Bat Masterson

This was a very cool series and the Western Channel (STARZ) is running the Bat Masterson marathon today 1/6/07. Yesterday they were running the Rifleman marathon with Chuck Conners. They will be airing these episodes daily at 4pm starting tomorrow. Bat Masterson series was short sweet and to the point entertainment. Gene Barry was obviously having fun in this series I know he played a character similar later on, only he changed his horse for a limousine. Each story was self contained. With really bad guys and of course the wimpy henchmen that would give up the information that Bat needed to get the bad guy. I spotted Ross Martin from the original Wild Wild West(Artemus) in one of the shows and as these other shows roll through I am sure a few other character actors will show up. If you get a chance between whatever football games are running take a peek this is entertainment not deep psycho-babble ;)

I remember this series fondly but even as a kid wondered why Gene Barry did not sport the moustache that Masterson wore almost all of his adult life and did (if I remember correctly) as portrayed in at least one episode of The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp. As an adult I have read almost everything written about Masterson, seen as many motion pictures as possible, and find the gambler, sportsman, writer and sometime lawman fascinating. Masterson did carry a walking stick, wore a bowler in at least one famous photograph, was a townsman and loyal friend, was involved in boxing and by all accounts was a cheerful and well-liked man - a lot like Gene Barry. Was this TV series always historically accurate? Not in the slightest! But it did capture something of the real man, a certain insouciance and worldliness lacking in the run-of-the-mill TV cowboy or lawman. 'Tis rather too bad that they never had an episode set later when Masterson was an apparently happily married man and sports writer for a New York newspaper. And yes, I frequently carry a walking stick today and fondly recall "Back when the West was very young/There lived a man named Masterson/ He wore a cane and derby hat/ They called him Bat, Bat Masterson...."

Good news for fans of Gene Barry and his TV series Bat Masterson (1958-1961)! This show just started airing on the Encore Western Channeel. A marathon of the first 23 Bat Masterson episodes aired this weekend, and the show starts a regular run tomorrow, January 8, 2007, airing on the Encore Western Channel from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Central Standard Time, each day. I believe it also airs @ 6:00 p.m. CSA on Saturdays.

I remember this show from when I was a child and I found it still fun to watch. Although Bat as portrayed by Gene Barry may be called a dandy, so what? You'll forget all about that the first time he clubs a villain with his cane - and it happens frequently! He's also a crack shot.

And perhaps my favorite part of the show? Almost every episode sports a nice looking gal from 1950s television. Check out Allison Hayes in 7 episodes and Audrey Dalton in 3 episodes; and I just saw Fay Spain in an episode. If you like old television with a great leading actor and some nice eye-candy to go along with it, you'll love Bat Masterson!

Based on Richard O'Connor's best selling novel and autobiography,the classic television western series "Bat Masterson" became one of the biggest hits of the 1958-1959 premiere season and introduce audiences to actor Gene Barry who became a major star due to this series which was far beyond the other typical TV-Westerns that came out that period that showed a fictionalized account of the life of real-life marshal/gambler/dandy Bat Masterson. The series was produced by Ziv Television Productions,the company responsible for such hit series as "Stories of the Highway Patrol","Tales of the Texas Rangers",and "Sea Hunt". "Bat Masterson" upon the first episode was an immediate hit that ran for three seasons in prime-time for NBC-TV from October 8, 1958 until June 1, 1961 for 107 episodes all in classic black and white. The theme song to "The Ballad of Bat Masterson" was sung by Bill Lee who was a member of the popular singing group "The Mellomen".

About the show, in just about every episode,took a tongue-in-cheek approach,with Gene Barry's character coming into a sort of ordinary Western town often dressed in expensive Eastern clothing and preferring to use his cane rather than a gun to get himself out of trouble or out of a sticky situation usually to help a damsel in distress or sometimes when dealing with gunslingers or bandits would use a gun whenever the situation got out of hand. In part Bat Masterson each week would roam from one Western town to another who always portrayed himself as a ladies' man traveling the vast and dangerous wastelands of the Old West in search of adventure. The show was so successful that during its three year run on NBC was Nominated for 2 Prime-Time Emmys for Outstanding Actor in a Prime-Time Series(Gene Barry),and also for Outstanding Editing in a Prime-Time Series(Richard L. Van Enger). Also during its run,Bat Masterson brought along a lot of successful writers to go along with the incredible stories in each episode. Top notch writers ranging from Andy White, Don Brinkley, Richard Collins, Harry Essex, to future "I Spy" producers David Friedkin and Morton S.Fine not to mention future "Star Trek",and future "Outer Limits" story consultant Samuel A. Peeples,along with Frank Pittman, Don Ingalls, Stanley Kallis, the husband and wife team of D.D. and Mary Beauchamp, and Ellis Kadison.

Top notch directors added spice to some of the intriguing stories ranging from Alan Crosland, William Conrad, Hollingsworth Morse, to Jesse Hibbs, Monroe Askins, Montgomery Pittman, Earl Bellamy,and future "Dick Van Dyke Show" director John Rich.

Several guest stars included some big name Hollywood heavyweights and newcomers including Robert F. Simon, Richard Eastham, George Macready, to Yvonne Lime, Gary Vinson, Brett King, Douglas Kennedy, Ron Hayes, Gary Vinson, Dan Sheridan, James Coburn, Warren Oates, Edgar Buchanan, to R.G. Armstrong, Gene Nelson, Kenneth Tobey, John Agar, Jack Elam, Frank Silvera, Morgan Woodward, Dabbs Greer, Ross Martin, Elaine Stewart, to future "Star Trek" players DeForest Kelley and Grace Lee Whitney not to mention fresh newcomers like Stephanie Powers, Ralph Taeger,Kevin Hagen, Diane Brewster, future Dukes of Hazzard star James Best,and Dabbs Greer along with 50's scarlet Allison Hayes and Allen Jaffe.

Several great episodes from the "Bat Masterson" series stand out ranging from "Double Showdown"(the pilot episode), "Dynamite Blows Both Ways", "Death by Decree", "Dead Man's Claim", "Incident At Fort Bowie", to "A Noose Fits Anybody", "Six Feet of Gold", "License To Cheat", "Election Day", "Buffalo Kill","General Sherman's March Through Dodge City",to "The Conspiracy"(Parts 1 and 2), "The Fourth Man", "The Treasure of Worthy Hill",to "A Matter of Honor", "Jeopardy at Jackson Hole"(which was the final episode of the series). After the success of Bat Masterson's run ,actor Gene Barry went to star in the detective series "Burke's Law" in which he played a Beverly Hills millionaire who was chief of detectives of the Los Angeles Police Department that lasted from 1963 to 1966 for ABC. In 1968 he starred in the 90- minute detective drama series "The Name of the Game" that also starred Robert Stack and Tony Franciosa.

This was a fun series that wasn't supposed to be taken seriously. Gene Barry was perfect as the suave Masterson, who apparently made a living playing cards at nearly tavern west of the Mississippi River. It was a preview for his role in "Burke's Law" five years later. Like with all westerns of that era, there is a lot of drinking, fighting, kissing and killing. The bad guys wore black hats and the women were (almost every time)gorgeous -- even if they seem to be wearing 10 pounds of clothes. Watchas well for some guest character actors who later went on to modest successes (like James Best, Louise Fletcher, Ross Martin).It's worth a half hour of your time.