Laramie (1962)

 

One of the primary problems in researching and writing a blog such as this one is that it skews one's perspective on the programs under review as well as how the programs were received by audiences when they first aired. In particular, one is struck by the amount of repetition in plots and characters used over and over from one series to another as well as within a single series itself, especially in formula genres such as the western. We've already touched on this issue in our review of the series Maverick based on the remarks by actor James Garner about how Warner Brothers recycled plots from its older feature films and between its plethora of western series all airing at the same time. But the same complaint can be made between western series made by different studios and shown on different networks. Part of this repetition was no doubt driven by the sheer magnitude of producing 30 or more episodes per season over roughly a 9-month timeframe (though Laramie star Robert Fuller said in a more recent interview that they took 11 month to shoot a full season on their program), meaning that it was extremely difficult to keep coming up with new, original stories. Balanced against this constraint was that the networks and sponsors were more interested in producing a profit than high art--programs were booked and retained based on their ability to garner viewership which translated into higher advertising costs and, for sponsors, prospective customers of their products. One way to cut down on production costs is to save time on script writing by merely tweaking an existing plot rather than devising a new one. On top of all this, the script writers themselves were generally not tied to any particular series but were free-lancers who might be writing for several different series at the same time. For example, in Laramie's case, the first episode shown in 1962, "The Perfect Gift" (January 2, 1962), was written by Tom Seller who also produced scripts for The Tall Man and Rawhide that year and had previously produced scripts for Whispering Smith, Riverboat, Death Valley Days, and a whopping 37 scripts for The Lone Ranger. This is not to say that Seller in particular recycled his own scripts, but "The Perfect Gift" tells the story of how Slim "inherits" a young Arapahoe woman when he saves her life, forcing her father to give her to Slim according to tribal custom. Slim spends the bulk of the episode being embarrassed about her devotion to him and desire to serve him, then begins to think about marrying her before realizing that she is really in love with a brave from her own tribe, at which point he arranges to convince her that this brave saved her life so that he can be free of her servitude. A similar plot plays out in the 1961 episode of Bonanza entitled "Day of the Dragon," only this time it involves a Chinese slave girl whom Little Joe unknowingly wins in a game of poker and then tries to set free. The same scenario plays out in the 1962 episode of Wagon Train entitled "The John Augustus Story" in which the titular character unwittingly wins a Chinese slave girl in a game of poker and then must find a way to rid himself of her servitude. Though the Laramie episode involves a Native American and the other two Chinese women, all three plots involve a white American male becoming the owner of a non-white female whom they feel obligated to get rid of.

The sadistic former Union Army prison guard or commander is another common trope in western series of the early 1960s. We've discussed in other posts the era's uncomfortable depiction of sympathetic former Confederate soldiers, including entire series in which they are heroes, such as The Rebel and Bronco. Laramie's Jess Harper is another former Confederate soldier now depicted as a heroic figure. In "The Replacement" (March 27, 1962) his past allegiance to fellow Confederate prisoners of war pushes him towards taking revenge on former Union officer Paul Halleck who ran their prison when the latter shows up in Laramie as the replacement for Sheriff Cory, who is being ousted from his position by a mayor and city officials unhappy with the number of men he has killed trying to keep law and order in their town. Soon after Halleck's arrival in Laramie, a group of Harper's former prison mates, led by Johnny Duncan, also show up to exact revenge on Halleck for alleged past misdeeds. Since he pledged during his war-time incarceration to join Duncan and his cohorts to avenge their perceived mistreatment, Jess feels compelled to join Duncan against Halleck, that is, until Jess eventually discovers that the alleged atrocities Halleck supposedly committed against Duncan's now mute brother were actually perpetrated by Duncan himself, and Halleck's daughter tells Jess that any deprivations he may have experienced during his incarceration were forced on her father by his chain of command. Ultimately Jess realizes he has pledged his allegiance to the wrong side in the present-day fight, and he switches sides to help Halleck stop Duncan and friends from what would be cold-blooded murder. In Laramie's defense, this is a much more nuanced treatment of the fog of war and how limited one's perspective on supposed crimes can be when one acts based only on his own experience rather than the full facts of the case. The Laramie episode contrasts sharply with the 1961 episode of The Rebel in which Johnny Yuma runs across a sadistic Union prison guard many years later who has added paranoia to his list of sins as he becomes obsessed with capturing and killing Yuma to erase his own past offenses, while Yuma bears no need for revenge and would just as soon move on and leave the guard behind.

But while "The Replacement" ultimately exonerates the former Union officer and casts the former Confederate prisoner Duncan as the villain, the opening episode of Season 3 for Laramie, "Among the Missing" (September 25, 1962), returns to the Confederate apologia theme by casting former Union officer turned corrupt Sheriff Tyler Shaw as one of the villains and former Confederate soldier Jess as the defender and true friend of former slave Jamie Davis. Furthermore, the episode has the Davis character speak lovingly of his former master, whom he says gave him more education than anyone like him (meaning, a Black man) had a right to expect and whom was killed by Shaw when the latter coveted one of the master's prize horses. Jess, on the other hand, treats Davis as an equal and encourages him to pursue a career as a veterinarian rather than the menial stable boy he is when Jess first meets him. While the episode is to be commended in depicting Jess accepting a Black man as his equal, it would be too uncomfortable to mention that Davis or his ancestors would have been plucked from their African homes and sold into slavery, a practice that Jess' character took up arms to defend. But, of course, Jess is supposed to be seen as an exceptional character. He never expresses any regret about his service in the Confederate army, and even makes a point of emphasizing that he did not serve under former Union war hero Gen. George Barton in "War Hero" (October 2, 1962). However, he nearly comes to a bad end by again feeling indebted to another former Confederate soldier Matt Grundy in "The Confederate Express" (January 30, 1962) when Grundy warns him the supports holding up a stagecoach he is working underneath are about to collapse, allowing Jess to get out of the way just in time. What Jess and Slim both don't realize is that Grundy is a murderous bank robber who has shown up to knock over the Laramie bank. Under the pretense that he has a large bank draft he needs to deposit after selling his interest in a mine, he gets Slim and Jess to accompany him to town and hide out in a hotel room until he can slip away and create a diversion by starting a fire in the town livery stable and then move in for the bank robbery armed with molotov cocktail bombs. Three brothers tailing Grundy for having killed their other brother during another robbery finally set Jess straight about who Grundy is and what he is up to, and after being drugged and then revived Jess is able to pass this information to Slim just in time to foil Grundy's planned robbery. Yet one more episode with Civil War overtones reinforces the idea that it is difficult to judge either side of a conflict without knowing all the particulars: in "Time of the Traitor" (December 11, 1962), Slim plays host to a Dr. Samuel Mudd at the relay station without initially knowing that Mudd is the man who treated Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth when the latter was on the lam after killing the president. Slim doesn't know Mudd's identity, just as Mudd says he didn't know who Booth was at the time, until Mudd is essentially kidnapped to treat the injured arm of the son of a nearby wealthy rancher. Because there is no time for further consultation with the regular Laramie doctor and the boy's father is too far away to be summoned, Mudd determines the only way to save the son is to amputate the arm. But when the father Vic Prescott and finds his son "maimed," he rushes to Slim's ranch to learn who performed the operation. Coincidentally Prescott is the man who apprehended Mudd years ago while serving in the Union Army, which only further enrages Prescott. Though Mudd maintains that he was not a Booth sympathizer, served 6 years in prison nonetheless before being finally pardoned by President Johnson, and had no choice but to amputate, Prescott is consumed with irrational anger and rounds up his ranch hands to take Mudd prisoner and try to lynch him before Slim and Prescott's more level-headed foreman stop them. The lesson imparted in this and other similar episodes is that knee-jerk emotional reactions are often misguided and that careful consideration of all the facts is required before passing judgment.

That doesn't stop Jess, in particular, from doing just the opposite. As we touched on in our post on the 1961 episodes and in a few of those covered above, Jess often finds himself in danger or, at the least, hot water when he makes decisions or commitments out of pure loyalty. In "A Grave for Cully Brown" (February 13, 1962) Jess comes to the aid of the titular character just because he sees him shooting it out with two other men and figures the odds aren't fair at two to one. Jess befriends Brown not knowing anything about him, such as that he is a wanted killer who later rewards Jess' loyalty by switching identities with him after Jess is knocked out by a bullet intended for Brown, thereby leaving Jess in the lurch to face punishment for the crimes Brown committed. "Lost Allegiance" (October 30, 1962) has Jess cross paths with former running mate Christy, who is now ungainfully employed as a cattle rustler who has just helped steal 15 head from Slim's ranch. Christy is indebted to Jess for saving his life during their early times together and offers to pay him for the stolen cattle, but Jess declines and says he wants the cattle back just before they are shot at by a vigilante. Jess doesn't really have the strength to press Christy for the cattle after spending all night trying to get out from under a tree that fell on him, and when he wanders onto the ranch of a nearby rancher, he is assumed to be part of Christy's gang and nearly hanged for it. This time Jess suffers because of a past friendship, but Christy suffers more by not killing Jess when he has multiple opportunities and winds up getting killed himself after offering Jess a place in his gang without consulting with its other members. And in "Shadow of the Past" (October 16, 1962) Jess faces the wrath of another trio of vengeful brothers out to get the man who killed their other brother. Unfortunately, the man they seek is an ex-con now married to Jess' sister, whom he thought long dead. When she shows up in Laramie trying to pull off the ruse of pretending to bury her "late" husband (who is very much alive, though badly wounded) to get his pursuers off their trail, Jess offers her his full support, even lying to the brothers that her husband Ben McKittrick is dead and nearly having to face all three of them in a gunfight alone. Naturally, McKittrick shows up in the nick of time to help Jess kill or wound all three brothers and allow his sister and her husband to start a new life without being hounded. At this point Jess is probably hoping that no other old friends or long-lost family members show up to complicate his life.

Slim, on the other hand, continues to be bedeviled by current or former girlfriends, beginning with the Arapahoe maiden mentioned above in "The Perfect Gift" and continuing in "The Turn of the Wheel" (April 3, 1962) when former love interest Abbey O'Neill returns to Laramie to expose and ruin the casino owner who has virtually owned and degraded her the last several years. When her kid brother is killed after getting too nosy working in the owner's casino, Sheriff Cory recruits Slim to take a job on the inside to get to the bottom of things. Predictably Abbey takes a bullet to protect Slim from a ruthless counterfeiter trying to complete a deal with the casino owner just before Jess and Cory burst in and take down the whole operation. In "The Fortune Hunter" (October 9, 1962), Slim has to save his current girlfriend after she throws her attentions at titular character Vince Jackson in order to make Slim jealous, not realizing that Jackson has plans to marry her only to embezzle money from her father before casting her aside. Though Slim successfully saves her in the nick of time, she and her father decide that she should go east to attend college, the same dodge the series used to oust original cast member Robert Crawford, Jr. early in Season 2. Will love ever find Slim Sherman? No, but the series wants us to believe that he will keep trying even though we all know he has no chance of success.

Which brings us back to the original point of this post: while original viewers may not have been as rankled by the constant repetition and predictability of plots, given that they would have been spaced out over a 9-month viewing period, bingeing the episodes today makes for a much less enjoyable experience because you can see the climax and resolution of every story a mile away. Whatever suspense or novelty there may have been 60 years ago has long since eroded from too many hours in the saddle.

The Actors

For the biographies of John Smith and Robert Fuller, see the 1960 post on Laramie. For the biographies of Spring Byington, Dennis Holmes, and Eddy Waller, see the 1961 post on Laramie.

Stuart Randall

Born Clarence Maxwell in Brazil, Indiana on July 24, 1909, Randall developed an interest in performing when he was in elementary school acting in theatrical productions. In the summer after finishing high school in 1927, he attended a military training program and won a medal for marksmanship and a rank of corporal, but by the fall he had returned to Brazil and appeared in musical theater productions at various venues. In May 1929, Randall and two other local young men headed to California where he renamed himself Larry Sothern and began a singing career with performances at the Biltmore Hotel and Cocoanut Grove while also working as an extra at Warner Brothers, Fox, and Paramount Studios. But in 1931 he lost his voice due to excessive work and underwent a series of 22 operations over three years until his voice was restored. It took another three years to regain full use of his voice by which time he had moved to Miami and began appearing on radio and at various venues around town. In 1938 he formed Larry Sothern and His Orchestra, taking up residence at the Town Casino Club, followed by a gig aboard a cruise ship, and then at the La Concha Hotel in Key West upon his return. In 1939 he took his band to various engagements throughout the country, recorded eight songs for the Vocalion record label, and had a brief stint singing with the Will Bradley Orchestra in Los Angeles. By 1940 he retired from singing and returned to Miami to take up an acting career on the stage in local productions. In 1941 Randall joined the cast of a traveling production of My Sister Eileen which spent eight months in Chicago before going on tour throughout the midwest and ending up on the west coast in 1942. Film noir femme fatale Audrey Totter was also part of the cast for this production. But when the U.S. went to war in 1942, Randall dropped his Larry Sothern moniker and joined the Army under his birth name. He married stage actress Mary Elizabeth Adams in November 1942. Randall was discharged from the Army in November 1944 and separated from Adams in 1946, though their divorce would not be finalized until February 1950. It is not known what Randall did between his discharge from the Army until early 1950 when he showed up in Hollywood and appeared in his first credited feature film role in Bells of Coronado starring Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. Thereafter he appeared in a series of westerns, crime dramas, and war pictures before making his first TV appearance in a 1950 episode of The Lone Ranger. But the bulk of his work in the early '50's was supporting roles in feature films such as Carbine Williams, Pony Express, Southwest Passage, and They Rode West. The latter 1950s saw his work shift to more television guest appearances in anthology dramas such as Schlitz Playhouse and Zane Grey Theatre but particularly in westerns such as Colt .45, Sugarfoot, and The Restless Gun. He appeared five times as Sheriff Art Sampson on Cimarron City alongside Totter and future Laramie star John Smith in 1958-59 and appeared four times as Rufe Prentice on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp in 1958. He played a couple of different characters in two 1960 episodes of Laramie before settling into the role of Sheriff Mort Cory on the series in 1961, a role he would fill for 34 episodes through the remainder of the series.

After Laramie, Randall continued to find steady work, though he was not quite as prolific at age 54. He appeared 12 times on Lassie, five times as Al Livermore and three more as Len Briggs, seven times on The Virginian, and six times on Bonanza, often playing lawmen as he had on Laramie and in many other series. He retired from acting in 1971, his final two appearances coming in episodes of Ironside and Alias Smith and Jones. He remarried to Rose Leone, though the date of their wedding is unknown. He was living in San Bernadino, CA when he passed away at age 78 on June 22, 1988.

Notable Guest Stars

Season 3, Episode 14, "The Perfect Gift": Lisa Gaye (Collette DuBois on The Bob Cummings Show and Gwen Kirby on How to Marry a Millionaire) plays young Arapahoe woman Winona. Michael Pate (starred in Face to Face, Julius Caesar, Hondo, and Tower of London and played Chief Vittoro on Hondo and Det. Sgt. Vic Maddern on Matlock) plays her father Quinto. John Anderson (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays murder victim's brother Matt Cady. Russell Johnson (shown on the left, starred in It Came From Outer Space, This Island Earth, and Johnny Dark and played Marshal Gib Scott on Black Saddle, Professor Roy Hinkley on Gilligan's Island, and Assistant D.A. Brenton Grant on Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law) plays his brother Wayne. David McMahon (the Conductor on The Virginian) plays a bartender.

Season 3, Episode 15, "The Barefoot Kid": Rafael Campos (shown on the right, played Ramon Diaz, Jr. on Rhoda and Jose on Days of Our Lives) plays teenage Mexican orphan Juan De La O. Richard Coogan (Captain Video on Captain Video and His Video Rangers, Paul Raven on Love of Life, Marshal Matthew Wayne on The Californians, and Mitchell Corbin on The Clear Horizon) plays small-town Sheriff Vince Cutter. Oliver McGowan (Harvey Welk on Empire) plays the town Judge Craik. Joanna Barnes (appeared in Auntie Mame, Tarzan, the Ape Man, Spartacus, The Parent Trap, and The War Wagon and played Lola on 21 Beacon Street and Katie O'Brien on The Trials of O'Brien) plays his daughter Ruth. Harry Carey, Jr. (starred in Red River, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Mister Roberts, and The Searchers and played Bill Burnett on The Adventures of Spin and Marty) plays general store owner Dan Emery. Leonard P. Geer (Ollie on The Adventures of Spin and Marty) plays the town blacksmith.

Season 3, Episode 16, "Shadows in the Dust": Susan Oliver (shown on the left, played Ann Howard on Peyton Place and Laura Horton on Days of Our Lives) plays cattle rustler Jean Lavelle. Dennis Patrick (Paul Stoddard on Dark Shadows, Capt. Jack Breen on Bert D'Angelo/Superstar, Fred Foley on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Patrick Chapin on Rituals, and Vaughn Leland on Dallas) plays fellow rustler Ralph. Walter Sande (appeared in To Have and Have Not, A Place in the Sun, and Bad Day at Black Rock and played Capt. Horatio Bullwinkle on The Adventures of Tugboat Annie and Papa Holstrum on The Farmer's Daughter) plays the Edgerton sheriff. Ed Prentiss (the narrator on Trackdown and played Carl Jensen on The Virginian) plays a rancher who bought stolen cattle.

Season 3, Episode 17, "The Runaway": Trevor Bardette (shown on the right, see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays general store owner Uncle Ezra. James Best (Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane on The Dukes of Hazzard and The Dukes) plays saddle tramp Johnny. Hal Baylor (Jenkins on Rawhide and Mercury on Batman) plays his partner Samson. Will Wright (Ben Weaver on The Andy Griffith Show and Mr. Merrivale on Dennis the Menace) plays Laramie physician Dr. Sindley.

Season 3, Episode 18, "The Confederate Express": John Larch (starred in The Wrecking Crew, Play Misty for Me, and Dirty Harry and played Deputy District Attorney Jerry Miller on Arrest and Trial, Gerald Wilson on Dynasty, and Arlen & Atticus Ward on Dallas) plays wanted bank robber Matt Grundy. Peggy Webber (shown on the left, wife of actor Sean McClory, appeared in Journey Into Light, Submarine Command, The Wrong Man, The Screaming Skull, and The Space Children, and voiced Elderberry on The Smurfs) plays his estranged wife Martha. Steve Brodie (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays leader of band of brothers chasing Grundy, Clay Carrigan. Harry Dean Stanton (appeared in Kelly's Heroes, Dillinger, Cool Hand Luke, Repo Man, Pretty in Pink, Alien, Paris, Texas and played Jake Walters on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Roman Grant on Big Love, and Carl Rodd on Twin Peaks) plays his brother Amos. James Beck (appeared in The Bonnie Parker Story, Paratroop Command, Hound-Dog Man, and The Outsider and played Sgt. Highton on Hondo) plays their brother Luke. Gage Clarke (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Gunsmoke) plays hotel proprietor Firth.

Season 3, Episode 19, "The High Country": Barton McLane (starred in The Prince and the Pauper, High Sierra, The Maltese Falcon, and Treasure of the Sierra Madre and played Marshal Frank Crane on Outlaws and Gen. Peterson on I Dream of Jeannie) plays cattleman Mel Bishop. William Wellman, Jr. (son of director William A. Wellman, appeared in Darby's Rangers, A Swingin' Affair, A Swingin' Summer, Winter A-Go-Go, and The Happiest Millionaire and played Dr. Denason on Days of Our Lives) plays his son Tim. Frank Overton (shwon on the right, starred in Desire Under the Elms, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Fail-Safe and played Major Harvey Stovall on 12 O'Clock High) plays isolationist sect leader Jason Duncan. Anita Sands (later became astrologer to the stars and a self-help guru) plays his daughter Willow. Michael Forest (starred in Ski Troop Attack, Atlas, and The Glory Guys and was the voice of Capt. Dorai on Street Fighter II: V and Olympus on Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue) plays sect member Dev Bardeen. Don C. Harvey (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Rawhide) plays sect member Mather. Warren J. Kemmerling (Judge Rense on How the West Was Won) plays Bishop's trail boss Reb. Steven Barringer (Butch Malone on Cannonball and the radio operator on The Forest Rangers) plays Matt, a young boy in Duncan's community.

Season 3, Episode 20, "A Grave for Cully Brown": David McLean (shown on the left, see the biography section for the 1960 post on Tate) plays wanted outlaw Cully Brown. Karl Swenson (Lars Hanson on Little House on the Prairie) plays horse rancher Bryan James. Karen Steele (starred in Marty, Westbound, and The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond) plays his wife Linda. John Anderson (see "The Perfect Gift" above) plays James' foreman Sobey. Barry Kelley (starred in The Asphalt Jungle, The Manchurian Candidate, and The Love Bug and played Charlie Anderson on Big Town, Jim Rafferty on The Tom Ewell Show, Mr. Slocum on Pete and Gladys, and Carol's father on Mister Ed) plays small-town Sheriff Caxton. Dick Elliott (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Andy Griffith Show) plays undertaker Bert. Will Wright (see "The Runaway" above) plays town physician Doc Bigelow. William D. Gordon (Joe Travis on Riverboat and wrote or adapted teleplays for Thriller, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Fugitive, Ironside, and CHiPs) plays bounty hunter Giles.

Season 3, Episode 21, "The Runt": Michael Forest (see "The High Country" above) plays murderous outlaw Lew Catlin. Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock on Star Trek, Paris on Mission: Impossible, and Dr. William Bell on Fringe) plays his brother Rix. Ben Cooper (appeared in Johnny Guitar, The Rose Tattoo, and Support Your Local Gunfighter and played Waverly on The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo and the Director on The Fall Guy) plays their honest step-brother Sandy. Sue England (Mildred Price on Bracken's World) plays Sandy's wife Marcy. Raymond Bailey (shown on the right, see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis) plays Laramie banker Mr. Gillis. Dennis Rush (Howie Pruitt on The Andy Griffith Show) plays small boy Teddy. Susan Hart (appeared in The Slime People, Ride the Wild Surf, Pajama Party, Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine, and The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini) plays saloon girl Noreen. George Eldredge (Dr. Spaulding on The Adventures of Spin and Marty) plays bank president Mr. Newcombe.

Season 3, Episode 22, "The Dynamiters": Russell Johnson (see "The Perfect Gift" above) plays "inventor" Bob Murkland. Jean Allison (shown on the left, appeared in Edge of Fury, Devil's Partner, The Steagle, and Bad Company) plays widow Sarah Hodding. Steven Barringer (see "The High Country" above) plays her son Peter. Robert Bray (Simon Kane on Stagecoach West and Corey Stuart on Lassie) plays Jess' old friend Marshal Jim Tenney. Myron Healey (Doc Holliday on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays Tenney's top roughneck Dan Garnes. Willis Bouchey (Mayor Terwilliger on The Great Gildersleeve, Springer on Pete and Gladys, and the judge 23 times on Perry Mason) plays bank president Bundy Wilcox. Norman Leavitt (Ralph on Trackdown) plays a freight agent.

Season 3, Episode 23, "Day of the Savage": John Lupton (Tom Jeffords on Broken Arrow, Frank on Never Too Young, and Tommy Horton on Days of Our Lives) plays gun runner Glen Colton. Michael Pate (shown on the right, see "The Gift" above) plays new Sioux chief Toriano. X Brands (Pahoo-Ka-Ta-Wah on Yancy Derringer) plays renegade brave Skenya. Tom Greenway (Sheriff Jack Bronson on State Trooper) plays homesteader Darby. Gary Vinson (Chris Higbee on The Roaring '20's, George Christopher on McHale's Navy, and Sheriff Harold Skiles on Pistols 'n' Petticoats) plays greenhorn Army Lt. Taylor. Jay Silverheels (appeared in Key Largo, The Pathfinder, Drums Across the River, The Black Dakotas, and Walk the Proud Land and played Tonto on The Lone Ranger and in 4 Lone Ranger feature films) plays Sioux brave Toma.

Season 3, Episode 24, "Justice in a Hurry": Hugh Sanders (appeared in That's My Boy, The Pride of St. Louis, The Winning Team, and The Wild One) plays rancher Ev Keleher. Diana Millay (shown on the left, played Laura Collins on Dark Shadows and Kitty Styles on The Secret Storm) plays his daughter Julie. George Mitchell (see the biography section for the 1962 post on Stoney Burke) plays a small-town judge. Robert J. Wilke (appeared in Best of the Badmen, High Noon, The Far Country, Night Passage, and Stripes and played Capt. Mendoza on Zorro) plays the local sheriff. George D. Wallace (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays rival rancher's brother Marv Jackson. Kathleen Freeman (Katie on Topper, Marilly on Mayor of the Town, Bertha Krause on The Bob Cummings Show, Flo Shafer on The Beverly Hillbillies, Kate Harwell on Funny Face, Iris Belmont on Lotsa Luc, and Sister Mary Dorothy on General Hospital) plays rival rancher's girlfriend Edna Holtzhoff. Paul Birch (Erle Stanley Gardner on The Court of Last Resort, Mike Malone on Cannonball, and Capt. Carpenter on The Fugitive) plays supposed murder witness Sam Norris. Dabbs Greer (see the biography section for the 1960 post on Gunsmoke) plays Keleher's defense attorney Elmo Regis.

Season 3, Episode 25, "The Replacement": Richard Coogan (see "The Barefoot Kid" above) plays Sheriff Cory's replacement Paul Halleck. Roberta Shore (shown on the right, see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet) plays his daughter Sharon. Addison Richards (starred in Boys Town, They Made Her a Spy, Flying Tigers, and The Deerslayer and played Doc Calhoun on Trackdown and Doc Landy on The Deputy) plays the Laramie mayor. John Harmon (hotel clerk Eddie Halstead on The Rifleman) plays councilman Rawlins. L.Q. Jones (Belden on The Virginian, Sheriff Lew Wallace on The Yellow Rose, and Nathan Wayne on Renegade) plays former POW Johnny Duncan. Chuck Courtney (Dan Reid on The Lone Ranger) plays his mute brother Knute. William Fawcett (Clayton on Duffy's Tavern, Marshal George Higgins on The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, and Pete Wilkey on Fury) plays bartender Sam.

Season 3, Episode 26, "The Turn of the Wheel": Lyle Bettger (starred in The Vanquished, Destry, and The Fastest Guitar Alive and played Sam Larsen on The Court of Last Resort and Harry Driscoll on The Grand Jury) plays casino proprietor Frank Mannus. Paul Geary (shown on the left, played Johnny Ramos on Slattery's People and Jody Varner on The Long, Hot Summer) plays Mannus' girlfriend's brother Billy O'Neill. Sean McClory (Jack McGivern on The Californians and Myles Delaney on Bring 'Em Back Alive) plays counterfeiter Gordon. Henry Beckman (Commander Paul Richards on Flash Gordon, Mulligan on I'm Dickens, He's Fenster, George Anderson on Peyton Place, Colonel Harrigan on McHale's Navy, Capt. Roland Frances Clancey on Here Come the Brides, Pat Harwell on Funny Face, Harry Mark on Bronk, and Alf Scully on Check It Out) plays the casino bartender.

Season 3, Episode 27, "Trial by Fire": Karl Swenson (see "A Grave for Cully Brown" above) plays Slim and Jess' neighbor Lars Carlson. Jan Merlin (Roger Manning on Tom Corbett, Space Cadet, Lt. Colin Kirby on The Rough Riders, and wrote screenplays for Another World) plays his step-son Garth. Cloris Leachman (shown on the right, starred in The Last Picture Show, Charley and the Angel, Dillinger, and Young Frankenstein and played Effie Perrine on Charlie Wild, Private Detective, Ruth Martin on Lassie, Rhoda Kirsh on Dr. Kildare, Phyllis Lindstrom on Mary Tyler Moore, Rhoda, and Phyllis, Beverly Ann Stickle on The Facts of Life, Mrs. Frick on The Nutt House, Emily Collins on Walter & Emily, Grammy Winthrop on Thanks, Dot Richmond on The Ellen Show, Ida on Malcolm in the Middle, Maw Maw on Raising Hope, and Mrs. Mandelbaum on Mad About You) plays Lars' mail-order bride Sarah. Jason Evers (starred in The Brain That Wouldn't Die, House of Women, The Green Berets, and Escape From the Planet of the Apes and played Pitcairn on Wrangler, Prof. Joseph Howe on Channing, and Jim Sonnett on The Guns of Will Sonnett) plays her former boyfriend Hank Emory.

Season 3, Episode 28, "Fall Into Darkness": Harry Lauter (Ranger Clay Morgan on Tales of the Texas Rangers, Atlasande on Rocky Jones, Space Ranger, and Jim Herrick on Waterfront) plays failed rancher Ben Crances. Jean Byron (shown on the left, see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis) plays his wife Norma. Gina Gillespie (Tess on Law of the Plainsman and Mimi Scott on Karen) plays his daughter Kathy. Rayford Barnes (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays his brother Jack. Robert J. Wilke (see "Justice in a Hurry" above) plays their gang leader Laird.

Season 4, Episode 1, "Among the Missing": Ivan Dixon (shown on the right, starred in A Raisin in the Sun, Nothing But a Man, and A Patch of Blue and played Sgt. James Kinchloe on Hogan's Heroes) plays stablehand Jamie Davis. L.Q. Jones (see "The Replacement" above) plays his boss' friend Neeley. Jan Merlin (see "Trial by Fire" above) plays bank robber Milo Gordon. Claude Akins (Sonny Pruett on Movin' On and Sheriff Elroy P. Lobo on B.J and the Bear and on Lobo) plays Chloride, CO Sheriff Tyler Shaw. Dolores Michaels (appeared in The Wayward Bus, April Love, and Warlock) plays saloon girl Nona. William Boyett (Sgt. Ken Williams on Highway Patrol and Sgt. MacDonald on Adam-12) plays Milo's accomplice Porter.

Season 4, Episode 2, "War Hero": Lloyd Nolan (shown on the left, played Michael Shayne in six movies, starred in Ebb Tide, Pier 13, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The Street With No Name, and Airport, and played Martin Kane on Martin Kane, Special Agent Philip Conroy on Special Agent 7, and Dr. Morton Chegley on Julia) plays presidential candidate Gen. George Barton. Joanna Barnes (see "The Barefoot Kid" above) plays his daughter Lucy. Herbert Rudley (Sam Brennan on The Californians, Lt. Will Gentry on Michael Shayne, General Crone on Mona McCluskey, and Herb Hubbard on The Mothers-in-Law) plays his campaign manager Jeremy Thorne. Mort Mills (Marshal Frank Tallman on Man Without a Gun, Sgt. Ben Landro on Perry Mason, and Sheriff Fred Madden on The Big Valley) plays hired assassin Obie Loomis. Maurice Manson (Frederick Timberlake on Dennis the Menace, Josh Egan on Hazel, and Hank Pinkham on General Hospital) plays political financier Marley. Francis de Sales (Lt. Bill Weigand on Mr. & Mrs. North, Ralph Dobson on The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, Sheriff Maddox on Two Faces West, and Rusty Lincoln on Days of Our Lives) plays his associate Haines.

Season 4, Episode 3, "The Fortune Hunter": Ray Danton (shown on the right, starred in Chief Crazy Horse, Onionhead, The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond, The George Raft Story, and Portrait of a Mobster and played Nifty Cronin on The Alaskans) plays ex-con fortune hunter Vince Jackson. Peter Whitney (Sergeant Buck Sinclair on The Rough Riders and Lafe Crick on The Beverly Hillbillies) plays his mentor Hutch Davis. Parley Baer (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet) plays stagecoach line supervisor Fred McAllen. Carolyn Craig (appeared in Giant, House on Haunted Hill, and Studs Lonigan) plays his daughter Kitty. Willis Bouchey (see "The Dynamiters" above) plays livery stable owner Harvey Dodds.

Season 4, Episode 4, "Shadow of the Past": Jacqueline Scott (shown on the left, starred in House of Women, Empire of the Ants, and Telefon and played Donna Kimble Taft on The Fugitive) plays Jess' sister Francie. Jim Davis (Matt Clark on Stories of the Century, Wes Cameron on Rescue 8, Marshal Bill Winter on The Cowboys, and Jock Ewing on Dallas) plays her husband Ben McKittrick. Ron Hayes (see the biography section for the 1960 post on Bat Masterson) plays McKittrick pursuer Carl Keefer. L.Q. Jones (see "The Replacement" above) plays his brother Frank. Andy Romano (appeared in Beach Party, Bikini Beach, Pajama Party, Beach Blanket Bingo, How to Stuff a Wild Bikini, and The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini and played Lt. Joe Caruso on Get Christie Love!, Frank Richards on Friends (1979), Warren Briscoe on Hill Street Blues, and Inspector Aiello on NYPD Blue) plays their brother Will. John Qualen (appeared in The Three Musketeers(1935), His Girl Friday, The Grapes of Wrath, Angels Over Broadway, Casablanca, Anatomy of a Murder, and A Patch of Blue) plays Laramie undertaker Mr. Elbee. Hugh Sanders (see "Justice in a Hurry" above) plays protesting citizen Ed. Norman Leavitt (see "The Dynamiters" above) plays a saloon keeper. Olan Soule (Aristotle "Tut" Jones on Captain Midnight, Ray Pinker on Dragnet (1952-59), Cal on Stagecoach West, the Hotel Carlton desk clerk on Have Gun -- Will Travel, and Fred Springer on Arnie and voiced Batman on The All-New Super Friends Hour, Challenge of the Superfriends, The World's Greatest SuperFriends, and Super Friends) plays stagecoach stationmaster Fred.

Season 4, Episode 5, "The Long Road Back": Gregg Palmer (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays stagecoach robber Duke Walker. Jim McMullan (Officer Don Burdick on Chopper One, John Moore on Beyond Westworld, and Sen. Andrew Dowling on Dallas) plays his younger brother Virg. Yvonne Craig (shown on the right, starred in Gidget, High Time, Kissin' Cousins, Ski Party, and One Spy Too Many and played Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl, on Batman and Grandma on Olivia) plays Virg's girlfriend Jinny Malone. Edgar Buchanan (Uncle Joe Carson on The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, and Petticoat Junction, Red Connors on Hopalong Cassidy, Judge Roy Bean on Judge Roy Bean, Doc Burrage on The Rifleman, and J.J. Jackson on Cade's County) plays prospector Cletus McBain.

Season 4, Episode 6, "Lost Allegiance": Rod Cameron (see the biography section for the 1960 post on Coronado 9) plays cattle rustler Christy. Harry Carey, Jr. (see "The Barefoot Kid" above) plays his accomplice Whitey. Walter Sande (see "Shadows in the Dust" above) plays valley rancher Walt Helford. Myrna Fahey (shown on the left, appeared in Face of a Fugitive and House of Usher and played Katherine "Kay" Banks on Father of the Bride) plays his daughter Sharon. Lee Farr (Lt. Jim Conway on The Detectives and was married to actor Felicia Farr) plays her suitor Lon Jamison. Don C. Harvey (see "The High Country" above) plays valley Sheriff Finn McKay.

Season 4, Episode 7, "The Sunday Shoot": Burt Brinckerhoff (shown on the right, played Charles Shannon on Dr. Kildare and directed multiple episodes of Lou Grant, Nine to Five, Remington Steele, ALF, and 7th Heaven) plays young sharpshooter Hobie Carson. Jena Engstrom (daughter of actress Jean Engstrom) plays his girlfriend Nancy. Dan White (appeared in Arizona Whirlwind, Taza, Son of Cochise, Attack of the Giant Leeches, and The Sergeant Was a Lady and played Dan Fraser on From These Roots) plays her father Pa Tilford. Gregory Walcott (see the biography section for the 1961 post on 87th Precinct) plays ex-con Rafe Seton. Chris Alcaide (was once married to Cher's mother, Georgia Holt) plays Seton's partner Ben Yates. William Fawcett (see "The Replacement" above) plays cider maker Bill. Charles Seel (Otis the Bartender on Tombstone Territory, Mr. Krinkie on Dennis the Menace, and Tom Pride on The Road West) plays rival cider maker Mose.

Season 4, Episode 8, "Double Eagles": Russell Johnson (see "The Perfect Gift" above) plays outlaw Al Denning. George D. Wallace (see "Justice in a Hurry" above) plays his partner Sloane. James Beck (see "The Confederate Express" above) plays third partner Easy. James Griffith (Aaron Adams on Trackdown and Deputy Tom Ferguson on U.S. Marshal) plays Laramie town alcoholic Charlie Frost. Dick Foran (Fire Chief Ed Washburne on Lassie and Slim on O.K., Crackerby!) plays jealous rancher Joe Farley. William Bryant (shown on the left, played McCall on Combat!, President Ulysses S. Grant on Branded, Col. Crook on Hondo, Lt. Shilton on Switch, and the Director on The Fall Guy) plays his foreman Ed Casson. Stacy Harris (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays the Laramie chief banker. Norman Leavitt (see "The Dynamiters" above) plays store keeper Frank. Emile Genest (Napoleon Plouffe on La famille Plouffe and Charles Gougier on Monsieur le ministre) plays French trapper Duval.

Season 4, Episode 9, "Beyond Justice": David McLean (see "A Grave for Cully Brown" above) plays murder suspect and legislator Steven Collier. Kathie Browne (Angie Dow on Hondo and was Darren McGavin's second wife) plays his girlfriend Phyllis Wynn. Lyle Bettger (see "The Turn of the Wheel" above) plays his lawyer Leland Emory. Myron Healey (see "The Dynamiters" above) plays his former bodyguard Ben Chantler. Margaret Hamilton (shown on the right, appeared in The Farmer Takes a Wife, The Wizard of Oz, My Little Chickadee, The Invisible Woman, The Sin of Harold Diddlebock, and Angel in My Pocket and played Aunt Eva on Ethel and Albert, Mrs. Sayre on Valiant Lady, Katie on The Secret Storm, Granny Frump on The Addams Family, and Miss Peterson on As the World Turns) plays suffragette Leora Scofield. Jim McMullan (see "The Long Road Back" above) plays temporary deputy Cy Crossland.

Season 4, Episode 10, "Bad Blood": John Anderson (shown on the left, see "The Perfect Gift" above) plays notorious outlaw Leo McCall. Jean Byron (see "Fall Into Darkness" above) plays his dying estranged wife Annie Whitaker. Steven Barringer (see "The High Country" above) plays their son Skipper. Barry Cahill (Capt. Curt Douglas on 12 O'Clock High and Buck Vernon on The Waltons) plays bounty hunter Ed Connolly. Lew Brown (SAC Allen Bennett on The F.B.I. and Shawn Brady on Days of Our Lives) plays McCall henchman Tucker. Jan Shepard (appeared in King Creole, Attack of the Giant Leeches, and Paradise, Hawaiian Style and played Nurse Betty on Dr. Christian and Betty Howard on The Clear Horizon) plays McCall's girlfriend Karen Jackson.

Season 4, Episode 11, "Time of the Traitor": Lew Ayres (shown on the right, played Dr. James Kildare in 9 Dr. Kildare features, starred in The Dark Mirror, Johnny Belinda, Donovan's Brain, Advise & Consent, and Battle for the Planet of the Apes and played Henry Wade Culver on Lime Street) plays former physician Dr. Samuel Mudd. R.G. Armstrong (Police Capt. McAllister on T.H.E. Cat and Lewis Vendredi on Friday the 13th) plays rancher and former Union officer Vic Prescott. Paul Carr (Bill Horton on Days of Our Lives, Casey Clark on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Dr. Paul Summers on The Doctors, Ted Prince on Dallas, and Martin Gentry on The Young and the Restless) plays his son Steve. Anne Whitfield (Barbara Harris on Days of Our Lives) plays Steve's fiance Millie. Harry Carey, Jr. (see "The Barefoot Kid" above) plays Vic's ranch foreman Hobey. Don C. Harvey (see "The High Country" above) plays ranch hand Colie. William Fawcett (see "The Replacement" above) plays ranch hand Josh.

Season 4, Episode 12, "Gun Duel": Ben Cooper (see "The Runt" above) plays Sheriff Cory's nephew Johnny Hartley. Carole Wells (Edwina Brown on National Velvet and Lucy Hanks on Pistols 'n' Petticoats) plays his wife Carol. Jack Elam (Deputy J.D. Smith on The Dakotas, George Taggart on Temple Houston, Zack Wheeler on The Texas Wheelers, and Uncle Alvin Stevenson on Easy Street) plays fighting preacher Parson Hawks. Richard Devon (Jody Barker on Yancy Derringer) plays stagecoach office robber Del Shamley. DeForest Kelley (Dr. McCoy on Star Trek) plays his partner Bart Collins. Gail Kobe (shown on the left, played Penny Adams on Trackdown, Doris Schuster on Peyton Place, and Dean Ann Boyd Jones on Bright Promise and produced over 200 episodes of The Bold and the Beautiful) plays their third partner's girlfriend Lottie Harris. Ed Prentiss (see "Shadows in the Dust" above) plays Laramie physician Dr. Burns. Olan Soule (see "Shadow of the Past" above) plays telegrapher Cy. Dal McKennon (see the biography section for the 1961 post on 87th Precinct) plays a laughing bystander.