Boots and Saddles (TV series)

Boots and Saddles is an American Western television series created by Robert A. Cinader which aired in syndication from 1957 to 1958. “It was a lonely land then, the vast frontier held by the last scattered remnants of the once great armies that fought the Civil War. To such as these, all but forgotten, doing a dirty, thankless job, without reward or glory, the army was a way of life, the only one they knew or wanted.”

Boots and Saddles
Genre	Western
Created by	Robert A. Cinader
Written by	Don Brinkley Robert A. Cinader John Hawkins Gene Roddenberry
Directed by	William J. Hole, Jr. Bernard L. Kowalski
Starring	John M. Pickard Patrick McVey Gardner McKay
Theme music composer	Fred Steiner
Composer	Fred Steiner
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	39
Production
Producers	George Cahan Robert Stillman
Editor	Irving Berlin[1]
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	22–24 minutes
Production company	California National Productions
Distributor	NBC Television Films
Release
Original network	Syndication
Picture format	Black-and-white
Audio format	Monaural
Original release	September 19, 1957 – May 29, 1958

Synopsis

Set in 1871 at Fort Lowell, fictionalized in appearance, in the former Arizona Territory, near Tucson, Arizona, the series stars John Pickard (billed as Jack Pickard) as U.S. Fifth Cavalry Captain Shank Adams, Patrick McVey as Lieutenant Colonel Wesley Hayes, and Gardner McKay as Lieutenant Dan Kelly, who have to fight the Apaches.[2] Other roles were filled by David Willock as Lieutenant Binning, John Alderson as Sergeant Bullock, and Mike Hinn as scout Luke Cummings.

The series was produced by California National Productions.[2]

The technical advisor was Col. J. S. Peters, Retired, U.S. Cavalry.

Production

The series was shot in Kanab Canyon in Utah.[3]

Episode list

Series pilot: "Cavalry Patrol" starring Dewey Martin as Lt. Johnny Reardon.

1. "The Gatling Gun" by Gene Roddenberry, a visiting general unaware of proper desert fighting techniques challenges Hayes' command with a powerful new weapon. 19 Sept. 1957
2. "The Repeater Rifle", an arms trader named Jackson (Ned Glass) sells repeating rifles at high prices to Indians. Captain Adams forces Jackson to ride patrol to see the danger of his transactions.[2] 26 Sept. 1957
3. "The Obsession" by Tony Barrett, an officer blocks a young recruit’s attempts to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York on the grounds that the soldier (played by Wright King) cannot perform under battle conditions. 3 Oct. 1957
4. "Private War", the fort is split between lingering Confederate and Union Army sympathizers.[2] 10 Oct. 1957
5. “The Prussian Farmer” by Gene Roddenberry, a former Prussian cavalry officer named Franz Mueller (Herbert Rudley) helps the recruits repel an Apache attack. 17 Oct. 1957
6. "The Paymaster", calm at the fort dissipates after four months of pay arrives; character actor Claude Akins guest stars. 24 Oct. 1957
7. "Terror at Fort Lowell", scouts face danger tracking Apache raids. In "The Deserter", a trooper named Grimes (Paul Picerni) leaves his patrol in the desert without any horses. Robert Knapp plays Private Hank Swanson 31 Oct. 1957
8. "Border Raiders" 7 Nov. 1957
9. "The Deserter", Trooper Grimes, a troublemaker who Capt. Adams never had any use for, is caught deliberately giving an Apache prisoner bad water. The incident confirms Adams' decision to get rid of Grimes, but Grimes doesn't see it that way. 14 Nov. 1957
10. "A Quiet Day at Fort Lowell", Captain Adams helps a soldier deal with his feelings of guilt resulting from an act of cowardice. 21 Nov. 1957
11. "The Gift" 5 Dec. 1957
12. "The Treasure", an American Civil War bandit wills his contraband to the U.S. government, but his daughter, Laurie (Rebecca Welles), comes forward to contest her father’s will. 12 Dec. 1957
13. "The Coward" by Tony Barrett, a young soldier is accused of running away while under fire by Apaches. 19 Dec. 1957
14. "The Marquis of Donnybrook" by Gene Roddenberry, Merriwether, played by DeForest Kelley, is a champion prizefighter from the 7th Cavalry 26 Dec. 1957
15. "Pound of Flesh" 2 Jan. 1958
16. "The Strange Death of Trooper Jones" 9 Jan. 1958
17. "The Duel", Lieutenant Kelly is challenged to a duel, lance vs. saber, by an Apache chief. 16 Jan. 1958
18. "The Last Word" 23 Jan. 1958
19. "The Proud Condemned" 30 Jan. 1958
20. "Female of the Species" 6 Feb. 1958
21. "The Dispatch Rider" 13 Feb. 1958
22. "The Eight-for-Five Men" 20 Feb. 1958
23. "Late Arrival" 27 Feb. 1958
24. "Rescue of the Stranger" by Gene Roddenberry 6 Mar. 1958
25. "The Cook" 13 Mar. 1958
26. "The Court Martial" 20 Mar. 1958
27. "The Lost Patrol" 27 Mar. 1958
28. "A Question of Duty" 3 Apr. 1958
29. "One Man War" 10 Apr. 1958
30. "The Indian Scout", Robert Knapp plays Private Hank Swanson. 17 Apr. 1958
31. "The Politician" 24 Apr. 1958
32. "The Recruit" by Tony Barrett, story by Barrett and S. S. Schwartzer 1 May 1958
33. "The Superstition", Joe Conley, later storekeeper Ike Godsey on CBS's The Waltons, appears as Private Spanner. the story of a supposedly jinxed officer. A scout flees the fort fearful of Spanner’s "evil spirits". 8 May 1958
34. "Iron John" 15 May 1958
35. "The Holdout" 22 May 1958
36. "Weight of Command", diphtheria strikes Fort Lowell. 27 May 1958
37. "The Decision", the soldiers give food to hungry Southern Paiute Indians in violation of military rules and face discipline: "no good deed goes unpunished". 3 June 1958
38. "The Captain's Leave" by John Hawkens, the series finale, Adams encounters a couple, with the wife pregnant, trying to cross the desert without sufficient supplies. 10 June 1958

Adaptations

Ray Bailey adapted the TV series into a comic strip.[4]

References

1. Not to be confused with the musical composer Irving Berlin
2. "Boots and Saddles". Classic TV Archives. Retrieved September 12, 2009.
3. D'Arc, James V. (2010). When Hollywood came to town: a history of moviemaking in Utah (1st ed.). Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith. ISBN 9781423605874.
4. "Ray Bailey (II)". lambiek.net.

External links

• Boots and Saddles at IMDb
• Boots and Saddles at TV.com
• www.westernclippings.com