The Deputy (1961)

Viewers of contemporary dramatic TV series have in a sense become spoiled by the current trend in devising multi-season story arcs narrating a continuous thread over dozens of episodes delineating not only the connected events that comprise a certain character's story but also the development and past history of that character. Critically acclaimed series like Breaking Bad grab and hold our attention specifically by posing and answering the question of why and how an upright, by-the-book high school science teacher could evolve into an amoral drug lord. But that level of character development and sequential narration was unthinkable five and a half decades ago. TV characters may have had multiple personality traits, which could be tested, challenged, and even temporarily changed within the confines of a single episode, but over the course of the series those traits were immutable, and events from one week's episode almost never carried over to any subsequent episodes. When an actor left a series that continued after his or her departure, often their sudden absence was never explained. All of which is prelude to the proposition that The Deputy was one of the best TV westerns of its era precisely because it was ahead of its time.

As recounted in our post covering the 1960 episodes of The Deputy, the series was remarkable because it boasted the most famous movie star then performing a regular television role in Henry Fonda. But Fonda was not the titular character in the series and had agreed to do the series only if he could make minimal appearances in the majority of episodes and get all of his camera work done in a 2-month span so that he could spend the rest of the year on movies and theatrical productions. Nevertheless, Fonda's role as Chief Marshal Simon Fry was crucial in the series' tone and evolution. As we narrated in the previous post, the title role of Clay McCord played by Allen Case begins as a store keeper who gets roped into backing up long-time Silver City Marshal Herk Lamson, who is nearing retirement. McCord is quick with a gun but wary of using it, particularly since his father was killed in a gun battle, so Fry must play upon his conscience to get him to step into a lawman's role that he really doesn't want. After this dynamic had been ridden about as far as it could go, the producers have McCord's store set on fire and burnt to the ground to provide a plausible motivation for him to accept a more permanent deputy position to earn enough money to reopen his store. Fry then adds the enticement of luring McCord into pursuing various outlaws to collect the reward money, only to find a flimsy excuse once the criminal has been captured of awarding the money to someone else and thereby lengthening the time McCord must serve as deputy.

But this scenario of tricking McCord week after week did not descend into the familiar Peanuts comic strip ruse with Lucy offering to hold the football so that Charlie Brown can kick it. Fry extends McCord's servitude so that he can mentor him in the not always obvious or even ethical ways a lawman must sometimes use to serve the cause of justice. And it is this mentorship that we see play out in the 1961 episodes until Fry feels that McCord is his equal. McCord's financial motivation only crops up once more in "The Challenger" (February 25, 1961) when he gets a letter from his sister, now living near St. Louis after being jettisoned from the series when the family store burned down, who needs an extra $20 a week to save the family farm. When McCord tells Fry he is thinking of quitting his deputy post to work a more lucrative cattle ranching job, Fry says he knows he won't be able to wrangle that big a raise out of the governor but is willing to try. Meanwhile, McCord's sidekick Sgt. Hapgood Tasker gets the brilliant idea to win $500 for his friend by entering a boxing challenge against a travelling carnival strongman. The Boxing Match is a much-used, hackneyed plot in early 1960s westerns, an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of televised boxing within the confines of the dramatic western, but what makes this version different is the way the story is enveloped in McCord's past history, tied to events portrayed the previous season. The series frequently uses well-worn western plots like this one but manages to make them palatable by framing them with the witty interchanges between Fry and McCord.

Elsewhere in the 1961 episodes we see Clay demonstrating that he has developed the manipulative skills of his mentor, enabling him to turn the tables to solve a problem through devious means. In "The Lesson" (January 14, 1961), a notorious ex-con rides into town and shocks the populace by revealing that their highly regarded school teacher is his wife. The town council can't abide having an outlaw's wife teach their impressionable children, so they terminate her contract. After McCord is unable to get the council members to reconsider, given all the good the school teacher has done for their children during hard times, McCord reminds them of a statute that they enacted requiring all children to attend school every day if there is a teacher available, then promising that he will make sure there is one available. McCord then talks with Fry, who thinks that McCord is naturally the one who must serve as interim teacher, but McCord counters that the children would never accept him as teacher since they are used to calling him by his first name, and that Fry, as the highest-ranking representative of the territory, is duty-bound to fill in as the temporary teacher. As it turns out, McCord's plan works perfectly because Fry winds up instilling in his pupils the teachings of Benjamin Franklin on standing up against those who would curtail their freedoms, and when their lily-livered fathers refuse to oppose the notorious ex-con and his gang of bandits, the children take up arms and shame their parents into fulfilling their duty in capturing the threat to their society. By having Fry teach the children so that they can in turn give their parents a lesson to solve his problem, McCord demonstrates the kind of two-steps-ahead chess move for which Fry is famous.

In "Past and Present" (January 21, 1961) Fry and the rest of Silver City think bank employee Herb Caldwell must have been in on a bank robbery when Caldwell fails to shoot at the bank robbers when he had the chance. But McCord believes that there is more to the story and eventually discovers that Caldwell's brother was the leader of the bank robbing gang, and he hesitated to fire at the robbers because it would have meant killing his own brother. But after confronting his brother and being unable to get him to turn himself in, Caldwell is forced to do what he had avoided earlier, and when McCord later recounts the turn of events to Fry, the latter says that's why he hired McCord in the first place--because he's stubborn enough to do his own thinking.

Fry concedes that McCord is his equal in devising risky schemes to handle tricky situations in "The Example" (March 25, 1961). Faced with the problem of a young man headed down the wrong path, such as forcing the bartender to serve him liquor at gunpoint even though he is under age, McCord decides that the only way to get through to the troubled youth is to enlist the help of his fugitive father who is hiding out in Mexico. When he discusses his idea with Fry, the latter points out the many risks involved if the outlaw father is spotted north of the border but then says that he can see McCord's mind is made up, though he also says that as far as he is concerned their conversation never happened. After McCord rides off to carry out his plan, Fry says to himself that he wish he'd thought of it.

McCord tries another risky move in "The Return of Widow Brown" (April 22, 1961) when he is faced with the return of Amelia Brown, widow of a bank robber whose stolen loot has never been recovered. McCord isn't sure whether Widow Brown knows where the money is, but he figures the only way to find out is to release from prison the only surviving member of her husband's gang and see if he can flush out where the money is, only to get the prison warden to release his prisoner, he has to give him the impression that Fry approved of his plan. After McCord has retrieved the stolen money and recaptured the prisoner, he tries to explain to Fry why a Yuma prisoner is in their Silver City jail by telling him that in order to solve the mystery of the missing money he had to think like Fry, but suspecting that McCord likely had to bend a few laws to do it, Fry tells him he doesn't want to hear the details now or ever. 

McCord again beats Fry at his own game in "The Legend of Dixie" (May 20, 1961) after a notorious loafer is awarded a $2000 reward for the killing of two wanted bank robbers that he didn't actually shoot. After McCord cleverly lets loafer Dixie Miller bask in his unearned glory in order to lure the lone remaining robber into town, where he is shot trying to commit another robbery. Fry is upset that McCord still allowed Miller to keep the reward money when it could be put to better use for various needs throughout the territory, at which point McCord reminds him of the need for a new school house in Silver City and then shows him a check Miller has written for half the reward amount to start a school house fund. Whereas Fry frequently dangled the prospect of reward money before McCord in earlier episodes to get him to do his bidding, McCord in this episode has reversed that tactic, holding on to reward money to finance a local need, showing that he is no longer thinking of returning to his private concern of running a store but is instead the voice of the community.

While the series did not wind up its last episode with anything that today would pass for a finale, at least not literally, it did offer a symbolically satisfying end to the slow education and eventual graduation of Clay McCord from private citizen and storekeeper to permanent Deputy Marshal. In "Lawman's Conscience" (July 1, 1961), McCord suffers a crisis of conscience when he is duped into believing that he incorrectly contributed to an innocent man being sentenced to prison. Though Tasker and Fry attempt to console him by telling him that mistakes are bound to be part of the business, McCord's ability to carry out his duties is jeopardized by his guilt as he bends over backwards to avoid suspecting the released Albee Beckett, the man he had helped convict three years earlier. However, as the evidence begins to mount that Beckett is responsible for a recent string of robberies, McCord is able at least to devise a plan to ferret out the truth by telling Beckett's girlfriend that they suspect him, causing him to bolt and reveal his hideout containing the stolen loot. At episode's end Fry finds McCord camping out one evening on his way to transport Beckett back to Yuma prison. Fry chides McCord for not finishing his report on the affair, and McCord counters that the report is in the mail and that besides that he needs to clear his conscience by returning Beckett where he belongs. Fry offers to join him for the journey and then says he will take first watch while McCord gets some sleep, which McCord accepts because he says that Fry is the boss. This episode provides a satisfactory end to the series because it demonstrates that despite suffering a crisis of conscience and being duped by a faked death-bed confession, McCord's instincts about Beckett were right in the first place and that even though he was temporarily weakened by self-doubt he was able to adjust to mounting suspicion against Beckett and make the right call, leading to Beckett's capture. These traits have all the qualities of a seasoned lawman, showing the progress that McCord has made from the unwilling quick-draw artist to one who can think like his mentor and adapt to changing circumstances. Fry's offer to accompany McCord on the remainder of his journey shows that, while Fry is still technically the "boss," the two men are essentially equals going forward. And McCord's lying down to snooze while Fry takes first watch symbolically puts the series narrative "to bed."

It's unfortunate that such a well-devised and executed series lasted only two seasons. The May 6 issue of TV Guide said only "Henry Fonda and The Deputy are bowing out of the NBC schedule" by way of explanation. In an interview for the web site westernclippings.com Read Morgan, who played Sgt. Tasker during Season 2, suggested that Fonda decided to leave the series because it was too demanding given all of his other projects and that because television operated on such a condensed schedule to provide weekly content the quality was not up to what Fonda was used to when working on feature films. Perhaps so, but the quality Fonda and his castmates produced over two seasons of The Deputy compares favorably to anything turned out by the much more popular westerns of that time.

The Actors

For the biographies of Henry Fonda, Allen Case, and Read Morgan, see the 1960 post on The Deputy.

Notable Guest Stars

Season 2, Episode 15, "Duty Bound": Ron Harper (shown on the left, see the biography section for the 1961 post on 87th Precinct) plays accused killer Jay Elston. Frank Maxwell (Duncan MacRoberts on Our Man Higgins and Col. Garraway on The Second Hundred Years) plays accused killer Mel Ricker. Pat McCaffrie (Chuck Forrest on Bachelor Father) plays a wounded Army lieutenant.

Season 2, Episode 16, "The Lesson": Harry Lauter (Ranger Clay Morgan on Tales of the Texas Rangers, Atlasande on Rocky Jones, Space Ranger, and Jim Herrick on Waterfront) plays notorious outlaw Lex Danton. Wandra Hendrix (starred in Nora Prentiss, Ride the Pink Horse, Sierra, and Johnny Cool) plays his wife Mary Willis. Steve Darrell (Sheriff Hal Humphrey on Tales of Wells Fargo) plays store owner Mr. Jenkins.

Season 2, Episode 17, "Past and Present": Arthur Franz (starred in Flight to Mars, The Member of the Wedding, and The Caine Mutiny) plays bank employee Herb Caldwell. Murvyn Vye (Lionel on The Bob Cummings Show) plays bank robber Calico Bill Caldwell. Mary Beth Hughes (appeared in Star Dust, The Ox-Bow Incident, Orchestra Wives, Inner Sanctum, Riders in the Sky, and Young Man With a Horn) plays his former fiance Madge Belden. Paul Newlan (shown on the right, played Police Capt. Grey on M Squad and Lt. Gen. Pritchard on 12 O'Clock High) plays mine owner Art Standish. 

Season 2, Episode 18, "The Hard Decision": George Brenlin (Benny on General Hospital and Duke Dukowski on Adam-12) plays convicted killer Jimmy Burke. Marc Lawrence (appeared in The Ox-Bow Incident, Tampico, Key Largo, The Asphalt Jungle, and The Man With the Golden Gun and directed 16 episodes of Lawman) plays his brother Alvy. John Dennis (Dutch Schultz on The Lawless Years) plays Alvy's sidekick Josh. Olan Soule (Aristotle "Tut" Jones on Captain Midnight, Ray Pinker on Dragnet (1952-59), and Fred Springer on Arnie) plays dentist Painless Stoner. 

Season 2, Episode 19, "The Dream": Dick Foran (shown on the left, played Fire Chief Ed Washburne on Lassie and Slim on O.K., Crackerby!) plays landowner Major Quint Hammer. John McLiam (appeared in Cool Hand Luke, In Cold Blood, Sleeper, The Missouri Breaks, and First Blood) plays rancher Ty Lawson.

Season 2, Episode 20, "Shackled Town": Bruce Gordon (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Untouchables) plays Vista Grande Judge Denton. Robert Brubaker (Deputy Ed Blake on U.S. Marshal and Floyd on Gunsmoke) plays Marshal Pecos Smith. Carla Alberghetti (sister of Anna Maria Alberghetti) plays store clerk Carmelita. Ralf Harolde (appeared in Smart Money, I'm No Angel, He Was Her Man, and Murder, My Sweet) plays priest Padre Rafael.

Season 2, Episode 21, "The Lonely Road": Edward Binns (starred in 12 Angry Men, North by Northwest, Heller in Pink Tights, and Judgment at Nuremberg and played Roy Brenner on Brenner and Wally Powers on It Takes a Thief) plays released ex-con Shad Billings. Constance Ford (starred in A Summer Place, Home From the Hill, All Fall Down, and The Caretakers and played Ada Lucas Davis Downs McGowan Hobson on Another World) played his wife Meg. Jim Davis (shown on the right, played Matt Clark on Stories of the Century, Wes Cameron on Rescue 8, Marshal Bill Winter on The Cowboys, and Jock Ewing on Dallas) plays mine foreman Trace Phelan. Dick Wilson (Dino Barone on McHale's Navy and George Whipple in Charmin toilet paper commercials) plays the Silver City barber.

Season 2, Episode 22, "The Challenger": Paul Gilbert ("The Duke" London on The Duke) plays carnival promoter Dillon. Stafford Repp (Chief O'Hara on Batman) plays cattle rancher Mr. Collins.

Season 2, Episode 23, "Edge of Doubt": Richard Chamberlain (shown on the left, see the biography section for the 1961 post on Dr. Kildare) plays pardoned criminal Jerry Kirk. Floy Dean (Laura Spencer Horton on Days of Our Lives) plays his girlfriend Annie Jenner. George Chandler (Mac Benson on Waterfront, Uncle Petrie Martin on Lassie, and Ichabod Adams on Ichabod and Me) plays her father's assistant George Lake. Thomas E. Jackson (starred in Broadway, Little Caesar, and The Woman in the Window) plays store owner Potts.

Season 2, Episode 24, "Two-Way Deal": Ted de Corsia (Police Chief Hagedorn on Steve Canyon) plays bounty hunter Slade Blatner. Billy Gray (see the biography section for the 1960 post on Father Knows Best) plays his son Johnny. Kenneth MacDonald (played the judge 32 times on Perry Mason, played Col. Parker on Colt .45, and appeared in several Three Stooges shorts) plays the Indian Wells sheriff. 

Season 2, Episode 25, "The Means and the End": DeForest Kelley (shown on the right, played Dr. McCoy on Star Trek) plays wanted killer Farley Styles. Justice Watson (J.W. Harrington on Holiday Lodge) plays circuit Judge Stokes. 

Season 2, Episode 26, "The Example": Denver Pyle (Ben Thompson on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Grandpa Tarleton on Tammy, Briscoe Darlingon The Andy Griffith Show, Buck Webb on The Doris Day Show, Mad Jack on The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, and Uncle Jesse on The Dukes of Hazzard) plays fugitive Frank Barton. Rickie Sorensen (Thomas Banks on Father of the Bride) plays Simon Fry's young admirer Kit. 

Season 2, Episode 27, "Cherchez la Femme": Edward Platt (shown on the left, appeared in Rebel Without a Cause, Written on the Wind, Designing Woman, and North by Northwest and played the Chief on Get Smart) plays irate father Noah Harper. 

Season 2, Episode 28, "Tension Point": Jerome Thor (Robert Cannon on Foreign Intrigue) plays gang leader Ben Meadows. William Stevens (Officer Jerry Walters on Adam-12) plays gang member Whip. Bern Hoffman (Sam the bartender on Bonanza) plays gang member Club. John Marley (starred in Cat Ballou, Love Story, and The Godfather) plays dead gang member's father Zeb Baker. Virginia Christine (was the Folger's Coffee woman in commercials and starred in The Mummy's Curse, The Killers, and Night Wind and who played Ovie Swenson on Tales of Wells Fargo) plays his wife Molly.

Season 2, Episode 29, "Brother in Arms": Lon Chaney, Jr. (shown on the right, starred in The Wolfman, Of Mice and Men, High Noon, The Ghost of Frankenstein, The Curse of Dracula, Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman, and many others, and played Chief Eagle Shadow on Pistols 'n' Petticoats and Chingachgook on Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans) plays mine owner Tom Arnold. Denny Miller (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Wagon Train) plays Clay's childhood friend Bill Jason.  

Season 2, Episode 30, "The Return of Widow Brown": Norma Crane (appeared in Tea and Sympathy, They Call Me Mr. Tibbs!, and Fiddler on the Roof and played Rayola Dean on Mister Peepers) plays widow Amelia Brown. Dennis Holmes (Mike Williams on Laramie) plays her son Tommy. Tom Greenway (Sheriff Jack Bronson on State Trooper) plays prison Warden Binns. 

Season 2, Episode 31, "Spoken in Silence": Sydney Pollack (shown on the left, directed They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, The Way We Were, Absence of Malice, Tootsie, and Out of Africa) plays outlaw Chuck Johnson. Frances Helm (first wife of Brian Keith) plays deaf/mute Laura Powell. 

Season 2, Episode 32, "An Enemy of the Town": Whit Bissell (starred in He Walked by Night, Creature From the Black Lagoon, I Was a Teenage Werewolf, I Was a Teenage Frankenstein, and Hud and played Bert Loomis on Bachelor Father, Calvin Hanley on Peyton Place, and Lt. Gen. Heywood Kirk on The Time Tunnel) plays newspaper editor Will Culp. Stephen Roberts (Stan Peeples on Mr. Novak) plays tannery owner Adam Crockett. 

Season 2, Episode 33, "The Legend of Dixie": Stanley Adams (Lt. Morse on Not for Hire and Gurrah on The Lawless Years) plays loafer Dixie Miller. Gregory Walcott (see the biography section for the 1961 post on 87th Precinct) plays bank robber Gar Logan. 

Season 2, Episode 34, "The Deathly Quiet": Johnny Cash (shown on the right, iconic country singer known as The Man in Black) plays Army deserter Bo Braddock. Robert Foulk (Ed Davis on Father Knows Best, Sheriff Miller on Lassie, Joe Kingston on Wichita Town, Mr. Wheeler on Green Acres, and Phillip Toomey on The Rifleman) plays Fort Hastings commander Col. Belknap. Chubby Johnson (Concho on Temple Houston) miner Stonewall Brown. Craig Duncan (Sgt. Stanfield/Banfield on Mackenzie's Raiders) plays mine owner Ed Walsh.

Season 2, Episode 35, "Brand of Honesty": George Dolenz (shown on the left, father of Micky Dolenz, appeared in The Strange Death of Adolf Hitler, Vendetta, Scared Stiff, and The Last Time I Saw Paris and played Edmond Dantes/The Count of Monte Cristo on The Count of Monte Cristo) plays ex-con saloon owner Ramon Ortega. Elisha Cook, Jr. (starred in The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep, The Great Gatsby (1949), and The Killing and played Francis "Ice Pick" Hofstetler on Magnum P.I.) plays card sharp Miller.

Season 2 Episode 36, "Lorinda Belle": Claude Akins (Sonny Pruett on Movin' On and Sheriff Elroy P. Lobo on B.J and the Bear and on Lobo) plays mine owner Jason Getty. Frank Overton (starred in Desire Under the Elms, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Fail-Safe and played Major Harvey Stovall on 12 O'Clock High) plays hauler Bill Corman. Andy Albin (Andy Godsen on Julia) plays headstone maker Zac Martinson. 

Season 2, Episode 37, "Lawman's Conscience": Russell Johnson (shown on the right, starred in It Came From Outer Space, This Island Earth, and Johnny Dark and played Marshal Gib Scott on Black Saddle, Professor Roy Hinkley on Gilligan's Island, and Assistant D.A. Brenton Grant on Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law) plays convicted killer Albee Beckett. Jason Robards, Sr. (father of Jason Robards, Jr.) plays his former empleyer Rufus Hayden. Roy Wright (Callahan on The Islanders) plays business owner Phil Briggs. Cyril Delevanti (Lucious Coin on Jefferson Drum) plays business owner Ozzie Brandon.

The Deputy (1960)

The cover of the January 23, 1960 issue of TV Guide included the teaser "Is Henry Fonda Really on TV?" The article inside the issue revealed that yes, he was, but the brevity of his appearances was not without controversy. Fonda played the character of Simon Fry, Chief Marshal of the Arizona Territory in 1880, but as the show's title indicated, the real focus of the series, created by Norman Lear and Roland Kibbee for a fall 1959 debut, was the character of Deputy Marshal Clay McCord, who was played by Allen Case. Fonda's contract, which he claims was worked out by his agent, stipulated that he needed to appear in only 6 full episodes out of the first season's 39 and that all of his screen appearances would be filmed in ten weeks, which created logistical difficulties in scheduling the work for any other actors who might appear with him. This left Fonda free the other 42 weeks of the year to appear in the many films and stage productions to which he was already committed. This work arrangement obviously suited the actor just fine, so much so that Fred MacMurray struck a similar bargain when he agreed to star in My Three Sons a year later. Fonda's contract meant that in most of the episodes he narrates and appears only briefly at the beginning and sometimes the end of the episode. Fonda rationalized that because of his character's relationship with his deputy, his presence is always felt, even when he is not on screen. But not all viewers felt this presence: one viewer quoted in the aforementioned TV Guide article commented, "In walks Fonda, he says 'Howdy,' leaps on his horse, takes off and you don't see him again until the end of the show." The fan response was apparently enough to increase Fonda's screen time for the second season, in which he appeared full-time in 13 episodes.

Speaking of the relationship between the marshal and the deputy, the show maintains a constant give and take between Fry and McCord, initially because McCord is first and foremost a storekeeper, running a general store in Silver City with his sister Fran (Betty Lou Keim). In the earlier episode of the series, Silver City has a regular marshal, Herk Lamson (Wallace Ford), who is nearing retirement and sometimes needs the help of a younger assistant, particularly one with the quick-draw skills of McCord, or needs to go out of town on business. So Fry frequently appears to coax McCord to temporarily put on the deputy badge and help out Lamson, but McCord doesn't relish the role and is usually reluctant. Add to this Fran's downright objection because of her concern that Clay will meet the same fate as their father, who stumbled home one night with a fatal gunshot wound. 

This dynamic changes, however, with the episode "The Truly Yours" (April 9, 1960) in which the McCord's general store is burned to the ground by Clay's childhood friend turned outlaw Coffer. Though we do not see her in this episode, Clay mentions that he has sent Fran to live with some relatives in Colorado since they no longer have a store, and we also learn that Lamson suffered a broken arm and decided to retire from his post as marshal. We never see their characters again, except for the out-of-sequence episode "Ma Mack" (July 9, 1960) that concludes the first season, in which the McCord's store is still standing and Lamson is still marshal. In the next several episodes after "The Truly Yours," Fry holds out the carrot of reward money to Clay as an enticement for his services as deputy, telling him that the money would be a big help in rebuilding his store. But each time the reward money winds up in someone else's hands, such as in "Palace of Chance" (May 21, 1960) when Fry gives the money to Julie Grant who helped Clay nab the Cherokee Kid. These episodes also include a more prominent role for restaurant waiter Jose (Vito Scotti) who becomes a kind of assistant to Clay. Eventually Clay assumes the role of deputy marshal of Silver City full-time, for which he receives a regular salary. Beginning with season 2, Jose has also been jettisoned and Clay has a new sidekick in army Sergeant Hapgood Tasker (Read Morgan), who is introduced in the season's second episode "Meet Sergeant Tasker" (October 1, 1960). The eye-patch-wearing Tasker is stationed in Silver City to run the local supply depot but yearns for more action, having been reduced to being a clerk after a more exciting role in the cavalry, so he frequently accompanies Clay on his rounds and gets involved in some of his more difficult assignments.

Throughout all the character changes and Clay's new job responsibilities, Fry continues to be a supportive though tricky character, often setting up situations to force Clay to resolve problems without knowing that he is being manipulated. In "The Three Brothers" (December 10, 1960), Fry has to prod Clay to work harder on an unsolved murder case and a string of bank robberies when he feels that Clay has gotten too chummy with the titular three brothers, who Fry suspects are deeply involved. And in "Judas Town" (December 31, 1960), Fry assigns Clay to go pick up a prisoner in Slateville to get him out of Silver City and show its citizens how much they need Clay to keep law and order. However, Clay doesn't always follow the Chief Marshal's orders--he never goes to Slateville but waits outside Silver City to re-arrest a band of troublemakers whose initial arrest turned the town against him because it jeopardized future business opportunities for local merchants. This sometimes good-natured, sometimes fractious relationship between Fry and Clay gives the show some depth and makes it something more than the typical western.

Another element that makes the show atypical is Clay's lack of romantic attachments. A young, single, good-looking, upstanding man like Clay McCord would normally have many opportunities and great interest in seeking female companionship, but such encounters are rare in this series. However, in the first half of season 2, we begin to see interest in women start to grow in Clay's character. In "The Fatal Urge" (October 15, 1960), Clay allows himself to be bushwhacked by the duplicitous Martha Jackson when he tries to kiss her. In "Passage to New Orleans" (November 19, 1960), both Clay and Fry fall for Lucy Ballance, whom they are escorting to New Orleans to testify in the murder trial against her fiance, setting up a romantic triangle that almost proves their undoing at the hands of the episode's villain. And in "Sally Tornado" (December 3, 1960), Clay is assigned to take the title character to Yuma to be hanged but along the way the two come to trust each other and awaken deep feelings that cannot last. It should prove interesting to see what further romantic escapades Clay will embark on in the show's remaining episodes that aired in 1961.

The striking and unusually jazzy theme song and score for the series were composed by Capitol Records arranger and guitarist Jack Marshall. While the theme song contains its share of orchestral flourish, particularly the reworked version introduced for season 2, the score for the individual episodes often contains Marshall's swinging jazz guitar lines that are remarkable for a western show. Besides releasing five albums on Capitol and one on Contemporary Records, Marshall arranged for other artists like Judy Garland, The Four Freshmen, Blossom Dearie, Wanda Sá, Howard Roberts, and Jack Sheldon, but his most notable arrangement was for Peggy Lee's hit version of the song "Fever." And he was a prolific session guitarist, playing for artists such as Bing Crosby, June Christy, Louis Prima, Nat King Cole, Nancy Wilson, and many more. Among his compositions, his theme for The Munsters earned him a Grammy nomination. He died September 2, 1971 at the age of 49.

The complete series has been released on DVD by Timeless Media Group.

The Actors

Henry Fonda

Born in Grand Island, NE, Fonda grew up in Omaha and got into acting at age 20 at the insistence of Marlon Brando's mother after dropping out of the University of Minnesota. Though his father was initially against his new career choice, Fonda succeeded at local community theatre before heading to Falmouth, MA and then to New York and Broadway. He continued stage work throughout his career, earning a Tony Award in 1948 for his role in Mister Roberts and another nomination for Clarence Darrow in 1975. He transitioned into films in 1935 when he was cast in the lead role for The Farmer Takes a Wife, a role that he had originated on Broadway. He received his first Oscar nomination for his role as Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath in 1940 but did not actually win the award until 1982 for his work in On Golden Pond. In between those two nominations, he also received a nomination as producer for the film 12 Angry Men in 1957. Other memorable films he starred in included Jezebel, Young Mr. Lincoln, The Ox-Bow Incident, The Lady Eve, Mister Roberts, War and Peace, How the West Was Won, Fail-Safe, Advise & Consent, and Once Upon a Time in the West.

Fonda was a life-long friend and twice a roommate of Jimmy Stewart, though the two nearly ended their friendship in an argument over the McCarthy hearings in the 1950s. Fonda was a staunch liberal but was still good friends with John Wayne and John Ford until the latter punched him in the mouth while filming Mister Roberts in 1955. Like Stewart, he was known as a ladies' man who married five times and had numerous affairs. According to his daughter Jane, Fonda was deeply in love with Lucille Ball. However, despite his easy-going friendly disposition on screen, he was described as aloof and often angry in person. His relationship with his children, particularly Jane and Peter, has been described as "emotionally distant." Yet despite any personal shortcomings, he is considered one of the greatest actors in the history of American film. He died August 12, 1982 from heart disease at the age of 77.

Allen Case

Case grew up in Dallas, TX, attended Southern Methodist University, and appeared locally on TV in a number of variety shows before moving to New York and successfully auditioning for a singing role on Arthur Godfrey's morning TV program. Following that success he began singing in nightclubs and in musical theatre on Broadway. More airtime on Godfrey's show, plus an appearance on Jack Paar led to a small role in the film Damn Yankees and a move to Hollywood. From there, he had guest appearances on a number of westerns, including Wagon Train, Gunsmoke, The Rifleman, and Have Gun--Will Travel. He returned to New York briefly for more musical theatre work off-Broadway but was then cast as Clay McCord on The Deputy. During the show's 2-year run, he also recorded a record of vocal standards for Columbia titled The Deputy Sings with arrangements by Frank DeVol.

After The Deputy ended, Case made occasional appearances on shows like Perry Mason and The Virginian and was then cast as Frank James for the show The Legend of Jesse James, which ran for only one season in 1965-66. More occasional appearances followed that on shows like The Bob Newhart Show, The Life and Times of Eddie Roberts, and CHiPs, the last appearance being in 1982. Case died of a heart attack at the age of 51 while on vacation in Truckee, CA on August 25, 1986.

 

Betty Lou Keim

Born in Malden, MA, the daughter of a choreographer and a dancer, Keim grew up in New York and first appeared on the stage at age 7. She broke into TV work with a regular role on the show My Son Jeep in 1953 and later appeared in films such as These Wilder Years, Teenage Rebel, and Some Came Running. After being cast for and appearing in 23 episodes of The Deputy, Keim married actor Warren Berlinger and retired from acting to raise a family of four children. She died at the age of 71 from lung cancer on January 27, 2010.

Wallace Ford

Born in England as Solomon Jones Grundy, Ford was separated from his parents at an early age and was sent to live in an orphanage, eventually transferred to one of its branches in Toronto, and from there lived in a series of 17 foster homes before running away to join a vaudeville troupe at the age of 11. He then joined a friend in the life of a hobo riding the rails in America until that friend was crushed to death by a railroad car, at which point Ford took that friend's name--Wallace Ford--in his memory. After working in vaudeville and various theatre groups, Ford made it to Broadway in 1921. A decade later he starred in his first film, opposite Joan Crawford in Possessed. The next year he played the lead role in the cult classic Freaks and had a major role in the crime drama The Beast of the City. The film roles continued steadily throughout the 30s, 40s, and into the early 50s in pictures such as The Whole Town's Talking, The Mummy's Hand, Blood on the Sun, and Harvey. He added TV work to his resume beginning with an appearance on Death Valley Days in 1953 until being cast as Marshal Herk Lamson on The Deputy in 1959. He appeared in 24 episodes during the show's first season but was not brought back for its second. Thereafter, he had the odd single appearance on shows like Lassie and The Andy Griffith Show before making his final film appearance in the Sidney Poitier hit A Patch of Blue in 1965. He died of a heart attack June 11, 1966 at the age of 68.

Read Morgan

A Chicago native who attended and played basketball for the University of Kentucky, Morgan found his niche playing athletic types in many of his early roles, first appearing as a wrestler on The United States Steel Hour in 1956. By 1959 he was appearing in a number of westerns, such as Tales of Wells Fargo, Riverboat, Laramie, and Shotgun Slade before being cast as Sergeant Hapgood Tasker for the second season of The Deputy. That was to be his only regular television role, though he had a string of appearances that included 10 turns on Gunsmoke in different roles and four each on Police Woman and Barnaby Jones. He also had minor roles in a number of films, from exploitation B-movies like The Beach Girls and the Monster to more serious fare like The New Centurions and Dillinger. His last film role was in the revisiting of the 1950s TV western Maverick in 1994.

Notable Guest Stars

Season 1, Episode 16, "Backfire": Charles Cooper (the sheriff on Father Murphy and Judge Robert Boucher on The Practice) plays outlaw Con Marlowe. Bob Steele (starred in Breezy Bill, Of Mice and Men, and The Big Sleep, played Billy the Kid in 6 westerns and Tucson Smith in 19 others, and played Trooper Duffy on F Troop) plays hired gun Fred Sooley.

Season 1, Episode 17, "Hang the Law": Robert Foulk (Jackley on The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure, Ed Davis on Father Knows Best, Joe Kingston on Wichita Town, Sheriff Miller on Lassie, Deputy Sheriff Clem on Bonanza, and Roy Trendell on Green Acres) plays cattle thief Dick Easter. Forrest Lewis (Mr. Peavey on The Great Gildersleeve) plays Clay's friend Alf Borroway. Martha Hyer (starred in Sabrina, The Delicate Delinquent, My Man Godfrey, Houseboat, Bikini Beach, and First Men in the Moon) plays Reverend Cartwright's daughter Joy. Sam Flint (Mr. Armstead on Father Knows Best) plays Judge Davidson. 

Season 1, Episode 18, "The Silent Gun": Dean Fredericks (Kaseem in Jungle Jim, Komawi in The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, and Lt. Col. Steve Canyon in Steve Canyon) plays mute stranger Pete Clemson. Marcia Henderson (starred in Thunder Bay, Naked Alibi, The Naked Hills, and Riot in Juvenile Prison and played Mickey Riley on Dear Phoebe) plays school-teacher Marion Whelan. Herbert Lytton (Admiral Reynolds on McHale's Navy) plays bank robber Parnell Locke. Grandon Rhondes (Mr. Vanderlip on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, Dr. Stevens on Lassie, Dr. J.P. Martin on Bonanza, and the judge 16 times on Perry Mason) plays Mayor Dorsey. 

Season 1, Episode 19, "The Hidden Motive": Jeremy Slate (starred in The Sons of Katie Elder, The Devils Brigade, and True Grit and played Larry Lahr on The Aquanauts) plays one of the Dawson Brothers. 

Season 1, Episode 20, "Lawman's Blood": Willis Bouchey (shown on the left, played Mayor Terwilliger on The Great Gildersleeve, Springer on Pete and Gladys, and the judge 23 times on Perry Mason) plays Silver City's Doc Landy. Ronnie Burns (adopted son of George Burns and Gracie Allen, played Ronnie Burns on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show and The George Burns Show and played Chris Day on Happy) plays renegade Morgan Burch. 

Season 1, Episode 21, "The Return of Simon Fry": Stacy Keach, Sr. (father of Stacy Keach, Jr. and played Carlson on Get Smart) plays ruffian Vic Rufus. Peter Mamakos (Jean Lafitte on The Adventures of Jim Bowie) played henchman Jubba.

Season 1, Episode 22, "Queen Bea": Frank Cady (shown on the right, played Doc Williams on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet and Sam Drucker on The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, and Petticoat Junction) plays store owner Mr. Rickert. Phyllis Avery (Peggy McNulty on The Ray Milland Show: Meet Mr. McNulty) plays store owning entrepreneur Beatrice Vale.

Season 1, Episode 23, "The Two Faces of Bob Claxton": Joseph Mell (Bill Pence on Gunsmoke) plays peddler Amos Cash. Johnny Seven (Lt. Carl Reese on Ironside) plays outlaw Pete Claxton. William Lally (Tommy Clifford on My Son Jeep) plays the prosecuting attorney.

Season 1, Episode 24, " Lady With a Mission": Jan Clayton (starred in Sunset Trail, The Wolf Hunters, and This Man's Navy and played Ellen Miller on Lassie) plays suffragette Agatha Stone. Helen Kleeb (Mrs. Holland on Dennis the Menace and Mamie Baldwin on The Waltons) plays welcoming committee head Mrs. Lillem. Carleton Young (starred in Dick Tracy (1937), The Brigand, Thunderhead - Son of Flicka, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and played Harry Steeger on The Court of Last Resort) plays liquor distributor Sam Hodges. James Lanphier (starred in Flight of the Lost Balloon and The Pink Panther and who played Leslie on Peter Gunn) plays Hodges' henchman Sloan. Tim Graham (Homer Ede on National Velvet) plays bartender Willis.

Season 1, Episode 25, "The Border Between": George J. Lewis (Don Alejandro de la Vega on Zorro) plays Mexican land-owner Don Renaldo del Cortio. Anna Kashfi (Marlon Brando's first wife) plays his daughter Felipa. Leo Gordon (Big Mike McComb on Maverick) plays mine owner Evan Sloate. Laurie Mitchell (starred in Calypso Joe, Queen of Outer Space, and Missile to the Moon) plays saloon girl Lorrie. 

Season 1, Episode 26, "Final Payment": Gerald Mohr (narrator on 19 episodes of The Lone Ranger, Christopher Storm on Foreign Intrigue, voice of Mr. Fantastic and Reed Richards on Fantastic 4) plays mortgage owner Dustin Groat. Henry Hunter (Doctor Summerfield on Hazel) plays bank official Mr. Monroe. Kevin Hagen (John Colton on Yancy Derringer, Inspector Dobbs Kobick on Land of the Giants, and Dr. Hiram Baker on Little House on the Prairie) plays Groat's hired gun Kemmer. Charles Seel (the bartender on Tombstone Territory, Mr. Krinkie on Dennis the Menace, and Tom Pride on The Road West) plays Doc Miller. 

Season 1, Episode 27, "Dark Reward": John Dennis (Dutch Schultz on The Lawless Years) plays reward scammer Hawkins. Richard Garland (Clay Horton on Lassie) plays his boss Matt Ross. Jean Willes (starred in 5 Against the House, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Desire Under the Elms, and The FBI Story) plays saloon girl Rosy. Harry Harvey (Sheriff Tom Blodgett on The Roy Rogers Show, Mayor George Dixon on Man Without a Gun, and Houghton Stott on It's a Man's World) plays Mr. Carter, a shooting victim's father. 

Season 1, Episode 28, "Marked for Bounty": Ron Hayes (Wyatt Earp on Bat Masterson, Lincoln Vail on Everglades, Ben Jones on The Rounders, and Hank Johnson on Dallas) plays prisoner Ralph Jenson. Regis Toomey (starred in Alibi, Other Men's Women, The Finger Points, His Girl Friday, and The Big Sleep and played Joe Mulligan on The Mickey Rooney Show, Lt. Manny Waldo on Four Star Playhouse, Lt. McGough on Richard Diamond, Private Detective, Det. Les Hart on Burke's Law, and Dr. Barton Stuart on Petticoat Junction and Green Acres) plays prison warden Jess Martin. Vito Scotti (shown on the left, played Capt. Gaspar Fomento on The Flying Nun, Gino on To Rome With Love, and Mr. Velasquez on Barefoot in the Park) plays restaurant waiter Jose. Charles Seel (see "Final Payment" above) reappears as Doc Miller. 

Season 1, Episode 29, "The Truly Yours": James Coburn (shown on the right, starred in The Magnificent Seven, Charade, Our Man Flint, and In Like Flint and played Jeff Durain on Klondike and Gregg Miles on Acapulco) plays outlaw Coffer. Mike Road (Marshal Tom Sellers on Buckskin, Lt. Joe Switolski on The Roaring 20's, and provided the voice for Race Bannon on Johnny Quest and Ugh on Space Ghost) plays Coffer's accomplice Fancy.  

Season 1, Episode 30, "A Time to Sow": Richard Crenna (shown on the left, starred in The Pride of St. Louis, Our Miss Brooks, The Sand Pebbles, Wait Until Dark, First Blood, Rambo: First Blood, Part II, and Rambo Three and played Luke McCoy on The Real McCoys, James Slattery on Slattery's People, Richard C. Barrington on All's Fair, Dr. Sam Quinn on It Takes Two, Mitch O'Hannon on Pros and Cons, and Jared Duff on Judging Amy) plays hitman Andy Willis. Coleen Gray (starred in Kiss of Death, Nightmare Alley, and The Killing and played Muriel Clifford on McCloud) plays his wife Lucy. Frank Ferguson (Gus Broeberg on My Friend Flicka, Eli Carson on Peyton Place, and Dr. Barton Stuart on Petticoat Junction) plays cattle rancher Tim McCullough. Robert Carricart (Pepe Cordoza on T.H.E. Cat) plays hitman go-between Fraser. 

Season 1, Episode 31, "The Last Gunfight": Robert Redford (shown on the right, starred in Barefoot in the Park, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, and All the President's Men) plays young thug Burt Johnson. Charles McGraw (Mike Waring on The Adventures of Falcon) plays legendary gunslinger Johnny Dean. Monica Lewis (jazz singer who starred in Excuse My Dust, Affair With a Stranger, and The D.I.) plays his fiancé Helen Ivers.

Season 1, Episode 32, "Chain of Action": Lee Patterson (Dave Thorne on Surfside 6 and Dr. Kevin Cook on Texas) plays outlaw Lige Schofield. Bek Nelson (Dru Lemp on Lawman and Phyllis Sloan on Peyton Place) plays his girlfriend Claudia, Francis de Sales (Lt. Bill Weigand on Mr. & Mrs. North, Ralph Dobson on The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, Sheriff Maddox on Two Faces West, and Rusty Lincoln on Days of Our Lives) plays Marshal Porter. Will Wright (Mr. Merrivale on Dennis the Menace and Ben Weaver on The Andy Griffith Show) plays Sheriff Delaney.

Season 1, Episode 33, "The Lucifer Urge": George Tobias (shown on the left, starred in Sergeant York, This Is the Army, and Yankee Doodle Dandy and played Pierre Falcon on Hudson's Bay, Trader Penrose on Adventures in Paradise, and Abner Kravitz on Bewitched) plays land grabber Barney Wagner. Ralph Moody (Doc Burrage on The Rifleman) plays property owner Walt Conroy. Vito Scotti (see "Marked for Bounty" above) reappears as waiter Jose.

Season 1, Episode 34, "Palace of Chance": Lee Van Cleef (shown on the right, starred in For a Few Dollars More and The Good, The Bad and the Ugly) plays prison escapee the Cherokee Kid. Dennis Cross (Cmdr Arthur Richards on The Blue Angels) plays gambling house owner George Reed. Steve Brodie (Sheriff Johnny Behan on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays his assistant Fisher.

Season 1, Episode 35, "The X Game": John Hoyt (starred in My Favorite Brunette, The Lady Gambles, and Blackboard Jungle and played Grandpa Stanley Kanisky on Gimme a Break!) plays horse raiser Hap Allison. Tom McKee (Comrade Laylock Brisson on I Led 3 Lives, Captain Davis on The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, and Fire Chief Tucker on Rescue 8) plays phony government agent Les Coyle. Don Gordon (Lt. Hank Bertelli on The Blue Angels and Richard Jensen on Peyton Place) plays henchman Queed. Eddie Foster (starred in Highway Patrol(1938), Angels Over Broadway, and Killer Ape and played Mason on Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe) plays henchman Tomaso.

Season 1 Episode 36, "The Stand-Off": Alan Hale, Jr. (shown on the left, played Biff Baker on Biff Baker U.S.A., Casey Jones on Casey Jones, Sculley on The Texan, and The Skipper on Gilligan's Island) plays escaped convict Frank Engle. Ann McCrea (Midge Kelsey on The Donna Reed Show) plays his girlfriend Helen Swayde. Addison Richards (starred in Boys Town, They Made Her a Spy, Flying Tigers, and The Deerslayer and played Doc Calhoun on Trackdown) plays Doc Landy.

Season 1, Episode 37, "Trail of Darkness": Clu Gulager (Billy the Kid on The Tallman, Emmett Ryker on The Virginian, and Cuda Weber on The MacKenzies of Paradise Cove) plays wagon driver Sanford. Donald Woods (John Brent on Tammy and Craig Kennedy on Kennedy, Criminologist) plays criminal ringleader Mr. Brainerd. John Mitchum (starred in Dirty Harry, Magnum Force, and The Enforcer and played Pickalong on Riverboat, Trooper Hoffenmueller on F Troop, and the bartender on The Virginian) plays henchman Stubbs. Vito Scotti (see "Marked for Bounty" above) reappears as waiter Jose. Addison Richards (shown on the right, see "The Stand-Off" above) reappears as Doc Landy.

Season 1, Episode 38, "The Choice": Vince Edwards (shown on the left, starred in The Killing, The Scavengers, and The Devil's Brigade and played Dr. Ben Casey on Ben Casey and Dr. Matt Lincoln on Matt Lincoln) plays ex-convict Dory Matson. Vito Scotti (see "Marked for Bounty" above) reappears as waiter Jose. Addison Richards (see "The Stand-Off" above) reappears as Doc Landy.

Season 1, Episode 39, "Ma Mack": Jack Hogan (starred in The Bonnie Parker Story, Paratroop Command, and The Cat Burglar and who played Kirby on Combat!, Sgt. Jerry Miller on Adam-12, Chief Ranger Jack Moore on Sierra, and Judge Smithwood on Jake and the Fatman) plays Ma Mack's son Abner. Gregory Walcott (starred in Badman's Country and Plan 9 From Outer Space and played Det. Roger Havilland on 87th Precinct) plays drunkard Reece. Douglas Kennedy (starred in Adventures of Don Juan, I Was an American Spy, and Jack McCall, Desperado and played Marshal Steve Donovan on Steve Donovan, Western Marshal and Sheriff Fred Madden on The Big Valley) plays Sheriff Bates. 

Season 2, Episode 1, "The Deadly Breed": Susan Oliver (shown on the left, played Ann Howard on Peyton Place) plays blackmailer Julie Desmond. Lyle Bettger (starred in The Vanquished, Destry, and The Fastest Guitar Alive and played Sam Larsen on The Court of Last Resort and Harry Driscoll on The Grand Jury) plays her father Aces Thompson. Robert P. Leib (Harry Thompson on Hazel) plays a sucker named Baker. Francis de Sales (see "Chain of Action" above) plays a sucker named Mattson.

Season 2, Episode 2, "Meet Sergeant Tasker": Joan O'Brien (shown on the right, starred in The Alamo and It'$ Only Money) plays saloon girl Emily Price. Rayford Barnes (Ike Clanton on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays card cheater Charlie.

Season 2, Episode 3, "The Jason Harris Story": Jeff Morrow (starred in Sign of the Pagan, This Island Earth, Pardners, and The Giant Claw and played Dr. Lloyd Axton on The New Temperatures Rising Show) plays accused Marshal Jason Harris. Dianne Foster (starred in Night Passage, The Last Hurrah, and The Deep Six) plays his wife Laurie. Myron Healey (Doc Holliday on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays crook Johnny Dustin. Robert Stevenson (bartender Big Ed on Richard Drum) plays henchman Morgan.

Season 2, Episode 4, "The Fatal Urge": Kathleen Crowley (Terry Van Buren on Waterfront and Sophia Starr on Batman) plays grieving auctioneer's niece Martha Jackson. Tony Young (Cord on Gunslinger) plays outlaw Tweed Younger.

 Season 2, Episode 5, "Mother and Son": James Franciscus (shown on the left, played Det. Jimmy Halloran on Naked City, Russ Andrews on The Investigators, John Novak on Mr. Novak, Mike Longstreet on Longstreet, Benjamin Elliot on Doc Elliot, and James Hunter on Hunter) plays outlaw William Stanhope. Josephine Hutchinson starred in The Story of Louis Pasteur, Son of Frankenstein, and Tom Brown's Schooldays) plays his mother. Robert Karnes (Max Fields on The Lawless Years and Deputy D.A. Victor Chamberlin on Perry Mason) plays Stanhope gang member Sam Nelson.

Season 2, Episode 6, "Bitter Root": Virginia Gregg (starred in Dragnet, Crime in the Streets, Operation Petticoat and was the voice of Norma Bates in Psycho and the voice of Maggie Belle Klaxon on Calvin and the Colonel) plays isolated spinster Hester Macklin. Don Megowan (Captain Huckabee on The Beachcomber) plays outlaw Don Brandon. Paul Sorensen (Bradley on Dallas) plays gang member Will Terry.

Season 2, Episode 7, "The Higher Law": John Larch (shown on the right, starred in The Wrecking Crew, Play Misty for Me, and Dirty Harry and played Deputy District Attorney Jerry Miller on Arrest and Trial, Gerald Wilson on Dynasty, and Arlen & Atticus Ward on Dallas) plays Indian attacker Jack Rivers. H.M. Wynant (Frosty on Batman and Ed Chapman on Dallas) plays Mescalero Black Wing. Michael Hinn (Luke Cummings on Boots and Saddles) plays saloon patron Jed Pitt. Addison Richards (see "The Stand-Off" above) reappears as Doc Landy.

Season 2, Episode 8, "Passage to New Orleans": Patrice Wynmore (starred in She's Working Her Way Through College, She's Back on Broadway, and Ocean's Eleven) plays chief witness Lucy Ballance. Carl Benton Reid (starred in The Little Foxes, In a Lonely Place, Lorna Doone, and The Left Hand of God and played The Man on Burke's Law) plays the accused's father Mr. Carruthers. 

Season 2, Episode 9, "The World Against Me": Dennis Olivieri (Roy Strickland on The Betty Hutton Show and Stanley Gabriel on The New People) plays bitter orphan Tommy White.

Season 2, Episode 10, "Sally Tornado": Fay Spain (shown on the left, starred in Dragstrip Girl, Al Capone, and The Gentle Rain) plays bank robber and murderer Sally Tornado. William Fawcett (Clayton on Duffy's Tavern, Marshal George Higgins on The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, and Pete Wilkey on Fury) plays trapper and prospector Jipsom.

Season 2, Episode 11, "The Three Brothers": Jack Ging (Beau McCloud on Tales of Wells Fargo, Dr. Paul Graham on The Eleventh Hour, Lt. Dan Ives on Mannix, Lt. Ted Quinlan on Riptide, and Gen. Harlan "Bull" Fullbright on The A-Team) plays brother Jay Bennett. Lew Gallo (Major Joseph Cobb on 12 O'Clock High) plays brother Frank Bennett.

Season 2, Episode 12, "Day of Fear": Mary Tyler Moore (shown on the right, played Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show, Mary Richards on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Mary Brenner on Mary, and Annie McGuire on Annie McGuire) plays quarantined stage passenger Amy Collins. Tyler McVey (starred in Hot Car Girl, Night of the Blood Beast, and Attack of the Giant Leeches and played Maj. Gen. Norgrath on Men Into Space) plays her father Stu. Robert Ridgely (Lt. Frank Kimbro on The Gallant Men, the announcer on the The Woody Woodbury Show, Cliff Hamilton on The Domestic Life, and did voicework for many cartoons, including Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle, The Dukes, and The Incredible Hulk) plays visiting deputy Pete. Addison Richards (see "The Stand-Off" above) reappears as Doc Landy.

Season 2, Episode 13, "Second Cousin to the Czar": George Wallace (starred in Radar Men From the Moon, Destry, and Forbidden Planet and played Judge Milton Cole on Hill Street Blues and Grandpa Hank Hammersmith on Sons and Daughters) plays con man Dan Farrell. Carl Esmond (starred in Little Men, Lover Come Back (1946), and Walk a Crooked Mile) plays his accomplice Duke Dimitri. Clancy Cooper (Timmo McQueen on Lawman) plays horse raiser Hawkins. Terry Frost (Sgt. Moore/Morse/Morris on Highway Patrol) plays drifter Burke.

Season 2, Episode 14, "Judas Town": Ed Nelson (Michael Rossi on Peyton Place and Ward Fuller on The Silent Force) plays spoiled rich kid Pete McCurdy. Roy Roberts (Capt. Simon P. Huxley on The Gale Storm Show, Admiral Rogers on McHale's Navy, John Cushing on The Beverly Hillbillies, Mr. Cheever on The Lucy Show, Frank Stephens on Bewitched, Norman Curtis on Petticoat Junction, and Mr. Botkin/Bodkin on Gunsmoke) plays his father Linc.