Broken Arrow (TV series)

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Broken Arrow
Genre Western
Directed by Richard L. Bare
William Beaudine
John English
Charles F. Haas
Joseph Kane
Bernard L. Kowalski
Frank McDonald
Hollingsworth Morse
Ralph Murphy
Albert S. Rogell
Starring John Lupton
Michael Ansara
Composer(s) Alec Compinsky
Stanley Wilson
Country of origin  United States
Language(s) English
No. of seasons 2
No. of episodes 73
Production
Executive producer(s) Irving Asher
Producer(s) Alan Armer
Mel Epstein
Cinematography Frank Redman
Karl Struss
Charles Van Enger
Running time 30 mins.
Broadcast
Original channel ABC
Original run September 25, 1956September 23, 1958

Broken Arrow is a Western series which ran on ABC in prime time from 1956 through 1958 on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. Eastern time. Repeat episodes were shown by ABC on Sunday afternoons during the 1959-60 season. Selected repeats were then shown once again in prime time (on Sunday evenings) during the summer of 1960.

[edit] Synopsis

Broken Arrow told a fictionalized account of the historical relationship between Indian agent Tom Jeffords (played by John Lupton) and the Chiricahua Apache chief Cochise (played by Michael Ansara).

The series was based on the novel Blood Brother by Elliott Arnold, which was made into the movie Broken Arrow in 1950. The television pilot aired on May 1, 1956 on CBS's The 20th Century-Fox Hour, with Lupton in the title role. The series, which began on September 25, 1956, was produced by TCF Television Productions, the TV division of 20th Century-Fox and was filmed at 20th Century-Fox Studios. The series was syndicated under the title Cochise.

Broken Arrow was one of the few westerns to portray Native Americans in a positive light, but Michael Ansara found the role unchallenging. Ansara told TV Guide magazine in a 1960 interview: "Cochise could do one of two things -- stand with his arms folded, looking noble; or stand with arms at his sides, looking noble."[1]

Character actor Robert F. Simon (1908-1992) appeared as Ben Slade in the Broken Arrow pilot. In 1957, Simon guest starred as General Everitt in the Broken Arrow episode entitled "Ghost Face". Gilman Rankin, of the western series Tombstone Territory, guest starred as Tawanga in the 1957 episode "The Doctor". Gregg Palmer appeared as Lieutenant Savage in the 1957 episode "White Savage". Chris Alcaide appeared twice on the series as Brown Eagle in "Passage Deferred" (1956) and as John Brett in "Hired Killer" (1958). James Philbrook appeared as Clem Harrison in the episode "Manhunt" (1958).

[edit] References

  1. ^ Alex McNeil, Total Television, New York: Penquin Books, 1996, 4th ed., p. 121

[edit] External links

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