The Adventures of Jim Bowie

Adventures of Jim Bowie (1956) was a sappy western that was produced during the early years of television (a.k.a the golden era). Well like most television show during this time they made a lot of westerns. This one was about a frontiersman who was famous for two things, he died at the Alamo and along with his brother created one of the world's most famous knife. I'm talking about Jim Bowie! Yes, they made a show about a guy and his phallic knife. What was so funny was the knife had almost an equal amount of screen time as the lead character. Watch the infamous Jim Bowie and his trusty knife carve up the villains and safe they day! Cheesy hoke-um that isn't worth your time. Unless you're in a hankering for some low budget western action!

The acting is pretty melodramatic except for Jim who's as stiff as a board. Shot in black-and-white and made on the cheap. It was funny to see a sappy old fashion western but the charm wears off after about ten minutes. Boring stuff that has a few unintentional laughs.

Not recommended unless you want to watch a mildly amusing revisionist fluff

Despite the fact that a number of episodes have Bowie encountering a variety of historical celebrities {including J.J. Audubon} that the real knife-wielder probably never actually met, the series is not without some historical value. Most of the westerns from the "Golden Age of TV" are supposed to represent the 1870s, but sometimes have technology from a much later date & a range of locale quite impossible for anyone to cover on horseback in a single lifetime. This saga accurately situates Scott Forbes' Bowie in the 1820s & displays the single shot pistols & musket rifles that were in use at the time. It also keeps Bowie pretty much confined to LA, where the real personality prospered until he ran afoul of the law & was forced to re-locate in TX where he ultimately met his end at the Alamo. The effort to chronicle the diffusion of French culture into Louisiana bayou is rather commendable for any TV program, especially in the late 1950s. Surely corny but somehow cool at the same time.

It is really annoying when facts easily found are discarded by neophytes to Westerns. Scott Forbes was South African, not British The "humming" to only humming theme to a series is wrong. Those are the Ken Darby Singers who ALSO THEMED TO The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp series and during the show of Earp until Season 4 Episode 4. And only the opening theme since. The Darby singers were used by the Desilu studios and appear in other westerns.

I bought the Volume 2 DVD of the Jim Bowie TV series at Wal-Mart and was entertained by its contents! Three episodes which feature entertaining actors, stories and fight scenes! So what if it's low-budget; Have you noticed that modern TV and movies are 99% monstrous mega-budget junk?! Jim Bowie is retro-cool action from a simpler time and conjures up fond memories of visiting Frontierland and Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland! Scott Forbes plays well as the strapping Bowie and his narration adds a nice extra touch to these episodes. I'm probably a bit biased because I'm a fan of all things vintage, but if you enjoy "boy's adventure" themed movies and books like Tom Sawyer you'll appreciate this series. I'm on the hunt for the other volumes!

Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that Jim Bowie is the only TV show to have its theme song hummed. Maybe there was music too, but there was also the sound of men humming with it.

Since I have to have ten lines of text I guess I will go on with this comment of Jum Bowie. Since I was born in 1951, I was only four or five when this show was on, but I remember it well. I guess that would prove that it is an impressive show for someone that young to remember it. What I remember particularly is two men fighting. One of them stretches the other man's arm out over a fire and the other man screams in pain.

All I really wanted to do is submit the trivia about the humming of the theme song, you can throw the rest of this out since I am only rambling on to get the minimum ten lines of text.