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. Continue reading
THE BEARD aka THE WEIRD BEARD – This veteran of television and radio – real name Bob Lowrie – first gained the nickname “the Beard” from his time as a rock ‘n’ roll DJ. It is not known if the “Weird Beard” variant nickname started during his radio career or if it was coined to distinguish his Movie Host character from his DJ persona. 
Assisting the droll host was the beautiful Sugar, played by Letitia McKee, a former Miss Teen Hawaii and Miss Bikini. (She’s shoveling Hawaii’s famed sugar at right.) The program produced 126 episodes. 
TWENTY-SIX MEN (1957-1959) – This television series ran for two seasons and 78 half-hour episodes. It dramatized the early years of the Arizona Rangers, who were established on March 21st, 1901, and for years consisted of just 26 men. Stories were based on the Arizona Rangers case files.
THE RECRUIT – In this 1st episode of the series, Captain Rynning and Clint Travis receive an emergency telegram from a newspaper editor in Wilcox, Arizona. They ride there, but find the editor has been lynched, so they set about investigating what happened. With Don Haggerty as Big Red Monahan.
JOHNNY RINGO (1959) – Don Durant starred as the one and only Johnny Ringo, the real-life gunslinger. The fictional setting of this program takes place between Johnny’s original rise to fame during the Mason County War in Texas and his final years in Arizona as part of the Clanton-McLaury Crime Faction led by Curly Bill Brocius. Aaron Spelling was the producer.
STORIES OF THE CENTURY aka TALES OF THE WEST (1954-1955) starred future Jock Ewing Jim Davis as Railroad Detective Matt Clark. Part anthology series and part historical fiction, this series presented Clark crossing paths with assorted real-life outlaws of the Old West. During Season One (26 half-hour episodes) his female sidekick was Frankie Adams (Mary Castle). Season Two ran just 13 half-hour episodes and co-starred Kristine Miller as Matt’s sidekick Margaret “Jonesy” Jones. 
THE EPISODES: 
HARLEM DETECTIVE (1953-1954) – Black actors like THE William Marshall and William Hairston played police detectives in multiple episodes of this short-lived television series set in Harlem. They were partnered with the program’s major white detective, portrayed by Owen Jordan. Other black performers appeared in supporting roles each episode and several scripts were written by African American writer William Attaway (Above left). William’s sister Ruth appeared in the first episode of Harlem Detective. 
Before I delve into the few episodes that I was able to learn details about I’ll point out that William Marshall was forced off the series when he was accused of being a communist. Some online mentions claim the entire series was canceled because of that. 
CAVALCADE OF AMERICA (1952-1955) – This terrific 30-minute anthology series dramatized real-life events in U.S. history from the Revolutionary War onward. Sometimes fictional works appropriate for the series would be presented as well. Even if you don’t want to watch the show you can just pick out historical names below and look them up online.
POOR RICHARD – Benjamin Franklin and John Adams surreptitiously delay pretended negotiations with General William Howe for an American surrender just to help buy time for General George Washington’s withdrawal from New York. Starring Dabbs Greer, Alan Napier and Henry Brandon. 
THE NOTEBOOK WARRIOR (Sep 14th, 1954) – Ben Gazzara stars as a talented violinist who is drafted into the army and has difficulty adapting to the rigid lifestyle. Richard Kiley also stars. 
DADDY DEAREST (1993) – As usual for Father’s Day and Mother’s Day Balladeer’s Blog takes a look at obscure movies or television shows that fit the occasion. For this Father’s Day it’s Daddy Dearest, a largely forgotten sitcom that starred RICHARD LEWIS and DON RICKLES, a very bizarre pairing. 
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