Trackdown

This, along with Wanted Dead or Alive, was one of the better written and scripted of the routine weekly western TV dramas that glutted late 1950s TV.

Robert Culp was unique in his character of Hobie Gilman. Gilman looked for the moral justice behind each situation he found himself in. It was not just 30 minutes of chase 'em and shoot 'em.

Interestingly, Steve McQueen got his first shot at a TV series by playing Josh Randall on an episode of Track Down. His spin off series Wanted Dead or Alive was also a unique series, and launched another great actor's career.

By today's standards, yes, most of the 1950s westerns were formulaic. But if you have the time to catch a group of them for comparison, Track Down stands out. Culp is a great actor, as subsequently shown in every piece of work he did later on.

Trackdown, Wanted Dead or Alive, Gunsmoke, and Have Gun, Will Travel were my favorite television westerns during the 1950s. I have the DVDs of the last three but can no record of Trackdown being available?

Hoby Gillman is as an important part of my memory as Josh Randall, Matt Dillon, and Paladin. I remember being glued in front of the television set on Saturday night with my family all around, turning the rabbit ears in JUST the right direction to get the least amount of "snow". A bowl full of popcorn and a bottle of Dr.Pepper by my side, I rode the range with all of my idols. Through the miracle of cable and a DVD player I can experience this feeling once again and it's wonderful! Trackdown was on for three seasons, as I recall. Does anyone know if it's available?

Trackdown was a western that ran two seasonsn television and was a product of Dick Powell's Four Star Productions. It starred Robert Culp who got his first big break as an actor.

Culp played Texas Ranger Hoby Gilman and he was on roving assignment throughout the state of Texas. Culp dealt with assorted bad gius bringing them to justice.

Watching these haf hour episodes I liked the fact that even with the li,ited time it took to develop characters the plots were tigjht and the stories told. Culp was a man dedicated to enforcing law and justice.

A pity this did not run longer, but Robert Culpas destined for bigger and better things.

Durring the years when so much of US programming was taken up by Western shows there were many good 'oaters' and this was one of my faves. I was thrilled, then when one year when it was running my Dad took me to the Texas State Prison Rodeo in Huntsville, Texas and the featured entertainment that weekend was Robert Culp appearing as his 'Trackdown' personna. There is not much available on DVD of this show all these years later but I did find one disc with 10 episodes. Video tranfer is so-so but not unwatchable, from ATI Inc Audio Tape Inc).

An obvious vehicle for Culp, "Trackdown" was on the cutting edge of the 'adult' western. Culp's character, Hoby Gilman comes off as a hip Texas Ranger-kind of a cross between Sunset Strips Kooky, and Dragnet's Joe Friday! By today's standards, routine, at the time it was must viewing.