Pony Express is an American Western television series about the adventures of an agent in the 1860s of the Central Overland Express Company, better known as the Pony Express.[2] The half-hour program starring Grant Sullivan and Don Dorrell was created by California National Productions.[2] Pony Express ran for thirty-five episodes in syndication from the fall of October 1959 until May 1960. In its final days, the series just managed to coincide with the centennial of the Pony Express (April 3, 1860).[3]
| Pony Express | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Western |
| Written by |
|
| Directed by | |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 35 |
| Production | |
| Producers |
|
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 25 mins. |
| Production company | California National Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | Syndication |
| Release | October 7, 1959[1] – May 31, 1960 |
Overview
editThe series featured two recurring roles: Grant Sullivan as Brett Clark, a roving investigator for the company, and Don Dorrell as Donovan, a young Pony Express rider. The majority of the weekly episodes involved Clark and Donovan solving various Pony Express mysteries.[4]
Production
editPony Express was filmed at Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth in Los Angeles County, California.[5] It was one of several western-themed television shows produced by CNP, such as Boots and Saddles (1957–1958).[6] CNP created the series for the 100th anniversary of the actual Pony Express.[3]
The Pony Express pilot, the first Western television pilot shot in color,[1] was shot in February 1957 with James Best in the lead. This version did not sell (although Best was included in a TV Guide photo feature on upcoming TV westerns in June of that year) but was later aired, slightly re-edited, as an episode of the syndicated series.
Guest stars
editEpisodes
edit| No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Story Of Julesberg" | Lewis R. Foster | Story by : Teleplay by : Sam Peckinpah | |
| 2 | "The Killer" | James Nielsen | Story by : Tony Barrett Teleplay by : Jack Laird | |
| 3 | "The Replacement" | Jean Yabrough | Story by : Teleplay by : John Meredyth Lucas | |
| 4 | "The Last Mile" | Frank Adreon | Story by : Teleplay by : Joe Stone and Paul King | |
| 5 | "Payoff" | TBD | Story by : Teleplay by : | |
| 6 | "Wrong Rope" | Jean Yabrough | Story by : Teleplay by : Budd Lesser | |
| 7 | "The Deadly Sniper" | Jean Yabrough | Story by : Teleplay by : Lee Berg and Harry Clork | |
| 8 | "Justice For Jenny" | TBD | Story by : Teleplay by : | |
| 9 | "The Treaty" | TBD | Story by : Teleplay by : | |
| 10 | "Message From New Orleans" | Frank McDonald | Story by : Teleplay by : William R. Cox and Harry Clork | |
| 11 | "The Good Samaritan" | Jean Yabrough | Story by : Teleplay by : Rudy Makoul and Joel Rogosin | |
| 12 | "The Peace Offering" | TBD | Story by : Teleplay by : | |
| 13 | "The Wrong Man" | TBD | Story by : Teleplay by : | |
| 14 | "The Reluctant Bride" | TBD | Story by : Teleplay by : | |
| 15 | "Lady's Choice" | TBD | Story by : Teleplay by : | |
| 16 | "Token Payment" | TBD | Story by : Teleplay by : Budd Lesser | |
| 17 | "We Ourselves" | TBD | Story by : Teleplay by : | |
| 18 | "Showdown At Thirty Mile Ridge" | TBD | Story by : Teleplay by : | |
| 19 | "Bandido" | Frank McDonald | Story by : Teleplay by : Joe Stone and Paul King | |
| 20 | "Princess Of Crazy Creek" | Frank McDonald | Story by : Teleplay by : Joe Stone and Paul King | |
| 21 | "The Theft" | TBD | Story by : Teleplay by : | |
| 22 | "Duel At Devil's Canyon" | TBD | Story by : Teleplay by : | |
| 23 | "Vendetta" | TBD | Story by : Teleplay by : | |
| 24 | "Mail For A Male" | TBD | Story by : Teleplay by : | |
| 25 | "The Breadwinner" | TBD | Story by : Teleplay by : | |
| 26 | "The Golden Circle" | TBD | Story by : Teleplay by : | |
| 27 | "The Station Keeper's Bride" | TBD | Story by : Teleplay by : | |
| 28 | "The Pendant" | TBD | Story by : Teleplay by : | |
| 29 | "Special Delivery" | TBD | Story by : Teleplay by : | |
| 30 | "The Wedding Of Big Zack" | Frank McDonald | Story by : Teleplay by : Raphael Hayes | |
| 31 | "The Renegade" | TBD | Story by : Teleplay by : | |
| 32 | "Trial By Fury" | TBD | Story by : Teleplay by : | |
| 33 | "Reclaim" | TBD | Story by : Teleplay by : | |
| 34 | "Ghost Of Caribou Ridge" | Frank McDonald | Story by : Teleplay by : Joe Stone and Paul King | |
| 35 | "The Search" | Frank McDonald | Story by : Teleplay by : John Meredyth Lucas |
See also
edit- Pony Express, film
References
edit- ^ a b "Do You Remember... "Pony Express"".
- ^ a b Jackson, Ronald; Abbot, Doug (April 23, 2008). 50 Years of The Television Western. AuthorHouse. p. 181. ISBN 978-1434359254.
- ^ a b Erikson, Hal (November 5, 2001). Syndicated Television: The First Forty Years 1947-1987. McFarland & Company. p. 181. ISBN 978-0786411986.
- ^ Marill, Alvin H. (2011). Television Westerns: Six Decades of Sagebrush Sheriffs, Scalawags and Sidewinders. Scarecrow Press. p. 66. ISBN 978-0-8108-8132-7.
- ^ Aaker, Everett (2017-05-16). Television Western Players, 1960-1975: A Biographical Dictionary. McFarland. p. 404. ISBN 978-1-4766-2856-1.
- ^ McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present. New York: Penguin Books. p. 112. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
External links
edit- Pony Express at IMDb
- Pony Express at CVTA