Bat Masterson (TV series)
Bat Masterson is an American Western television series which was 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 series ran on NBC from 1958 to 1961. The show was produced by Ziv Television Productions. "Bat" is a nickname for Masterson's first name, Bartholemew, although in both the 1958 pilot "Double Showdown" and 1961 episode "No Amnesty For Death", he says his name is William Barkley Masterson.[citation needed]
| Bat Masterson | |
|---|---|
Gene Barry as Bat Masterson, 1958 | |
| Genre | Western |
| Written by | Don Brinkley John Tucker Battle |
| Starring | Gene Barry |
| Narrated by | Bill Baldwin, Bob LeMond |
| Theme music composer | Havens Wray (David D. Rose) |
| Ending theme | Bill Lee (Singer) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 108 |
| Production | |
| Producers | Frank Pittman Andy White Frederick W. Ziv |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production companies | Ziv Television Programs (1958-1960) (seasons 1-2) Ziv-United Artists (1960-1961) (season 3) |
| Distributor | MGM Television Sony Pictures Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Picture format | Black-and-white |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original release | October 8, 1958 – June 1, 1961 |
Although the series was fiction, it claimed in the closing credits to be based on the biography Bat Masterson, by Richard O'Connor.[1]
Overview
Barry's Masterson often dressed in expensive Eastern clothing and preferred to use his cane rather than a gun to get himself out of trouble. Masterson was also portrayed as a ladies' man who traveled the West looking for women and adventure. Born Eugene Klass, actor Gene Barry had changed his last name as a tribute to actor John Barrymore.[citation needed]
The black derby, fancy decorative vest, black jacket, and elegant gold-topped cane were his trademarks. Miniaturized toy versions were marketed to children as tie-in products during the run of the series.[2] When dressed more casually in episodes centered on outdoor action, Masterson would sometimes wear an identical but gray derby in place of the black one. After the turn of the century, the real-life Bat Masterson became a prominent writer of Western reminiscences as well as a flamboyant New York City newspaper journalist and close friend of Damon Runyon, and was the inspiration for the character "Sky Masterson" in Runyon's Guys and Dolls, portrayed by Marlon Brando in a theatrical film three years before the television series began.
Cast
Main cast
- Gene Barry as Bat Masterson (108 episodes)
- Allison Hayes as Ellie Winters (7 episodes)
- Allen Jaffe as belligerent drunk (7 episodes)
- Ken Drake as Burdette (6 episodes)
- Troy Melton as government agent (6 episodes)
Guest cast
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". Stefanie Powers appeared in the 1961 episode named "Dead Man's Claim" (using the name Taffy Paul) as Ann, the niece of the boarding house owner. George Macready appeared as Clyde Richards in the 1961 episode "Tempest at Tioga Pass". Quentin Sondergaard appeared in various roles on the series five times between 1958 and 1961. Dan Sheridan was cast as Joe Rankin in the 1959 episode "Election Day". The lovely Allison Hayes had a recurring role as card dealer Ellie Winters in 7 episodes.
Yvonne Lime Fedderson was cast as Lola White in the 1960 episode "The Snare". Ron Hayes appeared four times 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). James Coburn also appeared in "Six Feet of Gold". Tom Greenway guest starred twice, as Charlie in "Buffalo Kill" (1959) and as Ben Pick in "Dagger Dance" (1961). Brett King appeared four times, beginning with the role of Hub Elliott in "License to Cheat" (1959); Douglas Kennedy was cast as Sheriff Jeb Crater in that same episode. William Tannen was cast in four episodes of Bat Masterson.
Diane Brewster, also known as "Beaver" Cleaver's second-grade teacher "Miss Canfield" in Leave It to Beaver and as gambler "Samantha Crawford" opposite James Garner in Maverick, played the role of Miss Lynn Harrison in the 2-part episode "The Conspiracy" (1959). Kevin Hagen appeared as Ace Williams in "The Fourth Man" (1961). Lon Chaney Jr. played the role of Rance Fletcher in "Bat Trap" (1961). Patrick Waltz, Ray Kellogg and Marie Windsor had guest-starred in the episode "The Fighter". Donald Murphy made one appearance in 1960. Anna Navarro and George Sawaya both made one appearance in 1961.
Production
Development
The series was loosely based on Richard O'Connor's 1957 biography of Masterson.[3] This was highlighted by the book's front cover being shown at the end of the closing credits with an onscreen notation "based on".
From 1955 to 1959, Mason Alan Dinehart played a 20-something Bat Masterson in thirty-four episodes of the ABC/Desilu western series, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, starring Hugh O'Brian as the frontier peace officer Wyatt Earp. Dinehart left the series, and Barry was cast as a 40-something Masterson in a separate series on a different network. In the year 1958-1959 both actors were featured in the role of Masterson.[4] The 1991 television film The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw featured both Barry as Masterson and O'Brian as Earp in a supporting cast peppered with such cameos.
According to BMI and the sheet music, the theme music was written by Havens Wray (although incorrectly spelled by BMI as Ravens Wray). However it was likely written by David Rose, an ASCAP member who couldn't use his own name for a BMI composition.[5] The words were by BMI writer Bart Corwin. The theme song was sung by Bill Lee, a member of the Mellomen.
Episodes
The series consisted of three seasons and 108 episodes:
Season 1 (37 episodes)
| Ep # | Title | Guest star(s) | Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Double Showdown" | Robert Middleton and Jean Willes | October 8, 1958 |
| 2 | "Two Graves for Swan Valley" | Broderick Crawford | October 15, 1958 |
| 3 | "Dynamite Blows Two Ways" | October 22, 1958 | |
| 4 | "Stampede at Tent City" | James Best and William Conrad | October 29, 1958 |
| 5 | "The Fighter" | Marie Windsor and Robert J. Wilke | November 5, 1958 |
| 6 | "Bear Bait" | James Westerfield | November 12, 1958 |
| 7 | "A Noose Fits Anybody" | November 19, 1958 | |
| 8 | "Dude's Folly" | Allison Hayes and Leo Gordon | November 26, 1958 |
| 9 | "The Treasure of Worry Hill" | Ross Martin | December 3, 1958 |
| 10 | "Cheyenne Club" | Louise Fletcher and Karl Swenson | December 17, 1958 |
| 11 | "Sherman's March Through Dodge City" | December 24, 1958 | |
| 12 | "Trail Pirate" | Gloria Talbott | December 31, 1958 |
| 13 | "Double Trouble in Trinidad" | Lance Fuller | January 7, 1959 |
| 14 | "Election Day" | January 14, 1959 | |
| 15 | "One Bullet from Broken Bow" | January 21, 1959 | |
| 16 | "A Personal Matter" | Alan Hale Jr. | January 8, 1959 |
| 17 | "License to Cheat" | Allison Hayes | February 4, 1959 |
| 18 | "Sharpshooter" | February 11, 1959 | |
| 19 | "River Boat" | Jacques Aubuchon | February 18, 1959 |
| 20 | "Battle of the Pass" | February 25, 1959 | |
| 21 | "Marked Deck" | Denver Pyle | March 11, 1959 |
| 22 | "Incident in Leadville" | March 18, 1959 | |
| 23 | "The Tumbleweed Wagon" | John Carradine | March 25, 1959 |
| 24 | "Brunette Bombshell" | April 1, 1959 | |
| 25 | "Deadline" | Harry Dean Stanton | April 8, 1959 |
| 26 | "A Matter of Honor" | Paula Raymond and John Vivyan | April 22, 1959 |
| 27 | "Man of Action" | April 29, 1959 | |
| 28 | "Lottery of Death" | Warren Oates | May 13, 1959 |
| 29 | "The Death of Bat Masterson" | Ruta Lee and Claude Akins | May 20, 1959 |
| 30 | "The Secret is Death" | Allison Hayes | May 27, 1959 |
| 31 | "Promised Land" | June 10, 1959 | |
| 32 | "The Conspiracy: Part 1" | Diane Brewster | June 17, 1959 |
| 33 | "The Conspiracy: Part 2" | Diane Brewster | June 24, 1959 |
| 34 | "The Black Pearls" | James Coburn and Jacqueline Scott | July 1, 1959 |
| 35 | "The Desert Ship" | Karen Steele | July 15, 1959 |
| 36 | "The Romany Knives" | July 22, 1959 | |
| 37 | "Buffalo Kill" | July 29, 1959 |
Season 2 (37 episodes)
| Ep # | Title | Guest star(s) | Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "To the Manner Born" | James Hong | October 1, 1959 |
| 2 | "Wanted -- Dead" | John Dehner | October 15, 1959 |
| 3 | "No Funeral for Thorn" | Elisha Cook Jr. | October 22, 1959 |
| 4 | "Shakedown at St. Joe" | October 29, 1959 | |
| 5 | "Lady Luck" | Dyan Cannon | November 5, 1959 |
| 6 | "Who'll Bury My Violence?" | Jack Ging | 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" | Frankie Darro | December 10, 1959 |
| 11 | "The Canvas and the Cane" | Jacqueline Scott | December 17, 1959 |
| 12 | "The Inner Circle" | Jean Willes and Frank Ferguson | December 31, 1959 |
| 13 | "The Pied Piper of Dodge City" | Don "Red" Barry | January 7, 1960 |
| 14 | "A Picture of Death" | Lisa Montell | 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" | Kenneth Tobey and Allison Hayes | February 11, 1960 |
| 19 | "Mr. Fourpaws" | February 18, 1960 | |
| 20 | "Six Feet of Gold" | James Coburn | February 25, 1960 |
| 21 | "Cattle and Cane" | March 3, 1960 | |
| 22 | "The Disappearance of Bat Masterson" | Oscar Beregi Jr. | March 10, 1960 |
| 23 | "The Snare" | March 17, 1960 | |
| 24 | "Three Bullets for Bat" | Kent Taylor | March 24, 1960 |
| 25 | "The Reluctant Witness" | Allison Hayes and Harry Lauter | March 31, 1960 |
| 26 | "Come Out Fighting" | April 7, 1960 | |
| 27 | "Stage to Nowhere" | James Seay | April 14, 1960 |
| 28 | "Incident at Fort Bowie" | Will Wright | April 21, 1960 |
| 29 | "Masterson's Arcadia Club" | X Brands | 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" | Joe Turkel | May 26, 1960 |
| 34 | "The Elusive Baguette" | Leslie Parrish and Allison Hayes | June 2, 1960 |
| 35 | "The Big Gamble" | Arch Johnson and Morgan Woodward | June 16, 1960 |
| 36 | "Blood on the Money" | Walter Coy and Len Lesser | June 23, 1960 |
| 37 | "Barbary Castle" | Gloria Talbott | July 1, 1960 |
Season 3 (34 episodes)
| Ep # | Title | Guest star(s) | Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Debt of Honor" | Edgar Buchanan | September 29, 1960 |
| 2 | "Law of the Land" | Barbara Lawrence and Leo Gordon | October 6, 1960 |
| 3 | "Bat Trap" | Lon Chaney Jr. | October 13, 1960 |
| 4 | "The Rage of Princess Ann" | October 20, 1960 | |
| 5 | "The Hunter" | John Vivyan | October 27, 1960 |
| 6 | "Murder Can Be Dangerous" | Allison Hayes | November 3, 1960 |
| 7 | "High Card Loses" | Joan O'Brien | November 10, 1960 |
| 8 | "Dakota Showdown" | James Best and James Seay | 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" | Paul Richards | December 22, 1960 |
| 13 | "The Lady Plays Her Hand" | Wanda Hendrix and William Schallert | December 29, 1960 |
| 14 | "Tempest at Tioga Pass" | George Macready | January 5, 1961 |
| 15 | "The Court Martial of Major Mars" | John Anderson | January 19, 1961 |
| 16 | "The Price of Paradise" | Dyan Cannon | January 19, 1961 |
| 17 | "End of the Line" | January 26, 1961 | |
| 18 | "The Prescott Campaign" | John Dehner | February 2, 1961 |
| 19 | "Bullwhacker's Bounty" | February 16, 1961 | |
| 20 | "A Lesson in Violence" | February 23, 1961 | |
| 21 | "Run for Your Money" | Gerald Mohr | March 2, 1961 |
| 22 | "Terror on the Trinity" | William Conrad and Lisa Lu | March 9, 1961 |
| 23 | "Episode in Eden" | March 16, 1961 | |
| 24 | "The Good and the Bad" | Jeanette Nolan and Grace Lee Whitney | March 23, 1961 |
| 25 | "No Amnesty for Death" | DeForest Kelley and R.G. Armstrong | March 30, 1961 |
| 26 | "Ledger of Guilt" | April 6, 1961 | |
| 27 | "Meeting at Mimbres" | April 13, 1961 | |
| 28 | "Dagger Dance" | April 20, 1961 | |
| 29 | "The Fourth Man" | George Kennedy | April 27, 1961 |
| 30 | "Dead Man's Claim" | Stefanie Powers | May 4, 1961 |
| 31 | "The Marble Slab" | Marvin Miller | May 11, 1961 |
| 32 | "Farmer with a Badge" | John Agar | May 18, 1961 |
| 33 | "The Fatal Garment" | Ron Hayes | May 25, 1961 |
| 34 | "Jeopardy at Jackson Hole" | June 1, 1961 |
Spin-offs and remakes
Guns of Paradise (1990)
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.
The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw (1991)
In The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw (1991) Barry played Masterson, also with O'Brian as Earp, as well as Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick and Clint Walker as Cheyenne Bodie.[6]
Home media
TGG Direct released the first and second seasons on DVD in Region 1 on January 29, 2013.[7][8] The third and final season was released on November 5, 2013.[9] Due to licensing issues, the episode Terror on the Trinity is not included.
In other media
Comic book
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).[10]
Comic Strip
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).[11] 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.[12]
References
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the : "Bat Masterson - The Fighter, Full Episode Classic Western TV Series". YouTube.
- ^ . sentimental-journeys.com. Archived from the original on July 4, 2010.
- ^ Robert K. Dearment. Bat Masterson: The Man and the Legend. University of Oklahoma Press, 1989. p.9
- ^ "Full Cast and Crew for The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
- ^ "Bat Masterson".
- ^ "The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw". IMDb. November 3, 1991.
- ^ Bat Masterson Complete Season One
- ^ Bat Masterson Complete Season Two
- ^ Bat Masterson Season 3
- ^ BAT MASTERSON
- ^ The Badmouths of the West
- ^ Neal Adams: Renaissance Man Part I 2008-12-17 at the Wayback Machine
External links
- Bat Masterson at IMDb
- Gene Barry Fan Page