Lawman

It's inconceivable to me how Warner Bros. can continue to ignore the potential of remarketing this "gem" of a series on video! The casting of this show was impeccable as was the constant tight direction and consistantly strong storylines throughout the sad short run of this series.Lawman had more of a movie atmosphere about it thanks to Warner Bros. detail to props, sets (etc.) and a fair budget which didn't always go into the stars pockets as evidenced by the several western stars that galloped off their respective W.B. shows in the late fifties. John Russell opted not to follow suit.Lawman did not employ "comic relief" that helped make Maverick so intensely popular,W.B. opted instead to inject a "love intrest" for Dan Troop to help ease his tense character in the name of "Lily" after the '58 season.The few "bootleg copies around today only serve to increase the ache and yearning for Warner Bros. to reach into their vaults and allow us to enjoy "real TV" the way it was meant to be enjoyed!

Lawman was a Warner Bros western. Jack Warner's studio had several great Westerns on the Air and seen now in syndication or on cable it is like visiting old friends. At one time they had 3 separate backlot streets for the many westerns shooting there. Maverick, Cheyenne, Sugarfoot, Bronco etc

John Russell was the Marshall and Peter Brown the Deputy .I like seeing this show on cable. Peter Brown was extraordinarily handsome and magnetic and was loved by women and definitely made a name for himself with the ladies. He did a magazine layout with one of his female friends and was married I believe 4 times.

It is awesome to see in addition to the stars Messrs. Russell and Brown WB stars such as Will Hutchins, Grant Williams, Edd Byrnes, , Jack Kelly, Robert Logan, William Reynolds, Gary Vinson, Mike Road, Ty Hardin, Van Williams, Andrew Duggan. Bob Conrad, Donald May. Watching Lawman, Sugarfoot, Cheyenne, Maverick one could see these actors in various roles. Beautiful women such as Connie Stevens, Dorothy Provine, Diane McBain also were in the various WB shows. In addition to being cast in various shows these actors were cast in supporting roles of WB pictures.

Donald May plated a FBI agent in Fred McMurray's Kisses For My President, Messrs Brown and Hardin were in Merrill's Marauders, William Reynolds was in Troy Donahue's great Western A Distant Trumpet but so was Diane McBain Gary Vinson was in a Majority of One with Roz Russell and Alec Guiness, Clint Walker and Edd Byrnes were in Yellowstone Kelly, WB had its major contract stars Troy Donahue, Connie Stevens, Ty Hardin , and Bob Conrad in Palm Springs Weekend. WB StarsTy Hardin and Dorothy Provine were great in Wall of Noise directed by a fine director Richard Wilson. I saw one episode an none other than Robert Redford was in the cast!

There is a great group picture of Jack L. Warner walking in a WB backlot street with all the WB Stars such as Angie Dickinson, Troy Donahue, Natalie Wood, Efrem Zimbalist, Shirley Knight, and all of the actors and actresses mentioned above. They problem if that is the correct term is that there were so many actors with few movie roles to go around. Troy Donahue was starred in one big WB movie a year. Hampton Fancher, Chad Everett, were in his movies.

It was a wonderful era

RIP Russell, Brown, Zimbalist, Donahue, Conrad, Williams, Vinson, Road, Hardin,

I couldn't agree more, this 50s western series was superbly done and John Russell was perfect for the part, although he played Indians and also many other parts in western's especially, I feel the part of Dan Troop was tailor made for him and in my opinion was probably his best part, although I agree completely that it didn't run as long or received the accolades it should have done!

'Lawman' was shown on Australian television in the early 1960's, and I remember it as being one of the best of the genre, amongst others great western series, such as 'Trackdown', 'Cheyenne', 'Have Gun, Will Travel','Gunsmoke', and so many others from the golden years of television westerns. John Russell was most impressive as Marshall Dan Troop, reminding me of a long lean Clark Gable, and Peter Brown as the young deputy, who tried to live up to his boss's ideal! Above average scripts, and fine performances by Russell & Brown defined this series, and why Warner Bros. haven't seen fit to release it onto DVD, I have no idea? They'd be doing themselves, and western fans a great favour! It took a long while for 'Cheyenne' to appear, and 'Maverick' is still waiting, so perhaps there's also hope for the great 'Lawman'? Incidentally, Warners westerns had the greatest theme songs around!

The theme song often goes through my head after all these years. I was never much of a TV watcher, probably because I was just entering my busy teen years when my family bought our first set in 1948 and it never became part of my life. But from the first episode of Lawman I was hooked, and it is the only TV show I've ever scheduled my week around.

Intelligent, believable, well-written and well-acted, and John Russell is still to me the most beautiful man I ever saw. (Peter Brown was no dog, either :o)

I agree that it is one of the most underrated TV series of all time. I hope I can find some episodes for my grandchildren to watch.