The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok

The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
Andy Devine as Jingles
GenreWestern
Directed by
Starring
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons8
No. of episodes113 (list of episodes)
Production
ProducerWilliam F. Broidy
Cinematography
  • Henry Freulich
  • John J. Martin
  • William A. Sickner
Editors
Running time25 mins.
Production companyRomson Productions
Original release
Network
ReleaseApril 15, 1951 (1951-04-15) –
September 24, 1958 (1958-09-24)

The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok is an American Western television series that ran for eight seasons from April 15, 1951, through September 24, 1958. The Screen Gems series began in syndication,[1] but ran on CBS from June 5, 1955,[2] through 1958, and, at the same time, on ABC from 1957 through 1958.[3] The Kellogg's cereal company was the show's national sponsor.[1] The series was also exported to Australia during the late 1950s.[citation needed]

Synopsis

The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok starred Guy Madison as the legendary Old West lawman (in real life, also a gunfighter) United States Marshal James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok, and Andy Devine as his comedy sidekick, Jingles P. Jones. The series was set in the 1870s, with Hickok and Jones based at Fort Larabee.[4]

Production

The series was produced by William F. Broidy Productions. It consisted of 113 episodes, the last 13 of which were made in color.[5] In 1957 Screen Gems bought the Broidy company's assets, which included 100 Hickok episodes on film.[6] Tommy Carr was the director. Kellogg's cereals sponsored it.[5]

Episodes

Main article: List of The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
113April 14, 1951 (1951-04-14)July 8, 1951 (1951-07-08)
213October 14, 1951 (1951-10-14)January 6, 1952 (1952-01-06)
322January 27, 1952 (1952-01-27)June 30, 1952 (1952-06-30)
413September 13, 1953 (1953-09-13)December 6, 1953 (1953-12-06)
513November 21, 1954 (1954-11-21)February 13, 1955 (1955-02-13)
613September 4, 1955 (1955-09-04)November 27, 1955 (1955-11-27)
713September 2, 1956 (1956-09-02)November 25, 1956 (1956-11-25)
813February 19, 1958 (1958-02-19)May 16, 1958 (1958-05-16)

Other media

Devine and Madison portrayed their roles on Mutual radio from April 1, 1951, to 1956.[7]

During the 1950s, several episodes of the television show were spliced together and released as 16 feature films by Allied Artists.[5]

Title Director Cast Year
The Ghost of Crossbones Canyon Frank McDonald Russell Simpson, Gordon Jones, John Doucette 1952
Behind Southern Lines Thomas Carr Rand Brooks, Jonathan Hale 1952
Trail of the Arrow Thomas Carr Monte Blue, Terry Frost, Raymond Hatton 1952
The Yellow Haired Kid Frank McDonald William Edward Phipps, David Bruce, Marcia Mae Jones 1952
Border City Rustlers Frank McDonald Gloria Talbott, Isabel Randolph, George J. Lewis 1953
Secret of Outlaw Flats Wesley Barry, Frank McDonald Kristine Miller, John Crawford, Richard Avonde 1953
Six Gun Decision Frank McDonald Gloria Saunders, David Sharpe, Lyle Talbot 1953
Two Gun Marshal Frank McDonald Michael Vallon, Pamela Duncan, Francis McDonald 1953
Marshals In Disguise Frank McDonald Anthony Sydes, John Eldredge, Guy Beach 1954
Outlaw's Son Frank McDonald Sally Fraser, Robert Hyatt, Fred Kelsey 1954
Trouble on the Trail Frank McDonald Martha Hyer, Robert Blake, Byron Foulger 1954
The Two Gun Teacher Frank McDonald Carole Mathews, Ann Carroll, Rory Mallinson 1954
The Matchmaking Marshal Frank McDonald Bobby Jordan, Anna Lee Carroll, Forrest Taylor 1955
Phantom Trails Wesley Barry, Frank McDonald Byron Foulger, Robert Filmer, Harry Harvey Jr. 1955
Timber Country Trouble Frank McDonald Frances Charles, Henry Blair, Harry Lauter 1955
The Titled Tenderfoot Frank McDonald Jeanne Cagney, Marshall Reed, Clayton Moore 1955

Guest stars

  • Mike Ragan appeared in three episodes, as Gus in "The Tax Collecting Story", as Collier in "Mexican Rustlers Story" (both 1951), and Malone in "The Doctor's Story" (1953).
  • Carole Mathews appeared twice, first as Miss Jennings in "The Slocum Family" (1951) and then as Anne Hardy in "Blacksmith Story" (1952).
  • Ewing Mitchell, as Mr. Harker in "Chain of Events" (1953)
  • Gloria Saunders, as Sally Jones in "Boulder City Election" (1951)
  • William Tannen, as Rand in "The Doctor's Story" (1953) and as Tom Maples in "The Maverick" (1954)

Award nominations

Year Award Result Category
1955 Emmy Award Nominated Best Western or Adventure Series

References

  1. ^ a b "Breakfast cereal mascots: Beloved and bizarre". CBS News. 7 April 2013. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  2. ^ Hawes, William (December 26, 2001). Filmed Television Drama, 1952-1958. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-1132-0. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  3. ^ Woolery, George W. (1985). Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981, Part II: Live, Film, and Tape Series. The Scarecrow Press. pp. 34–37. ISBN 0-8108-1651-2.
  4. ^ Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. pp. 1177–1178. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
  5. ^ a b c Erickson, Hal (1989). Syndicated Television: The First Forty Years, 1947-1987'. McFarland & Company, Inc. pp. 101–102. ISBN 0-7864-1198-8.
  6. ^ "SG Purchases Broidy Assets". The Billboard. April 13, 1957. p. 28. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  7. ^ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. New York: Ballantine Books. p. 23. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4. Retrieved May 28, 2021.