The Deputy (TV series)
| The Deputy | |
|---|---|
| Format | Western |
| Created by | Roland Kibbee Norman Lear |
| Starring | Henry Fonda Allen Case Read Morgan Wallace Ford Betty Lou Keim Gary Hunley |
| Opening theme | Jack Marshall |
| Country of origin | USA |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 76 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | William Frye |
| Running time | 30 min. |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | NBC |
| Original run | September 12, 1959 – July 1, 1961 |
The Deputy is a 1959-1961 half-hour NBC western series featuring Henry Fonda as Chief Marshal Simon Fry of the Arizona Territory and Allen Case as Deputy Clay McCord, a storekeeper who tried to avoid using a gun.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Production
Fonda narrated most episodes and appeared briefly at the beginning and ending of most segments. He played the lead in only six episodes in the first season and thirteen in the second. Usually he would give his deputy the assignment then more or less thank him afterward at the conclusion of the episode. As Fred MacMurray later did while shooting the sitcom series My Three Sons, Fonda performed all of his work on The Deputy in several lengthy sessions so as to leave himself free for other projects. The difference in quality between Fonda's episodes and Case's was often cited by both critics at the time and Fonda himself in later interviews. Fonda wore a growth of stubble on his face as Fry.
Though based in Silver City, the sheriff's district also covered several nearby towns. Deputy McCord was a storekeeper who bore arms with great reluctance. Wallace Ford starred as the elderly marshall, Herk Lamson, with Betty Lou Keim as McCord's sister, Fran, in the first season. Read Morgan joined the show in the second season as Sergeant Hapgood Tasker, known as "Sarge", a one-eyed United States Army cavalry officer stationed in town.
The series was created by Norman Lear. It was produced by Revue Studios and featured a jazz guitar score by Jack Marshall.
Gther guest stars included Tom Greenway, Clu Gulager, Wallace Ford, Denver Pyle, and Gary Vinson. Robert Redford made his TV debut in the episode The Last Gunfight (April 30, 1960). The half hour format with its older professional lawman and his young assistant was similar to Warner Television's "Lawman".
The Deputy aired at 9 p.m. Eastern on Saturday. In its first year, it followed NBC's short-lived adventure series, The Man and the Challenge, starring, among others, George Nader and Jack Ging. It faced competition from Mr. Lucky on CBS and from The Lawrence Welk Show on ABC. In the second season, CBS dropped Mr. Lucky, and The Deputy faced competition from the second half of Checkmate.
[edit] DVD release
On October 26, 2010, Timeless Media Group released the complete series on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time.[2] The 12-disc set features all 76 episodes of the series.
[edit] References
- ^ Alex McNeil, Total Television, New York: Penguin Books, 1996, pp. 212-213
- ^ http://www.amazon.com/Deputy-Complete-episodes-DVD-Set/dp/B004164P8W
[edit] External links
- The Deputy at the Internet Movie Database
- The Deputy at TV.com
