The Restless Gun, The Complete Series (1 Viewer)

[Randy Korstick]

Anyone have the restless gun complete series yet? If so how are the transfers. I'm starting to get spoiled by the nice prints timeless is getting from MGM but I know this show is not from MGM but Yancy Derringer also had good prints. So are the prints for this show on par with these recent releases or is of the more mediocre quality like The Tall Man, Laramie, Cimarron City?

 

[Richard V]

Randy, I have received the series, but have not had a chance to watch any episodes, I'll try to get to it tonight, and let you know.

 

[Randy Korstick]

Thanks Richard. I don't know who I'm kidding I'll end up getting it either way but always curious

 

[Richard V]

Randy, had a chance to watch about 3 episodes. They appear to be 16 mm and are in good condition, very watchable, very little, if any artifacts. The Pilot episode from The Schlitz Playhouse is included. The quality is not as good as let's say the recent Wyatt Earp release, but again, as I said, very watchable.

 

[Randy Korstick]

Thanks Richard for the info. It Sounds like I should be sattisfied with them.

 

[Buck Benny]

Been watching a lot of the Restless Gun. It debuted on Sept. 23 1957 and ran until Sept. 14 1959. It has a complete series (78 episodes) release on DVD, for about 45 cents an episode it's well worth the price of admission! It's from the same team that brought us Bonanza. Very well done, it follows a gunfighter that would rather figure out another solutions besides gun play. Like Bonanza there are serious episodes and comedies, and everything inbetween.

"Based on a radio teleplay starring James Stewart Restless Gun follows the exploits of Vint Bonner (John Payne) a retired gunfighter and restless drifter who wanders the Southwest in search of adventure.- Preferring to find peaceful resolutions to the problems he faced Bonner was often given no choice but to fight and his proficiency with a gun made him a fearsome opponent to those who dared cross him.- Bonner carried around a special kit that would extend the rang of his gun this involved extensive assembly and became a novelty for the show and inspired Westerns that followed."


I love this series! Now that the price has dropped most places to about 50 cents an episode it is impossible to resist. The series is based on the radio show The Six Shooter with Jimmy Stewart in the lead role! Here is a link to my podcast featuring the first Six Shooter appearance for radio with film legend Jimmy Stewart, it's really worth hearing and it even predates Gunsmoke's first radio episode by a couple of weeks. I guess that makes it the first adult western series!


That crazy gun he has in the second season is hilarious, btw!

For the craziest gun of the television west. The prize has to go with the crazy four-in-one gun featured on The Restless Gun! Talk about a schizophrenic gun! It didn't know what it was; a normal pistol, a long barreled pistol, a short barreled rifle - the most stupid combination, or a rifle built out of a pistol?

It did make the most fun western kids toy of all time!

 

[LouA]

This series was a favorite of mine along with the Gunsmoke , Wanted Dead Or Alive , Have Gun Will Travel, The Texan, and Yancy Derringer .


Incidentally all of those shows were featured in a color trading card set issued by Topps back in 1958. A nice collectable that fans of those shows might want to seek out.



For a while , Timeless was really on the roll with it's western reissue program and we were able to see great shows like Restless Gun again. Thanks ,Timeless!!

 

[Buck Benny]

For folks that want to sample the series. Many of the episodes have been posted to youtube, Here is the pilot episode with a guest appearance by a very young Michael Landon.


Restless Gun Pilot

 

[smithbrad]

If you like the radio program the "Six Shooter" i would like to also recommend "Fort Laramie" that stars Raymond Burr. Both are only a season long, easily downloaded in mp3 format, and enjoyable to listen to when commuting to work.

 

[ponset]

If you like THE SIX SHOOTER and FORT LARAMIE i would also recommend "FRONTIER GENTLEMAN" with John Dehner as

a english newspaper reporter roaming the west.

Also features great theme music from Jerry Goldsmith.

 

[Buck Benny]

If you like THE SIX SHOOTER and FORT LARAMIE i would also recommend "FRONTIER GENTLEMAN" with John Dehner as

a english newspaper reporter roaming the west.

Also features great theme music from Jerry Goldsmith.

I love all three. I'll even go so far as to say I love many, many television westerns, but to me the radio versions of GUNSMOKE, THE SIX SHOOTER, FORT LARAMIE, FRONTIER GENTLEMAN, LUKE SLAUGHTER OF TOMBSTONE, and HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL are the most entertaining western series in any format!