Shane

I saw the full series of Shane in the 60s on TV and I thought it was excellent, nothing fancy or Ultra action series, but a really good realistic western series with an excellent cast.David Carradine was his usual strong, moody self.(as Kung Fu)The late Jill Ireland was good as his romantic interest. I suppose it would seem a bit sedate by today's standards, but to me it was superb, with some very good supporting actors, Some who appeared on an almost weekly basis and some who did not. All were good.I thought Ryker was also a good character, A real good villain of the piece with his brother and other gun hands he seemed to hire who always came up against out hero Shane.I would love to see the whole series again today. I'm sure It'd be just as enjoyable.

A big mistake was made when someone got the bright idea to make a television series out of the classic film that starred Alan Ladd. It deservedly lasted only for 17 episodes. Fortunately no one's career got hurt.

The whole premise of the film was Alan Ladd riding in to the valley, dealing with the villains and LEAVING because his job was done and he knew he was becoming a romantic rival of Van Heflin for the affections of wife Jean Arthur. Alan Ladd's conduct was the whole point of the film.

Here we've got Mrs. Starrett being a widow and being looked after by gunfighter turned farm hand Shane. They added a character of Tom Tully as her father-in-law. Jill Ireland played Mrs. Starrett and villain Rufe Ryker is played by Bert Freed.

Freed will acquire that Starrett homestead one way or another. He'll either drive her out or marry her. Freed casts some lascivious eyes on her the way Emile Meyer did in the film. But in the TV show he's got a wedding ring ready if all else fails.

Shane is played by David Carradine who I think midway in the series lost interest. He knew he was in a turkey that was slated for early cancellation.

Wise move too.

I never knew they tried to make a TV series out of "Shane," one of the best westerns ever made. Sure, they probably shouldn't have bothered, but I was surprised how well the episode I just watched worked. "The Day the Wolf Laughed" had a good script (minus the standard "if only character X had spoken up, nothing would have happened" moment), solid acting, especially by guest star J.D. Cannon, and effective music. They obviously didn't shoot the series in Wyoming, or wherever the movie was shot, but used the outdoors they had well. Based on this episode, I'd be willing to give the rest of the show a chance if I come across it again.

The more I watch this series the more I like it. It was made in the era where TV westerns were flooding the air waves so it may have got lost in the shuffle. As a huge fan of the movie Shane I was a little skeptical of how 5he main characters would be portrayed. Jill Ireland's role is the only one I'm a little disappointed in. On the other hand Bert Freeds role as Ryker is a step up from the big screen. He's just as grizzled and tough as the original but seems a bit wiser and more intelligent. He's probably my favorite character in the entire series. Like I said, too many other westerns, bad time slot , early cancelation. Too bad because the writing and character development was right up there with Gunsmoke. And that's saying something!!

Wonderful Movie. Top 5 on any Western Fan's List. Westerns were all over TV in The '60s. Was that what they were thinking? What was I thinking? It was 1969 before I saw The Movie Shane. I was just young enough to be 'Discovering and Exploring' Creativity. Shane opened me up to so much in the way of Production Values and Subtly as I embarked on a Media Career. How did George Stevens get The Dogs to do what they did? And that was just The Beginning! There was so much to explore! I became so obsessed that I drove to Jackson Hole Wyoming, found what was left of The Set and talked to some people who were there during filming. So....of course, I had to find all things Shane, including the TV Series. What a disappointment! It's almost unwatchable. I see that they brought Jack Schaefer in, who wrote the Novel, half way through the Season. I'm going to put it aside for a month or so and check out some of the episodes Schaefer wrote but......