The Guns of Will Sonnett

Walter Brennan played all sorts of characters - crusty sidekicks (Rio Bravo), meddling old fools (Disney's, The One and Only, Original Family Band) and evil baddies (My Darling Clementine and How the West Was Won), but rarely did he play a tough guy, mentor and sage as he did in The Guns of Will Sonnett.

Brennan acts assured with the oft-repeated line, "No brag, just fact." This hombre's nobody to mess with, even if he is an old dude.

He's leading his grandson (Dack Rambo), Jeff Sonnett, from town to town looking for his son, Jim Sonnett (Jason Evers), whom they always seem to just miss. This series was reminiscent of The Fugitive where Dr. Richard Kimble always seemed to barely miss finding the one-armed man.

Brennan really doesn't want to fight unless he has to. He's long on scripture, but short on fuse when it's necessary to defend himself and Jeff.

Jim, it seems, has a reputation of being fast with a gun himself, hence, the continual wandering and cutting out of town just before Grandpa and Son show up for a long-standing family reunion.

Dack Rambo, obviously added to draw a young female audience, was a pretty boy, but fast with a gun like his father and Grandpa.

This was a great show. Brennan's character was wise, tough and ready for action. The music was haunting and wistful. I heartily wish it had run for more seasons than it did.

Oscar winning actor Walter Brennan played all sorts of characters. From crusty sidekicks(opposite John Wayne and Dean Martin in Rio Bravo),to meddling old fools(Disney's The One and Only,Original Family Band),and evil baddies(opposite Henry Fonda in My Darling Clementine and alongside James Stewart in How The West Was Won). Brennan also portrayed lovable but cranky family members(like his character Amos McCoy on the 1950's situation television comedy series The Real McCoys which ran from 1957-1963 on two major television networks,ABC and then CBS and was produced by Sheldon Leonard and based on the characters created by Irving Pincus). Rarely did he play a tough guy,a mentor or a sage until this series came along.

"The Guns of Will Sonnett",was producer Aaron Spelling's first and only attempt at doing a weekly western series. Created by Aaron Spelling and produced by Danny Thomas,this series produced 50 episodes all in color and it ran from September 8,1967-March 21,1969 for the ABC network. Produced by Spelling-Thomas Productions under the executive producers Danny Thomas and Aaron Spelling along with producers Shelley Hull and Dick Clark. Filmed at Desilu-Paramount Studios. Walter Brennan played Will Sonnett,a elderly older man and father figure who was quick with a gun unless it was absolutely necessary. He's leading his grandson(Dack Rambo),Jeff Sonnett from town-to-town looking for the older son,Jim Sonnett(Jason Evers)he never got the chance to meet whom in just above every episode they've seem to missed him. This series was reminiscent of the David Janssen's classic series "The Fugitive" where each week the two Sonnetts come even close to meeting their long-lost family member. Along the way they encounter gun-slingers and low-lifes that come in between there quest. This was ABC's sleeper hits during its line-up of shows for the 1967-1968 season.

This was a brilliant western series that lasted three seasons,even at the time went the show went into its second season(for the 1968-1969 season),Spelling and Thomas were producing another great series,"The Mod Squad",which became one of the greatest cop shows ever to come out of the late 1960's and well into the early 1970's. "The Guns of Will Sonnett" was in fact Spelling's only attempt at making a weekly western and after the show went off the air in March of 1969,Spelling continue into his foray of cop shows and dramas.

Walter Brennan and Dack Rambo played a grandfather and his grandson who roamed the old West searching for Jim Sonnett, Brennan's son and the boy's father, a legendary gunfighter. This was a thoroughly routine western, shot on the cheap, with nothing to set it apart from countless other westerns. Will Sonnet's catchphrase, "No brag, just fact," got old after the first 10 or so times you heard it. While Brennan was always interesting to watch, Rambo didn't make much of an impression, and the only remotely "original" aspect to the show was how the writers would figure out different ways to have Will and his grandson come close to finding Jim, but always managing to just miss him. The show only lasted one season. That was enough.

Ex-cavalry scout Will Sonnet spouts scripture and wisdom while riding around the west with grandson Jeff. They're looking for the middle generation, Jim, the seldom-seen, lightning-fast, gunslinging anti-hero. Old man Will is grumpy and frugal. He's faster than son Jim ("no brag, just fact," as he says.) Jeff is as good as he is pretty. He sometimes gets suckered by the bad guys, but is still plenty fast and resourceful, since he's been raised by the best. Jim is only occasionally present, but never betrays the moral and badass Sonnet name.

Walter Brennan in his later years was one of my favorites. His characters matched my personal values. The Sonnet Series appeared at the time of our wedding (1967)and as newly marrieds settling in a strange land (Connecticut)-- a "fir piece" from our native home further west -- we didn't watch much TV. I highly recommend the The 3 DVD boxed set by King World. I purchased it locally in a retail store. Enjoying every episode for the first time now in my retirement. GREAT writing by Dick Carr. He keeps you riveted to the screen. As a writer myself, I thoroughly enjoy the "poetry" that begins and ends each episode. Very original and very "Brennanly". I've got some of Brennan's audio CD's. I'm in love with the west as much or even more so than I was in the 50's watching my silver screen heroes. It would be great if the Sonnet Series was brought back or the plot copied.