The Six Shooter

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The Six Shooter was a weekly old-time radio program in the USA. It was created by Frank Burt, who also wrote many of the episodes, and lasted only one season of 39 episodes on NBC (Sept. 20, 1953-June 24, 1954). Through March 21, 1954 it was broadcast Sundays at 8 p.m. Beginning April 1, 1954 through the final episode it was on Thursday at 8 p.m.

James Stewart starred as Britt Ponsett, a drifting cowboy in the final years of the wild west. Episodes ranged from straight western drama to whimsical comedy. A trademark of the show was Stewart's use of whispered narration during tense scenes that created a heightened sense of drama and relief when the situation was resolved.

Some of the more prominent actors to perform on the program included Parley Baer, Virginia Gregg, Harry Bartell, Howard McNear, Jeanette Nolan, Dan O'Herlihy, Alan Reed, Marvin Miller and William Conrad. Some did multiple episodes playing different characters.

Each episode opened with the announcer stating: The man in the saddle is angular and long-legged his skin is sun-dyed brown the gun in his holster is gray steel and rainbow mother-of-pearl, its handle unmarked. People call them both "the Six Shooter."

The haunting theme music was "Highland Lament" by series composor Basil Adlam.

[SPOILER ALERT] The final broadcast "Myra Barker" provided a satisfying (if melancholy) finale to the series: Ponsett falls in love with Myra, and proposes marriage. Myra, after thinking it over, appears to accept -- but then tells Britt she's heard that Sheriff Jennings of Eagle Falls has asked for his help, and Britt admits that he feels obligated to go. Myra tells Britt to go and not come back -- telling him some adventure will always call him, and he'll always go, or regret not going. Britt goes, resuming his wanderings, but not before revealing to the audience that he knows he was *not* needed in Eagle Falls -- and knows Myra knows that too. The moment comes across of a moment of supreme self-realization by Britt that he always will be a wanderer.

[edit] Trivia

A pilot for the show entitled simply "The Six Shooter" was broadcast April 13, 1952 as an episode of the anthology Baker’s Theater Of Stars (formerly Hollywood Star Playhouse) on NBC. This used the "Ben Scofield" script which was also used for the audition episode and (with a slightly different opening) the seventh episode of the series.
The audition episode, recorded July 15, 1953, includes a personal message by James Stewart in the middle and end trying to sell the program.
Stewart revived the Ponsett character for the Feb. 10, 1957 episode of the television anthology program General Electric Theater titled "The Town with a Past". The script was based on the "Silver Annie" episode of the radio show.
The Dec. 15, 1957 episode of G.E. Theater "The Trail to Christmas" was based on the radio episode "Britt Ponset's Christmas Carol", although in this instance Stewart's character was renamed Bart. And the Dec. 15, 1959 episode of the television anthology program Startime "Cindy's Fella" was based on the radio episode "When the Shoe Doesn't Fit." Stewart took the role of peddler Azel Dorsey while George Gobel played an unnamed drifter in place of Ponsett.
Ponsett's horse was named Scar.