IMHO - Even though the title says "on DVD or BLU" I think what's more important is just watching them and discussing them no matter how that's done. Of course state it's not on physical so if it sounds good we won't go off trying to purchase a copy...
Pretty clever using " silence" and "vocabulary" in the same sentence, eh?Early TV frequently comes with a large order of Cheese. Your loverly sarcastic style would do some of these proud. Lots of fodder for the scribe.
ADDED: And you are baiting me not to be silent aren't you?
(She's basically playing a Barbara Rhoades type part).
Outstanding reviews this time my friend. I'd give you two likes if they let me.The Zoo Gang - 1.4 "The Counterfeit Trap"
Revisited this delightful, short-run ITC series starring a powerhouse cast: Brian Keith, Barry Morse, John Mills and Lilli Palmer, who play former members of the titular WWII resistance group, who team up 30 years later to take on modern criminals along the French Riviera. The Zoo Gang is behind the 8-ball more than usual in this suspenseful episode, as they tangle with a gang of clever and murderous gold smugglers. Aside from the stellar lead cast, this episode also features guest turns from Jacqueline Pearce, Phillip Madoc, and the wonderful Peter Cushing. Needless to say, the transfers on Network's Region Free Blu-Ray set look spectacular!
Sharpe - 1.2 “Sharpe’s Eagle”
Long before The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones fame, Sean Bean put himself on the map playing Richard Sharpe, a soldier promoted from the ranks after saving the life of Lord Wellington during the Napoleonic Wars. Fourteen two-hour telefilms were made between 1993 and 1997, chronicling Sharpe and his small company of Chosen Men as they battle the French - and plenty of baddies on their own side - culminating in Sharpe's Waterloo. Sean Bean and Daragh O'Malley (as Sharpe's Sergeant and right-hand man, Harper) returned in two follow-up TV movies set (and filmed) in India, in 2006 and 2008, respectively.
So impressed by Sean Bean's performance, and the show overall, was writer Bernard Cornwall (on whose novels the series was based), that he began writing further novels with Bean in mind. And this is the role Sean Bean was born to play: Richard Sharpe is a savage fighter whose wolfish, rugged looks belie his strong code of honor and ethics...and whose sensitive, chivalrous nature gains him a lot of favor from the ladies. The series perfectly walks the line between the grim, gritty realities of war and the British soldier's lot in life, and rousing action and swashbuckling derring-do - all filmed almost entirely outdoors in the Crimea, Ukraine, with terrific guest stars, excellent period costumes and frequently clever, witty scripts.
Sharpe's Eagle is perhaps my favorite of the series, and features a rogue's gallery of British actors, including David Troughton (as Lord Wellington), Brian Cox (as Col. Hogan), Assumpta Serna as Sharpe's Spanish lover, the spy and freedom fighter Countess Theresa, as well as fine villainous turns by Michael Cochrane, Neil Dudgeon (the new Barnaby in Midsomer Murders) and - playing a real nasty piece of work - future 007 Daniel Craig. Highest recommendations for fans of historical adventure epics.
Blake’s 7 – 2.13 “Star One”
As Scott RE alluded to upthread, Paul Darrow recently passed away, and to commemorate this British sci-fi icon, I also watched an episode of this bleak, ambitious BBC series, which ran for 4 seasons from 1978 - 1981. Though stuck with a typically low BBC budget, the show has some striking sets and costumes, and the scripts and acting are of a strong enough caliber to overcome the occasionally threadbare special effects.
I have very fond memories of watching the complete run of this show as a late teenager (probably only a few years after it concluded its run). Though I lived in a very rural area in SW Washington State, with spotty TV reception at best, in the early '80s, KBTC, a Tacoma-based PBS affiliate, built a transponder tower mere miles from my house. Much to my delight, I was now able to pick up a crystal-clear UHF signal of this channel on the little 13-inch black-and-white portable TV in my room (perched atop my dresser, for comfortable pre-bedtime viewing).
Sunday nights became teen geek heaven, what with Doctor Who reruns, Nature, Masterpiece Theatre and, of course, Blake's 7.
"Star One" closes out series 2 with a bang, as freedom fighter Blake (Gareth Thomas) leads his reluctant crew of former criminals on a mission to a remote Federation outpost, with the intent of blowing it up...that is, until he finds that an invasion force of shapeshifting aliens have already infiltrated the base, with plans to wipe out humanity. A lot of plot and action are crammed into this episode, a good deal of it centered around the awesomeness of Paul Darrow's ruthlessly pragmatic Avon, the constant voice of reason and expediency against the often messianic, impetuous Blake.
Gareth Thomas essentially abandoned the show after this episode, returning only for 2 more (standout) entries, including the shocking, amazingly nihilistic series' finale, and so the show subsequently shifted its focus to Avon as the de facto leader of the Liberator (later Scorpio) and its ragtag human and robot crew. While most fans generally prefer the first two seasons, the show remains very fun and watchable with Darrow as the anti-heroic lead, continuing the fight against the Federation in his own way. While Darrow's post-Blake's 7 career never quite took off like it should have, he will forever hold a warm place in the hearts of sci-fi fans for his unforgettable work in this show.
Man About the House – 1.2 “And Mother Makes Four”
The Brit inspiration for Three's Company, less slapsticky and generally wittier - though the girls are not as good-looking as Yanks Joyce DeWitt and Suzanne Somers. The story is essentially the same - chef-in-training Robin (Richard O'Sullivan), needs a place to stay, and busy, bright young things, brunette Crissy (Paula Wilcox) and blonde Jo (Sally Thomsett), need a roommate who can cook...so he moves in. The "It's OK, because he's gay" ruse goes by the wayside as early as this, the second episode of series 1. We're still firmly in "only in the 1970s" territory here, though, as the camera does a close pan in on Ms. Thomsett's rear end during the opening credits that wouldn't pass muster in this day and age. This is a fun frolic of a sitcom, all told, and a very pleasant watch, which ran for 6 seasons and spawned an equally successful sequel, Robin's Nest.
May to December – 2.1 “What Kind of Fool Am I?”
After all the groundwork that was set up in series 1, series 2 gets off to a cracking start with a very funny episode that gives all the main and supporting cast lots of good stuff to do. Zoe's divorce is now final, and Alec (spurred on by his incorrigible ladykiller partner, Miles) plans to celebrate in style, unaware that Zoe is feeling depressed about 8 years of failed marriage to her now-ex and is not exactly in a celebratory mood. I really like this cute and clever little sitcom and really wish that Eve Matheson had stayed on as Zoe for more than 2 seasons.
Zane Grey Theater – 1.12 “Muletown Gold Strike”
Rory Calhoun (minus the usual twinkle in his eye) plays Mason Ward, an embittered soldier who returns from the Civil War to find his law practice burned down. He packs up and moves to a small town out west, where the only job available is as a schoolteacher. One of the pupils is a little boy whose deceased father left him maps of the local area purporting to lead to buried gold. The gruff Ward gradually takes a liking to the boy (and doesn't seem to think his cute widowed mom, played by Barbara Eiler, is too shabby, either). One day, thinking he’s found a claim, the boy brings a handful of nuggets to Ward and asks for his new teacher’s help in cashing them in, to buy some nice things for various townsfolk who helped him and his mother out after his father died. But can Ward be trusted with such newfound riches...? A simple story well told, not the best this series has to offer, but a solid little drama, and I'll watch the charismatic Calhoun in most anything.
Shotgun Slade – 1.23 “The Deadly Key”
While I enjoyed the previous Zane Grey Theater episode above, it didn’t fulfill my craving for some two-fisted, guns-blazin' western action…something that this show brought in spades. Big Scott Brady (younger brother of famed Hollywood tough guy, Lawrence Tierney) stars in what is essentially a '50s private eye series, a sort of Mike Hammer in the Old West, complete with a snazzy, jazzy score (courtesy of Gerald Fried). The print on YouTube was a little rough, but boy, what a fun show! A critically-wounded man shows up at Slade’s office and, with his dying breath, hires him to find his killer. Soon several shady characters (including a sultry femme fatale, in the statuesque form of Ann Robinson) are on Slade’s case, after a mysterious key that is supposed to lead to a fabled treasure of Montezuma's emeralds.
Brady is on great form, spitting out hard-boiled dialogue and bitch-slapping bad guys (including Mort Mills and Vito Scotti). This is another Revue show; the more I see of these old adventure series from either Revue or ZIV, the more I like ‘em. They really deliver the action and thrills.
Good stuff, my friend!!The Zoo Gang - 1.4 "The Counterfeit Trap"
Revisited this delightful, short-run ITC series starring a powerhouse cast: Brian Keith, Barry Morse, John Mills and Lilli Palmer, who play former members of the titular WWII resistance group, who team up 30 years later to take on modern criminals along the French Riviera. The Zoo Gang is behind the 8-ball more than usual in this suspenseful episode, as they tangle with a gang of clever and murderous gold smugglers. Aside from the stellar lead cast, this episode also features guest turns from Jacqueline Pearce, Phillip Madoc, and the wonderful Peter Cushing. Needless to say, the transfers on Network's Region Free Blu-Ray set look spectacular!
Sharpe - 1.2 “Sharpe’s Eagle”
Long before The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones fame, Sean Bean put himself on the map playing Richard Sharpe, a soldier promoted from the ranks after saving the life of Lord Wellington during the Napoleonic Wars. Fourteen two-hour telefilms were made between 1993 and 1997, chronicling Sharpe and his small company of Chosen Men as they battle the French - and plenty of baddies on their own side - culminating in Sharpe's Waterloo. Sean Bean and Daragh O'Malley (as Sharpe's Sergeant and right-hand man, Harper) returned in two follow-up TV movies set (and filmed) in India, in 2006 and 2008, respectively.
So impressed by Sean Bean's performance, and the show overall, was writer Bernard Cornwall (on whose novels the series was based), that he began writing further novels with Bean in mind. And this is the role Sean Bean was born to play: Richard Sharpe is a savage fighter whose wolfish, rugged looks belie his strong code of honor and ethics...and whose sensitive, chivalrous nature gains him a lot of favor from the ladies. The series perfectly walks the line between the grim, gritty realities of war and the British soldier's lot in life, and rousing action and swashbuckling derring-do - all filmed almost entirely outdoors in the Crimea, Ukraine, with terrific guest stars, excellent period costumes and frequently clever, witty scripts.
"Sharpe's Eagle" is perhaps my favorite of the series, and features a rogue's gallery of British actors, including David Troughton (as Lord Wellington), Brian Cox (as Col. Hogan), Assumpta Serna as Sharpe's Spanish lover, the spy and freedom fighter Countess Theresa, as well as fine villainous turns by Michael Cochrane, Neil Dudgeon (the new Barnaby in Midsomer Murders) and - playing a real nasty piece of work - future 007 Daniel Craig. Highest recommendations for fans of historical adventure epics.
Blake’s 7 – 2.13 “Star One”
As Scott RE alluded to upthread, Paul Darrow recently passed away, and to commemorate this British sci-fi icon, I also watched an episode of this bleak, ambitious BBC series, which ran for 4 seasons from 1978 - 1981. Though stuck with a typically low BBC budget, the show has some striking sets and costumes, and the scripts and acting are of a strong enough caliber to overcome the occasionally threadbare special effects.
I have very fond memories of watching the complete run of this show as a late teenager (probably only a few years after it concluded its run). Though I lived in a very rural area in SW Washington State, with spotty TV reception at best, in the early '80s, KBTC, a Tacoma-based PBS affiliate, built a transponder tower mere miles from my house. Much to my delight, I was now able to pick up a crystal-clear UHF signal of this channel on the little 13-inch black-and-white portable TV in my room (perched atop my dresser, for comfortable pre-bedtime viewing).
Sunday nights became teen geek heaven, what with Doctor Who reruns, Nature, Masterpiece Theatre and, of course, Blake's 7.
"Star One" closes out series 2 with a bang, as freedom fighter Blake (Gareth Thomas) leads his reluctant crew of former criminals on a mission to a remote Federation outpost, with the intent of blowing it up...that is, until he finds that an invasion force of shapeshifting aliens have already infiltrated the base, with plans to wipe out humanity. A lot of plot and action are crammed into this episode, a good deal of it centered around the awesomeness of Paul Darrow's ruthlessly pragmatic Avon, the constant voice of reason and expediency against the often messianic, impetuous Blake.
Gareth Thomas essentially abandoned the show after this episode, returning only for 2 more (standout) entries, including the shocking, amazingly nihilistic series' finale, and so the show subsequently shifted its focus to Avon as the de facto leader of the Liberator (later Scorpio) and its ragtag human and robot crew. While most fans generally prefer the first two seasons, the show remains very fun and watchable with Darrow as the anti-heroic lead, continuing the fight against the Federation in his own way. While Darrow's post-Blake's 7 career never quite took off like it should have, he will forever hold a warm place in the hearts of sci-fi fans for his unforgettable work in this show.
Man About the House – 1.2 “And Mother Makes Four”
The Brit inspiration for Three's Company, less slapsticky and generally wittier - though the girls are not as good-looking as Yanks Joyce DeWitt and Suzanne Somers. The story is essentially the same - chef-in-training Robin (Richard O'Sullivan), needs a place to stay, and busy, bright young things, brunette Crissy (Paula Wilcox) and blonde Jo (Sally Thomsett), need a roommate who can cook...so he moves in. The "It's OK, because he's gay" ruse goes by the wayside as early as this, the second episode of series 1. We're still firmly in "only in the 1970s" territory here, though, as the camera does a close pan in on Ms. Thomsett's rear end during the opening credits that wouldn't pass muster in this day and age. This is a fun frolic of a sitcom, all told, and a very pleasant watch, which ran for 6 seasons and spawned an equally successful sequel, Robin's Nest.
May to December – 2.1 “What Kind of Fool Am I?”
After all the groundwork that was set up in series 1, series 2 gets off to a cracking start with a very funny episode that gives all the main and supporting cast lots of good stuff to do. Zoe's divorce is now final, and Alec (spurred on by his incorrigible ladykiller partner, Miles) plans to celebrate in style, unaware that Zoe is feeling depressed about 8 years of failed marriage to her now-ex and is not exactly in a celebratory mood. I really like this cute and clever little sitcom and really wish that Eve Matheson had stayed on as Zoe for more than 2 seasons.
Zane Grey Theater – 1.12 “Muletown Gold Strike”
Rory Calhoun (minus the usual twinkle in his eye) plays Mason Ward, an embittered soldier who returns from the Civil War to find his law practice burned down. He packs up and moves to a small town out west, where the only job available is as a schoolteacher. One of the pupils is a little boy whose deceased father left him maps of the local area purporting to lead to buried gold. The gruff Ward gradually takes a liking to the boy (and doesn't seem to think his cute widowed mom, played by Barbara Eiler, is too shabby, either). One day, thinking he’s found a claim, the boy brings a handful of nuggets to Ward and asks for his new teacher’s help in cashing them in, to buy some nice things for various townsfolk who helped him and his mother out after his father died. But can Ward be trusted with such newfound riches...? A simple story well told, not the best this series has to offer, but a solid little drama, and I'll watch the charismatic Calhoun in most anything.
Shotgun Slade – 1.23 “The Deadly Key”
While I enjoyed the previous Zane Grey Theater episode above, it didn’t fulfill my craving for some two-fisted, guns-blazin' western action…something that this show brought in spades. Big Scott Brady (younger brother of famed Hollywood tough guy, Lawrence Tierney) stars in what is essentially a '50s private eye series, a sort of Mike Hammer in the Old West, complete with a snazzy, jazzy score (courtesy of Gerald Fried). The print on YouTube was a little rough, but boy, what a fun show! A critically-wounded man shows up at Slade’s office and, with his dying breath, hires him to find his killer. Soon several shady characters (including a sultry femme fatale, in the statuesque form of Ann Robinson) are on Slade’s case, after a mysterious key that is supposed to lead to a fabled treasure of Montezuma's emeralds.
Brady is on great form, spitting out hard-boiled dialogue and bitch-slapping bad guys (including Mort Mills and Vito Scotti). This is another Revue show; the more I see of these old adventure series from either Revue or ZIV, the more I like ‘em. They really deliver the action and thrills.
I really must stop reading your posts. It seems that I often find yet another series that piques my interest and add it to the wish list. This time: The Zoo Gang, Sharpe, and Blake's 7.The Zoo Gang - 1.4 "The Counterfeit Trap"
Revisited this delightful, short-run ITC series starring a powerhouse cast: Brian Keith, Barry Morse, John Mills and Lilli Palmer, who play former members of the titular WWII resistance group, who team up 30 years later to take on modern criminals along the French Riviera. The Zoo Gang is behind the 8-ball more than usual in this suspenseful episode, as they tangle with a gang of clever and murderous gold smugglers. Aside from the stellar lead cast, this episode also features guest turns from Jacqueline Pearce, Phillip Madoc, and the wonderful Peter Cushing. Needless to say, the transfers on Network's Region Free Blu-Ray set look spectacular!
Sharpe - 1.2 “Sharpe’s Eagle”
Long before The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones fame, Sean Bean put himself on the map playing Richard Sharpe, a soldier promoted from the ranks after saving the life of Lord Wellington during the Napoleonic Wars. Fourteen two-hour telefilms were made between 1993 and 1997, chronicling Sharpe and his small company of Chosen Men as they battle the French - and plenty of baddies on their own side - culminating in Sharpe's Waterloo. Sean Bean and Daragh O'Malley (as Sharpe's Sergeant and right-hand man, Harper) returned in two follow-up TV movies set (and filmed) in India, in 2006 and 2008, respectively.
So impressed by Sean Bean's performance, and the show overall, was writer Bernard Cornwall (on whose novels the series was based), that he began writing further novels with Bean in mind. And this is the role Sean Bean was born to play: Richard Sharpe is a savage fighter whose wolfish, rugged looks belie his strong code of honor and ethics...and whose sensitive, chivalrous nature gains him a lot of favor from the ladies. The series perfectly walks the line between the grim, gritty realities of war and the British soldier's lot in life, and rousing action and swashbuckling derring-do - all filmed almost entirely outdoors in the Crimea, Ukraine, with terrific guest stars, excellent period costumes and frequently clever, witty scripts.
"Sharpe's Eagle" is perhaps my favorite of the series, and features a rogue's gallery of British actors, including David Troughton (as Lord Wellington), Brian Cox (as Col. Hogan), Assumpta Serna as Sharpe's Spanish lover, the spy and freedom fighter Countess Theresa, as well as fine villainous turns by Michael Cochrane, Neil Dudgeon (the new Barnaby in Midsomer Murders) and - playing a real nasty piece of work - future 007 Daniel Craig. Highest recommendations for fans of historical adventure epics.
Blake’s 7 – 2.13 “Star One”
As Scott RE alluded to upthread, Paul Darrow recently passed away, and to commemorate this British sci-fi icon, I also watched an episode of this bleak, ambitious BBC series, which ran for 4 seasons from 1978 - 1981. Though stuck with a typically low BBC budget, the show has some striking sets and costumes, and the scripts and acting are of a strong enough caliber to overcome the occasionally threadbare special effects.
I have very fond memories of watching the complete run of this show as a late teenager (probably only a few years after it concluded its run). Though I lived in a very rural area in SW Washington State, with spotty TV reception at best, in the early '80s, KBTC, a Tacoma-based PBS affiliate, built a transponder tower mere miles from my house. Much to my delight, I was now able to pick up a crystal-clear UHF signal of this channel on the little 13-inch black-and-white portable TV in my room (perched atop my dresser, for comfortable pre-bedtime viewing).
Sunday nights became teen geek heaven, what with Doctor Who reruns, Nature, Masterpiece Theatre and, of course, Blake's 7.
"Star One" closes out series 2 with a bang, as freedom fighter Blake (Gareth Thomas) leads his reluctant crew of former criminals on a mission to a remote Federation outpost, with the intent of blowing it up...that is, until he finds that an invasion force of shapeshifting aliens have already infiltrated the base, with plans to wipe out humanity. A lot of plot and action are crammed into this episode, a good deal of it centered around the awesomeness of Paul Darrow's ruthlessly pragmatic Avon, the constant voice of reason and expediency against the often messianic, impetuous Blake.
Gareth Thomas essentially abandoned the show after this episode, returning only for 2 more (standout) entries, including the shocking, amazingly nihilistic series' finale, and so the show subsequently shifted its focus to Avon as the de facto leader of the Liberator (later Scorpio) and its ragtag human and robot crew. While most fans generally prefer the first two seasons, the show remains very fun and watchable with Darrow as the anti-heroic lead, continuing the fight against the Federation in his own way. While Darrow's post-Blake's 7 career never quite took off like it should have, he will forever hold a warm place in the hearts of sci-fi fans for his unforgettable work in this show.
Man About the House – 1.2 “And Mother Makes Four”
The Brit inspiration for Three's Company, less slapsticky and generally wittier - though the girls are not as good-looking as Yanks Joyce DeWitt and Suzanne Somers. The story is essentially the same - chef-in-training Robin (Richard O'Sullivan), needs a place to stay, and busy, bright young things, brunette Crissy (Paula Wilcox) and blonde Jo (Sally Thomsett), need a roommate who can cook...so he moves in. The "It's OK, because he's gay" ruse goes by the wayside as early as this, the second episode of series 1. We're still firmly in "only in the 1970s" territory here, though, as the camera does a close pan in on Ms. Thomsett's rear end during the opening credits that wouldn't pass muster in this day and age. This is a fun frolic of a sitcom, all told, and a very pleasant watch, which ran for 6 seasons and spawned an equally successful sequel, Robin's Nest.
May to December – 2.1 “What Kind of Fool Am I?”
After all the groundwork that was set up in series 1, series 2 gets off to a cracking start with a very funny episode that gives all the main and supporting cast lots of good stuff to do. Zoe's divorce is now final, and Alec (spurred on by his incorrigible ladykiller partner, Miles) plans to celebrate in style, unaware that Zoe is feeling depressed about 8 years of failed marriage to her now-ex and is not exactly in a celebratory mood. I really like this cute and clever little sitcom and really wish that Eve Matheson had stayed on as Zoe for more than 2 seasons.
Zane Grey Theater – 1.12 “Muletown Gold Strike”
Rory Calhoun (minus the usual twinkle in his eye) plays Mason Ward, an embittered soldier who returns from the Civil War to find his law practice burned down. He packs up and moves to a small town out west, where the only job available is as a schoolteacher. One of the pupils is a little boy whose deceased father left him maps of the local area purporting to lead to buried gold. The gruff Ward gradually takes a liking to the boy (and doesn't seem to think his cute widowed mom, played by Barbara Eiler, is too shabby, either). One day, thinking he’s found a claim, the boy brings a handful of nuggets to Ward and asks for his new teacher’s help in cashing them in, to buy some nice things for various townsfolk who helped him and his mother out after his father died. But can Ward be trusted with such newfound riches...? A simple story well told, not the best this series has to offer, but a solid little drama, and I'll watch the charismatic Calhoun in most anything.
Shotgun Slade – 1.23 “The Deadly Key”
While I enjoyed the previous Zane Grey Theater episode above, it didn’t fulfill my craving for some two-fisted, guns-blazin' western action…something that this show brought in spades. Big Scott Brady (younger brother of famed Hollywood tough guy, Lawrence Tierney) stars in what is essentially a '50s private eye series, a sort of Mike Hammer in the Old West, complete with a snazzy, jazzy score (courtesy of Gerald Fried). The print on YouTube was a little rough, but boy, what a fun show! A critically-wounded man shows up at Slade’s office and, with his dying breath, hires him to find his killer. Soon several shady characters (including a sultry femme fatale, in the statuesque form of Ann Robinson) are on Slade’s case, after a mysterious key that is supposed to lead to a fabled treasure of Montezuma's emeralds.
Brady is on great form, spitting out hard-boiled dialogue and bitch-slapping bad guys (including Mort Mills and Vito Scotti). This is another Revue show; the more I see of these old adventure series from either Revue or ZIV, the more I like ‘em. They really deliver the action and thrills.
Bryan:
Any additional screencaps of the actress in the black outfit would be most welcome in this forum
The actress' name is Laura Kamins by the way.
I've been watching The Rebel, starring Nick Adams. It's yet another in the "A (fill-in-the-blank-character-type) drifter gets involved in helping out various settlers threatened by various bad guys." group of Westerns. This time the drifter is a former Confederate Army private. He rides alone and carries a double-barrel sawed-off shotgun as well as a side arm.
On occasion the fact he was in the Confederate Army plays a role but it's never yet pushed a North vs. South agenda or come out on one side or the other. One such episode has the late Agnes Moorehead playing a widow whose Union Army son died in battle, presumably a hero. Johnny knows different and has a medallion originally belonging to the dying soldier's father which the soldier had given Johnny asking him to return it to his mother. Mom is a "big wig" in town and has an annual memorial for her son. Johnny arrives just in time to witness this and the somewhat disdain of the locals over being constantly reminded her son died in the war.
Jess Kirby: Reb, you picked the worst day of the year to come here. Take my advice and drift.
Johnny Yuma: Just visitin'.
Jess Kirby: You visit someplace else. I'm trying to clean up this street.
Johnny Yuma: That's a lot of statue. This town must be pretty proud of him.
Jess Kirby: Proud enough to call a holiday once a year. That way we don't forget who caused his death.
Johnny Yuma: That's part of a soldier - like a uniform.
Jess Kirby: I advised you to clear out... now I'm tellin' ya. Mount up and ride south across the line.
Johnny Yuma: There aren't any more lines. We're on the same side now. Gives me the right to pay my respects.
Of course that's before anyone knows why he's really there. He goes to the family home to return the medallion. Surprisingly, she's not bitter towards him:
Mrs. Martha Lassiter: I'm sure you understand my curiosity about how you and he happened to be together at the time of his death.
Johnny Yuma: Well, his company was outnumbered; his men started to retreat, but he forged ahead like the whole war depended on him. I was closest when he fell. I could tell by the look on his face that there was something he had to say to someone, anyone. That's when he asked me to come here. No need for me to tell you what kind of a soldier your son was. That monument speaks plainer than words.
Mrs. Martha Lassiter: I'm very grateful. It's as if part of Phillip has been returned to me. If you only you could have fought shoulder to shoulder instead of face to face.
What she doesn't know and Johnny isn't gelling her... yet... is her son was the only one who ran and was shot running away. Johnny went to his side to see if he could help when he saw he was still alive. That's when he was given the medallion and asked to return it.
Over the course of agreeing to help on the farm, joining the other hands, she finally learns about her son's true fate - from Johnny's writings after the foreman got hold of them and read what Johnny'd written. She takes it well admitting, finally, she knew this was how he truly was. The statue is removed from the center of town and taken to the cemetery where Johnny sees it as he's leaving town. He removes his cap as a final sign of respect and rides on.
Johnny keeps a diary of sorts, writing about what he sees and does. That's been a key plot device in a couple of episodes getting him out of trouble as his writing proves he was nowhere near some crime/disturbance.
Overall, it's pretty good in spite of its rather generic anthology base. Johnny Cash sings the theme song (which has horrible lyrics) and has appeared in a minor/supporting role in one episode so far. He's not too bad an actor.
Johnny Cash (on the left) with Nick Adams, Steven Marlo, and Sandra Knight (yes... from The Terror, Frankenstein's Daughter, Tower of London, and others. She'll make another appearance in The Rebel in S2.)
In this one, a Confederate colonel and two of his marauders live in seclusion to avoid consequences of the war but the two marauders kidnap a banker's daughter and send Yuma to collect the ransom. Of course, Yuma won't do this and works to take down the group without harming the girl.
The worst part about the DVD set is some episodes are hard matted for WS (so you'll see proper AR if your set is on WS) and some are standard 4:3. That means you'll be adjusting the AR on your TV every few episodes so the 4:3 episodes aren't stretched. It's a minor annoyance.
The song itself is mostly fine (other than a forced key change) and Cash does a good job with it. It's one line of the lyrics that annoy me. "West" does not rhyme with "alone" and, for me, breaks the flow. Lyrically it's very weak. Then on the closing credits it goes up a step in key for no reason other than to go up a step. It's not a natural step up due to the last chord of the previous line so is somewhat jarring:
Some answers spoilerized for protection...This is slightly OT but because of the discussions about early TV I thought you might get a kick out of it.
TV Quiz - Vintage TV Knowledge
Have you ever seen a test pattern broadcast on TV?
Have you ever heard the U.S. National Anthem and watched a TV station sign off for the night?
Apologies to my friends around the world what did you have?
Did you have one of those the little add-on boxes to get UHF channels and a bow-tie antenna?
Do you remember when TV screens were shaped like this? Do you know why?
Do you know what time it is?
His moose was named?
What are these? How could you make them better?
What was this?
You are officially an old tv fart. Congrats. Let's see who else conjures up memories or goes "say what?"Some answers spoilerized for protection...
Have you ever seen a test pattern broadcast on TV?
Yes. I'd get up at 5:30 on Saturday morning, turn on the TV, put it on the channel for The Adventures of Superman, turn the sound down (mom'd get irritated if I had that 60cycle tone running too loud), get a bowl of cereal, watch the test pattern while eating my cereal waiting for Superman to come on at 6. There were some mornings I'd get up before they turned the transmitter on and would watch snow until the test pattern appeared.
Have you ever heard the U.S. National Anthem and watched a TV station sign off for the night?
Yes. It aired right after they took down the test pattern and test tone and right before the "Daily Devotional".
I frequently watched "late night" TV - usually a horror host movie - and wouldn't turn the TV off until after the National Anthem aired and they turned off the transmitter.
Did you have one of those the little add-on boxes to get UHF channels and a bow-tie antenna?
No. We had no UHF stations in my area. We did have one of the bow-tie antennas but it wasn't connected and hung on the back of the TV cabinet (it had a holder to screw it to if not in use).
Do you remember when TV screens were shaped like this? Do you know why?
Yes. Ours wasn't that shape but I had friends whose was.
The tube was circular (or near circular), because that is the way vacuum tubes could be manufactured without imploding. Some sets used a hard mask (as in your image) to block off the area of the tube where there was no signal. As tube manufacturing technology improved the shape gradually changed to the familiar rectangle.
Do you know what time it is?
It's Howdy Doody time!
His moose was named?
You didn't ask about "Mr. Bunny Rabbit" or "Mr. Green Jeans."Mr. Moose
What are these?
How could you make them better?"Rabbit Ears"
You made them better by attaching a chin strap and wearing them on your head!
Seriously;
By wrapping them in tin foil to extend their length.
What was this?
An Zenith "Space Commander 600" wireless Color TV remote. It used ultrasonic (sound) to send "commands" to the TV.
The original was developed in 1956 by Robert Adler:
It was called a "clicker" because pressing the button performed a mechanical action (yes, boys and girls... no electronics are inside) where the button hit a bar to create the frequency to "send" to the TV. This action made a sounded like a "clink." Because it was ultrasonic sound meant external sounds could trigger the TV as if a button on the remote had been pressed.
