Classic TV Shows

There’s a reason why the 1950s and 1960s are called the golden age of television: the shows were great. There were Westerns galore. Here are some selections:

Bonanza Season 1 Episode 2 titled “Death on Sun Mountain” first aired on September 19, 1959. Two men from San Francisco are trying to get rich by killing off antelope herds and selling the meat to Virginia City’s gold miners. This conflicts with the Indians, who rely on the herds for their sustenance. The episode stars Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker, Michael Landon, Barry Sullivan, Karl Swenson, Leo Gordon, Bek Nelson, Harry Bartell, Ron Soble, Jeanne Bates, Robin Warga, Jay Hector, and Zon Murray. Running time 42:31.

Bat Masterson Season 1 Episode 4 titled “Stampede at Tent City” first aired on October 29, 1958. Bat takes on some wranglers who are stealing horses. This is complicated by an old girlfriend of Bat’s whose current boyfriend is accused of murder and set upon by a mob led by the wranglers. The cast includes Gene Barry, William Conrad, James Best, Joan Marshall, Joseph Breen, Troy Melton, and Tom Vize. Running time: 25:51.

The Cisco Kid Season 1 Episode 18 titled “Confession for Money” and first aired on January 2, 1959. A woman seeks the help of Cisco and Pancho when a man with financial troubles confesses to a crime he didn’t commit simply to get money for his mother’s surgery. Yes, these episodes were in color, even though most of us did not have color TV — let alone our own TV — at the time. The cast for this episode includes Duncan Renaldo, Leo Carriollo, Carol Forman, Richard Emory, Marshall Reed, Frank Matts, Victor Cox, Lane Chandler, and I. Stanford Jolley. Running time: 24:53.

A vintage Hopalong Cassidy Sunbeam Bread Commercial. Running time is :56.