Trackdown (TV series)

Last updated
Trackdown
Robert Culp Trackdown 1957.JPG
Robert Culp as Hoby Gilman (1957)
Genre Western
Written by
Directed by
Starring
Narrated byEd Prentiss
Theme music composer
ComposerHarry King
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes71 plus pilot
Production
ProducerVincent M. Fennelly
CinematographyGuy Roe
Running time25 minutes
Production company Four Star Productions
Original release
Network CBS
ReleaseOctober 4, 1957 (1957-10-04) 
September 23, 1959 (1959-09-23)
Related

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 .

Contents

Overview

Trackdown stars Robert Culp as Texas Ranger Hoby Gilman. It is set in the 1870s after the American Civil War. In early episodes, stories focused on Gilman going to different Texas towns in pursuit of wanted fugitives. At midseason, the series became set in the town of Porter, Texas. Episodes touched on multiple Western themes and topics, so it was known as "the thinking man's Western". [1] [2]

Gilman is the de facto sheriff in Porter. His friends in the town include Henrietta Porter (portrayed by Ellen Corby). She is the widow of the town's founder and owns The Porter Enterprise newspaper. Occasionally, Gilman's duties as a Texas Ranger took him out of town, where he used his fast gun to "track down" and apprehend wanted criminals throughout the Lone Star State.

The pilot episode, "Badge of Honor", directed by Arthur Hiller, aired on Zane Grey Theatre on May 3, 1957. Gilman, then an ex-Confederate cavalry officer, returns to his Central Texas hometown, called "Crawford", after the war. He finds the town under the control of a ruthless gang led by an ex-Confederate colonel, Boyd Nelson (played by Gary Merrill). The town sheriff (portrayed by Tom Tully) is a drunken shell of a man Gilman had once known, who is afraid to face the outlaws. When a Texas Ranger came to arrest Colonel Nelson, he is fatally shot in the back. His Ranger badge falls on the dusty road. Gilman, who previously had served with the Texas Rangers, was weary of the Civil War and did not want to continue as a lawman, but after learning of the Ranger's death, he picks up the badge and finishes the job of bringing Nelson and his gang to justice.

Trackdown carried the endorsement of both the State of Texas and the Texas Rangers, an accolade no other Western television series has received. Some episodes were inspired by the files of the Rangers. [3]

Episodes

Season 1: 1957–58

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
11"The Marple Brothers" Thomas Carr John McGreevey October 4, 1957 (1957-10-04)
22"Law in Lampasas"Thomas CarrNorman JacobsOctober 11, 1957 (1957-10-11)
33"The San Saba Incident" Don McDougall D.D. Beauchamp October 18, 1957 (1957-10-18)
44"Easton, Texas"Thomas CarrJohn RobinsonOctober 25, 1957 (1957-10-25)
55"Like Father" John English John RobinsonNovember 1, 1957 (1957-11-01)
66"Sweetwater, Texas"Don McDougallNorman JacobsNovember 8, 1957 (1957-11-08)
77"Alpine, Texas"Thomas Carr Fred Freiberger November 15, 1957 (1957-11-15)
88"Self-Defense"Thomas CarrJohn RobinsonNovember 22, 1957 (1957-11-22)
99"End of an Outlaw"Thomas CarrCurtis KenyonNovember 29, 1957 (1957-11-29)
1010"Look for the Woman"Don McDougall Daniel B. Ullman December 6, 1957 (1957-12-06)
1111"The Town"Don McDougall Sam Peckinpah December 13, 1957 (1957-12-13)
1212"Man and Money"Don McDougallDaniel B. UllmanDecember 27, 1957 (1957-12-27)
1313"The Reward"Don McDougallFred FreibergerJanuary 3, 1958 (1958-01-03)
1414"The Farrand Story"Don McDougallJohn RobinsonJanuary 10, 1958 (1958-01-10)
1515"Right of Way"Don McDougallDon ClarkJanuary 17, 1958 (1958-01-17)
1616"The Witness"Thomas Carr Christopher Knopf January 24, 1958 (1958-01-24)
1717"The Toll Road"Don McDougallFred FreibergerJanuary 31, 1958 (1958-01-31)
1818"The Young Gun"Thomas CarrDaniel B. UllmanFebruary 7, 1958 (1958-02-07)
1919"The Wedding"Don McDougallSidney MarshallFebruary 14, 1958 (1958-02-14)
2020"The Trail"Don McDougallJohn RobinsonFebruary 28, 1958 (1958-02-28)
2121"The Bounty Hunter"Don McDougallJohn RobinsonMarch 7, 1958 (1958-03-07)
2222"The Judge"Don McDougallJohn RobinsonMarch 14, 1958 (1958-03-14)
2323"The House"Thomas CarrJohn RobinsonMarch 21, 1958 (1958-03-21)
2424"The Boy"Thomas CarrJohn RobinsonMarch 28, 1958 (1958-03-28)
2525"The Pueblo Kid"Don McDougallFrank BertApril 4, 1958 (1958-04-04)
2626"The Winter Boys"Don McDougallFrank BertApril 11, 1958 (1958-04-11)
2727"The Mistake"Don McDougallJohn RobinsonApril 18, 1958 (1958-04-18)
2828"The Deal"Don McDougallJohn RobinsonApril 25, 1958 (1958-04-25)
2929"The Jailbreak"Don McDougallJohn McGreeveyMay 2, 1958 (1958-05-02)
3030"The End of the World"Don McDougallJohn RobinsonMay 9, 1958 (1958-05-09)
3131"The Brothers"Don McDougallD.D. BeauchampMay 16, 1958 (1958-05-16)
3232"The Governor"Don McDougallFred FreibergerMay 23, 1958 (1958-05-23)

Season 2: 1958–59

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
331"Killer Take All"UnknownUnknownSeptember 5, 1958 (1958-09-05)
342"Outlaw's Wife"UnknownUnknownSeptember 12, 1958 (1958-09-12)
353"Chinese Cowboy"UnknownUnknownSeptember 19, 1958 (1958-09-19)
364"The Set Up"UnknownUnknownSeptember 26, 1958 (1958-09-26)
375"A Stone for Benny French"UnknownUnknownOctober 3, 1958 (1958-10-03)
386"Trapped"UnknownUnknownOctober 10, 1958 (1958-10-10)
397"Matter of Justice"UnknownUnknownOctober 17, 1958 (1958-10-17)
408"Tenner Smith"UnknownUnknownOctober 24, 1958 (1958-10-24)
419"The Avenger"UnknownUnknownOctober 31, 1958 (1958-10-31)
4210"The Schoolteacher"UnknownUnknownNovember 7, 1958 (1958-11-07)
4311"Deadly Decoy"UnknownUnknownNovember 14, 1958 (1958-11-14)
4412"Sunday's Child"UnknownUnknownNovember 21, 1958 (1958-11-21)
4513"Day of Vengeance"UnknownUnknownNovember 28, 1958 (1958-11-28)
4614"Three-Legged Fox"UnknownUnknownDecember 5, 1958 (1958-12-05)
4715"The Kid"UnknownUnknownDecember 12, 1958 (1958-12-12)
4816"Guilt"UnknownUnknownDecember 19, 1958 (1958-12-19)
4917"Every Man a Witness"UnknownUnknownDecember 26, 1958 (1958-12-26)
5018"McCallin's Daughter"UnknownUnknownJanuary 2, 1959 (1959-01-02)
5119"Bad Judgment"UnknownUnknownJanuary 28, 1959 (1959-01-28)
5220"Terror"UnknownUnknownFebruary 4, 1959 (1959-02-04)
5321"The Feud"UnknownUnknownFebruary 11, 1959 (1959-02-11)
5422"The Samaritan"R.G. SpringsteenD.D. Beauchamp and Mary M. BeauchampFebruary 18, 1959 (1959-02-18)
5523"The Gang"UnknownUnknownFebruary 25, 1959 (1959-02-25)
5624"The Threat"UnknownUnknownMarch 4, 1959 (1959-03-04)
5725"Hard Lines"UnknownUnknownMarch 11, 1959 (1959-03-11)
5826"Fear"UnknownUnknownMarch 18, 1959 (1959-03-18)
5927"Stranger in Town"UnknownUnknownMarch 25, 1959 (1959-03-25)
6028"The Protector"UnknownUnknownApril 1, 1959 (1959-04-01)
6129"False Witness"UnknownUnknownApril 8, 1959 (1959-04-08)
6230"The Trick"UnknownUnknownApril 15, 1959 (1959-04-15)
6331"The Eyes of Jerry Kelso"UnknownUnknownApril 22, 1959 (1959-04-22)
6432"Gift Horse"UnknownUnknownApril 29, 1959 (1959-04-29)
6533"The Vote"UnknownUnknownMay 6, 1959 (1959-05-06)
6634"The Unwanted"UnknownUnknownMay 13, 1959 (1959-05-13)
6735"Toss Up"UnknownUnknownMay 20, 1959 (1959-05-20)
6836"Inquest"UnknownUnknownSeptember 2, 1959 (1959-09-02)
6937"Back to Crawford"UnknownUnknownSeptember 9, 1959 (1959-09-09)
7038"Blind Alley"UnknownUnknownSeptember 16, 1959 (1959-09-16)
7139"Quiet Night in Porter"UnknownUnknownSeptember 23, 1959 (1959-09-23)

Background and production

Development

All Trackdown episodes were produced by Vincent Fennelly.[ citation needed ] John Robinson wrote 14 segments, including the pilot. Richard Donner was one of the directors. Sam Peckinpah wrote one episode, "The Town", about a cowardly community afraid to resist the clutches of an outlaw gang, but he did not direct any Trackdown episodes.

Robert Culp wrote one episode, titled "Back to Crawford", which features his then-wife, Nancy Asch-Culp. The episode was directly related to the first regular series episode, "The Marple Brothers", as Nancy portrayed a former childhood friend of Hoby's, Merrilee Quintana, with whom Hoby was once in love, who was out to kill his sister Norah as revenge for his killing her young husband in the line of duty, and who was one of the evil Marple Brothers he encountered in Episode 1.[ citation needed ] Gilman's sister was played by actress Peggy Webber, reprising her role from the series pilot.[ citation needed ]

In an interview, Robert Culp stated that Trackdown was conceived by its creators as "the Western Dragnet". [1] [4] [5] The pilot of the series was written by John Robinson, who, according to Culp in that same interview, was partly responsible for the creation of Dragnet. [5]

The series narrator was character actor Ed Prentiss.[ citation needed ]

Guest stars

Release

Syndication

From 2016 to 2020, episodes of Trackdown aired Saturday mornings on MeTV. [6]

Cultural references

The episode, "The End of the World", received considerable media attention after Donald Trump was elected president of the United States in 2016, nearly 60 years after the episode first aired. [7] [8] [9] [10] In the episode, a rabble-rousing doomsayer named Walter Trump (played by Lawrence Dobkin) comes to town. He scares the townsfolk with talk of an impending disaster and claims to be the only person who can save them – by building a wall. He also threatens to sue Hoby when accused of dishonesty. By the end of the episode, he is arrested as a conman and fraud. The coincidental similarity to Donald Trump's name and proposed border wall was noted. [7]

A Vanity Fair author wrote, "Of all the books and movies that presaged the rise of our reality-TV President... none are so eerily on the nose as this once-obscure, 1958 episode of Trackdown in which a demagogue named Trump attempts to convince a town that only he can save its citizens... by building a wall." [8] The Wrap asked, "Want to talk about a weird coincidence?.... Some may call this episode titled 'The End of the World' the ultimate illustration of life imitating art, considering the episode aired May 9, 1958... it is pretty amusing, especially when the TV character threatens, 'Be careful, son. I can sue you.'" [9] The San Francisco Chronicle stated, "The character's speech is so similar to the President-elect's, it almost seems as if Donald Trump borrowed some catchphrases from Walter Trump." [10]

Critical response

A review in the trade publication Variety described Trackdown as "a moderately good western half-hour telefilm with a moderately good star performer". [11] The review complimented characterizations but said the plot "was as loaded with holes as the villains were". [11]

Related Research Articles

<i>Dragnet</i> (franchise) Radio, television, and film series, mostly about LAPD detective Joe Friday

Dragnet is an American media franchise created by actor and producer Jack Webb, following Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Detective Joe Friday and his partners as they conduct by-the-book police work and solve crimes in Los Angeles. Originating as a radio drama on NBC in 1949, Dragnet has been adapted into several successful television shows and films, though the franchise's popularity has reduced since Webb's death in 1982. Its name is derived from the police term "dragnet", a system of coordinated measures for apprehending criminals or suspects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lampasas, Texas</span> Place in Texas, United States

Lampasas is a city in Lampasas County, Texas, United States. Its population was 7,291 at the 2020 census. It is the seat of Lampasas County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Webb</span> American actor, producer, director, and writer (1920–1982)

John Randolph Webb was an American actor, television producer, director, and screenwriter, most famous for his role as Joe Friday in the Dragnet franchise, which he created. He was also the founder of his own production company, Mark VII Limited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Easton, Texas</span> City in Texas, United States

Easton is a city in Gregg and Rusk counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 510 at the 2010 census, and 499 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Morgan</span> American actor (1915–2011)

Harry Morgan was an American actor whose television and film career spanned six decades. Morgan's major roles included Pete Porter in both December Bride (1954–1959) and Pete and Gladys (1960–1962); Officer Bill Gannon on Dragnet (1967–1970); Amos Coogan on Hec Ramsey (1972–1974); and his starring role as Colonel Sherman T. Potter in M*A*S*H (1975–1983) and AfterMASH (1983–1985). Morgan also appeared as a supporting player in more than 100 films.

<i>Adam-12</i> American police procedural television series, 1968–1975

Adam-12 is an American police procedural crime drama television series created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb and produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. The series follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers Pete Malloy and Jim Reed as they patrol Los Angeles in their police cruiser, assigned the call sign "1-Adam-12". Adam-12 stars Martin Milner and Kent McCord, with several recurring co-stars, the most frequent being William Boyett and Gary Crosby. The series ran over seven seasons from September 21, 1968, until May 20, 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Culp</span> American actor (1930–2010)

Robert Martin Culp was an American actor and screenwriter widely known for his work in television. Culp earned an international reputation for his role as Kelly Robinson on I Spy (1965–1968), the espionage television series in which co-star Bill Cosby and he played secret agents. Before this, he starred in the CBS/Four Star Western series Trackdown as Texas Ranger Hoby Gilman in 71 episodes from 1957 to 1959. The 1980s brought him back to television as FBI Agent Bill Maxwell on The Greatest American Hero. Later, he had a recurring role as Warren Whelan on Everybody Loves Raymond, and was a voice actor for various computer games, including Half-Life 2. Culp gave hundreds of performances in a career spanning more than 50 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Boyett</span> American actor (1927–2004)

William Boyett was an American actor best known for his roles in law enforcement dramas on television from the 1950s through the 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Griffith</span> American actor, musician and screenwriter

James Jeffrey Griffith was an American character actor, musician and screenwriter.

<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>Wanted Dead or Alive</i> (TV series) American Western television series (1958–1961)

Wanted Dead or Alive is an American Western television series starring Steve McQueen as bounty hunter Josh Randall. It aired on CBS for three seasons from 1958–1961. The black-and-white program was a spin-off of a March 1958 episode of Trackdown, a 1957–1959 Western series starring Robert Culp. Both series were produced by Vincent Fennelly for Four Star Television in association with CBS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lawrence Dobkin</span> American actor, director and screenwriter (1919–2002)

Lawrence Dobkin was an American television director, character actor and screenwriter whose career spanned seven decades.

<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, Ida Lupino 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">Christopher Dark</span> American actor (1920–1971)

Christopher Dark was an American actor. He graduated from Cornell University and did post graduate work at Columbia University. He served as an army medic in the Philippines during WWII, and received honors. He began his career in theater in NY, and then moved to Hollywood in 1952. He was a member of the Foreign Film Committee for SAG for most of his career. As well as acting, he also wrote many scripts, including collaborations with Ida Lupino and Christopher Cary.

<i>The Over-the-Hill Gang</i> 1969 American made-for-television Western comedy television film by Jean Yarbrough

The Over-the-Hill Gang is a 1969 American made-for-television Western comedy film about a group of aging Texas Rangers, starring Walter Brennan and Pat O'Brien. Chill Wills, Edgar Buchanan, Andy Devine, and Jack Elam play supporting roles. The film was written by Richard Carr and directed by Jean Yarbrough.

Hoby may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George N. Neise</span> American actor (1917–96)

George N. Neise was an American character actor. He made over 120 film and television appearances between 1942 and 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Devon</span> American actor (1926–2010)

Richard Devon was an American character actor and voice actor who between the late 1940s and 1991 performed in hundreds of roles on stage, radio, television, and in feature films.

<i>Dragnet</i> (1967 TV series) American television series

Dragnet is an American crime drama television series starring Jack Webb and Harry Morgan which ran for four seasons, from January 12, 1967, to April 16, 1970. To differentiate it from the earlier 1950s Dragnet television series, the year in which each season ended was made part of the on-screen title—the series started as Dragnet 1967 and ended as Dragnet 1970. The entire series aired Thursdays at 9:30–10:00 pm (EST) and was directed by Jack Webb.

References

  1. 1 2 "Do You Remember... "Trackdown"". westernclippings.com. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  2. "Culp interview". tripod.com. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  3. "Trackdown Television Series Archives, 1957-1959". Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. University of Texas at Austin . Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  4. "Robert Culp". Archive of American Television. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  5. 1 2 "Trackdown". Archive of American Television. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  6. "Schedule".
  7. 1 2 Evon, Dan (13 January 2017). "Did a 1950s TV Episode Feature a Character Named Trump Who Offered to Build a Protective Wall?". Snopes.com . Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  8. 1 2 Nguyen, Tina (9 Feb 2017). "This Television Show Predicted Donald Trump... in 1958". Vanity Fair . Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  9. 1 2 Rossi, Rosemary (9 January 2017). "1950s TV Show Had Villain Named Trump Who Promised to Save World by Building a Wall". The Wrap . Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  10. 1 2 Moffitt, Mike (10 January 2017). "Did '50s TV show feature a con artist named Trump promising to build a wall?". San Francisco Chronicle . Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  11. 1 2 "Trackdown". Variety. October 9, 1957. p. 29. Retrieved February 17, 2024.