You could say that this is James Garner's Rockford File Prelude. It is much more than that. This series was one of Warner Brother's most successful TV western's which competed successfully against an over weighted number of western series in the late 1950's.
Jack Kelly and James Garner alternated as the star of this show. Late in the series Roger Moore got worked into the mix as well. Every support player usually came out of Warner's movie studio for the most part, but that was plenty of talent in the late 1950's. It took charisma and a smile and a wink to make this work. All the series stars fit the bill.
The scripts for this were well written and allowed the cast to hone their acting for later efforts. Sometimes the show was too good. This show is a logical prelude to The Wild Wild West too though the stunt work on this series and the action stuff was quite a bit tamer here.
The theme song and the animation figures in the opening credits drew in viewers for over 5 years. The poker theme and the riverboat gambler both get glorified in this series. It is an enjoyable look back at the old days, with solid actors anchoring the ride.
Jack Kelly and James Garner alternated as the star of this show. Late in the series Roger Moore got worked into the mix as well. Every support player usually came out of Warner's movie studio for the most part, but that was plenty of talent in the late 1950's. It took charisma and a smile and a wink to make this work. All the series stars fit the bill.
The scripts for this were well written and allowed the cast to hone their acting for later efforts. Sometimes the show was too good. This show is a logical prelude to The Wild Wild West too though the stunt work on this series and the action stuff was quite a bit tamer here.
The theme song and the animation figures in the opening credits drew in viewers for over 5 years. The poker theme and the riverboat gambler both get glorified in this series. It is an enjoyable look back at the old days, with solid actors anchoring the ride.