''Gunslinger'' is an American Western television series starring Tony Young that aired on the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

television network A television broadcaster or television network is a telecommunications network for the distribution of television show, television content, where a central operation provides programming to many television stations, pay television providers or ...

from February 9, 1961, through September 14, 1961, on Thursdays from 9 to 10 p.m. EST. The theme song was sung by

Frankie Laine Frankie Laine (born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio; March 30, 1913 – February 6, 2007) was an American singer and songwriter whose career spanned nearly 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performa ...

. The program was also broadcast in London.

Plot

Young played Cord, a young

gunfighter Gunfighters, also called gunslingers () or in the late 19th and early 20th century gunmen, were individuals in the American Old West who gained a reputation of being dangerous with a gun and participated in shootouts. Today, the term "gunslin ...

who works undercover for the local army garrison commander at Fort Scott in the New Mexico Territory, acting as a secret law enforcement agent in the territory. Pico McGuire, Murdock, and Billy Urchin were agents working undercover with Cord. Captain Zachary Wingate was Cord's superior, and Amber Hollister was the romantic interest for Cord. ''Gunslinger'' was the successor to ''

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater Dick, Dicks, or Dick's may refer to: Media * ''Dicks'' (album), a 2004 album by Fila Brazillia * Dicks (band), a musical group * ''Dick'' (film), a 1999 American comedy film * "Dick" (song), a 2019 song by Starboi3 featuring Doja Cat * '' ...

''.

Cast

* Tony Young as Cord *

Preston Foster Preston Stratton Foster (August 24, 1900 – July 14, 1970), was an American actor of stage, film, radio, and television, whose career spanned nearly four decades. He also had a career as a vocalist. Early life Born in Ocean City, New Jerse ...

as Captain Zachary Wingate * Charles Gray as Pico McGuire * Dee Pollock as Billy Urchin *

Midge Ware Midge Ware Colton (born Muriel Florence Bendelson; October 20, 1927 – June 3, 2020) was an American model and stage, screen and television actress. She had a career lasting over 30 years in the show business. Early life Born in The Bronx ...

as Amby Hollister * John M. Pickard as Sgt. Major Murdock

Guest stars

Roy Barcroft Roy Barcroft (born Howard Harold Ravenscroft; September 7, 1902 – November 28, 1969) was an American character actor famous for playing villains in B-Westerns and other genres. From 1937 to 1957, he appeared in more than 300 films for Republi ...

* Henry Brandon * Anthony Caruso * Phyllis Coates *

Lloyd Corrigan Lloyd Corrigan (October 16, 1900 – November 5, 1969) was an American film and television actor, producer, screenwriter, and director who began working in films in the 1920s. The son of actress Lillian Elliott, Corrigan directed films, usually ...

Royal Dano Royal Edward Dano Sr. (November 16, 1922 – May 15, 1994) was an American actor. In a career spanning 46 years, he was perhaps best known for playing cowboys, villains, and Abraham Lincoln. Dano also provided the voice of the Audio-Animatronic ...

* Jim Davis *

Buddy Ebsen Buddy Ebsen (born Christian Ludolf Ebsen Jr.; April 2, 1908 – July 6, 2003), also known as Frank "Buddy" Ebsen, was an American actor and dancer. One of his most famous roles was as Jed Clampett in the CBS television sitcom ''The Beverly Hillb ...

Jack Elam William Scott "Jack" Elam (November 13, 1920 – October 20, 2003) was an American film and television actor best known for his numerous roles as villains in Western films and, later in his career, comedies (sometimes spoofing his villaino ...

Gene Evans Eugene Barton Evans (July 11, 1922 – April 1, 1998) was an American actor who appeared in numerous television series, television films, and feature films between 1947 and 1989. Early life Evans was born in Holbrook, Arizona and raised i ...

* Jock Gaynor * Raymond Guth *

Ron Hagerthy Ronald F. Hagerthy (born March 9, 1932) is an American actor on television and in films. Early years Hagerthy was born in Aberdeen, South Dakota, but moved to Glendale, California, before he started school. He attended Glendale City College and ...

* Don C. Harvey *

Myron Healey Myron Daniel Healey (June 8, 1923 – December 21, 2005) was an American actor. He began his career in Hollywood, California during the early 1940s and eventually made hundreds of appearances in movies and on television during a career span ...

* Anne Helm *

John Hoyt John Hoyt (born John McArthur Hoysradt; October 5, 1905 – September 15, 1991) was an American actor. He began his acting career on Broadway, later appearing in numerous films and television series. He is perhaps best known for his roles in th ...

George Kennedy George Harris Kennedy Jr. (February 18, 1925 – February 28, 2016) was an American actor who appeared in more than 100 film and television productions. He played "Dragline" in ''Cool Hand Luke'' (1967), winning the Academy Award for Best Supp ...

Sandy Kenyon Sandy Kenyon (born Sanford Klein; August 5, 1922 – February 20, 2010) was an American actor of film and television. He appeared as a guest actor on numerous television series, including a recurring role on the 1961 TV series, ''The Americans''. ...

Norman Leavitt Norman Turner Leavitt (December 1, 1913 – December 11, 2005) was an American film and television actor. Life and career Leavitt was born in Lansing, Michigan. He began his stage career in 1935, appearing as a wedding guest in the Broa ...

Celia Lovsky Celia Lovsky (born Cäcilia Josefina Lvovsky, February 21, 1897 – October 12, 1979) was an Austrian-American actress. On the original ''Star Trek'' she played the Vulcan matriarch T'Pau, and on ''The Twilight Zone'' she played the aged d ...

Barbara Luna Barbara Ann Luna (born 2 March 1938), also stylized as BarBara Luna, is an American actress from film, television and musicals. Notable roles include Makia in '' Five Weeks in a Balloon'' and Lt. Marlena Moreau in the classic ''Star Trek'' episo ...

Jock Mahoney Jacques Joseph O'Mahoney (February 7, 1919 – December 14, 1989), 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''. H ...

Stafford Repp Stafford Alois Repp (April 26, 1918 November 5, 1974) was an American actor best known for his role as Police Chief Miles Clancy O'Hara on ABC's ''Batman'' television series. World War II Soon after the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbo ...

Addison Richards Addison Whittaker Richards, Jr. (October 20, 1902 – March 22, 1964) was an American actor of film and television. Richards appeared in more than 300 films between 1933 and his death in 1964. Biography A native of Zanesville, Ohio, Richard ...

William Schallert William Joseph Schallert (July 6, 1922 – May 8, 2016) was an American character actor who appeared in dozens of television shows and films over a career spanning more than 60 years. He is known for his roles on ''Richard Diamond, Private ...

Jay Silverheels Jay Silverheels (born Harold Jay Smith; May 26, 1912 – March 5, 1980) was a First Nations in Canada, First Nations and Mohawk people, Mohawk actor and athlete, descended from three Iroquois nations. He was well known for his role as Tonto, the ...

* Quentin Sondergaard *

Fay Spain Lona Fay Spain (October 6, 1932 – May 8, 1983) was an American actress in motion pictures and television. Early years Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Fay Spain was the younger of two daughters born to Robert C. Spain and Arminta Frances "Mick ...

Harry Dean Stanton Harry Dean Stanton (July 14, 1926 – September 15, 2017) was an American actor. In a career that spanned more than six decades, Stanton played supporting roles in films including ''Cool Hand Luke'' (1967), '' Kelly's Heroes'' (1970), '' Dilling ...

William Tannen William Tannen (November 17, 1911 – December 2, 1976) was an American actor originally from New York City. Tannen was the son of actor Julius Tannen. William Tannen became active in drama — both acting and writing — while a student at ...

Vaughn Taylor Vaughn Taylor may refer to: * Vaughn Taylor (golfer) * Vaughn Taylor (actor) {{hndis, Taylor, Vaughn ...

* Guy Teague *

Rick Vallin Rick Vallin (born Eric Efron; September 24, 1919 – August 31, 1977) was an actor who appeared in more than 150 films between 1938 and 1966. Early years Born in Feodosia, in the Crimea, Russia, Vallin came to the United States at age three w ...

Production

''Gunslinger'' was the mid-season replacement for ''The Witness''.

Charles Marquis Warren Charles Marquis Warren (December 16, 1912 – August 11, 1990) was an American motion picture and television writer, producer, and director who specialized in Westerns. Among his notable career achievements were his involvement in creating the ...

was the executive producer, and Seeleg Lester was the producer.

Andrew McLaglen Andrew Victor McLaglen (July 28, 1920 – August 30, 2014) was a British-born American film and television director, known for Westerns and adventure films, often starring John Wayne or James Stewart. According to one obituary "His career in m ...

was the director, and John Dunkel and Louis Vittes were the writers. CBS Productions produced 12 episodes of the program in black and white. The show's competition included ''

My Three Sons ''My Three Sons'' is an American television sitcom that aired from September 29, 1960, to April 13, 1972. The series was filmed in black-and-white and broadcast on ABC during its first five seasons, before moving to CBS for the remaining seve ...

'' and ''

The Untouchables Untouchable or Untouchables may refer to: People * Untouchability, the practice of socially ostracizing a minority group of very low social status * Untouchables, word for the Dalits or Scheduled Castes of India * Untouchables (law enforcement), ...

'' on ABC and '' The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show'' and ''

Great Ghost Tales ''Great Ghost Tales'' is an American horror television series that aired Live from July 6 until September 21, 1961. The program was the summer replacement for '' The Ford Show''. Premise An anthology of scary stories. Authors whose works were ...

'' on NBC. The trade publication ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' reported in March 1961, "... CBS is writing off 'Gunslinger' after half a season". It added that the show "hasn't made much of a rating impact and network officials aren't that high on the stanza as a qualitative entry anyway."

Critical response

A review of the premiere episode in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' called ''Gunslinger'' "a crisp, slick Western fashioned in the professionally competent tradition of Hollywood." The review complimented the episode's writing, visual aspects, and acting and added, "the musical background and other production elements were skillfully employed."

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 0054543, Gunslinger 1960s Western (genre) television series CBS television dramas 1961 American television series debuts 1961 American television series endings Black-and-white American television shows