FORGOTTEN TELEVISION: THE OREGON TRAIL (1976-1977)

THE OREGON TRAIL (1976-1977) – Another seasonal post for Frontierado, which celebrates the myth of the Old West and not the grinding reality. The Oregon Trail was basically a 1970s attempt to imitate the classic western series Wagon Train. In the 1840s a recent widower played by Rod Taylor and his children join a wagon train headed to the Pacific Northwest.

The California Gold Rush had not yet started, hence Oregon as the destination instead. A 2-hour pilot movie in 1976 was followed by a tryout set of episodes but a full series never came to be.

THE OREGON TRAIL (Jan 10th, 1976) – Pilot Movie. The story opens in 1842 on the wedding day of widowed Illinois farmer Evan Thorpe and his second wife Jessica (Blair Brown). The next day, they and Evan’s children join a wagon train headed for America’s Pacific Northwest.

The three children were Andrew (Andrew Stevens), Rachel (Gina Hummer) and William (Tony Becker). Evan’s widowed father Eli (Douglas Fowley) joined the family for their westward trek. Other guest stars in this pilot film were David Huddleston, G.D. Spradlin, Eddie Little Sky, J.D. Cannon, Jerry Hardin, Linda Purl and Hoke “Crapout” Howell.

This telefilm and the short-lived series it spawned were historically inaccurate when it came to depicting the state of the American frontier in 1842 and 1843. Retcons to change the time period to the 1849 Gold Rush and the wagon train’s destination to California were themselves retconned back to what they were in the Pilot.

On top of that, ratings were poor and The Oregon Trail was canceled after 6 or 7 of its 13 hour-long episodes aired. In the U.K. all the episodes aired and the program’s DVD Set includes the Pilot Movie and all 13 episodes.     

EPISODE 1: HARD RIDE HOME (Sep 21st, 1977) – Blair Brown’s character was said to have died, making Evan a widower twice over. Darleen Carr was added to the cast as Margaret Devlin, a new romantic interest for Evan. She was unmarried and heading west with her roguish professional gambler father, “Packy” Devlin (William Windom), who replaced Evan’s father Eli. 

      The wagon train’s scout is killed by Native Americans, prompting Evan Thorpe to recruit Mountain Man Luther Sprague (Charles Napier) to be their new scout. Meanwhile, Evan’s youngest son William accidentally violates an Indian burial ground, causing the tribe to become hostile. With Ken Swofford and Wilford Brimley.

EPISODE 2: THE LAST GAME (Also Sep 21st) – The second part of this two-part episode deals with the fallout from the previous installment as Luther Sprague and the wagon train members struggle to prevent warfare with the tribe whose burial ground was violated. Margaret and her father hustle a dishonest card player. Other guest stars include John Vernon and Carole Tru Foster.

EPISODE 3: WATER HOLE (Sept 28th) – An unexpected dust storm complicates the wagon train’s efforts to find a watering hole before it’s too late. Kim Hunter and Jean Rasey guest star.

EPISODE 4: THE TRAPPER’S RENDEZVOUS (Oct 12th) – Lemus Harker (Claude Akins) leads a pack of Mountain Men who bear a deadly grudge against Luther Sprague.

EPISODE 5: THE ARMY DESERTER (Oct 19th) – The wagon train takes in a soldier who claims to have survived his troop’s clash with Native Americans, but it turns out he is really a deserter who has become sickened with killing. Guest cast includes Clu Gulager, Nicholas Hammond and Kevin McCarthy.

EPISODE 6: HANNAH’S GIRLS (Oct 26th) – Hannah Morgan (Stella Stevens) and her group of saloon girls prove a godsend when Hannah nurses Evan’s daughter Rachel back to health when she contracts cholera. Also starring Mills Watson, Louisa Moritz, Billy Green Bush and Denise Galick.

EPISODE 7: THE MAN WHO WOULDN’T DIE (unaired) – When a smooth ladies’ man is murdered Evan holds a wagon train trial to determine the guilt or innocence of the accused killer. James Wainwright, Beth Brickell and Robert J. Hogan guest star. 

EPISODE 8: THE SCARLET RIBBON (Nov 30th) – WILLIAM SHATNER guest stars as army Master-Sergeant Cole, whose zealous desire to tie local Native Americans to gun-running is opposed by Luther Sprague, who believes they are innocent. Also with Donna Mills, Richard Jaeckel and Bill Bixby, who also directed this episode. 

EPISODE 9: THE GOLD DUST QUEEN (unaired) – Wealthy “Gold Dust Queen” Amelia McKay (Susan Howard) uses her gold to buy menial service from several members of the wagon train, but when she tries to woo Evan, Margaret fights for her man.

EPISODE 10: RETURN OF THE BABY (unaired) – Mary Anne Morehead (Kim Darby), who was abducted by Native Americans several episodes ago, has escaped and returns to the wagon train just as she is about to give birth. Gerald McRaney and William Bryant guest star.   

EPISODE 11: EVAN’S VENDETTA (unaired) – Evan wants revenge after outlaws ambush him and his son Andrew while they are scouting for water. Dirk Blocker (Dan’s son), THE William Smith, Jim Davis, Ed Lauter and Kolchak’s wife Kathie Browne are in the guest cast.

EPISODE 12: SUFFER THE CHILDREN (unaired) – A man (Robert Fuller) refuses to let a doctor care for his injured daughter, saying it is up to God’s will if she lives or dies.

EPISODE 13: WAGON RACE (unaired) – Members of another wagon train ruthlessly sabotage Evan Thorpe’s wagon train in an attempt to beat them to a post for resupply. Also starring Mariette Hartley, Andrew Prine and Diane Shalet.  

FOR MORE FORGOTTEN TELEVISION CLICK HERE.