Laredo (TV series)

American Western television series

Laredo

Title card

Genre| Western
Starring|

* Neville Brand
* William Smith
* Peter Brown
* Philip Carey

Theme music composer| Russell Garcia
Composer| Stanley Wilson
Country of origin| United States
Original language| English
No. of seasons| 2
No. of episodes| 56
Production
Camera setup| Single-camera
Running time| 60 minutes
Production company| Universal Television
Original release
Network| NBC
Release| September 16, 1965 (1965-09-16) –
April 7, 1967 (1967-04-07)
Related
The Virginian

Laredo is an American Western television series that aired on NBC from 1965–67, starring Neville Brand, William Smith, Peter Brown, and Philip Carey as Texas Rangers. It is set on the Mexican border around Laredo in Webb County in South Texas. The program presented 56 episodes in color. It was produced by Universal Television. The series has a comedic element, but like another NBC series that premiered in 1965, The Wackiest Ship in the Army, it was an hour in length, had no laugh track, and characters were not infrequently killed in it, thus going against three unofficial rules for sitcoms at the time.

The pilot episode of Laredo aired in 1965 on NBC's The Virginian under the title "We've Lost a Train". In 1969, the pilot was released theatrically under the title Backtrack. Three episodes from the series were edited into the 1968 feature film Three Guns for Texas.[1]

## Synopsis

[edit]

The series were about three members of the Texas Rangers and their commander Captain Parmalee, who didn't approve of the Rangers jokes and pranks. The time period was after the Civil War.[2]

Reese Bennett was a former Union Army office in his forties when he joined the Texas Rangers. Joe Riley was an ex-gunfighter when he joined for both adventure and sanctuary from lawmen outside of Texas. Chad Cooper was from Boston, and had been a member of the Border Patrol during the Civil War. At the beginning of the second season Erik Hunter became a new Ranger.[2]

Peter Brown, who played Chad Cooper, recalled that the producers of the show wanted the three stars to have the same relationship and camaraderie as did the stars of Gunga Din, and had Brand, Brown, and Smith watch the film three times.[3]

## Cast

[edit]

Neville Brand, Peter Brown, William Smith and Philip Carey (L to R) Robert Wolders Claude Akins

### Main cast

[edit]

* Neville Brand as Reese Bennett
* Peter Brown as Chad Cooper
* William Smith as Joe Riley
* Philip Carey as Captain Edward Parmalee
* Robert Wolders as Erik Hunter (26 episodes, 1966-1967)
* Claude Akins as Cotton Buckmeister (5 episodes, 1966-1967)

### Guest cast

[edit]

* George Kennedy
* Eve Arden
* X Brands
* Chad & Jeremy
* Ahna Capri
* Ellen Corby
* Robert O. Cornthwaite
* Bruce Dern
* Richard Devon
* Mimsy Farmer
* Shug Fisher
* Byron Foulger
* Gina Gillespie
* Leo Gordon
* James Griffith
* Julie Harris
* Myron Healey
* Rodolfo Hoyos Jr.
* I. Stanford Jolley
* DeForest Kelley
* Jack Kelly (2 episodes)
* Fernando Lamas
* Jack Lord
* Marlyn Mason
* Mort Mills
* Shelley Morrison
* Stuart Nisbet
* Cliff Osmond
* Gregg Palmer
* William Phipps
* Mike Ragan (3 episodes)
* Donnelly Rhodes
* Roy Roberts
* Diane Roter
* Kurt Russell
* Robert F. Simon
* Dub Taylor
* Lyle Talbot
* Lee Van Cleef
* Doodles Weaver
* Jack Weston

## Episodes

[edit]

### Season 1 (1965–66)

[edit]

No.
overall| No. in
season| Title| Directed by| Written by| Original air date

|
|
|
|
|

1| 1| "Lazyfoot, Where Are You?"| Paul Stanley| Story by : Lewis Reed & Calvin Clements
Teleplay by : Calvin Clements| September 16, 1965 (1965-09-16)
2| 2| "I See By Your Outfit"| Harvey Hart| John D.F. Black| September 23, 1965 (1965-09-23)
3| 3| "Yahoo"| David Lowell Rich| John D.F. Black| September 30, 1965 (1965-09-30)
4| 4| "Rendezvous at Arillo"| Harvey Hart| Calvin Clements| October 7, 1965 (1965-10-07)
5| 5| "Three's Company"| Bernard McEveety| John McGreevey| October 14, 1965 (1965-10-14)
6| 6| "Anybody Here Seen Billy?"| Lawrence Dobkin| John McGreevey| October 21, 1965 (1965-10-21)
7| 7| "A Question of Discipline"| R.G. Springsteen| Archie Lawrence| October 28, 1965 (1965-10-28)
8| 8| "The Golden Trail"| Earl Bellamy| Gene L. Coon & Bloise N. Coon| November 4, 1965 (1965-11-04)
9| 9| "A Matter of Policy"| R.G. Springsteen| Edward J. Lasko| November 11, 1965 (1965-11-11)
10| 10| "Which Way Did They Go?"| Leon Benson| Gerry Day| November 18, 1965 (1965-11-18)
11| 11| "Jinx"| Paul Stanley| John D.F. Black| December 2, 1965 (1965-12-02)
12| 12| "The Land Grabbers"| R.G. Springsteen| Ric Hardman| December 9, 1965 (1965-12-09)
13| 13| "The Pride of the Rangers"| Tony Leader| John McGreevey| December 16, 1965 (1965-12-16)
14| 14| "The Heroes of San Gill"| Paul Stanley| Calvin Clements| December 23, 1965 (1965-12-23)
15| 15| "A Medal for Reese"| Lawrence Dobkin| Story by : Edward J. Lasko & George Bast
Teleplay by : Edward J. Lasko| December 30, 1965 (1965-12-30)
16| 16| "The Calico Kid"| Lawrence Dobkin| Story by : S.S. Schweitzer
Teleplay by : Gene L. Coon| January 6, 1966 (1966-01-06)
17| 17| "Above the Law"| Richard Benedict| John McGreevey| January 13, 1966 (1966-01-13)
18| 18| "That's Noway, Thataway"| Howard Morris| Vincent Bogert & Gene L. Coon| January 20, 1966 (1966-01-20)
19| 19| "Limit of the Law Larkin"| William Witney| Ric Hardman| January 27, 1966 (1966-01-27)
20| 20| "Meanwhile Back at the Reservation"| Bernard McEveety| John D.F. Black| February 10, 1966 (1966-02-10)
21| 21| "The Treasure of San Diablo"| William Witney| Story by : Gerry Day & B.W. Sandefur
Teleplay by : Gerry Day| February 17, 1966 (1966-02-17)
22| 22| "No Bugles, One Drum"| Earl Bellamy| John D.F. Black| February 24, 1966 (1966-02-24)
23| 23| "Miracle at Massacre Mission"| Bernard McEveety| John T. Dugan| March 3, 1966 (1966-03-03)
24| 24| "It's the End of the Road, Stanley"| Leon Benson| Gene L. Coon| March 10, 1966 (1966-03-10)
25| 25| "A Very Small Assignment"| Paul Stanley| Edward J. Lasko| March 17, 1966 (1966-03-17)
26| 26| "Quarter Past Eleven"| Irving J. Moore| John D.F. Black| March 24, 1966 (1966-03-24)
27| 27| "The Deadliest Kid in the West"| Leon Benson| Gerry Day| March 31, 1966 (1966-03-31)
28| 28| "Sound of Terror"| William Witney| John McGreevey| April 7, 1966 (1966-04-07)
29| 29| "The Would-Be Gentleman of Laredo"| Earl Bellamy| John T. Dugan| April 14, 1966 (1966-04-14)
30| 30| "A Taste of Money"| William Witney| John D.F. Black| April 28, 1966 (1966-04-28)

### Season 2 (1966–67)

[edit]

No.
overall| No. in
season| Title| Directed by| Written by| Original air date

|
|
|
|
|

31| 1| "The Legend of Midas Mantee"| Hollingsworth Morse| Gerry Day & B.W. Sandefur| September 16, 1966 (1966-09-16)
32| 2| "The Dance of the Laughing Death"| Jerry Hopper| Fred Freiberger| September 23, 1966 (1966-09-23)
33| 3| "A Double Shot of Nepenthe"| Abner Biberman| Gene L. Coon| September 30, 1966 (1966-09-30)
34| 4| "Coup de Grace"| R.G. Springsteen| William Raynor & Myles Wilder| October 7, 1966 (1966-10-07)
35| 5| "The Land Slickers"| Sherman Marks| William Hellinger & Clint Young| October 14, 1966 (1966-10-14)
36| 6| "Finnegan"| Alexander Singer| Edward J. Lasko| October 21, 1966 (1966-10-21)
37| 7| "Any Way the Wind Blows"| John English| John McGreevey| October 28, 1966 (1966-10-28)
38| 8| "The Sweet Gang"| Ezra Stone| Walter Black| November 4, 1966 (1966-11-04)
39| 9| "One Too Many Voices"| William Witney| John McGreevey| November 18, 1966 (1966-11-18)
40| 10| "Road to San Remo"| Irving J. Moore| Calvin Clements| November 25, 1966 (1966-11-25)
41| 11| "The Last of the Caesars - Absolutely"| R.G. Springsteen| Story by : Jay Simms
Teleplay by : Joseph Bonaduce & Jay Simms| December 6, 1966 (1966-12-06)
42| 12| "A Prince of a Ranger"| Charles R. Rondeau| Joseph Bonaduce| December 9, 1966 (1966-12-09)
43| 13| "Oh Careless Love"| Charles R. Rondeau| Gilbert Ralston| December 23, 1966 (1966-12-23)
44| 14| "Leave It to Dixie"| Abner Biberman| Marty Roth| December 30, 1966 (1966-12-30)
45| 15| "The Seventh Day"| Irving J. Moore| Story by : Alvin Boretz
Teleplay by : Joel Murcott| January 6, 1967 (1967-01-06)
46| 16| "Scourge of San Rosa"| Joseph Pevney| Calvin Clements| January 20, 1967 (1967-01-20)
47| 17| "The Short, Happy Fatherhood of Reese Bennett"| Ezra Stone| Leonard Praskins & Barbara Merlin| January 27, 1967 (1967-01-27)
48| 18| "The Bitter Yen of General Ti"| Charles R. Rondeau| John T. Dugan| February 3, 1967 (1967-02-03)
49| 19| "The Other Cheek"| Ezra Stone| Gene L. Coon| February 10, 1967 (1967-02-10)
50| 20| "Enemies and Brothers"| Gene Nelson| Story by : Tom Adair & John Elliotte
Teleplay by : Brian Barstu and Tom Adair & John Elliotte| February 17, 1967 (1967-02-17)
51| 21| "Hey Diddle Diddle"| William Witney| Gerry Day| February 24, 1967 (1967-02-24)
52| 22| "The Small Chance Ghost"| Richard Bartlett| Marty Roth| March 3, 1967 (1967-03-03)
53| 23| "A Question of Guilt"| Leo Penn| Joseph Bonaduce| March 10, 1967 (1967-03-10)
54| 24| "Like One of the Family"| Robert Gist| John McGreevey| March 24, 1967 (1967-03-24)
55| 25| "Walk Softly"| William Witney| Edward J. Lasko| March 31, 1967 (1967-03-31)
56| 26| "Split the Difference"| Alan Rafkin| Paul Mason| April 7, 1967 (1967-04-07)

## Selected episodes

[edit]

In "The Golden Trail", Jeanette Nolan is cast as Ma Burns, who investigates the progress of a gold shipment that Reese Bennett is supposedly transporting from St. Louis to Laredo. Jim Davis appears in this episode as a sheriff.[4] Nolan also appeared as Martha Tuforth in "It's the End of the Road, Stanley" (1966) and as Vita Rose in "Like One of the Family" (1967).

Lane Bradford was cast five times in different roles, as Three-finger Jake in "Rendezvous at Arillo" and as Amos Slaughter in "Which Way Did They Go?" (both 1965), as Ben Slick in "The Treasure of San Diablo" and as Charley Smith in "Road to San Remo" (both 1966), and as Lyle in "Walk Softly" (1967).

## DVD releases

[edit]

Timeless Media Group released the entire series on DVD in Region 1 on November 24, 2009. The 12-disc boxed set features all 56 episodes of the series, as well as bonus features.[5]

## Other media

[edit]

Gold Key Comics published a single issue comic book tie-in in 1966.[6]

## References

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1. ^ Maltin, Leonard, Leonard Maltin's TV Movies Video Guide, 1991 Edition, pages 61 & 1180, Plume, 1990
2. ^ a b Brooks, Tim and Marsh, Earle, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows 1946 – Present (first edition), pages 336-337, Ballantine, 1979
3. ^ Brown, Peter & Sturt, Alesx The Fastest Gun in Hollywood, page 31, Wild Horse Press, 2013
4. ^ Billy Hathorn, "Roy Bean, Temple Houston, Bill Longley, Ranald Mackenzie, Buffalo Bill, Jr., and the Texas Rangers: Depictions of West Texans in Series Television, 1955 to 1967", West Texas Historical Review, Vol. 89 (2013), pp. 115-116
5. ^ Lambert, David (2009-09-24). "Laredo - Timeless Release of The Complete Series as a 12-DVD Set this November". tvshowsondvd.com. Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
6. ^ Laredo

## External links

[edit]

* Laredo at IMDb

*[No.]: Number