User Reviews

(IMO) "Tales Of Wells Fargo" (1957-1962) was an above average TV Western with competent actors, plenty of action and believable situations.

I really liked Dale Robertson as the no-nonsense special agent, Jim Hardie.

"The Sooners" was first aired on television March 3, 1958.

The date: April 22, 1889. The place: The Oklahoma Strip. The event: The Oklahoma Land Rush.

Thousands of riders and wagons were ready for the starting gun that would allow them to rush onto the strip and stake a claim of 160 acres, if they can. Competition was fierce, not only from other settlers but for businesses as well, which also required a claim to be staked. But some settlers and unscrupulous businessmen hid out on the strip in order to claim critical and limited land within sites designated as prospective towns. These people were known as "sooners". Wells Fargo has plans to open a stage stop and depot on the strip, but they're subject to the same rule as the thousands of other prospective settlers - first come, first served. To this end they've sent Jim Hardie in with a thoroughbred gelding, in the hopes it can outrun the entire lot and stake a good claim for the company. But there are sooners afoot, and some are willing to commit murder to cover their tracks. A month after Ken Hunter, the Well Fargo man riding the gelding disappears, Hardie is called in to investigate.

The episode doesn't include much action other than a horse race, and is one where Hardie must use guile and deception to solve the case. A number of episodes of ToWF begin with Hardie discovering critical information as soon as he hits town from a guy at the stable, and this is one. Oh well, the 30 minute era didn't offer too much time for Hardie to conduct an extended investigation, but I don't penalize them for it. On the contrary I find it amusing. One thing this episode does well? It shows how resourceful Hardie can be when he uses one man's avarice to lure him into a trap.

There remains one final problem once the sooners are arrested - there is no corpus delicti. But Hardie is clever if anything, and he has one final trick up his sleeve. I'll avoid the final spoiler, so you'll need to watch the episode to find out how he wraps things up.

The supporting cast is basically unknown, and were mostly cast in one-off or bit roles. Although there is little to no action in the episode, it does include a plot with considerable intrigue...so I deem this one "not bad at all".