OVERLOOKED TELEVISION: JUDGE ROY BEAN

Judge Roy Bean,  Episode 31:  "Deliver the Body" (1956)

I was a moderate fanboy of this series, but always wondered what the deal was with Bean's fascination with Lily Langtry.

Edgar Buchanan starred as the storekeeper turned justice of the peace who became "The Law West of the Pecos."  Jackie Laughery was the eye candy of the series, playing Roy Bean's niece Letty (Eve Brent had the role for one episode); Laughery had been crowned as the first Miss USA in 1952 and, shortly after the series ended, became the third Mrs. Jack Webb.  Jack Buetel, who had played Billy the Kid opposite Jan Russell in The Outlaw, was Deputy Jeff Taggert.  A number of familiar television and movie faces showed up in Langtry, Texas during the show's 39 episodes, including X Brands (Pahoo-Ka-Ta-Wah from Yancy Derringer) for sixteen episodes as Ben Logan, Lash Larue for fours turns, once as gunfighter John Wesley Harding, Tristram Coffin, Myron Healey, Sammee Tong, and Gloria Winters (Penny from Sky King).

Unlike many TV westerns of the time, this one was shot in color.

As far as I can tell, Lily Langtry never appeared as a character in the series.  (In real life, the actress did visit Langtry, Texas -- but only after Roy Bean had died.  Ah, well.)

"Deliver the Body" was directed by Nate Watt, one of nine episodes in the series he helmed.

The script was written by Buckley Arpell, a television writer who did not work on every western series going, although it looked as if he sure did try:  his credits include Rawhide, Laramie, Cheyenne, Sugarfoot, Death Valley Days, The Cisco Kid, Have Gun, Will Travel, Gene Autry, Cowboy G-Man, and Range Rider.

Enjoy.

https://archive.org/details/JudgeRoyBean-DeliverTheBody