Bat Masterson | |
---|---|
Genre | Western |
Starring | Gene Barry |
Narrated by | Bill Baldwin |
Theme music composer | Havens Wray (David D. Rose) |
Ending theme | Mike Stewart (Singer) |
Country of origin | USA |
Language(s) | English |
No. of seasons | 3 |
No. of episodes | 107 |
Production | |
Producer(s) | Frank Pittman Andy White Frederick W. Ziv |
Location(s) | Los Angeles, California |
Running time | 30 mins. |
Broadcast | |
Original channel | NBC |
Original run | October 8, 1958 – June 1, 1961 |
Bat Masterson is an American Western television series which showed a fictionalized account of the life of real-life marshal/gambler/dandy Bat Masterson. The title character was played by Gene Barry and the half-hour black and white shows ran on NBC from 1958 to 1961. It was produced by Ziv Television Productions, the company responsible for such hit series as Sea Hunt and Highway Patrol.
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The show took a tongue-in-cheek outlook, with Barry's Masterson often dressed in expensive Eastern clothing and preferring to use his cane rather than a gun to get himself out of trouble, hence the nickname "Bat". Masterson was also portrayed as a ladies' man who traveled the West looking for women and adventure.
The black derby, fancy vest, black jacket, and elegant cane were his trademarks. Miniaturized versions were marketed to children as tie-in products during the run of the show.[1]
The theme song was sung by Mike Stewart, who had previously contributed to a children's album in 1956, Walt Kelly's Songs of the Pogo.
The series was loosely based on Richard O'Connor's 1957 biography of Masterson.[2] This was highlighted by the book's front cover being shown at the end of the closing credits with an onscreen notation "based on".
Bat Masterson guest stars included the character actor Robert F. Simon, who appeared as Harrison Whitney in the episode "Death by Decree", and Richard Eastham, who appeared in the 1961 episode "A Lesson in Violence". George Macready appeared as Clyde Richards in the 1961 episode "Tempest at Tioga Pass". Quintin Sondergaard appeared in various roles on the series five times between 1958 and 1961. Ron Hayes appeared four times on the series in the role of Wyatt Earp. Gary Vinson appeared as Billy Thompson in the 1958 episode "A Noose Fits Anybody". Tyler McVey appeared from 1958 to 1961 in different roles in three episodes ("Dynamite Blows Two Ways", "Incident at Fort Bowie", and "Dead Man's Claim"). Ron Foster (1960) appeared twice as Toby Dawson in "Six Feet of Gold" and as Sheriff Buck Simpson in "Jeopardy at Jackson Hole" (1961). Tom Greenway guest starred twice, as Charlie in "Buffalo Kill" (1959) and as Ben Pick in "Dagger Dance" (1961). Diane Brewster, also known as second-grade teacher "Miss Canfield" in Leave It to Beaver, played the role of Miss Lynn Harrison in the 2-part episode "The Conspiracy" (1959).
Dell Comics issued nine issues of a quarterly Bat Masterson comic book between Aug./Oct. 1959 and Nov. 1961/Jan. 1962 with the initial issue a Four Color tryout (#1013).[3] Columbia Features syndicated a comic strip from September 7, 1959 to April 1960 written by Ed Herron and drawn by Howard Nostrand (Sept. 1959-Dec. 1959) and Bob Powell (Dec. 1959-April 1960).[4] Notably Nostrand was assisted (on backgrounds) by Neal Adams who had just graduated from the School of Industrial Arts; it was among his first professional art jobs.[5]
One notable error occurs in episode 2:12, The Inner Circle. Bat campaigns for woman's suffrage in Wyoming territory in 1869 -- at the age of 16.
Barry went on to star in Burke's Law, a detective series set in modern-day Los Angeles, as well as The Name of the Game, a series in which he alternated the lead with Tony Franciosa and Robert Stack, appearing in most of his episodes with newcomer Susan Saint James.
Barry recreated the role of Bat Masterson in an episode of the television series Guns of Paradise (1990), alongside Hugh O'Brian as Wyatt Earp, and again in 1991 in The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw, also with O'Brian as Earp, as well as Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick and Clint Walker as Cheyenne Bodie.[6]
In 2007, the series was televised in the United States on the Encore Westerns channel, with two episodes on weekdays, between 5-6 pm (Eastern Time). The series is currently seen on This TV.
The series consisted of three seasons and 107 episodes:
Ep # | Title | Airdate |
---|---|---|
1 | "Double Showdown" | October 8, 1958 |
2 | "Two Graves for Swan Valley" | October 15, 1958 |
3 | "Dynamite Blows Two Ways" | October 22, 1958 |
4 | "Stampede at Tent City" (with James Best and William Conrad) |
October 29, 1958 |
5 | "The Fighter" (with Marie Windsor and Robert J. Wilke) |
November 5, 1958 |
6 | "Bear Bait" | November 12, 1958 |
7 | "A Noose Fits Anybody" | November 19, 1958 |
8 | "Dude's Folly" | November 26, 1958 |
9 | "The Treasure of Worry Hill" (with Ross Martin) |
December 3, 1958 |
10 | "Cheyenne Club" | December 17, 1958 |
11 | "Trail Pirate" | December 31, 1958 |
12 | "Double Trouble in Trinidad" | January 7, 1959 |
13 | "Election Day" | January 14, 1959 |
14 | "One Bullet from Broken Bow" | January 21, 1959 |
15 | "A Personal Matter" | January 8, 1959 |
16 | "License to Cheat" | February 4, 1959 |
17 | "Sharpshooter" | February 11, 1959 |
18 | "River Boat" | February 18, 1959 |
19 | "Battle of the Pass" | February 25, 1959 |
20 | "Marked Deck" | March 11, 1959 |
21 | "Incident in Leadville" | March 18, 1959 |
22 | "The Tumbleweed Wagon" | March 25, 1959 |
23 | "Brunette Bombshell" | April 1, 1959 |
24 | "Deadline" | April 8, 1959 |
25 | "A Matter of Honor" with John Vivyan |
April 22, 1959 |
26 | "Man of Action" | April 29, 1959 |
27 | "Lottery of Death" | May 13, 1959 |
28 | "The Death of Bat Masterson" | May 20, 1959 |
29 | "The Secret is Death" | May 27, 1959 |
30 | "Promised Land" | June 10, 1959 |
31 | "The Conspiracy: Part 1" | June 17, 1959 |
32 | "The Conspiracy: Part 2" | June 24, 1959 |
33 | "The Black Pearls" | July 1, 1959 |
34 | "The Desert Ship" | July 15, 1959 |
35 | "The Romany Knives" | July 22, 1959 |
36 | "Buffalo Kill" | July 29, 1959 |
Ep # | Title | Airdate |
---|---|---|
1 | "To the Manner Born" | October 1, 1959 |
2 | "Wanted -- Dead" | October 15, 1959 |
3 | "No Funeral for Thorn" | October 22, 1959 |
4 | "Shakedown at St. Joe" | October 29, 1959 |
5 | "Lady Luck" | November 5, 1959 |
6 | "Who'll Bury My Violence?" | November 12, 1959 |
7 | "Dead Men Don't Pay Debts" | November 19, 1959 |
8 | "Death and Taxes" | November 26, 1959 |
9 | "Bat Plays a Dead Man's Hand" | December 3, 1959 |
10 | "Garrison Finish" | December 10, 1959 |
11 | "The Canvas and the Cane" | December 17, 1959 |
12 | "The Inner Circle" | December 31, 1959 |
13 | "The Pied Piper of Dodge City" | January 7, 1960 |
14 | "A Picture of Death" | January 14, 1960 |
15 | "Pigeon and Hawk" | January 21, 1960 |
16 | "Flume to the Mother Lode" | January 28, 1960 |
17 | "Death by the Half Dozen" | February 4, 1960 |
18 | "Deadly Diamonds" | February 11, 1960 |
19 | "Mr. Fourpaws" | February 18, 1960 |
20 | "Six Feet of Gold" | February 25, 1960 |
21 | "Cattle and Cane" | March 3, 1960 |
22 | "The Disappearance of Bat Masterson" | March 10, 1960 |
23 | "The Snare" | March 17, 1960 |
24 | "Three Bullets for Bat" | March 24, 1960 |
25 | "The Reluctant Witness" | March 31, 1960 |
26 | "Come Out Fighting" | April 7, 1960 |
27 | "Stage to Nowhere" | April 14, 1960 |
28 | "Incident at Fort Bowie" | April 21, 1960 |
29 | "Masterson's Arcadia Club" | April 28, 1960 |
30 | "Welcome to Paradise" | May 5, 1960 |
31 | "A Grave Situation" | May 12, 1960 |
32 | "Gold Is Where You Steal It" | May 19, 1960 |
33 | "Wanted -- Alive Please" | May 26, 1960 |
34 | "The Elusive Baguette" | June 2, 1960 |
35 | "The Big Gamble" | June 16, 1960 |
36 | "Blood on the Money" with Walter Coy | June 23, 1960 |
37 | "Barbary Castle" | July 1, 1960 |
Ep # | Title | Airdate |
---|---|---|
1 | "Debt of Honor" | September 29, 1960 |
2 | "Law of the Land" | October 6, 1960 |
3 | "Bat Trap" | October 13, 1960 |
4 | "The Rage of Princess Ann" | October 20, 1960 |
5 | "The Hunter" with guest star John Vivyan |
October 27, 1960 |
6 | "Murder Can Be Dangerous" | November 3, 1960 |
7 | "High Card Loses" | November 10, 1960 |
8 | "Dakota Showdown " | November 17, 1960 |
9 | "The Last of the Night Raiders" | November 24, 1960 |
10 | "Last Stop to Austin" | December 1, 1960 |
11 | "A Time to Die" | December 15, 1960 |
12 | "Death by Decree" | December 22, 1960 |
13 | "The Lady Plays Her Hand" | December 29, 1960 |
14 | "Tempest at Tioga Pass" | January 5, 1961 |
15 | "The Court Martial of Major Mars" | January 19, 1961 |
16 | "The Price of Paradise" | January 19, 1961 |
17 | "End of the Line" | January 26, 1961 |
18 | "The Prescott Campaign" | February 2, 1961 |
19 | "Bullwhacker's Bounty" | February 16, 1961 |
20 | "A Lesson in Violence" | February 23, 1961 |
21 | "Run for Your Money" | March 2, 1961 |
22 | "Terror on the Trinity" | March 9, 1961 |
23 | "Episode in Eden" | March 16, 1961 |
24 | "The Good and the Bad" | March 23, 1961 |
25 | "No Amnesty for Death" (with DeForest Kelly) |
March 30, 1961 |
26 | "Ledger of Guilt" | April 6, 1961 |
27 | "Meeting at Mimbers" | April 13, 1961 |
28 | "Valley of Death" | April 20, 1961 |
29 | "The Fourth Man" | April 27, 1961 |
30 | "Dead Man's Claim" | May 4, 1961 |
31 | "The Marble Slab" | May 11, 1961 |
32 | "Farmer with a Badge" | May 18, 1961 |
33 | "The Fatal Garment" | May 25, 1961 |
34 | "Jeopardy at Jackson Hole" | June 1, 1961 |