AS SEEN ON TV: THE DALTON GANG

AS SEEN ON:
'Stories Of The Century'

AS PLAYED BY:
Myron Healy as "Bob Dalton"
Fess Parker as "Great Dalton"
Robert Bray as "Emmett Dalton"
John Mooney as "Bill Dalton."

The Dalton Gang was an infamous outlaw group in the American Old West during 1890-1892. They specialized in bank and train robberies. They were related to the Younger brothers who rode with Jesse James, though they acted later and independently of the James-Younger Gang.

On October 5, 1892, the Dalton gang attempted this feat when they set out to rob the C.M. Condon & Company's Bank and the First National Bank in Coffeyville, Kansas. Since the locals were aware of what they looked like, they wore fake beards. But they were still identified by one of the townspeople.

While the gang was busy trying to hold up the banks, the people armed themselves and prepared for a gun battle. When the gang exited the banks, a shootout began.

There were three townspeople shot, and Town Marshal Charles Connelly was killed when he ran into the street after hearing gunfire, returning fire before he died killing one member of the gang. Great Dalton, Bob Dalton, Dick Broadwell and Bill Powers were killed. Bill Dalton had not been at Coffeyville, but there are legends that he was holding the horses in the alley and escaped when it all went to hell.

Emmett Dalton received 23 gunshot wounds and survived. He was given a life sentence in the Kansas penitentiary in Lansing, Kansas, of which he served 14 years before being pardoned. He moved to California and became a real estate agent, author and actor, and died in 1937 at age 66.
(from Wikipedia)

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: CHEROKEE BILL

AS SEEN ON:
'Stories Of The Century'

AS PLAYED BY:
Pat Hogan

Crawford Goldsby (February 8, 1876-March 17, 1896) was a 19th century American outlaw, known by the alias Cherokee Bill. Responsible for the murders of seven men (including his brother-in-law), he and his gang terrorized the Indian Territory for over two years.

Cherokee Bill was sentenced to be hanged on September 10, 1895. A stay was granted pending an appeal to the Supreme Court. On December 2, the Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the Fort Smith court and Judge Parker again set the execution date as March 17, 1896.

The hanging was scheduled for 11:00 a.m., but was delayed until 2:00 p.m. in order for his sister Georgia to have the opportunity to see him before the hanging.

Shortly after 2:00 p.m. while on the gallows, it was reported Cherokee Bill was asked if he had any thing to say and he replied, "I came here to die, not make a speech."
(from Wikipedia)

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: CRAZY HORSE

AS SEEN ON:
'Stories Of The Century'

AS PLAYED BY:
George Keymas

Crazy Horse (Lakota: literally "His-Horse-is-Crazy") (ca. 1840 – September 5, 1877) was a respected war leader of the Oglala Lakota, who fought against the U.S. federal government in an effort to preserve the traditions and values of the Lakota way of life. He is most generally known for his participation in the Battle of the Little Bighorn in June, 1876.
(from Wikipedia)

It may be that the White Man wasn't the only one to assume the identity of a more famous person in order to gain fame for himself. It could be that the Indian who called himself Crazy Horse was in fact a different brave.

The actiing resume of George Keymas is full of Indian roles on TV (as well as the movies), but he'll probably be best remembered from his role in 'The Twilight Zone' episode "Eye Of The Beholder".

Among his many roles as an Indian, we could even surmise that he played a set of quadruplets, spread out in three different series: Running Wolf on 'Bonanza', Grey Wolf' on 'Wagon Train', and in two different episodes of 'Rin Tin Tin', Red Wolf and Yellow Wolf. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you, The Wolf Clones!

As there are quite a few portrayals of Crazy Horse to account for in Toobworld, and these exploits of Matt Clark are suspect, we're going to say this wasn't the real Crazy Horse.

BCnU!

TVXOHOF, 08/2009-D: THE OK CORRAL

No location in the old West has captured the imagination more than the OK Corral in Tombstone, where the most epic 30 seconds of history took place. The shootout has been depicted several times in Television, both fictional and factual, and Toobworld has even seen it recreated on another world twice. (Inner Toob wrote about this missing link between 'Star Trek' and 'Doctor Who' here.)

The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral was an event of legendary proportion which has been portrayed in numerous Western films. The actual event occurred on October 26, 1881, in a vacant lot, known as lot 2, in block 17, behind the corral, in Tombstone, Arizona (a corral is like a livery stable ; the analogous location in Denver was called the Elephant Corral). Thirty shots were fired in thirty seconds. Wyatt Earp, Morgan Earp, Virgil Earp, and Doc Holliday fought against Billy Claiborne, Frank McLaury, Tom McLaury, Billy Clanton, and Ike Clanton. Both McLaurys were killed, as was Billy Clanton. Billy Clanton, Frank McLaury and Tom McLaury are buried in Boot Hill Cemetery, Tombstone, Arizona
The best of the fictional recreations is probably in Hugh O'Brian's series 'The Life And Legend Of Wyatt Earp', which tried to re-enact the account as described in the transcripts from the Earps' trial.

'Star Trek' (1966)
{Spectre of the Gun (#3.6)}

'The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp' (1955)

"I Married Wyatt Earp" (1983)

'The Deputy' (1959)
{The Big Four (#1.10)}

'Doctor Who' (1963)
{A Holiday for the Doctor (#3.34)}

'Early Edition' (1996)
{Bat Masterson (#1.16)}
'Stories of the Century' (1954)
{Doc Holliday (#1.10)}

'Death Valley Days' (1952)
{After the OK Corral (#12.23)}

'Disneyland' (1954)
{Texas John Slaughter: Range War at Tombstone (#6.12)}

With the presence of modern day reporters during the moments leading up to the shoot-out, this is a blend of the fictional and factual:

'You Are There' (1953)
{The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (October 26, 1881) (#4.8)}
And here are the factual programs about it:

'Days That Shook the World' (2003)
{The OK Corral/St. Valentines Day Massacre}

'Appointment with Destiny' (1971)
{Showdown at O.K. Corral}

UKTV History episode
{The Wild West: Gunfight At The OK Corral}

Unsolved History episode

And so this is why the OK Corral is one of the few actual locations to be chosen this year for induction into the TV Crossover Hall of Fame.....
BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: BLACK BART

AS SEEN ON:
'Stories Of The Century'

AS PLAYED BY:
Arthur Space

Charles Earl Bolles (1829–Disappeared 1888?), alias Black Bart, was an American Old West outlaw noted for his poetic messages left after each robbery. He was also known as Charles E. Boles, C.E. Bolton, Charles E. Bowles, and "Black Bart the Po8." A gentleman bandit, Black Bart was one of the most notorious stagecoach robbers to operate in and around Northern California and southern Oregon during the 1870s and 1880s. The fame he received for his numerous daring thefts is rivaled only by his reputation for style and sophistication.
(from Wikipedia)

Matt Clark took credit for getting him sentenced to prison, but at least the episode does highlight the poetic nature of Black Bart.....

BCnU!

OZ: THIS SIDE OF PARODIES

Continuing our salute to the 70th Anniversary of "The Wizard Of Oz", here are a few "Mad" scenes from the Skitlandia version.

Warning: They aren't for the young, only for the young at heart.....

Wizard of Oz Teen Edition


Dorothy Gale of Florida


The Deleted Scene


BCnU!

THE BLIPVERTS OF OZ III

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the movie version of "The Wizard Of Oz". According to the IMDb.com, these were the official release dates here in the United States:

USA 12 August 1939 (Oconomowoc, Wisconsin) (premiere)
USA 15 August 1939 (Hollywood, California)
USA 17 August 1939 (New York City, New York)
USA 25 August 1939 (general release?)

To celebrate the nation-wide release, Toobworld Central presents some blipvert tributes to the greatest movie ever made!

Orange Wednesday


GE


Chips Ahoy


Somerset Mortgage Lenders


Dixon Homes


BCnU!

DEAR LEW, LOVE BILLY

Last month, Lew Wallace was inducted into the TV Crossover Hall of Fame as governor, general and as an author. He wrote "Ben-Hur", served as a judge at "The Andersonville Trial", and was the governor of New Mexico during which time he met Billy the Kid.

And today we're featuring Billy the Kid in the "As Seen On TV" showcase.

The governor brokered a deal with the 21 year old outlaw; after which there was a carefully arranged, staged arrest and the Kid testified for the state in a trial. But no pardon ever materialized afterwards.

That's why Billy the Kid wanted to talk to Lew Wallace as seen in this letter from March 1881.

At that time, Billy was in the Santa Fe jail, awaiting trial for killing a sheriff during the Lincoln County War. He was desperate for a pardon and with good reason - he was convicted and sentenced to hang. However, he broke out of jail, only to be gunned down about four months later.......

The letter is on display at Fray Angelico Chavez History Library in Sante Fe.

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: BILLY THE KID

AS SEEN ON:
'Stories Of The Century'

AS PLAYED BY:
Richard Jaeckel

Henry McCarty (November 23, 1859— July 14, 1881), better known as Billy the Kid, but also known by the aliases Henry Antrim and William H. Bonney, was a 19th-century American frontier outlaw and gunman who participated in the so-called Lincoln County War. According to legend, he killed 21 men, one for each year of his life, but he most likely participated in the killing of fewer than half that number.

McCarty (or Bonney, the name he used at the height of his notoriety) was 5 ft 8 in-5 ft 9 in tall with blue eyes, a smooth complexion and prominent front teeth. He was said to be friendly and personable at times, and many recalled that he was as "lithe as a cat".
(from Wikipedia)

As it's "Two For Tuesday", here's another look at Billy the Kid:
AS SEEN IN:
'The Time Tunnel'

AS PLAYED BY:
Robert Walker, Jr.

As for the reason why they would look different, it's because Walker's personification of Billy is from a parallel dimension which Doug and Tony accessed via the Time Tunnel.

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: BILL LONGLEY

AS SEEN ON:
'Stories Of The Century'

AS PLAYED BY:
Douglas Kennedy

William Preston Longley (October 6, 1851 – October 11, 1878) also known as Bill Longley was an American Old West outlaw and gunfighter noted for his ruthless nature, speed with a gun, quick temper, and unpredictable demeanor.
(from Wikipedia)

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: BLACK JACK KETCHUM

AS SEEN ON:
'Stories Of The Century'

AS PLAYED BY:
Jack Elam

Thomas Edward Ketchum, known as Black Jack Ketchum (October 31, 1863–April 26, 1901), was a cowboy and cattle driver who later turned to a life of crime. He was hanged in 1901 for attempted train robbery.
(from Wikipedia)

A lot of TV Western bad guys were played by Jack Elam, and let's face it, he had a VERY distinctive look. It could be that many of these characters were one and the same person.

Here's how it would work - when the heat was on for a particular Western bad guy, he'd fake his death and then seek out the services of undertaker Fabian Lavendor (played by Carroll O'Connor in an episode of 'The Wild Wild West'). For a fee, Lavendor would provide a new identity and even some rudimentary plastic surgery so that the client could begin a new life of crime elsewhere.

Black Jack Ketchum was also played on TV by Lane Bradford in an episode of 'Rin Tin Tin', which aired a year and a half after Jack Elam's episode of 'Stories Of The Century'.

As we're pretty committed to the idea that 'Stories Of The Century' were tall tales fabricated by Matt Clark, I think we're going to go with the idea that Lane Bradford played the real Ketchum and Jack Elam's character was using that name as an alias.

BCnU!