Tales of the Texas Rangers

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Tales of the Texas Rangers, a western adventure old-time radio drama, premiered on July 8, 1950, on the US NBC radio network and remained on the air through September 14, 1952. Movie star Joel McCrea starred as Texas Ranger Jayce Pearson, who used the latest scientific techniques to identify the criminals and his faithful horse, Charcoal, to track them down. The shows were reenactments of actual Texas Ranger cases.

The series was produced and directed by Stacy Keach, Sr., and was sponsored for part of its run by Wheaties.

Captain Manuel T. "Lone Wolf" Gonzaullas, a Ranger for 30 years and who was said to have killed 31 men during his career, served as consultant for the series.

The series was adapted for television from 1955 to 1957. During the opening and closing credits of the TV show, the actors would march toward the camera and sing the theme song, "We are the Texas Rangers", to the tune of "The Eyes of Texas Are Upon You", which is also the tune of "I've Been Working on the Railroad". The radio series used contemporary cases and modern detective methods to solve crimes. It was a procedural drama, in many ways Dragnet with a Western flavor. The TV series did both modern cases and cases set in the "Old West." The TV show was aimed at kids (and aired on Saturday mornings) and was more of a traditional Western (with chases and shoot-outs).

Episode Log:

Number Title Airdate Notes
AUD Just A Number 04-13-50  :27:40
1 Title Unknown 07-08-50  :29:40
2 The White Elephant 07-15-50  :29:40
3 Apache Peak 07-22-50  :29:40
4 The Trigger Man 07-29-50  :29:40
5 Quick Silver 08-05-50  :29:30
6 The Broken Spur 08-12-50  :29:10
7 Fool's Gold 08-19-50  :29:40
8 The Open Range 08-26-50  :29:40
9 Play For Keeps 09-02-50  :29:50
10 Dead Or Alive 09-09-50  :29:30
11 Candy Man 09-16-50  :29:40
12 Open And Shut 09-23-50  :29:20 This is the broadcast of 11-11-51 of the same title.
13 Clean Up 09-30-50  :29:40
14 Living Death 10-08-50  :29:40 Show moves to Sundays at this point
15 Dead Give-Away 10-15-50  :29:40
16 Title Unknown 10-22-50  :30:00
17 Soft Touch 10-29-50  :29:50
18 The White Suit 11-05-50  :30:00
19 Blood Relative 11-12-50  :30:00
20 Hanging By A Thread 11-26-50  :30:00 show of 11-19 Pre-Empted for Hedda Hopper Program
21 Room 114 12-03-50  :30:00
22 The Lucky Dollar 12-10-50  :30:00
23 The Cactus Pear 12-17-50  :30:00
24 Christmas Present 12-24-50  :30:00 Christmas Program
25 The Devil's Share 12-31-50  :30:00
26 Deadhead Freight 01-07-51  :30:00
27 Death In The Cards 01-14-51  :30:00
28 Blood Harvest 01-21-51  :30:00
29 Title Unknown 01-28-51  :30:00
30 Logger's Larceny 02-04-51  :30:00
31 The Hatchet 02-11-51  :30:00
32 Sweet Revenge 02-18-51  :30:00
33 The Trap 02-25-51  :30:00
34 Blind Justice 03-11-51  :30:00 Show of 3/4 Pre-empted for "Theatre Guild's" HAMLET
35 Death By Adoption 03-18-51  :30:00
36 Breakdown 03-25-51  :30:00
37 Pressure 04-01-51  :30:00
38 Bad Blood 04-08-51  :30:00
39 Conspiracy 04-15-51  :30:00
40 Canned Death 04-22-51  :30:00
41 Title Unknown 04-29-51  :30:00
42 No Living Witnesses 05-06-51  :30:00
43 Paid In Full 05-13-51  :30:00
44 Squaredance 05-20-51  :30:00
45 Joy Ride 05-27-51  :30:00
46 Death Shaft 09-30-51  :30:00
47 The Wheelchair Killer 10-07-51  :30:00
48 Play For Keeps 10-14-51  :30:00
49 Fugitive Trail 10-21-51  :30:00
50 The White Elephant 10-28-51  :30:00
51 Helping Hand 11-04-51  :30:00
52 Open And Shut 11-11-51  :30:00
53 Wild Crop 11-18-51  :30:00
54 The Blow Off 11-25-51  :30:00
55 The Dead Give-Away 12-02-51  :30:00
56 Death Plant 12-09-51  :30:00
57 Pick-Up 12-16-51  :30:00
58 Christmas Payoff 12-23-51  :30:00 Christmas Program
59 Killer's Crop 12-30-51  :30:00
60 Birds Of A Feather 01-06-52  :30:00
61 Clip Job 01-13-52  :30:00
62 Blood Trail 01-20-52  :30:00
63 Night Chase 01-27-52  :30:00
64 The Rub Out 02-03-52  :30:00
65 Hitchhiker 02-10-52  :30:00
66 Cold Blood 02-17-52  :27:20
67 Bright Boy 02-24-52  :30:00
68 The Ice Man 03-02-52  :30:00
69 Dream Farm 03-09-52  :30:00
70 Prelude To Felony 03-16-52  :30:00
71 Nighthawk 03-30-52  :30:00 Program of 3-23 Preempted
72 Troop Train 04-06-52  :30:00
73 Uncertain Death 04-13-52  :30:00
74 Illusion 04-20-52  :30:00
75 Address Unknown 04-27-52  :30:00
76 Little Sister 05-04-52  :30:00
77 Unleashed Fury 05-11-52  :30:00
78 Smart Kill 05-18-52  :30:00
79 Jailbird 05-25-52  :30:00
80 Sell-Out 06-01-52  :30:00
81 Illegal Entry 06-08-52  :30:00
82 Travesty 06-15-52  :30:00
83 Knockout 06-22-52  :30:00
84 Ex-Con 06-29-52  :30:00
85 The Boomerang 07-06-52  :30:00
86 Finger Man 07-13-52  :30:00
87 Round Trip 07-20-52  :30:00
88 Stick-Up 07-27-52  :30:00
89 Double Edge 08-03-52  :30:00
90 Last Stop 08-10-52  :30:00
91 Cover-Up 08-17-52  :30:00
92 Three Victims 08-24-52  :30:00
93 Misplaced Person 08-31-52  :30:00
94 Alibi 09-07-52  :30:00
95 Drive-In 09-14-52  :30:00