''The Marshal of Gunsight Pass'' is an American live broadcast Western television series that began on March 12, 1950, and ended on September 30, 1950, with a one-month hiatus in April and May. Based on a radio program, the show starred

Russell Hayden Russell "Lucky" Hayden (born Hayden Michael "Pate" Lucid; June 12, 1912 – June 9, 1981) was an American film and television actor. He is best known for his portrayal as Lucky Jenkins in Paramount's popular Hopalong Cassidy film series. Early ...

(1912–1981), Eddie Dean (1907–1999), and Riley Hill as

Marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used fo ...

No. 1, Marshal No. 2, and Marshal No. 3, respectively. Hayden, who is not identified by a character name, left the program because he was dissatisfied with the way it was directed. Dean uses his own name in the series, and Hill is known as "Riley Roberts".

Smith Ballew Sykes "Smith" Ballew (January 21, 1902 – May 2, 1984) was an American actor, sophisticated singer, orchestra leader, and a western singing star. He also was billed as Buddy Blue, Charles Roberts, and Billy Smith. Early years The son of Wil ...

took over the title role in May 1950.

Roscoe Ates Roscoe Blevel Ates (January 20, 1895 – March 1, 1962) was an American vaudeville performer, actor of stage and screen, comedian and musician who primarily featured in western films and television. He was best known as western character So ...

(1895–1962) played the stuttering, popeyed deputy Roscoe; Andy Parker (1913–1977), Andy, and Bert Wenland (1929–2004), Bud Glover.

Jan Sterling Jan Sterling (born Jane Sterling Adriance; April 3, 1921 – March 26, 2004) was an American film, television and stage actress. At her most active in films during the 1950s (immediately prior to which she had joined the Actors Studio), Sterling ...

(1921–2004), then Jane Adrian, appeared at the age of twenty-nine as Ruth, the deputy's niece. In May 1950, Kay Christopher was the female lead. The

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

program was broadcast from the former

Vitagraph Studios Vitagraph Studios, also known as the Vitagraph Company of America, was a United States motion picture studio. It was founded by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith in 1897 in Brooklyn, New York, as the American Vitagraph Company. By 1907 ...

site, near Chatsworth, which the network had bought. The network invested more than $1 million to enable production of this and other live programs. All scenes were shot indoors, with projectors used to create background images — stationary or moving — for outdoor action. Geared toward a children's audience, the program was telecast live to West Coast stations and viewed via

kinescope Kinescope , shortened to kine , also known as telerecording in Britain, is a recording of a television program on motion picture film directly through a lens focused on the screen of a video monitor. The process was pioneered during the 1940s ...

elsewhere. Even in 1950, the production of the program seemed unusually primitive. However, the studio did have a large collection of Western props and sets, as well as live horses. The 22-episode series aired live at 7 p.m. on Thursdays on the West Coast. Nancy Goodwin was the program's chief writer. From 1952-1954,

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 ...

also aired a live afternoon Western, ''

Action in the Afternoon ''Action in the Afternoon'' is an American Western television series that aired live on CBS from February 2, 1953, to January 29, 1954. The series originated from the studios and back lot of WCAU, Channel 10 in Philadelphia, and was broadcast ...

''.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Marshal of Gunsight Pass, The 1950 American television series debuts 1950 American television series endings American Broadcasting Company original programming Black-and-white American television shows American live television series Television shows set in Los Angeles 1950s Western (genre) television series