[Kung Fu (TV series)|Kung Fu]]'''s Caine, [[Chuck Connors]] as [[The Rifleman]], and so on).


=== ''The Gambler Returns'' (1991) ===
==Home media==
⚫
Brian Keith briefly played the same character again in 1991's ''[[The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw]]'', which featured a number of 1950s and 1960s television Western series leads reprising their roles in quick cameo appearances ([[Gene Barry]] as [[Bat Masterson]], [[Hugh O'Brian]] as [[Wyatt Earp]], [[Jack Kelly (actor)|Jack Kelly]] as [[Maverick (TV series)#Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick|Bart Maverick]], [[Clint Walker]] as [[Cheyenne (TV western)|Cheyenne Bodie]], [[David Carradine]] as ''[[Kung Fu (1972 TV series)|Kung Fu]]'''s Caine, [[Chuck Connors]] as ''[[The Rifleman]]'', and so on).
⚫
A two-DVD set of the complete series was released by [[Shout! Factory]] in February 2017.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Westerner: The Complete Series|url=https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/the-westerner-the-complete-series-collector-s-edition?product_id=5185|website=Shout! Factory|accessdate=November 10, 2017}}</ref>


==References==
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
== External links ==
*{{IMDb title | id=0053551 | title=The Westerner}}
*{{IMDb title|id=0053551 | title=The Westerner}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Westerner}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Westerner (TV series), The}}
[[Category:1960s American television series]]
[[Category:NBC television dramas]]
[[Category:NBC original programming]]
[[Category:1960s Western (genre) television series]]
[[Category:1960s Western (genre) television series]]
[[Category:Television series by Four Star Television]]
[[Category:Television series by Four Star Television]]
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[[Category:1960 American television series endings]]
[[Category:1960 American television series endings]]
[[Category:Black-and-white American television shows]]
[[Category:Black-and-white American television shows]]
[[Category:English-language television shows]]
[[Category:American English-language television shows]]

Latest revision as of 01:10, 15 September 2024

The Westerner
Brian Keith as Dave Blassingame and Spike as Brown, 1960
GenreWestern
Created bySam Peckinpah
Written byJack Curtis
Bruce Geller
Tom Gries
Robert Heverly
Sam Peckinpah
Directed bySam Peckinpah
André de Toth
Tom Gries
StarringBrian Keith
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Production
Executive producerHal Hudson
ProducerSam Peckinpah
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time25 mins.
Production companyFour Star Productions
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseSeptember 30 (1960-09-30) –
December 30, 1960 (1960-12-30)

The Westerner is an American Western television series that aired on NBC from September 30 to December 30, 1960. Created and produced by Sam Peckinpah, who also wrote and directed some episodes, the series was a Four Star Television production.[1] The Westerner stars Brian Keith as amiable, unexceptional cowhand/drifter Dave Blassingame, and features John Dehner as rakish Burgundy Smith, who appeared in three episodes.

Overview

[edit]

Dave Blassingame is a cowboy and drifter who is handy with a gun and his fists, travelling through an often lawless country trying to get enough money together to buy his own ranch.

His dog Brown is played by Spike, trained by Frank Weatherwax and best known for playing the title role in Old Yeller. Brown figures prominently in a number of episodes, appears in all of them, and always appears following Blassingame during the end credits.

Cast

[edit]

Main

[edit]
  • Brian Keith as Dave Blassingame
  • Spike as Brown
  • Hank Gobble as Digger
  • Jimmy Lee Cook as Band Member
  • Michael T. Mikler as Band Member
  • Marie Selland as Addie McKeen
  • John Dehner as Burgundy Smith

Guest stars

[edit]

Guest stars included Malcolm Atterbury, Ben Cooper, Katy Jurado, and John M. Pickard, Sam Jaffe, and one episode (the first, "Jeff") memorably featured Warren Oates as a drunk quietly passing out at a table. Other guest stars, like Ms. Jurado, would later go on to appear in some of Peckinpah's feature films. These included John Anderson (Ride the High Country), R. G. Armstrong (Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid), Dub Taylor (The Wild Bunch, The Getaway), and Mary Murphy (Junior Bonner).

Episodes

[edit]
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
Pilot"Trouble at Tres Cruces"Sam PeckinpahSam PeckinpahMarch 26, 1959 (1959-03-26)
This was episode 24 of season 3 of Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre.
1"Jeff"Sam PeckinpahRobert Heverly,
Sam Peckinpah		September 30, 1960 (1960-09-30)
2"School Days"André De TothRobert Heverly,
Sam Peckinpah		October 7, 1960 (1960-10-07)
3"Brown"Sam PeckinpahBruce GellerOctober 21, 1960 (1960-10-21)
4"Mrs. Kennedy"Bernard L. KowalskiJohn Dunkel,
Sam Peckinpah		October 28, 1960 (1960-10-28)
5"Dos Pinos"Don McDougallE. Jack NeumanNovember 4, 1960 (1960-11-04)
6"The Courting of Libby"Sam PeckinpahBruce GellerNovember 11, 1960 (1960-11-11)
7"Treasure"Ted PostCyril HumeNovember 18, 1960 (1960-11-18)
8"The Old Man"André De TothJack Curtis,
Sam Peckinpah		November 25, 1960 (1960-11-25)
9"Ghost of a Chance"Bruce GellerMilton S. GelmanDecember 2, 1960 (1960-12-02)
10"Line Camp"Tom GriesTom GriesDecember 9, 1960 (1960-12-09)
11"Going Home"Elliot SilversteinJack CurtisDecember 16, 1960 (1960-12-16)
12"Hand on the Gun"Sam PeckinpahBruce GellerDecember 23, 1960 (1960-12-23)
13"The Painting"Sam PeckinpahBruce GellerDecember 30, 1960 (1960-12-30)

Production

[edit]

Music

[edit]

The musical score was largely the work of Four Star's Herschel Burke Gilbert.

Release

[edit]

Broadcast

[edit]

The pilot for The Westerner appeared on CBS's Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre.

Syndication as The Westerners

[edit]

For rerun syndication it was grouped with three other short-lived Western series from the same company, Black Saddle starring Peter Breck, Johnny Ringo starring Don Durant, and Law of the Plainsman starring Michael Ansara, under the umbrella title The Westerners, bracketed with hosting sequences featuring Keenan Wynn.[2]

Home media

[edit]

A two-DVD set of the complete series including the pilot episode was released by Shout! Factory in February 2017.[3]

Reception

[edit]

The critically acclaimed series ran for 13 episodes, but it was cancelled because of low ratings (due to being placed in the same time slot as The Flintstones and Route 66).[4]

Spin-offs and remakes

[edit]

The Losers (1963)

[edit]

An attempt to update and revive the hardbitten series aired as a January 1963 episode of The Dick Powell Theater, "The Losers", directed by Peckinpah and featuring Lee Marvin as Dave Blassingame and Keenan Wynn as Burgundy Smith, but set in the modern West. Rosemary Clooney portrayed the leading lady.

Will Penny (1968)

[edit]

One of the episodes of The Westerner, "Line Camp" guest-starring Robert Culp, was the basis for the 1968 film Will Penny starring Charlton Heston. Slim Pickens plays essentially the same role, as a feisty derby-wearing cook, in both the television episode and the movie.

The Gambler Returns (1991)

[edit]

Brian Keith briefly played the same character again in 1991's The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw, which featured a number of 1950s and 1960s television Western series leads reprising their roles in quick cameo appearances (Gene Barry as Bat Masterson, Hugh O'Brian as Wyatt Earp, Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick, Clint Walker as Cheyenne Bodie, David Carradine as Kung Fu's Caine, Chuck Connors as The Rifleman, and so on).

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "The Westerner". tv.apple.com. Apple TV+. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  2. ^ "New...In Syndication! 5 Great Stars...125 Action Half Hours! Keenan Wynn presents The Westerners (originally seen as: Black Saddle / Johnny Ringo / The Law of the Plainsman / The Westerner)". Broadcasting. May 31, 1965. pp. 12–13. ProQuest 1014491186. Now being filmed in Hollywood! 125 different Keenan Wynn wrap-arounds are being produced and carefully integrated into each of THE WESTERNERS episodes ... giving this series A FIRST RUN LOOK! [...] Fall '65 start! For stripping, once-a-week, or as a back-to-back hour (with special Keenan Wynn bridges). [...] starring Brian Keith as Dave Blasingame, Michael Ansara as Sam Buchart, Peter Breck as Clay Culhane, Don Durant as Johnny Ringo.
  3. ^ "The Westerner: The Complete Series". Shout! Factory. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  4. ^ Rafferty, Terrence. "Where the Wild Bunch Can Trace Its Birth." The New York Times. 18 July 2004.
[edit]
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