The Range Rider

Last updated
The Range Rider
Jock Mahoney in The Range Rider (The Buckskin).jpg
Jock Mahoney in "The Buckskin" episode of The Range Rider
Genre Western
Written by
Directed by
Starring
Opening theme"Home on the Range"
Composers
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes78
Production
Executive producers
Producers
Running time30 mins. (approx)
Production companyRange Rider Productions
Original release
Network Syndication
ReleaseApril 5, 1951 (1951-04-05) –
September 1, 1953 (1953-09-01)

The Range Rider is an American Western television series that was first broadcast in syndication from 1951 to 1952. [1] A single lost episode surfaced and was broadcast in 1959.[ citation needed ] In 1954, the BBC purchased rights to show the program in the UK . [2] It was also shown in Melbourne, Australia, during the 1950s.[ citation needed ] It was broadcast in Canada and in Rome (with dialog dubbed in Italian). [3]

Contents

ABC ran the program on weekends in 1964-65. [1]

Synopsis

Jock Mahoney, later star of CBS's Yancy Derringer , played the title character in 79 black-and-white half-hour episodes, along with partner Dick West, played by Dick Jones, later star of the syndicated series Buffalo Bill, Jr. The character had no name other than Range Rider. His reputation for fairness, fighting ability, and accuracy with his guns was known far and wide, even by Indians. Mahoney towered over Jones, conveying the idea that Dick West was a youth rather than a full-grown adult. [4]

Stanley Andrews, the first host of the syndicated anthology series, Death Valley Days , appeared in 17 episodes of The Range Rider in different roles, including "Pack Rat" and "Marked for Death" in 1951 and "Marshal from Madero" in 1953. Gregg Barton similarly guest-starred in 16 episodes. Harry Lauter, later a co-star with Willard Parker on CBS's Tales of the Texas Rangers , appeared 11 times, including the episodes "Ten Thousand Reward" and "Dim Trails" (both in 1951), "Ambush in Coyote Canyon" (1952), and "Convict at Large" and "Marshal from Madero" (both in 1953). William Fawcett, prior to NBC's Fury , guest-starred in 9 episodes, including in "Diablo Posse", as Matt Ryan in "Last of the Pony Express", "Dim Trails" (all 1951), and "Shotgun Stage" (1952).

Production

The show was a production of Gene Autry's Flying A Productions, [5] and Autry himself was the executive producer, along with Louis Gray. Producers were Hugh McCollum and Armand Schaefer. Directors were George Archainbaud, William Berke, Thomas Carr, Wallace Fox, D. Ross Lederman, Frank McDonald, Donald McDougall, and Ray Nazarro. [6]

Mahoney (who was a stunt man before he became an actor) did his own stunt work on the program, which led to his receiving four broken bones and 16 wounds on his head, in addition to being knocked unconscious three times. [7]

The theme was "Home on the Range", [8] though in later episodes, this was played at a fast tempo without the words.

The Range Rider was the first major syndicated program to be broadcast five times a week in many areas, which led CBS Films to sometimes pull episodes from distribution to prevent overexposure. [1] Although the last episode of the show was made in December 1952, reruns continued to be shown, and by 1958 in some markets they were "on their third time around." [9]

Promotion

CBS owned half of the show [8] and helped to promote it by providing "comprehensive merchandising kits" for use in TV markets. [10] Mahoney promoted the show by making personal appearances on a tour of 20 cities. When he appeared in Pittsburgh, 20,000 children came to see him. [10]

Mahoney and West performed at rodeos in 1953 in cities such as Philadelphia, where they re-enacted stunts from the program [11] and Oakland, where the fights included "use of real furniture — not the easily collapsed propes used in a majority of movies and TV films." [12] A fight at a stock show in Houston resulted in four broken fingers for Jones and an ankle injury for Manoney. [13]

Flying A Productions created a merchandise tie-in by selling buckskin shirts and other items related to the program. [14]

DVD release

In 2006, Timeless Media Group released a licensed two-DVD (Region 1), 10-episode best-of collection. [15] Subsequently, a second licensed set was released, this time consisting of 20 episodes on six DVDs. [16] Between 2005 and 2007, Alpha Home Entertainment released five unlicensed best-of DVDs (region 0), with four episodes on each. [17] Though the series is not actually in the public domain, various episodes also appear in numerous unlicensed budget TV Western DVD collections.

Cultural references

In The A-Team episode When you Comin' Back, Range Rider? (season two, episodes five and six), Murdock is seen watching an episode of The Range Rider in his room at the psychiatric hospital. He adopts the persona of the Range Rider as the team pursues wild mustang rustlers, and is frequently seen wearing a mask of the Range Rider he cut from a cereal box.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denver Pyle</span> American actor (1920–1997)

Denver Dell Pyle was an American film and television actor and director. He was well known for a number of TV roles from the 1960s through the 1980s, including his portrayal of Briscoe Darling in several episodes of The Andy Griffith Show, as Jesse Duke in The Dukes of Hazzard from 1979 to 1985, as Mad Jack in the NBC television series The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, and as the titular character's father, Buck Webb, in CBS's The Doris Day Show. In many of his roles, he portrayed either authority figures, or gruff, demanding father figures, often as comic relief. Perhaps his most memorable film role was that of Texas Ranger Frank Hamer in the movie Bonnie and Clyde (1967), as the lawman who relentlessly chased down and finally killed the notorious duo in an ambush.

<i>Death Valley Days</i> American television series

Death Valley Days is an American Western anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program was broadcast on radio until 1945. From 1952 to 1970, it became a syndicated television series, with reruns continuing through August 1, 1975. The radio and television versions combined to make the show "one of the longest-running Western programs in broadcast history."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Lauter</span> American actor (1914-1990)

Herman Arthur "Harry" Lauter was an American character actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gloria Talbott</span> American actress (1931–2000)

Gloria Maude Talbott was an American film and television actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dick Jones (actor)</span> American actor (1927–2014)

Richard Percy Jones, known as Dick Jones or Dickie Jones, was an American actor and singer who achieved success as a child performer and as a young adult, especially in B-Westerns. In 1938, he played Artimer "Artie" Peters, nephew of Buck Peters, in the Hopalong Cassidy film The Frontiersman. He is also known as the voice of Pinocchio in Walt Disney's film of the same name.

<i>Four Star Playhouse</i> 1952 American TV series or program

Four Star Playhouse is an American anthology series that ran from September 25, 1952, through September 27, 1956.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chubby Johnson</span> American character actor and journalist

Charles Randolph "Chubby" Johnson was an American film and television supporting character actor with a genial demeanor and warm, country-accented voice.

<i>The Gene Autry Show</i> 1950 American TV series or program

The Gene Autry Show is an American western/cowboy television series which aired for 91 episodes on CBS from July 23, 1950 until August 7, 1956, originally sponsored by Wrigley's Doublemint chewing gum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jock Mahoney</span> American actor (1919–89)

Jacques Joseph O'Mahoney, known professionally as Jock Mahoney, was an American actor and stuntman. He starred in two Action/Adventure television series, The Range Rider and Yancy Derringer. He played Tarzan in two feature films and was associated in various capacities with several other Tarzan productions. He was credited variously as Jacques O'Mahoney,Jock O'Mahoney, Jack Mahoney, and finally Jock Mahoney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forrest Lewis</span> American actor (1899–1977)

Raymond Forrest Lewis was an American actor of the theater, radio, motion pictures and television.

<i>Man Against Crime</i> American TV detective series

Man Against Crime starring Ralph Bellamy, one of the first television programs about private eyes, ran on CBS, the DuMont Television Network and NBC from October 7, 1949, to June 27, 1954, and was briefly revived, starring Frank Lovejoy, during 1956. The show was created by Lawrence Klee and was broadcast live until 1952. The series was one of the few television programs ever to have been simulcast on more than one network: the program aired on both NBC and DuMont during the 1953–54 television season.

Cowboy G-Men is an American Western television series that aired in syndication from September 1952 to June 1953, for a total of thirty-nine episodes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margaret Field</span> American actress (1922–2011)

Margaret Field was an American film actress usually billed as Maggie Mahoney after her marriage to actor Jock Mahoney. The mother of actress Sally Field, she was best known for her work in two science-fiction films, The Man from Planet X (1951) and Captive Women (1952) and played dozens of roles in various television series.

Bob Woodward was an American actor of film and television, best known for his role in The Range Rider (1951–1953).

Steve Randall is an American detective television series starring Melvyn Douglas. The series' 13 episodes were initially seen in syndication during the summer of 1952, before being picked up and rerun by the DuMont Television Network from November 7, 1952, to January 30, 1953. CBS subsequently ran 9 of the same 13 episodes again from June 16, 1953, to August 11, 1953.

Ewing Young Mitchell was an American character actor of film and television best known for his role as Sheriff Mitch Hargrove in 26 episodes between 1956 and 1959 of the aviation adventure series with a western theme, Sky King. He also played Sheriff Powers on another western series, The Adventures of Champion.

The Jane Froman Show was an American musical variety television series starring singer and actress Jane Froman that aired on CBS from 1952–1955.

<i>Biff Baker, U.S.A.</i> (TV series) American 1950s TV show

Biff Baker, U.S.A. is an American adventure television program starring Alan Hale Jr. in the title role and Randy Stuart as his wife, Louise. The series was broadcast on CBS from November 6, 1952, until March 26, 1953. After the show's network run ended, it was syndicated, with reruns being broadcast until late in the 1950s. Lucky Strike cigarettes sponsored the program.

Hollywood Opening Night is an American anthology television program that was broadcast on CBS in 1951-1952 and on NBC in 1952-1953. The NBC version was the first dramatic anthology presented live from the West Coast. Episodes were 30 minutes long.

<i>Dick Powells Zane Grey Theatre</i> 1956 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 3 Erickson, Hal (1989). Syndicated Television: The First Forty Years, 1947-1987'. McFarland & Company, Inc. pp. 98–99. ISBN   0-7864-1198-8.
  2. ↑ "B. B. C. gets rights to 'Amos 'n' Andy': TV Series Will Start April 21 in Britain -- Group Also to Show 'Range Rider'" . The New York Times. April 7, 1954. p. 47. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  3. ↑ Subotnik, Nadine (June 24, 1954). "The Old Range Rider Comes A Lopin' In To Have a Swim". The Cedar Rapids Gazette. Retrieved February 11, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1985). Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981, Part II: Live, Film, and Tape Series. The Scarecrow Press. pp. 411–413. ISBN   0-8108-1651-2.
  5. ↑ 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. 683. ISBN   0-14-02-4916-8.
  6. ↑ Television Series and Specials Scripts, 1946-1992: A Catalog of the American Radio Archives Collection. McFarland. October 21, 2009. p. 257. ISBN   978-0-7864-5437-2 . Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  7. ↑ Berkshire, Bob (July 4, 1954). "'Range Rider' Show Packs Punches -- And Jack Mahoney Gets His Share". The Lincoln Star. p. 8-D. Retrieved February 11, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  8. 1 2 Irvin, Richard (28 October 2022). Pioneers of "B" Television: Independent Producers, Series and Pilots of the 1950s. McFarland. p. 188. ISBN   978-1-4766-8996-8 . Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Double Life For Mahoney". The Charlotte News. December 13, 1958. p. 17. Retrieved February 11, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  10. 1 2 "CBS TV Film Sale Kits Score Heavily". Billboard. October 18, 1952. p. 16. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Mahoney Clan Will Cheer Namesake at Arena Rodeo". The Philadelphia Inquirer. April 20, 1953. p. 25. Retrieved February 11, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "'Range Rider' and Pal Dick West Promise Lots of Action at Rodeo". Oakland Tribune. September 11, 1953. p. 24. Retrieved February 11, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ Mahoney, Ralph (February 17, 1953). "Range Rider Limps Into Phoenix After Rolling With TV Punches". Arizona Republic. p. 1. Retrieved February 11, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (1999). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (7th ed.). New York: The Ballentine Publishing Group. p. 841. ISBN   0-345-42923-0.
  15. ↑ "The Range Rider". Amazon. 5 May 2010.
  16. ↑ "Range Rider Collection". Amazon.
  17. ↑ "Range Rider - Volumes 1-5 (5-DVD)". Amazon. 28 August 2007. Retrieved 2009-02-26.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.