RECASTAWAYS - HOUSTON, WE'VE GOT A PAXTON

'DEATH VALLEY DAYS'

SAM HOUSTON

portrayed by

STEPHEN CHASE

"THE GIRL WHO WALKED WITH A GIANT" (1958)

The tumultuous political career of Sam Houston is recalled after marrying a younger Margaret Lea. Serving as leader of an independent Texas plus as governor and senator after it became a state, he relied heavily on his wife's support.

"DAVY'S FRIEND" (1962)

Young Joel is disregarded by his traveling companions as they head to Texas right after the Alamo. He is sent off on a mission to get him out of way but ends up impressing everyone.

(Plot summaries from the IMDb)

From Wikipedia:

Samuel "Sam" Houston (March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American politician and soldier, best known for his role in bringing Texas into the United States as a constituent state. His victory at the Battle of San Jacinto secured the independence of Texas from Mexico in one of the shortest decisive battles in modern history. He was also the only governor within a future Confederate state to oppose secession (which led to the outbreak of the American Civil War) and to refuse an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy, a decision that led to his removal from office by the Texas secession convention.

Houston was born at Timber Ridge Plantation in Rockbridge County, Virginia. He was of Scots-Irish descent. After moving to Tennessee, he spent time with the Cherokee Nation, into which he later was adopted as a citizen and into which he married. He performed military service during the War of 1812 and successfully participated in Tennessee politics. In 1827, Houston was elected Governor of Tennessee as a Jacksonian. In 1829, he resigned as governor and relocated to the Arkansas Territory.

In 1832, Houston was involved in an altercation with a U.S. Congressman, followed by a high-profile trial.[4] Shortly afterwards, he moved west to Coahuila y Tejas, then a Mexican state, and became a leader of the Texas Revolution.

After the war, Houston became a key figure in Texas and was elected as the first and third President of the Republic of Texas. He supported annexation by the United States[6] and he became a U.S. Senator upon achieving it in 1845, and finally a governor of the State of Texas in 1859, whereby Houston became the only person to have become the governor of two different U.S. states through popular election, as well as the only state governor to have been a foreign head of state.

As governor, he refused to swear loyalty to the Confederacy when Texas seceded from the Union in 1861 with the outbreak of the American Civil War, and he was removed from office. To avoid bloodshed, he refused an offer of a Union army to put down the Confederate rebellion. Instead, he retired to Huntsville, Texas, where he died before the end of the war.

"Texas Rising" 
5 episodes

Played by Bill Paxton

Two for Texas (1998)
Played by Tom Skerritt

True Women (1997)
Played by John Schneider

Texas (1994)
Played by Stacy Keach

The Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory (1987)
Played by Lorne Greene

Houston: The Legend of Texas (1986)
Played by Sam Elliott

"Voyagers!" 
    - The Trial of Phineas Bogg (1983)
Played by Bill McLaughlin

The Honorable Sam Houston (1975)
Played by Robert Stack

"Profiles in Courage" 
    - Sam Houston (1964)
Played by J.D. Cannon

"The Great Adventure" 
    - The Testing of Sam Houston (1964)
Played by Robert Culp

"Telephone Time" 
    - Sam Houston's Decision (1957)
Played by Don Taylor

"The Adventures of Jim Bowie" 

3 episodes
Played by Denver Pyle

"Frontier" 
    - The Voyage of Captain Castle (1956)
Played by Trevor Bardette

"You Are There" 
    - The Defense of the Alamo (1953)
    - The Burning of the Alamo (1953)
Played by Philip Bosco

"Pulitzer Prize Playhouse" 
    - The Raven (1950)
Played by Zachary Scott

A LOT of heavy-hitters playing Houston in that list!

As you can see, Stephen Chase was not the only actor to play Sam Houston more than once on television - Philip Bosco (also twice), Denver Pyle (three times).  But Bill Paxton leads the pack with five episodes of 'Texas Rising'.  Some would call that a mini-series, but I've seen a lot of TV series never even get that far in broadcasts before getting the hook.

So I do consider 'Texas Rising' as a TV series and I see no reason why it can't be considered a part of the main Toobworld, making all other Toobworld portrayals of the varios historical characters the televersions seen by the regulars of those other shows.  

 

Maybe the death of Paxton earlier this year is influencing that; that could probably have been true if I wrote it up earlier this year.  But I think enough time has passed so that I can make the call solely based on being the curator of Toobworld.

I would say quantity trumps quality, but that would be a sleight against Paxton......

BCnU!