Alias Smith & Jones

I saw every episode of this show until the tragic suicide of Pete Duel. Pete Duel and Ben Murphy had the chemistry that makes a very good "buddy" show. They were Hannibal Heyes (Pete Duel) and Kid Curry (Ben Murphy), outlaws trying to go straight under the aliases Smith and Jones. Heyes had the brains and Curry had the fast draw, but they used brains more than guns. Many of the shows were elaborate scams the boys set up to get friends of theirs out of trouble - while trying to keep out of trouble themselves. It was funny and charming and it was one of the most enjoyable shows I ever saw on television. After the death of Pete Duel, they replaced him with Roger Davis playing Hannibal Heyes. I watched a few, but it was never the same.

In the UK this gentle, unassuming western series stormed straight into viewers' hearts; garnered enormous audiences, and generated many fond memories... how many among us still recall the 'five pat-hand' poker trick? Lots and lots, I'd wager.

What made it so successful, in retrospect, was the thoroughness of the script preparation and the subsequent chemistry between the two leads. Roy Huggins' (aka John Thomas James) thoughtful and professional approach was everywhere. Many of the most memorable moments within the series were based upon fact and/or documented historical incidents e.g. soap selling dodges, poker escapades, safe-cracking attempts, and - although I was unaware of this as a child - it explains why so much of the series' background 'hung true'. Toss in the amiable, laconic tit-tat verbal interplay between Hannibal Heyes (Pete Duel) and Kid Curry (Ben Murphy)... and you ended up with small-screen magic.

Heyes followed the silver-tongued, 'I can talk us out of this calamity' approach, with endless undinted confidence and zest, but varying success; Curry, meanwhile, was content to watch him 'wing-it', then stepped in when catastrophe threatened - as it often did.

It was the 'little things' that made this series soar, the consistency of character, the fallibility, the kicks of fate that tweaked Heyes and Curry into two magnetically likable 'pretty good bad men'. The delicate interplays between two men who would 'do to ride the river'.

It was often the smallest stories that were the most successful, the ones where technically 'not a lot was happening'. For example, in one episode they got snowed-in, for the whole winter, in a remote mountain cabin... all very static? nope, just the opposite... what you got, was a heck of a lot of Heyes and Curry getting on with the business of making the best of a bad deal. Fantastic.

This is the 'less is more' approach; so often lauded - but oh so rarely allowed onto the screen. The actors gelled with their characters; the characters enthralled; the writing created an environment within which the ensemble could thrive.

So okay... some episodes were better than others, a couple were great, and a couple were not-so great; but through it all Smith & Jones bantered and bickered, won, lost, and kept on trying. It was joyous entertainment. Joyous.

What's that, you said? Naw... can't be... d'you mean, you really don't know the 'five pat-hand' poker trick?!

Watch and Enjoy!

This is the first time I've written a review, and it's for a show 40+ years old - talk about 'timely'! I was 11 when Pete Duel killed himself and cried myself to sleep for a week at least. I have such a clear memory of coming downstairs and seeing the paper that my father read each morning with a picture of Pete and the horrible news. This show is obviously nostalgic and sentimental for me - a comfort food if you will - however, after repeated viewings of every episode of the Pete Duel version I think it is amazing that the chemistry of the two leads shines through regardless of whether the episode is one of the great ones, or one of the silly - Ben & Pete rose above their material week after week. What an amazing legacy to leave behind - along with countless others I marvel at how much Pete Duel is still missed and thought of by his fans. I am thrilled to have the series available on DVD anytime I need it to brighten my life. My other 'go to' series from the 70s whose leads also had a chemistry that defies explanation - especially since neither of the 2 pairs of actors in either show were close friends or socialized in real life - is the UK series The Professionals. I highly recommend that series to anyone not already familiar with it!

I was 11 when I found out Pete Duel had shot himself and I was heartbroken like so many others. I watched the show from the pilot on and looked forward to Alias Smith and Jones every week. I really loved the show. Pete Duel and Ben Murphy just went so well together. I find it interesting that Pete has been gone for 36 years at this time and so many people still miss him. Little did he know that past the days of black and white TV there would be an internet someday and people commenting about him. I thought I was the only one devastated by his death. I am almost 48 now and have a 6 year old son who has watched the Alias Smith and Jones DVD with me. I was so happy to see it was released. When I watched it fond memories came back to me. I realized that ASAJ was as good as I remembered it. It was timeless. Even though ASAJ was not on very long, it had made a big impression on people. I still feel bad about Pete's death and believe that he was a great actor and had so much to offer. I don't think he had a clue how many people would be affected by his death. I hope he is resting in peace.

I'm watching reruns on the Western E&W digital channels. The story lines were very good and interesting, as well as the great color and scenery. It seemed that the popularity began to fade when Pete Duel died (I heard it was suicide around the Christmas Holidays). Roger Davis was not as well accepted as the replacement of Hayes, but I think it was only because he had appeared in the series a few times before as a baddie. I just saw one this evening "The smiling man with a gun". Since they are not shown in any sequence each evening, you never know which will be Hannibal Hayes. Since the show first aired, I have retired and visited different areas of the west each summer for the past six years. I've tried to figure where that beautiful scenery was. My guess would have to be Moab UT and the Arches NP. That is how the rock formations looked out there, and also Sedona, AZ. No tall cactus so it was not in southern Arizona. Thanks.