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

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.

Adventures of Jim Bowie originally aired on ABC from 1956-1958. This DVD contains the entire run of the series whose target audience was probably pre-teen boys. Today it is fun just to see the incredible historical liberties taken by the writers.

Scott Forbes (a British actor who had found a home in American television's many dramatic anthology series) plays the title character. Bowie and his brother Rezin (Peter Hanson) had invented the "Bowie Knife" and the opening credits begin with a knife being thrown into a wooden door. Then begins the theme song by the King's Men Quartet (not to be confused with the pop group that gave us "Louie Louie" a few years later).

Based on a novel "The Tempered Blade" by Monte Barrett, the series is set in the Louisiana- Texas region during the 1830's and the many episodes have Jim interacting with historical figures from the period like Andrew Jackson, John James Audubon, and Jean Lafitte the Pirate. If you were a young boy back in 1957 you could have mistakenly formed the impression that Lafitte was a central figure in American history, as it was his gold doubloons that the Hardy Boys were after on the "Mickey Mouse Club's serial: "Applegate's Treasure".

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

"Jim Bowie Jim Bowie, he was a bold adventurer man. Jim Bowie Jim Bowie, he battled for rights with a powerful hand. His blade was tempered and so was he, indestructible steel was he. Jim Bowie Jim Bowie Jim Bowie, he was a fighter, a fearless and mighty adventurer man".

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!

I think I remember this series because right around the time that I saw this on television I read Marquis James's two classic biographies of Andrew Jackson and Sam Houston which covered the era in our American south that Jim Bowie was operating in. If anyone has not read anything by Marquis James I urge them to. Better biographies have come out on both these guys, but as a writer James can't be beat. Maybe he romanticized the south a little too much, still his is the most readable of history.

The real Jim Bowie whose life was ennobled by martyrdom at The Alamo was a thoroughgoing scoundrel. But you won't find it here. Scott Forbes with an easygoing southern charm and accent that British players find so easy to adapt is the Jim Bowie of our frontier legends.

During the course of the two year run of the series, Bowie ran into just about everyone of consequence in that part of America most of whom he may never have met. One episode had him with Davy Crockett and in fact those two never met until The Alamo. Andrew Jackson appears in a couple of episodes. In fact Jackson might have carved Bowie up with his own knife had they occasion to meet for Bowie's politics made him a supporter of Henry Clay.

One guy who does pop up in the series a few times is pirate Jean Lafitte. He and Bowie did a considerable amount of business together including buying and selling of slaves and stealing and double selling same. That's not in the series however.

The Adventures of Jim Bowie was distinguished by that theme song which I can still remember sung by the King's Men and hummed at various points of the episodes for effect. I had occasion to see some episodes a few years back and they were as I remember them as a kid. But I have to confess I burst out laughing when the King's Men sung about how Bowie fought for the rights of man.

Jackson, Houston, Crockett, Lafitte, John Howard Payne, Johnny Appleseed, John James Audobon, Osceola, just some of the folks you'll run into in this series even if the real Jim Bowie never did.