Hondo (TV series)
| Hondo | |
|---|---|
 Taeger as Hondo Lane. | |
| Genre | Western |
| Written by | Frank Chase Andrew J. Fenady James Edward Grant Louis L'Amour |
| Directed by | Michael Caffey Alan Crosland, Jr. Harry Harris Lee H. Katzin Michael D. Moore Arthur H. Nadel Eddie Saeta William Witney |
| Starring | Ralph Taeger Noah Beery, Jr. Gary Clarke Kathie Browne Buddy Foster Michael Pate |
| Theme music composer | Richard Markowitz |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 17 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Andrew J. Fenady |
| Running time | 60 mins. |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | September 8 – December 29, 1967 |
Hondo is a 17-episode Western television series starring Ralph Taeger that aired in the United States on ABC during the 1967 fall season. The series was produced by Batjac Productions, Inc., Fenady Associates, Inc., and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television.
Overview
Hondo is based on the 1953 film of the same name starring John Wayne, which was in turn an offshoot of an early Louis L'Amour novel. It concerns Hondo Lane, a former Confederate cavalry officer who had moved west following the Civil War and taken an Indian bride, only to see her killed as part of a massacre of Indians conducted by United States Army troops. Now Hondo and his dog, Sam, travel alone and seek to prevent further trouble between the Army and the remaining Indians. They also fight to counter land grabbers and other outlaws.
While the Wayne film had been fairly successful, this series, airing against the hit sitcom Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. on CBS and Star Trek on NBC, was soon canceled, with the last broadcast occurring on December 29, 1967.
The rule of thumb for syndication is at least 100 episodes, but Hondo, with only seventeen segments, became popular after it left the air and became the subject of an article in the Wall Street Journal[citation needed].
The first two episodes were edited together to form the feature film Hondo and the Apaches, which was released theatrically outside of North America.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Ralph Taeger | Hondo Lane |
| Noah Beery, Jr. | Buffalo Baker |
| Gary Clarke | Captain Richards |
| Kathie Browne | Angie Dow |
| Buddy Foster | Johnny Dow |
| Michael Pate | Chief Vittoro |
| William Bryant | Colonel Crook |
| John Smith | Ed Dow (three episodes) |
| Randy Boone | Sean (two episodes) |
Episodes
| Ep # | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Hondo and the Eagle Claw" (with John M. Pickard and John Smith, formerly of NBC's Cimarron City and Laramie) | September 8, 1967 |
| 2 | "Hondo and the War Cry" (again with John M. Pickard and John Smith) | September 15, 1967 |
| 3 | "Hondo and the Singing Wire" (with Pat Conway, formerly of Tombstone Territory) | September 22, 1967 |
| 4 | "Hondo and the Superstition Massacre" | September 29, 1967 |
| 5 | "Hondo and the Savage" | October 6, 1967 |
| 6 | "Hondo and the Apache Kid" (with Danielle Roter) | October 13, 1967 |
| 7 | "Hondo and the War Hawks" | October 20, 1967 |
| 8 | "Hondo and the Mad Dog" | October 27, 1967 |
| 9 | "Hondo and the Judas" | November 3, 1967 |
| 10 | "Hondo and the Comancheros" | November 10, 1967 |
| 11 | "Hondo and the Sudden Town" | November 17, 1967 |
| 12 | "Hondo and the Ghost of Ed Dow" (with Chris Alcaide and John Smith) | November 24, 1967 |
| 13 | "Hondo and the Death Drive" (with Terry Wilson as Dakota) | December 1, 1967 |
| 14 | "Hondo and the Hanging Town" (with Quintin Sondergaard) | December 8, 1967 |
| 15 | "Hondo and the Gladiators" | December 15, 1967 |
| 16 | "Hondo and the Apache Trail" | December 22, 1967 |
| 17 | "Hondo and the Rebel Hat" | December 29, 1967 |
References
- Brooks, Tim and Marsh, Earle, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows
External links
