When searching for ‘best Western TV series’…think music!

What was the best television Western series from the 1950s and 1960s? It’s a toss-up among the critics, as a panel of four experts selected four different shows.

Their “top TV Westerns picks” – “Have Gun, Will Travel,” “Wagon Train,” “Rawhide” and “Bonanza” – have one thing in common – a music hall of fame-worthy theme song.

Hence, we defer to Lauren Feldman of Fort Collins, Colo., who is a senior content manager at Equine Network, LLC, to reveal the TV Westerns with the “greatest all-time theme songs.” She ranks them in chronological order.

 

“Have Gun – Will Travel” (1957-63).

The show was set in the 1870s and featured a man named “Paladin,” who maintained a “dual identity.”

 

Sam Stone of TVLine.com said that Paladin, as a resident of the San Francisco Hotel Carlton, “was a smooth-talking, spiffily dressed dandy who enjoyed the game of chess, playing the piano, sampling fine wines and frequenting the opera.”

 

“But when anyone requested the services advertised on his chess knight-adorned calling card – “Have Gun – Will Travel” – he would don his black-on-black cowboy attire, strap on his gunbelt and boldly ride out to some Wild West locale to do derring-do as bodyguard, courier and/or private detective,” Stone said.

 

Actor Richard Boone starred as Paladin. A native of Los Angeles, Boone attended Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., for a time, but dropped out prior to graduation.

He worked as an oil rigger, bartender, painter and writer, before joining the U.S. Navy in 1941. Boone served aboard three ships in the Pacific during World War II, seeing combat as an aviation ordnance man, aircrewman and tail gunner on Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bombers.

“The Ballad of Paladin” was written by Johnny Western, Richard Boone and Sam Rolfe. Western (shown below) sang the vocals.

 

Here’s how it begins:

 Have gun will travel, reads the card of a man,

A knight without armor in a savage land.

 

His fast gun for hire heeds the calling wind,

A soldier of fortune is a man called Paladin.

 

Paladin, Paladin, where do you roam?

Paladin, Paladin, far, far from home.

 

“Wagon Train” (1957-65).

Author James Rosin said that following the Civil War in the late 1860s “westbound wagon trains were a big part of the frontier picture, and they were big again in early television. The show “Wagon Train” lasted eight years thanks to a strong regular cast and prominent guest stars.”

Actor Ward Bond served as first wagon master, Major Seth Adams. 

Bond was born in Benkelman, Neb., and graduated from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Bond was a varsity football standout as a lineman on USC’s first national championship team in 1928.

Bond became fast friends with another player on the team, John Wayne. They would appear in 24 motion pictures together.

 

Ward Bond died in 1960 at age 57, having suffered a massive heart attack. John Wayne delivered the eulogy at his funeral. The cast and crew of “Wagon Train” faced a “heartbreaking turning point,” according to one historian.

“Ward Bond had become a mentor and father figure to many. For nearly four seasons, Bond had anchored the show with his gruff but deeply moral leadership style. How could ‘Wagon Train’ continue without him?”

 

“Robert Horton, who played Flint McCullough (the rugged and reliable trail scout), later recalled: ‘Ward was more than just the lead. He was the heartbeat of the show. When he was gone, it felt like we lost our compass.’”

 

“Behind the scenes, producers scrambled. Scripts had to be rewritten, schedules adjusted. Eventually, veteran actor John McIntire was cast as the new wagon master, Christopher Hale.

“McIntire was a very different presence – more reserved, more philosophical. But with time, audiences warmed to him. The show didn’t just survive. It evolved.”

 

Rosin said: “Wagon Train was all about storytelling, and the stories hold up well, both as entertainment and as what cast member Denny Miller called ‘a Conestoga classroom…about our country’s western expansion.’”

Joe Leydon, entertainment editor at Cowboys & Indians magazine, based in Dallas, Texas, said “Wagon Train” deserves top billing because of its parade of guest stars who appeared in 228 episodes that aired over the eight seasons (including such notables as Bette Davis, Barbara Stanwyck, Ernest Borgnine, Lee Marvin, Charles Laughton and future President Ronald Reagan).

 

The show’s theme song was revised several times. The first season’s song “Wagon Train,” written by Henri Rene and Bob Russell, was purely instrumental. It was performed by Stanley Wilson And His Orchestra.

In the second season, a more modern theme song was introduced, “(Roll Along) Wagon Train.” It was written by Sammy Fain and Jack Brooks and sung by Johnny O’Neill (shown below).

 

Roll along

Wagon Train.

 

Rollin’ over prairie where there ain’t no grass,

Rollin’ over mountain where there ain’t no pass.

Sittin’ on a board

Eyein’ the weather

Prayin’ to the Lord

We stay together

Side by side on the Wagon Train.

 

The third and final version of the theme song, “Wagon’s Ho!” was composed by Jerome Moross (shown below) and again performed by Stanley Wilson And His Orchestra.

 

“Rawhide” (1959-66).

“The premise of ‘Rawhide’ followed the adventures of drovers along the rough and challenging cattle drives of the late 1860s,” wrote freelance journalist Meagan Drillinger. 

“It was in ‘Rawhide’ that an American icon was born; the Western gave Clint Eastwood his big break.”

Joe Leydon said: “Clint Eastwood earned his spurs as the crew’s ramrod Rowdy Yates.” In early episodes, Yates was reckless and impetuous. He was a handful for trail boss Gil Favor (Eric Fleming), who was challenged to keep Yates in line, often managing his hot-headed nature with stern guidance.

 

Eric Fleming of Santa Paula, Calif., experienced a “hard knock life” as a youth, before serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II as a member of the Seabees.

After the war, he was employed by Paramount Studios, working as a construction worker, grip and carpenter. Fleming took acting classes at the studio in the evenings that prepared him for “Rawhide.”

Clint Eastwood, who was born in San Francisco, was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean War in 1951. He did duty as a swimming instructor at Fort Ord on Monterrey Bay in California. Honorably discharged in 1953, Eastwood used the GI Bill to study drama at L.A. City College.

“The crack of a bullwhip starts off ‘Rawhide’s’ iconic theme song, written by Ned Washington and Dimitri Tiomkin,” said Lauren Feldman. Then, the legendary Frankie Laine takes over with his iconic vocals. 

Here are the abridged lyrics:

Rollin’ rollin’ rollin’

Rawhide!

 

Though the streams are swollen

Keep them doggies rollin,’ Rawhide!

 

Move ‘em on, head ‘em up

Head ‘em up, move ‘em on…

Move ‘em on, head ‘em up, Rawhide!

 

Cut ‘em out, ride ‘em in

Ride ‘em in, cut ‘em out

Cut ‘em out, ride ‘em in, Rawhide!

 

Keep movin’…movin’…movin’

Though they’re disapprovin’

Keep them doggies movin,’ Rawhide”

 

Don’t try to understand ‘em

Just rope ‘em, throw and brand ‘em.

 

Rawhide! Rawhide!

 

“Bonanza” (1959-73).

Sam Stone said: “‘Bonanza’ follows the Cartwright family, primarily its patriarch Ben (Lorne Greene), around their large ranch named the Ponderosa on Lake Tahoe near Virginia City, Nev. 

Widowed three times, Ben has an adult son from each of his three marriages joining him at the Ponderosa.”

 

“Running for 14 seasons, ‘Bonanza’ is second only to ‘Gunsmoke’ as the longest-running television Western. True to its premise, the series thrived on the strength of its ensemble cast and the natural rapport among them.”

“Bonanza” was the first TV Western shot and broadcast in color, and this is a primary reason why for millions of families, the show was “must-see TV during its 431-episode run,” commented Joe Leydon.

“Female actresses didn’t stay around long,” he noted. “Bonanza remained pretty much a bachelor party from start to finish.” 

The Cartwright sons were Adam (Pernell Roberts), Hoss (Dan Blocker) and Little Joe (Michael Landon).

Here are abbreviated early biographies of the key cast members:

Lorne Greene was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and graduated from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. While there, he acquired a knack for broadcasting. He became the principal newsreader for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s news organization and was deemed “The Voice of Canada.” He was flying officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II.

 

Pernell Roberts of Waycross, Ga., attended Georgia Tech in Atlanta prior to enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1946. He was selected to join the Marine Corps Band as a tuba/sousaphone player. He later attended the University of Maryland in College Park, where he was exposed to acting in classical theater. He got his start acting in summer stock.

 

Dan Blocker, a native of De Kalb, Texas, graduated from Sul Ross State Teacher’s College in Alpine, Texas, with a degree in speech and drama. He was drafted by the U.S. Army in 1951 and received multiple medals, including a Purple Heart for wounds in combat in Korea, where he served as an infantry sergeant.

 

Blocker returned to his alma mater after the war to earn a master’s degree in dramatic arts. He was doing post-graduate work to pursue a Ph.D. at UCLA before his acting career took off.

The fellow we called Michael Landon was born in Queens, N.Y., and had a difficult and awkward childhood. He was an excellent high school athlete and earned a scholarship to attend USC in Los Angeles as a member of the track and field team, specializing in the javelin throw.

 

After an injury to his left throwing arm sidelined his athletic dreams, Landon worked as a gas station attendant near the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank.

It was here that he was noticed by a regular customer, Bob Raison, a local talent agent. Raison advised the young man (Eugene Maurice Orowitz) “to change his Jewish-sounding name to improve his career prospects.” 

The Los Angeles telephone book led to the lad’s selection of his new name, “Michael Landon.”

The theme song “Bonanza,” was an instrumental written for the TV series by Jay Livingston and Raymond Evans (shown below) and arranged by Billy May. It was performed by the David Rose Orchestra.

 

The theme features sweeping strings, a driving beat and a distinct galloping tempo with a prominent guitar part played by Tommy Tedesco.

 

Lauren Feldman said: “Who can forget the rollicking theme song and the famous opening sequence: a map of the Bonanza going up in flames and the horseback Cartwrights galloping toward the camera?”

‘Death Valley Days’ was an epic ‘Western anthology’

One of the original Westerns to make the transition from radio to television was “Death Valley Days.”

 

Interestingly, what people seem to remember most about “Death Valley Days” are the commercials for the products that sponsored the show – “20 Mule Team Borax,” (a laundry additive), “Borateem,” (a laundry detergent), and “Boraxo,” (a powdered hand soap).

 

All were manufactured by the Pacific Coast Borax Company, a mining company formed in San Francisco by Francis Marion Smith. 

He became known as the “Borax King.” Smith discovered “massive, exploitable deposits of borates” in Nevada and California in 1872.

Between 1883-89, teams of 18 mules and two horses transported massive loads of borax 165 miles across southern California from Death Valley to the Southern Pacific Railroad depot at Mojave. 

Typically, it was a 10-day journey over a grueling desert trail. Two massive wagons and a water tank contained more than 10 tons of borax per trip. (The horses were positioned closest to the lead wagon.)

Stephen T. Mather, who became the advertising manager for the Pacific Coast Borax Company, created the iconic 20 Mule Team brand name in 1891; it was registered in 1894.

 

Christian Brevoort Zabriskie was running the company during the Great Depression. In 1930, he and executives from McCann-Erickson, the New York-based advertising agency for Pacific Coast Borax Company, came up with the novel idea of producing and sponsoring a radio program to gain publicity for the 20 Mule Team Borax brand.

 

They settled on “an anthology format,” promising to offer new plots and characters in each episode, all of which would be based on true stories that originated within California’s Death Valley region.

“Death Valley Days” debuted on radio in September 1930 and continued through 1945. It became a syndicated TV series in 1952 and ran into 1970.

The style varied. Some episodes were dramatic, while others were comedic. Most were human-interest stories about miners and homesteaders who lived and worked in the region where borax was mined, primarily during the 1880s.

Combined, the stories told documented America’s movement West and the settling of the great frontier.

Each episode of “Death Valley Days” was introduced by the “Old Ranger,” the host and narrator. Stanley Andrews played that part from 1952-64 (a total of 452 episodes).

 

Andrews was born in Chicago and began acting in stock theater in Minneapolis in 1916. The troupe presented a different play each week for 52 weeks. His first big role on radio was as Daddy Warbucks in the “Little Orphan Annie” series, where he starred from 1931 to 1936. In all, he appeared in more than 250 movies.

Actor Ronald Reagan of Tampico, Ill., succeeded Andrews in 1964 as the Old Ranger on “Death Valley Days.”

 

Reagan graduated from Eureka (Ill.) College in 1932 and was hired the next year as a sports broadcaster at WOC Radio in Davenport, Iowa, where he announced University of Iowa football games. 

Later, at WHO Radio in Des Moines, Iowa, Reagan was the station’s “voice of the Chicago Cubs” professional baseball team.

 

In 1937, he moved to California where he became a well-known film actor. With “Death Valley Days,” Reagan appeared in 52 episodes as the host/narrator and acted in 21 of them. “Death Valley Days” marked the end of his professional acting days, as he left the show in 1965 to run for governor of California.

He was elected in 1966 and served two terms. On the national political scene, Reagan lost the 1976 Republican Party’s presidential primary to Gerald Ford, but was nominated for president in 1980, winning a landslide victory over the incumbent Democrat Jimmy Carter. Reagan served two terms in the White House, from 1981-89.

 

When Reagan left “Death Valley Days,” Robert Taylor took over as the Old Ranger in 1966. 

Taylor of Filley, Neb., graduated from Pomona College in Claremont, Calif., where he played the cello and performed in the campus theater company. He was discovered in 1932 by a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer talent scout and began his ascent in show business, rising to become one of the most popular leading men of his era.

Taylor became gravely ill in 1969, and after 69 episodes, he was succeeded as the Old Ranger by Dale Robertson, former star of two other TV Westerns, “Tales of Wells Fargo” (1957-62) and “Iron Horse” (1966-68).

 

Robertson, who was once described as “the best horseman on television,” served as host and occasional actor for 23 episodes until production of “Death Valley Days” episodes ceased in 1970.

 

The “20-Mule Team Borax” and “Boraxo” brands continue to exist within the consumer products group of The Dial Corporation, a subsidiary of Henkel Corporation, headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany. 

Sky King became known as ‘America’s flying cowboy’

One of the top television Westerns that originated on radio was “Sky King.” The show enjoyed success of legendary proportions, because it was a “contemporary Western adventure series,” and not mired in the “Old West” motif.

Its main character was Schuyler “Sky” King (Kirby Grant), an affluent cattle rancher and retired U.S. Navy World War II aircraft pilot. The show artfully blended traditional Western ranch life with elements of modern aviation.

 

Sky King captured criminals and spies and found lost hikers, with the use of his airplane, the Songbird, as well as on horseback. His Palamino horse was named Yellow Fury.

His base of operations was the Flying Crown Ranch, located near the fictional town of Grover, Ariz. Accompanying Sky King on various crime-fighting missions was his teenage niece Penny (Gloria Winters).

 

“Sky King” premiered on radio in 1946. The show transitioned to TV in 1951  and lasted until 1959, compiling a combined library of 72 episodes.

Jeannie Watt, a present-day cattle rancher in southwest Montana, commented: “I particularly remember Penny getting into a boatload of trouble. She was forever getting captured, and that kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering how Sky was going to get her out of this mess.”

What made the program truly unique was its introduction of high-tech wizardry that was especially appealing to young viewers interested in science.

Promotional gadgets were offered to listeners, and then viewers. These items included a “Sky King Secret Signalscope,” a glow-in-the-dark signaling device, whistle and magnifying glass combination, and a “Sky King Spy-Detecto Writer,” which was a decoder (cipher disk), magnifying glass, measuring scale and printing mechanism in a single package.

Veteran journalist Bill Knight wrote: “‘Sky King’ stood out among the numerous Westerns of its time by integrating aviation and high-tech equipment into its narratives, reflecting people’s fascination with technology and espionage that existed during the Cold War era.”

Many pilots, including American astronauts, grew up watching Sky King and named him as an influence. Among those astronauts who possessed authentic “Sky King autographs” were Gus Grissom, Pete Conrad, Alan Shepard and Wally Schirra.

Actor Kirby Grant was born in Butte, Mont. He earned a scholarship to attend the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago and went on to sing professionally as a baritone and perform as a concert violinist. Grant also became a licensed private pilot, but he did not fly the Songbird aircraft in the television filming. He left that up to professional pilots.

Gloria Winters, a native of Los Angeles, began performing as a child actress in Hollywood at age 5. She appeared in a film with Shirley Temple and in an episode with “Our Gang,” also known as “The Little Rascals.”

Early on, a third member of the “Sky King” cast was Ronald Hagerthy of Aberdeen, S.D., who played Clipper, Penny’s older brother. (Hagerthy left the TV show after just 19 episodes, because he was drafted into the U.S. Army in the early 1950s.)

 

Kirby Grant died tragically at age 73 on Oct. 30, 1985, in an automobile accident near Titusville, Fla., while on his way to watch the final successful launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger at Cape Canaveral.

He had been honored to receive a VIP invitation from NASA personnel to occupy a front-row seat and observe the liftoff. Astronauts had planned to recognize him for his accomplishments to advance American aviation.

Several popular Western-themed television series were introduced by the major networks – ABC, CBS and NBC – in the decades of the 1950s and 1960s.

Meagan Drillinger, a freelance writer based in New York City, said America has a “love affair” with fantasy-driven images of “saloon doors swinging open” to reveal “a spur-spangled stranger” standing there, as tumbleweeds toss along the road behind him.”