Tales of Wells Fargo
American Western television series (1957–1962)
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Tales of Wells Fargo is an American Western television series starring Dale Robertson in 201 episodes that aired from 1957 to 1962 on NBC. Produced by Revue Productions, the series aired in a half-hour format until its final season, when it expanded to a full hour and switched from black-and-white to color.[1][2]
- James Brooks
- Frank Gruber
- Gene Reynolds
- Earl Bellamy
- William F. Claxton
- Lewis R. Foster
- Jerry Hopper
- Leslie H. Martinson
- Gene Reynolds
- Sidney Salkow
- R. G. Springsteen
- George Waggner
- William Witney
| Tales of Wells Fargo | |
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Dale Robertson as James "Jim" Whitcomb Hardie, 1958 | |
| Genre | Western |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 6 |
| No. of episodes | 201 (list of episodes) |
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| Network | NBC |
| Release | March 18, 1957 – June 2, 1962 |
Synopsis
Set in the 1870s and 1880s, the series starred Oklahoma native Dale Robertson as Wells Fargo special agent Jim Hardie, noted at the time as "the left-handed gun". The character was fictional, but the series' development was influenced by the biography of Wells Fargo detective Fred J. Dodge. Agent Hardie was shown working cases in many areas of the Old West, occasionally interacting with legendary outlaws such as Jesse James and Belle Starr, as well as with other American historical figures. Hardie's own history was rarely discussed, but one episode gave a detailed backstory, portraying him as a Louisiana-born drifter who almost became an outlaw before finding his true mission in life.
In the final season, when episodes were longer, Hardie was given a base of operations, on a new ranch in a town called Gloribee, and four regular supporting characters were added. He was even joined by a Wells Fargo partner, the former henchman of a Confederate insurrectionist, for the first half of the season.
Throughout the series Hardie often rode a chestnut gelding with a white blaze on his face and four white stockings. The horse belonged to Dale Robertson, and was named "Jubilee".[3][4]
Cast
Lead
- Dale Robertson as Jim Hardie, Wells Fargo agent
Recurring
- Edgar Buchanan as "Doc" Bob Dawson (1957-1961, 6 episodes)
- Jack Ging as Beau McCloud (1961, 13 episodes), he also appeared in a 1959 episode in another role
- William Demarest as Jeb Gaine (1961–1962)
- Virginia Christine as Ovie (1961–1962)
- Lory Patrick as Tina (1961–1962)
- Mary Jayne Saunders as Mary Gee Swenson (1961–1962)
Notable guest stars
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | Rank | Average viewership (in millions) | Run Time | Color | ||
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| First released | Last released | |||||||
| 1 | 14 | March 18, 1957 | July 8, 1957 | 3 | 14.8[8] | 30 min | black & white | |
| 2 | 38 | September 9, 1957 | May 26, 1958 | 7 | 13.3[9] | 30 min | black & white | |
| 3 | 39 | September 8, 1958 | June 15, 1959 | Not in top 30 | N/A | 30 min | black & white | |
| 4 | 37 | September 7, 1959 | May 30, 1960 | Not in top 30 | N/A | 30 min | black & white | |
| 5 | 39 | September 5, 1960 | July 10, 1961 | Not in top 30 | N/A | 30 min | black & white | |
| 6 | 34 | September 30, 1961 | June 2, 1962 | Not in top 30 | N/A | 60 min | color | |
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Production
Nat Holt was the producer of Tales of Wells Fargo. It initially was broadcast on Mondays from 8:30 to 9 p.m. Eastern Time. Pall Mall and General Foods were the sponsors.[10]
Leslie H. Martinson directed the first 2 episodes, which were written by N.B. Stone Jr. and Dwight Newton respectively. Other directors over the show's 6 seasons included Sidney Salkow, Earl Bellamy, Lewis R. Foster, William Witney, George Waggner and R.G. Springsteen. Co-creator Frank Gruber wrote several episodes, including one co-written by L. Ron Hubbard.[11] Other notable writers included novelist Louis L'Amour (who provided story ideas scripted by others), Cyril Hume, Mark Hanna, Steve Fisher and Sam Peckinpah.
Critical response
A review of the series' first episode in the trade publication Variety described the show as "strictly formula, with none of the characterization or human values that have embellished the better class of TV westerns to date."[10] It said that Robertson seemed "authoritative enough" in his role but compared the overall product to the lesser of two films in a double feature.[10] In summary the review said that the show was better suited for syndication because "network exposure implies the willingness to depart from the routine."[10]
Release
Broadcast
The pilot for Tales of Wells Fargo originally premiered as an episode of the anthology series Schlitz Playhouse of Stars. “A Tale of Wells Fargo” aired on December 14, 1956, with Robertson as Jim Hardie. It was directed by Bernard Girad and written by Frank Gruber, based on a story that he wrote with Zane Grey.[12]
In the 1960–61 season, Wells Fargo was scheduled opposite ABC's detective series Surfside 6 and CBS's new sitcom Bringing Up Buddy, starring Frank Aletter. In its final season, it moved to Saturday nights, putting it in direct competition with Perry Mason.[13]
In the United States, reruns of the series can be seen on the GRIT channel.[14]
Home media
Timeless Media Group released the first two seasons on DVD in Region 1.[15]
| DVD name | Ep # | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| The Complete First and Second Seasons | 52 | October 25, 2011 |
Ratings
Merchandise
The television series also spawned a number of publications for young readers, including the hardcover book Danger at Dry Creek (Golden Press, 1959), and a series of Dell Comics and Little Golden Books. Amongst the uncredited artists who created the comic book adaptation were Dan Spiegle, Gil Kane, Alberto Giolitti and Russ Heath.[18][19] A hardcover & paperback collection of 8 teleplays, written by Frank Gruber, was released in 1958 by Bantam Books.[20]
