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The 1950s was an amazing time for many reasons. Too many reasons that can be numbered. There is one that may have changed the face of modern culture:
The Television
Willie Nelson always delivers.
About 3 minutes long
My memories of television programming of that time were COWBOY SHOWS!
Oh boy howdy. I loved them. I still do. High Noon, Stagecoach, The Magnificent Seven, The Searchers---So good.
But it was the TV shows that were the candy for children. How many can say they know of or have seen Hopalong Cassidy, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, The Rifleman, Have Gun--Will Travel, Rawhide, Wagon Train, and others?
Why did they impact so many generations? Heroes, we wanted heroes. Not just heroes, but these were from a glamorized era called the Wild West.
Heroes rode horses (hi-ho Silver, Let's get 'em Trigger), cooked over a wood fire, slept on the ground, called women "Ma'm" and treated them protectively and with respect, and mostly didn't drink. Heroes had high standards of behavior, which the bad guys didn't. Heroes shot shiny guns, only because they had to. Heroes sometimes had gunfights, which they always won.
Heroes rode horses (hi-ho Silver, Let's get 'em Trigger), cooked over a wood fire, slept on the ground, called women "Ma'm" and treated them protectively and with respect, and mostly didn't drink. Heroes had high standards of behavior, which the bad guys didn't. Heroes shot shiny guns, only because they had to. Heroes sometimes had gunfights, which they always won.
Gunsmoke ran for twenty seasons! The opening of the show:
James Arness was 6'6" tall.
I watched this every week. Now that it is on cable, Gunsmoke is available for another generation of young cowboys to hitch up their horse and ride off into the sunset.
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| Bill Peck: 1955-1999 |
My brother Bill Peck with his horse Sonny.
This is Bill, all 6'4" of him. He grew up to be a cowboy in Texas with his own horses, a scraggly dog, a shiny gun, and a few acres of land. Oh. I miss him so.
Sadly the updated photo of your brother refused to load. I hear your pain at his absence.
ReplyDeleteI will try to put it up. Doing battle with my computer is exhausting!
DeleteBill was 44 years old, died from complications of surgery.
That Willie Nelson tune is one of my all-time favorites! Yep, Roy Rogers, Gene Autrey, Gunsmoke and Wagon Train were my childhood's version of "appointment television." Shaking hands with Roy at the New Mexico State Fair and getting to touch Trigger … wow. I still recall how happy that made me.
ReplyDeleteWow! Roy Rogers and Trigger!
DeleteWasn't our youth amazing, just because we met legends through the screen.
Sure a different era indeed. Seen many of the movies, never seen Gunsmoke though.
ReplyDeleteGive it a try. It was one of the few 60 minute long shows. It still stands the test. Many many future stars got their starts on this show.
DeleteSome in reruns, but I watched those shows. Always watched Gunsmoke. If only people still wanted real heroes and men.
ReplyDeleteIf only. We loved them all. Clint Eastwood got his start on Rawhide.
DeleteYou should get together with My Rare One. She adores all those old programs too. I cannot watch them. All I see is the shameful historical lie they peddled.
ReplyDeleteHistory has two sides and shady parts in the middle.
DeleteMy grandfather was a cowboy too! But that was before he started a family. We raced home from school to watch cowboy shows. Besides the ones you mentioned I watched Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, Annie Oakley, Zorro, Sugarfoot, Cheyenne, Broken Arrow, Kit Carson, Buffalo Bill, and so many more. My favorite was the Cisco Kid.
ReplyDeleteWe watched many of these. We rode around our yard on maple tree stick "horses".
DeleteThat was just a bit before my time, but my mother remembers those shows fondly.
ReplyDeleteMaybe sometime you'll grab a barrel of popcorn and you two can have a binge watch.
DeleteWe loved our cowboys shows too. A few of the ones mentioned by Emma Springfield, and Rifleman, Bonanza, Rawhide, Wagon Train, and F-Troop.
ReplyDeleteI just watched that Gunsmoke opening clip, and noticed the shot rang out before his gun was properly cleared of the holster and aimed, I never would have noticed that as a child.
I always preferred the cowboy shows that had Indians in them.
How funny is that? He must have a magic pistol.
DeleteI loved when Indians were part of the shows. Wish there had been another show where the Indians were the stars. Looking at those shows now, it makes me angry to see Native Americans portrayed as savages and cowboys as righteous.
I would welcome a return of cowboy films on the television. What is shown now in the UK is a load of TRIPE. Every evening now TV is switched off and the radio switched on for musical entertainment.
ReplyDeleteI wish you had access to these shows on dvd. I believe you would enjoy them.
DeleteMy brothers had the cowboys on, I recall. I was a Willie fan.
ReplyDeleteLove Willie Nelson! We saw him perform 10 years ago at a stadium, and it was awesome.
DeleteThis year, we bought tickets $$ to see him. He was sick, pneumonia. His son Lucas was phenomenal; his voice was just like his dad. Willie had to leave the stage early, Lucas carried the show.
Sadly, Willie Nelson, at 86) won't be on tour much longer.
My favorite cowboy program was Maverick. Oh, how my teenage heart did beat for James Garner. And Willie Nelson, well, how could anyone not love that scraggly old man. For the past six months or so, Willie’s Roadhouse has been the radio station I have on all the time in my car.
ReplyDeleteHow very sad that your brother died at only 44.
James Garner, oh yes. I envy that you have a radio station and we don't.
DeleteBill was a restless guy, always finding work that was dangerous. He was a cowboy all the time. Thank you. Even now I say his name everyday.
I was about to say "why do the guys have all the fun?" but then I remembered Anniie Oakley. Now THERE was a gal who could ride and shoot.
ReplyDeleteThat was a great show. My brothers were forceful in choosing the shows.
DeleteHi Susan - yes I can completely agree with you re 'heroes' ... and fun to watch. Though your brother is the real hero - I'm sorry you lost him so young ... lovely to see his photo though. Cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteWe are 3 years apart; when he was a tiny baby, I peered over his crib and promised I would take care of him. No one could have saved him, but I still remember. Thanks.
DeleteI love a good hero show! Good vs. Evil will always be appealing, I think. I love both versions of The Magnificent Seven. I think they did a great job with the new one, and managed not to step on the original.
ReplyDeleteDenzel Washington always brings in a good movie.
DeleteI love Yul Brynner.
I faithfully watched all those shows:)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad your brother got to realize his dream.
Hugs
He would have been one of the Wild Bunch, I think.
DeleteI was a big fan of cowboys when I was a child in the fifties. I liked the TV shows, movies when I saw them, and cowboy related toys and paraphernalia. Then for a while the cowboy genre fell somewhat out of favor with me to be replaced by science fiction.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in high school I returned to watching the western TV shows and movies. Loved the Clint Eastwood westerns.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
Amazing how we return to our first love. My brother Bill loved Have Gun, Will Travel. For Christmas, Santa brought him a Paladin set, complete with a mustache.
DeleteRawhide was a big jumping off place for Eastwood. Gunsmoke had Burt Reynolds, Charles Bronson, and some others make their starts.
I enjoyed the videos and memories. Thanks and thanks for visiting my blog
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to visiting you again. Just think, a century of film images! All those faces, voices, and people are preserved on film.
DeleteSo many good Western shows, so little time. Once in so often i will catch reruns, and it always makes me smile.
ReplyDeleteIt brings back so many memories of sitting at home with my siblings, fighting over who sat where, basically fighting. But it was fun.
DeleteI still love a good Western. And I still love Willie Nelson, too. I saw him live in concert back in 2001...and he was just great! :)
ReplyDeleteHe always delivered a concert of his greatest and best music. I miss Johnny Cash and Waylen Jennings, part of the Highwaymen.
ReplyDeleteOh, Open Range was a great movie, if you haven't seen it!
DeleteAnd Silverado is a classic.
They were wonderful, too. Waylon Jennings' voice could warm the coldest heart.
DeleteI've not seen Open Range....It has a wonderful cast. I'll do a search to see if it's on any of the streaming services. Thanks. :)
Dear Susan, Gene Autry was my favorite cowboy; "Home on the Range" my favorite song. I can remember saving nickels and dimes and every so often Mom driving my younger brother and me up to the theater on the Square in Independence. (that's where the three trails West began!) We'd see our Saturday cowboy movie there. What good memories you've brought back with your posting. Thank you. Peace.
ReplyDeleteSounds like precious memories.
DeleteAnd yet by the '70s, the genre had all but disappeared. I suppose westerns were supplanted by scifi - similar stories, different backdrop. Star Trek was originally pitched as a Wagon Train to the stars.
ReplyDeleteReally? I did not know that, but can see it. I'd miss Ward Bond.
DeleteThere are some contemporary westerns I have enjoyed. Open Range, Lonesome Dove are a few. New tv show Yellowstone is pretty good, has Kevin Costner.
I'm so sad to read you lost your brother. :( He was tall!
ReplyDeleteI remember watching GunSmoke, Bonanza and The Big Valley. :)
Ah, Gloria Stanwyk. I loved that show.
DeleteThank you. He was a character, laughingly called me his "Big Sis"; I am 5'3".
Dr McCoy aka Deforest Kelley was a big player before Star Trek during the cowboys and injuns days
ReplyDeleteI remember him playing parts of a bad cowboy/gunslinger. Did a good job.
DeleteHe was a great doctor spar with Spock.
Thanks to Rawhide, we go Clint Eastwood:)
ReplyDeleteHe was just a kid then! His son, Scott, looks so much like his father. Not as tall, but his face and voice are his dad's.
DeleteSo glad you stopped by!
ReplyDelete