Black Saddle

Last updated
Black Saddle
Peter Breck Anna Lisa Black Saddle 1959.JPG
Peter Breck as Clay Culhane and Anna-Lisa as Nora Travers (1959)
Genre Western
Created by
  • Hal Hudson
  • John McGreevey
Starring
Theme music composer
Composers
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes44
Production
Executive producerHal Hudson
Producers
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time24 mins.
Original release
Network
ReleaseJanuary 10, 1959 (1959-01-10) 
May 6, 1960 (1960-05-06)

Black Saddle is an American Western television series starring Peter Breck that aired 44 episodes from January 10, 1959, to May 6, 1960. The first season of 20 episodes aired on NBC from January 1959-September 1959. ABC picked up the second season in the 1959-1960 season with 24 new episodes produced. The half-hour program was produced by Dick Powell's Four Star Television, and the original backdoor pilot was an episode of CBS's Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre , with Chris Alcaide originally portraying the principal character, Clay Culhane, in an episode entitled "A Threat of Violence." [1]

Contents

Synopsis

Clay Culhane is a gunfighter who becomes a lawyer after his brothers are killed in a shootout. He carries his law books as he rides across the New Mexico Territory in the years following the Civil War, ready to help people who need help with the law. U. S. Marshal Gib Scott follows Culhane, dubious of Culhane's turning away from gunfighting. [2] Nora Travers owns the town's hotel, and Kelly is the bartender at the saloon. [3]

Russell Johnson as Marshal Gib Scott Russell Johnson Black Saddle 1960.JPG
Russell Johnson as Marshal Gib Scott

Cast

Main cast

Guest cast

Some of the Black Saddle guest stars include Warren Oates, [5] Chris Alcaide (who portrayed Clay Culhane in the original pilot), Fred Aldrich, John Anderson, Parley Baer, Raymond Bailey, Russ Bender, Paul Birch (in the role of U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant in the episode "Mr. Simpson"), Lane Bradford, Paul Burke, Archie Butler, James Coburn, Dennis Cross, John Dehner, Frank Dekova, Alan Dexter, Buddy Ebsen, Hampton Fancher, Scott Forbes in Episode "Client: Steele"), James Franciscus, Jack Ging, Dabbs Greer, Robert Griffin, Clu Gulager, Robert Harland, Stacy Harris, Brett King, Jess Kirkpatrick, Robert Knapp, John Marley, Ken Mayer, Ann McCrea, Patrick McVey, James Parnell, Vic Perrin, Sam Reese, Stafford Repp, Bing Russell, Richard Rust, Simon Scott, Richard Shannon, Robert F. Simon, Quentin Sondergaard and Patrick Macnee.

Episodes

Season 1 (1959)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
11"Client: Travers" John English John McGreeveyJanuary 10, 1959 (1959-01-10)
22"Client: Meade"Roger KayJohn McGreeveyJanuary 17, 1959 (1959-01-17)
33"Client: McQueen"John EnglishRobert Yale LibottJanuary 24, 1959 (1959-01-24)
44"Client: Dawes"Roger KayJohn McGreeveyJanuary 31, 1959 (1959-01-31)
55"Client: Starkey"John EnglishRobert Yale LibottFebruary 7, 1959 (1959-02-07)
66"Client: Tagger"John EnglishFrederick Louis FoxFebruary 14, 1959 (1959-02-14)
77"Client: Robinson"John FloreaJack JacobsFebruary 21, 1959 (1959-02-21)
88"Client: Martinez"Francis D. LyonJohn Tucker BattleMarch 7, 1959 (1959-03-07)
99"Client: Northrup" David Lowell Rich John McGreeveyMarch 14, 1959 (1959-03-14)
1010"Client: Steele"Francis D. LyonRod PetersonMarch 21, 1959 (1959-03-21)
1111"Client: Mowery"David Lowell RichFrederick Louis FoxMarch 28, 1959 (1959-03-28)
1212"Client: Braun"David Lowell RichJohn McGreeveyApril 4, 1959 (1959-04-04)
1313"Client: Banks"John English Antony Ellis April 11, 1959 (1959-04-11)
1414"Client: Jessup"John EnglishStuart JeromeApril 18, 1959 (1959-04-18)
1515"Client: Frome"John EnglishFrederick Louis FoxApril 25, 1959 (1959-04-25)
1616"Client: Nelson"Boris SagalJohn McGreeveyMay 2, 1959 (1959-05-02)
1717"Client: Neal Adams"William D. FarallaKen KolbMay 9, 1959 (1959-05-09)
1818"Client: Brand"Gerd OswaldJoe Stone & Paul KingMay 16, 1959 (1959-05-16)
1919"Client: Reynolds"David Lowell RichJohn McGreeveyMay 23, 1959 (1959-05-23)
2020"Client: Vardon"William D. FarallaFrederick Louis FoxMay 30, 1959 (1959-05-30)

Season 2 (1959–60)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
211"The Freebooters"William D. FarallaJohn McGreeveyOctober 2, 1959 (1959-10-02)
222"The Saddle" David Lowell Rich John McGreeveyOctober 9, 1959 (1959-10-09)
233"The Long Rider"David Lowell RichAntony EllisOctober 16, 1959 (1959-10-16)
244"The Hotel"James SheldonAntony EllisOctober 23, 1959 (1959-10-23)
255"Client: Peter Warren"David Lowell RichDonn MullallyOctober 30, 1959 (1959-10-30)
266"The Freight Line"David Lowell RichAntony EllisNovember 6, 1959 (1959-11-06)
277"Murdock"David Lowell RichFred FriebergerNovember 13, 1959 (1959-11-13)
288"Apache Killer"William D. FarallaJoe Stone & Paul KingNovember 20, 1959 (1959-11-20)
299"Four from Stillwater"David Lowell RichGeorge & Gertrude FassNovember 27, 1959 (1959-11-27)
3010"The Deal"David Lowell RichWilliam Link & Richard LevinsonDecember 4, 1959 (1959-12-04)
3111"Change of Venue"William D. FarallaJohn McGreeveyDecember 11, 1959 (1959-12-11)
3212"Blood Money"Frank BaurJohn McGreeveyDecember 18, 1959 (1959-12-18)
3313"The Killer" William F. Claxton Antony EllisJanuary 1, 1960 (1960-01-01)
3414"Letter of Death"David Lowell RichFrederick Louis FoxJanuary 8, 1960 (1960-01-08)
3515"Mr. Simpson"David Lowell RichAntony EllisJanuary 22, 1960 (1960-01-22)
3616"Means to an End"Frank BaurJohn McGreeveyJanuary 29, 1960 (1960-01-29)
3717"The Indian Tree"David Lowell RichJohn McGreevey & Antony EllisFebruary 19, 1960 (1960-02-19)
3818"The Apprentice"David Lowell RichJohn McGreeveyMarch 11, 1960 (1960-03-11)
3919"Burden of Guilt"Elliott SilversteinJohn McGreeveyMarch 18, 1960 (1960-03-18)
4020"The Cabin"David Lowell RichAntony EllisApril 1, 1960 (1960-04-01)
4121"The Return"David Lowell RichJohn McGreeveyApril 8, 1960 (1960-04-08)
4222"A Case of Slow"David Lowell RichAntony EllisApril 15, 1960 (1960-04-15)
4323"The Penalty"William D. FarallaJohn FalvoApril 22, 1960 (1960-04-22)
4424"End of the Line"William F. ClaxtonRichard FielderMay 6, 1960 (1960-05-06)

Production

Originally entitled War Gun, but changed just prior to filming (presumably due to the similarity to Warner Brothers' Lawman [6] ), the series was created by executive producers Hal Hudson and John McGreevey. [7] Antony Ellis was the producer. [4] On NBC the show was broadcast on Saturdays from 9 to 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time. When it was moved to ABC it was shown on Fridays from 10:30 to 11 p.m. E. T. [2]

The pilot for the series was "Threat to Violence", the May 23, 1958, episode of Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre . Chris Alcaide portrayed Culhane in it, with Johnson and Anna Lisa in the roles that they had in the series. [7] The change of stars occurred because the program's sponsor thought Alacaide "had become too familiar as a villain". [1]

Filming

The NBC episodes were filmed at Fox Movie Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains, [6] [8] while ABC's were shot at the Republic studio lot in Studio City. [9]

Theme

Although the Black Saddle TV series lasted less than two full seasons, its original theme tune—written by Jerry Goldsmith under the name of his then-brother-in-law, J. Michael Hennagin, because Goldsmith himself was still under contract to CBS [10] [11] —lives on. Several cover versions of the tune have been recorded, [12] [11] [13] many of which have since become available on YouTube. [14] Moreover, from February 1967 until at least the fall of 1992, the theme was frequently featured in the programs of marching bands and bugle corps. [15]

Syndication as The Westerners

For syndicated reruns, Black Saddle was combined with Law of the Plainsman , Johnny Ringo , and The Westerner , under the umbrella title, The Westerners, [7] with new hosting sequences by Keenan Wynn. [16]

Critical response

A review of the premiere episode in the trade publication Variety said that the script "did not stand up with the better westerns" and indicated that the pace of the episode should have been faster. [17] The review called the characterizations of the sheriff and the villain "hard to swallow". [17] Lisa was praised, primarily for her beauty, while Breck was said to be "okay in a flat sort of way", and the "Supporting cast was competent." [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. Pat O'Malley</span> English actor (1904–1985)

James Rudolph O'Malley was an English character actor and singer who appeared in many American films and television programmes from the 1940s to 1982, using the stage name J. Pat O'Malley. He also appeared on the Broadway stage in Ten Little Indians (1944) and Dial M for Murder (1954).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Breck</span> American actor (1929–2012)

Joseph Peter Breck was an American character actor. The rugged, dark-haired Breck played the gambler and gunfighter Doc Holliday on the ABC/Warner Bros. Television series Maverick as well as Victoria Barkley's hot-tempered middle son Nick in the 1960s ABC/Four Star Western The Big Valley. Breck also had the starring role in an earlier NBC/Four Star Western television series entitled Black Saddle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Russell (actor)</span> American actor (1921–1991)

John Lawrence Russell was an American film and television actor, most noted for his starring role as Marshal Dan Troop in the ABC Western television series Lawman from 1958 to 1962 and his lead role as international adventurer Tim Kelly in the syndicated TV series Soldiers of Fortune from 1955 to 1957.

<i>The Rifleman</i> American Western television program

The Rifleman is an American Western television series starring Chuck Connors as rancher Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the fictional town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The show was filmed in black and white, in half-hour episodes. The Rifleman aired on ABC from September 30, 1958, to April 8, 1963, as a production of Four Star Television. It was one of the first primetime series on US television to show a single parent raising a child.

<i>Sugarfoot</i> American Western TV series

Sugarfoot is an American Western television series that aired for 69 episodes on ABC from 1957-1961 on Tuesday nights on a "shared" slot basis – rotating with Cheyenne ; Cheyenne and Bronco ; and Bronco. The Warner Bros. production stars Will Hutchins as Tom Brewster, an Easterner who comes to the Oklahoma Territory to become a lawyer. Brewster was a correspondence-school student whose apparent lack of cowboy skills earned him the nickname "Sugarfoot", a designation even below that of a tenderfoot.

<i>Trackdown</i> (TV series) American Western TV series (1957–1959)

Trackdown is an American Western television series starring Robert Culp that aired on CBS between 1957 and 1959. The series was produced by Dick Powell's Four Star Television and filmed at the Desilu-Culver Studio. Trackdown was a spin-off of Powell's anthology series, Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Four Star Television</span> Defunct American television production company

Four Star Television, also called Four Star International, was an American television production company. Founded in 1952 as Four Star Productions by prominent Hollywood actors Dick Powell, David Niven, Charles Boyer and Joel McCrea, it was inspired by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz founding Desilu Productions a year earlier. McCrea left soon after its founding to continue in films, television and radio, and was replaced by Ida Lupino as the fourth star—although Lupino did not own stock in the company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dick Foran</span> American actor (1910–1979)

John Nicholas "Dick" Foran was an American actor and singer, known for his performances in Western musicals and for playing supporting roles in dramatic pictures. He appeared in dozens of movies of every type during his lengthy career, often with top stars leading the cast.

<i>The Westerner</i> (TV series) American western television series

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. 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.

<i>Lawman</i> (TV series) American TV series or program

Lawman is an American Western television series originally telecast on ABC from 1958 to 1962, starring John Russell as Marshal Dan Troop and Peter Brown as Deputy Marshal Johnny McKay. The series was set in Laramie, Wyoming, during 1879 and the 1880s. Warner Bros. already had several Western series on the air at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Pickard (American actor)</span> American actor (1913–1993)

John M. Pickard was an American actor who appeared primarily in television Westerns.

<i>Johnny Ringo</i> (TV series) Television series

Johnny Ringo is an American Western television series starring Don Durant that aired on CBS from October 1, 1959, until June 30, 1960. It is loosely based on the life of the notorious gunfighter and outlaw Johnny Ringo, also known as John Peters Ringo or John B. Ringgold, who tangled with Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and Buckskin Franklyn Leslie.

<i>Law of the Plainsman</i> 1959 American western television series

Law of the Plainsman is a Western television series starring Michael Ansara that aired on NBC from October 1, 1959, until September 22, 1960.

Herschel Burke Gilbert was an American orchestrator, musical supervisor, and composer of film and television scores and theme songs, including The Rifleman, Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater, and The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor. Gilbert once estimated that his compositions had been used in at least three thousand individual episodes of various television series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Richards (actor)</span> American actor (1924–1974)

Paul Richards was an American actor who appeared in films and on television in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Cooper</span> American actor (1933–2020)

Ben Cooper was an American actor of film and television who won a Golden Boot Award in 2005 for his work in Westerns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna-Lisa</span> Norwegian actress, puppeteer (1933–2018)

Anna-Lisa was a Norwegian-born actress who appeared primarily in American films and television series, until she returned to Norway in the early 1970s, where she became a puppeteer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brett King</span> American actor

Brett King was an American actor who performed in films and on television between 1949 and 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Alcaide</span> American film and television actor (1923–2004)

Chris Alcaide was an American film and television actor. He mostly appeared on western television shows including, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Rawhide, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Trackdown, Laramie, Death Valley Days, Tales of Wells Fargo, Maverick, Zane Grey Theatre and The Rifleman.

<i>Dick Powells Zane Grey Theatre</i> American TV series or program

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre is an American Western anthology television series broadcast on CBS from October 5, 1956 until May 18, 1961.

References

  1. 1 2 Aaker, Everett (2017). Television Western Players, 1960-1975: A Biographical Dictionary. McFarland. p. 54. ISBN   9781476662503 . Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  2. 1 2 Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (June 24, 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 151. ISBN   978-0-307-48320-1 . Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  3. Terrace, Vincent (January 10, 2014). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010, 2d ed. McFarland. p. 111. ISBN   978-0-7864-8641-0 . Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 101. ISBN   0-14-02-4916-8.
  5. Compo, Susan A. (April 17, 2009). Warren Oates: A Wild Life. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN   978-0-8131-3918-0 . Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  6. 1 2 "Giving 'Law Gun ' New Tag to Avoid 'Lawman' Conflict". The Hollywood Reporter. December 2, 1958. p. 8. ProQuest   2338270459. New telefilm series, 'Law Gun,' just signed by NBC for a mid-season January start, goes into immediate production tomorrow at Four Star's Fox Western studios with Peter Breck and Russell Johnson in stellar roles. According to executive producer Hal Hudson, title of the series will definitely be changed, presumably since it's too similar to Warner's 'Lawman.'
  7. 1 2 3 Erickson, Hal (29 September 2009). Encyclopedia of Television Law Shows: Factual and Fictional Series About Judges, Lawyers and the Courtroom, 1948-2008. McFarland. pp. 45–46. ISBN   978-0-7864-3828-0 . Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  8. Newton, Dwight (December 19, 1958). "Day and Night: Westerns, Westerns, Westerns". The San Francisco Examiner. Sec. III, pg. 7. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  9. "Hal Hudson Sets Up Shop on Republic Lot". The Hollywood Repoprter. May 31, 1965. p. 7. ProQuest   2338330903. Hal Hudsod, executive v-p of Zane Grey Prods., has moved the company to Republic to ready production of the telefilm series in which Zane Grey is partnered with Four Star. Hudson will again produce 'Zane Grey Theatre' which goes into its fourth year and will resume as exec producer of 'Black Saddle' which enters its second season.
  10. Burlingame, Jon (1996). TV's Biggest Hits : The Story of Television Themes from "Dragnet" to "Friends" . New York: Schirmer Books. pp. 83–84. ISBN   0028703243. "Goldsmith had scored to radio western 'Frontier Gentleman,' for producer Antony Ellis. When Ellis moved into television with 'Black Saddle,' starring Peter Breck as a gunfighter-turned-lawyer, he asked Goldsmith to write the theme. Because the composer was still under contract to CBS at the time, he penned it under a pseudonym (that of his then brother-in-law, J. Michael Hennagin) and never received screen credit for his fast rhythmically exciting theme for guitars, brass and percussion. Arthur Morton (b. 1908), who several years later became Goldsmith's regular orchestrator, wrote a library of Coplandesque music for the series."
  11. 1 2 "J. Michael Hennagin credits". Discogs. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  12. Harris, Steve (1988). Film, Television, and Stage Music on Phonograph Records : A Discography . Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 281. ISBN   0-89950-251-2.
  13. "Golden Buffalo Marching Band, University Of Colorado; 1975". Internet Archive. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  14. evanlewis1836 (July 10, 2019). "BLACK SADDLE - Bud Wattles & His Orchestra". YouTube. Retrieved November 8, 2023. See also:
  15. "Remington Jr. Corps Reorganized". The Standard-Star. February 24, 1967. p.4 . Retrieved November 8, 2023. See also:
  16. "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.
  17. 1 2 3 "Black Saddle". Variety. January 14, 1959. p. 39. Retrieved November 10, 2023.