Small House of Everything

Small House of Everything

Sunday, December 18, 2011

THE SIX SHOOTER

Airing for one season (1953-4) on the NBC radio network, The Six Shooter was a western series that seemed custom made for its star, Jimmy Stewart.  Stewart played Britt Ponset, a drifter with a deadly aim.  This was one of the better western series; its penchant for adding some humor seems to foreshadow Maverick, although I don't know of any creative relations.  (But, hey, Britt...Brett; just sayin'.)

The link below will take you to all forty episodes.  Enjoy.

http://www.archive.org/details/OTRR_The_Six_Shooter_Singles

     (Stewart refused to go along with the network, which wanted a cigarette company to sponsor the second season.  He felt this would be a betrayal to the children who listened to the show.  Knowing it would be almost impossible to replace Stewart, NBC cancelled the series.  Jimmy Stewart always was pretty cool.)

4 comments:

  1. And this in an era where doctors did cigarette commercials. Yay, Jimmy.

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  2. This is one of my favorites. Stewart was great in the part.

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  3. I'll third the recommendation of this, one of the best of western dramas on radio...in the same league as GUNSMOKE and FORT LARAMIE.

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  4. This is one of my favorite OTR series. Stewart is wonderful in the role. The radio program was created by a former vaudeville performer Frank Burt. The book and movie "Mother Wore Tights" is based on his (and his wife's) vaudeville career. From 1955-1959 Burt scripted 48 episodes of "Dragnet".

    The radio program became the basis of "The Restless Gun" starring John Payne. The name of the lead character was changed to Vint Bonner but the setup was the same and some of the radio scripts were adapted for the television program. One name that didn't change was that of Ponset/Bonner's horse. In both, it was named Scar.

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