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Four Feather Falls

{{Short description|1960 British children's TV series}}

{{Use British English|date=March 2011}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}

{{Infobox television

| image = FourFeatherFalls.jpg

| alt = Series titles over a waterfall

| genre = Children's fantasy western

| creator = Gerry Anderson & Barry Gray

| writer = {{plainlist|

}}

| director = {{plainlist|

}}

| voices = {{plainlist|

}}

| endtheme = "Two Gun Tex of Texas", sung by Michael Holliday

| music = Barry Gray

| country = United Kingdom

| language = English

| num_series = 1

| num_episodes = 39

| producer = Gerry Anderson

| editor = {{plainlist|

}}

| cinematography = {{plainlist|

  • Arthur Provis (eps. 1{{ndash}}11)
  • {{Nowrap|John Read}} (eps. 12{{ndash}}39){{Cite book | last1 = Fryer | first1 = Ian | title=The Worlds of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson: The Story Behind International Rescue | year = 2016 | publisher = Fonthill Media | isbn = 978-1-78155-504-0 | pages = 38-49}}

}}

| runtime = 12–13 minutes

| company = AP Films in association with Granada Television

| network = ITV

| first_aired = {{Start date|1960|2|25|df=y}}

| last_aired = {{End date|1960|11|17|df=y}}

}}

Four Feather Falls is a British children's western television series, the third puppet TV show produced by AP Films (APF) in association with Granada Television. It was based on an idea by Barry Gray, who also wrote the show's music.{{r|BFI4FF}} The series was the first to use an early version of APF's Supermarionation puppetry. Thirty-nine 13-minute episodes were produced between April 1959 and April 1960, and the series was first broadcast on the ITV network from February to November 1960.

The setting is the late 19th-century fictional Kansas town of Four Feather Falls, where the hero of the series, Tex Tucker, is a sheriff. The four feathers of the title refers to four magical feathers given to Tex by the Indian chief Kalamakooya as a reward for saving his grandson. One of the feathers allowed Tex's guns to swivel and fire without being touched whenever he was in danger, two conferred the power of speech on Tex's horse and dog, and the fourth feather could summon Kalamakooya.

Tex's speaking voice was provided by Nicholas Parsons, and his singing voice by Michael Holliday. The series was sporadically repeated on British television until 1968, and was released on DVD in 2005.

Plot

The series is set in the fictitious late 19th-century Western town of Four Feather Falls, Kansas, and features the adventures of its sheriff, Tex Tucker.

In the first episode, Grandpa Twink relates the story of how it all began to his grandson, Little Jake. Tex is riding up from the valley and comes across a lost and hungry Indian boy, Makooya, and saves him. Tex is given four magic feathers by the boy's grandfather, Chief Kalamakooya, as a reward for saving his grandson. Two of the feathers allow his guns to swivel and fire automatically (often while Tex's hands are raised),{{efn|The swivelling guns solved the problem of how a puppet cowboy could be quick on the draw without looking like he had gone into a spasm when one of his wires was suddenly yanked.{{r|BFI4FF}}}} and the other two allow his horse, Rocky, and his dog, Dusty, to speak. As Tex, his horse, and dog are very thirsty, Kalamakooya also makes a waterfall where there had been no water before, and so when the town was built it was named after Tex's feathers and the waterfall.

The characters of the town are Grandpa Twink, who does little but rest in a chair; his grandson Little Jake, the only child in town; Ma Jones, who runs the town store; Doc Haggerty; Slim Jim, the bartender of the Denison saloon; Marvin Jackson, the bank manager; and Dan Morse, the telegraphist. Other characters appeared from time to time for only one episode, often just visiting town.

The villains included Pedro, who was introduced in the first show and Fernando, who first appeared in the second episode as a sidekick and someone Pedro could blame when things went wrong, as they always did. Big Ben was another villain who appeared from time to time, as did Red Scalp, a renegade Indian. Other villains only appeared in single episodes.

Cast

  • Nicholas Parsons – Sheriff Tex Tucker (speaking voice){{r|BFI4FF}} / Telegraph Operator Dan Morse{{r|tv.heaven}} / Various
  • Michael Holliday – Sheriff Tex Tucker (singing voice){{r|BFI4FF}} / Various
  • Kenneth Connor – Dusty the Dog / Rocky the Horse / Pedro the Bandit / Big Chief Kalamakooya / Bank Manager Marvin Jackson{{r|BFI4FF}} / Doc Haggerty / Saloon Owner Slim Jim Denison{{r|tv.heaven}} / Various
  • David Graham – Grandpa Ebenezer Twink / Fernando the Bandit{{r|BFI4FF}} / Big Ben the Horse Rustler Bandit / Red Scalp the Renegade Indian{{r|tv.heaven}} / Various
  • Denise Bryer – Martha "Ma" Jones / Little Jake{{r|BFI4FF}} / Makooya the Little Indian Boy / Various

Denise Bryer had worked with Anderson on The Adventures of Twizzle, and he wanted her to play some of the voices in Four Feather Falls. Anderson visited Bryer at her home with some scripts and asked her husband, Nicholas Parsons, to help by reading some of the other parts, including the sheriff Tex Tucker. Anderson liked Parsons' interpretation and offered him the job of providing Tex's speaking voice.{{sfnp|Parsons|2011|loc=The Joys of Television|ps=}}

Episodes

{{Episode table |overall= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |prodcode= |episodes=

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=1

| Title=How it Began

| DirectedBy=Gerry Anderson

| WrittenBy=Mary Cathcart Borer

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|2|25|df=y}}

| ProdCode=1

| ShortSummary=Whilst out in the desert Tex Tucker finds and shelters an Indian boy and is rewarded with four magic feathers by the boy's grandfather. Two of the feathers make his dog (Dusty) and horse (Rocky) speak whilst the last two control Tex's two guns. Tex decides to create a town called Four Feather Falls and the townsfolk make him Sheriff.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=2

| Title=Trouble in Yellow Gulch

| DirectedBy=Gerry Anderson

| WrittenBy=Phil Wrestler

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|3|3|df=y}}

| ProdCode=10

| ShortSummary=Pedro and Fernando buy some land where a road into Four Feather Falls is and hold the townsfolk to ransom by making them pay to either use the safe route the bandits have bought or use a more dangerous road.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=3

| Title=Frame-Up

| DirectedBy=Gerry Anderson

| WrittenBy=Phil Wrestler

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|3|10|df=y}}

| ProdCode=11

| ShortSummary=Tex rides off to the city to help out another Sheriff, unaware he's about to be set up as a horse thief.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=4

| Title=Pedro Has A Plan

| DirectedBy=Gerry Anderson

| WrittenBy=Phil Wrestler

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|3|17|df=y}}

| ProdCode=3

| ShortSummary=Pedro and Fernando plan to rid themselves of the sheriff, by switching his hat with the magic feathers for a normal one.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=5

| Title=Sheriff for a Day

| DirectedBy=Gerry Anderson

| WrittenBy=Phil Wrestler

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|3|24|df=y}}

| ProdCode=7

| ShortSummary=Tex is called away and lends his magic guns to Little Jake, who soon finds himself way over his head.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=6

| Title=Indian Attack

| DirectedBy=Gerry Anderson

| WrittenBy=Phil Wrestler

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|3|31|df=y}}

| ProdCode=6

| ShortSummary=Pedro and Fernando fake an Indian attack on Four Feather Falls.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=7

| Title=A Close Shave

| DirectedBy=Gerry Anderson

| WrittenBy=Phil Wrestler

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|4|7|df=y}}

| ProdCode=5

| ShortSummary=Pedro and Fernando team up with Red Scalp to plot against Tex.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=8

| Title=Pedro's Pardon

| DirectedBy=Gerry Anderson

| WrittenBy=Phil Wrestler

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|4|14|df=y}}

| ProdCode=4

| ShortSummary=Pedro states that he has "gone straight" and will become a respectable member of the town but Tex doesn't believe his story.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=9

| Title=The Toughest Guy in the West

| DirectedBy=Gerry Anderson

| WrittenBy=Phil Wrestler

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|4|21|df=y}}

| ProdCode=17

| ShortSummary=Grandpa Twink is a teller of tales and his buddies tease him about his supposed heroics. Twink redeems himself when he captures Indian Jack, a notorious renegade.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=10

| Title=Gun Runners

| DirectedBy=Gerry Anderson

| WrittenBy=Phil Wrestler

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|4|28|df=y}}

| ProdCode=9

| ShortSummary=Tex and Dusty go off in search of a gun runner selling to renegade Indians, led by Red Scalp.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=11

| Title=Jail Break

| DirectedBy=Gerry Anderson

| WrittenBy=Phil Wrestler

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|5|05|df=y}}

| ProdCode=21

| ShortSummary=Zack Morrill a bandit wanted for murder, cattle rustling, horse stealing and train robbery, has a wanted poster outside the Sheriff's office offering a reward of $500 for the capture of him. Pedro sees the poster and decides to help Tex capture the criminal in return for the reward money.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=12

| Title=Trapped

| DirectedBy=David Elliott

| WrittenBy=Phil Wrestler

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|5|12|df=y}}

| ProdCode=14

| ShortSummary=Little Jake and Makooya head to the creek for some fishing. Finding a cave along the way they decide on a little spelunking. They interrupt Red Scalp at work while he's manufacturing counterfeit money and he quickly seals them in.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=13

| Title=Dusty Becomes Deputy

| DirectedBy=Gerry Anderson

| WrittenBy=Phil Wrestler

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|5|19|df=y}}

| ProdCode=8

| ShortSummary=Pedro and Fernando set a fire on the outskirts of town to lure Tex away. All the while the bandits aim to rob the bank while Tex and the other townsfolk fight the fire.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=14

| Title=A Lawman Rides Alone

| DirectedBy=David Elliott

| WrittenBy=Phil Wrestler

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|6|02|df=y}}

| ProdCode=20

| ShortSummary=Sheriff Tucker receives a wanted poster for Blackie and Whitey Strutt who, along with a third man robbed a Wells Fargo office. Soon the trio arrives in Four Feather Falls.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=15

| Title=Buffalo Rocky

| DirectedBy=Alan Pattillo

| WrittenBy=Jill Allgood

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|6|02|df=y}}

| ProdCode=33

| ShortSummary=When several horses are stolen, the only suspects seems to be a buffalo. But it is actually a clever horse thief covering his tracks by wearing false buffalo hooves.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=16

| Title=Gunplay

| DirectedBy=David Elliott

| WrittenBy=Phil Wrestler

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|6|9|df=y}}

| ProdCode=19

| ShortSummary=Two cattle rustlers, Johnny Pasto and The Nevado Kid, challenge Tucker to fight without his magic guns.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=17

| Title=Escort

| DirectedBy=David Elliott

| WrittenBy=Phil Wrestler

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|6|16|df=y}}

| ProdCode=16

| ShortSummary=Pedro and Fernando overhear a message about a gold shipment heading to Four Feather Falls. So the pair pose as sheriffs so they can steal all the gold for themselves unaware that Big Ben also wants to steal the gold too.

}}

{{Episode list

| WrittenBy=Phil Wrestler

| EpisodeNumber=18

| Title=A Little Bit of Luck

| DirectedBy=David Elliott

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|6|23|df=y}}

| ProdCode=22

| ShortSummary=Tex is away visiting family and the marshal filling in for him, Ike Burns, is hopelessly ineffective. But the sheriff's a crook and is not a real lawman and is secretly in league with Big Ben and another outlaw called Johnny.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=19

| Title=The Best Laid Plans

| DirectedBy=Gerry Anderson

| WrittenBy=Phil Wrestler

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|6|30|df=y}}

| ProdCode=15

| ShortSummary=A new face arrives in town, with a plan to rob the bank and quickly teams up with Pedro and Fernando to help his scheme.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=20

| Title=The Ma Jones Story

| DirectedBy=Alan Pattillo

| WrittenBy=Jill Allgood

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|9|8|df=y}}

| ProdCode=29

| ShortSummary=Ma Jones falls for a scam by two con men and is almost swindled out of her shop.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=21

| Title=Election Day

| DirectedBy=Gerry Anderson

| WrittenBy=Phil Wrestler

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|8|11|df=y}}

| ProdCode=25

| ShortSummary=On election day for the role of Sheriff, Pedro decides to make a bid for the position but when he tries to cheat the town turns on him.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=22

| Title=Gunfight on Main Street

| DirectedBy=David Elliott

| WrittenBy=Phil Wrestler

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|8|18|df=y}}

| ProdCode=26

| ShortSummary=Tex's old friend, Cass Morgan, arrives in town looking for two men, Tobin and Billy Pinto, who he says killed his brother during a robbery. He tells Tex to stay out of it which he does until a telegram arrives telling Tex who the real killer is.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=23

| Title=Chance of a Ghost

| DirectedBy=Gerry Anderson

| WrittenBy=Phil Wrestler

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|7|28|df=y}}

| ProdCode=18

| ShortSummary=Marvin Jackson is trying to sell the Eureka Silver Mine, but the main buyer, Harman, pays Pedro and Fernando to pretend to be ghosts to bring the price down.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=24

| Title=Once A Lawman

| DirectedBy=David Elliott

| WrittenBy=Phil Wrestler

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|8|4|df=y}}

| ProdCode=24

| ShortSummary=With the townspeople unhappy with Tex's dealing of a spate of robberies by a gang of thieves, Tex turns in his badge and joins the thieves as a crook.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=25

| Title=Landgrabbers

| DirectedBy=Gerry Anderson

| WrittenBy=Phil Wrestler

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|8|11|df=y}}

| ProdCode=23

| ShortSummary=The Circle Z Ranch is under siege from Morg Fenton and Big Ben, but Tex discovers it is outside his area of jurisdiction and cannot help defend it.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=26

| Title=A Cure For Everything

| DirectedBy=Alan Pattillo

| WrittenBy=Jill Allgood

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|8|18|df=y}}

| ProdCode=31

| ShortSummary=A medicine man arrives in town claiming to have a cure for everything and almost puts Doc Haggerty out of business before it is discovered where the true source of the medicine comes from.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=27

| Title=Bandits Abroad

| DirectedBy=David Elliott

| WrittenBy=Jill Allgood

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|8|25|df=y}}

| ProdCode=30

| ShortSummary=Fernando bears a striking resemblance to another master criminal, called Pancho Gomez, so Pedro comes up with an idea to get the $200 reward money for capturing him.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=28

| Title=Safe As Houses

| DirectedBy=David Elliott

| WrittenBy=Martin Woodhouse

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|9|01|df=y}}

| ProdCode=34

| ShortSummary=Missouri Mike arrives in town claiming to be able to sell things to people they didn't even know they wanted including selling safes $5 each with a free bottle of brandy. But the brandy is drugged and Mike is actually a criminal planning to rob the town blind with a master key to the safes.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=29

| Title=Gold Is Where You Find It

| DirectedBy=Gerry Anderson

| WrittenBy=Phil Wrestler

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|9|08|df=y}}

| ProdCode=13

| ShortSummary=Pedro and Fernando try to swindle the people of Four Feather Falls out of their savings by claiming to have found gold on their land.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=30

| Title=Gold Diggers

| DirectedBy=Gerry Anderson

| WrittenBy=Phil Wrestler

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|9|15|df=y}}

| ProdCode=12

| ShortSummary=Fernando and Pedro try and get arrested so they can spend the night in jail. The pair want dig underneath the jailhouse and on into the bank to rob it.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=31

| Title=First Train Through

| DirectedBy=Alan Pattillo

| WrittenBy=Jill Allgood

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|9|22|df=y}}

| ProdCode=35

| ShortSummary=The railroad finally comes to Four Feather Falls connecting it to Dallas, however someone keeps sabotaging the tracks.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=32

| Title=A Bad Name

| DirectedBy=David Elliott

| WrittenBy=Phil Wrestler

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|9|29|df=y}}

| ProdCode=32

| ShortSummary=Big Ben needs Tex's help after being falsely accused of stealing cattle.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=33

| Title=Kidnapped

| DirectedBy=Gerry Anderson

| WrittenBy=Mary Cathcart Borer

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|10|6|df=y}}

| ProdCode=2

| ShortSummary=Pedro and Fernando take "Doc" Haggerty and hold him hostage for ransom.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=34

| Title=Teething Troubles

| DirectedBy=David Elliott

| WrittenBy=Jill Allgood

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|10|13|df=y}}

| ProdCode=32

| ShortSummary=Rocky has a toothache, but nothing anyone says can persuade him to have his tooth removed by Doc Haggerty.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=35

| Title=Fancy Shooting

| DirectedBy=David Elliott

| WrittenBy=Martin Woodhouse

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|10|20|df=y}}

| ProdCode=36

| ShortSummary=The 'fastest and bestest in the westest' Gunman, Buck Reevers, arrives in town, worrying Tex that he will attract other gunmen to the town.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=36

| Title=Ride 'Em Cowboy

| DirectedBy=Alan Pattillo

| WrittenBy=Jill Allgood

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|10|27|df=y}}

| ProdCode=39

| ShortSummary=Tex takes part in the rodeo against Silver City's best rider, Bart Stevens, who decides to cheat by using Pedro and Fernando to sabotage his opponent.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=37

| Title=Ambush

| DirectedBy=David Elliott

| WrittenBy=Jill Allgood

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|11|3|df=y}}

| ProdCode=38

| ShortSummary=Red Scalp leads an Indian war party on a raid to ambush the train from Dallas and steal the $10,000 payroll on board, with the help of the bank messenger William J. Haddon.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=38

| Title=Horse Thieves

| DirectedBy=Alan Pattillo

| WrittenBy=Phil Wrestler

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|11|10|df=y}}

| ProdCode=28

| ShortSummary=Big Ben tells Pedro and Fernando that a partner of his is paying good money for horses. He persuades the banditos to steal all of the horses in Four Feather Falls, which they do including Tex's own horse Rocky.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber=39

| Title=Happy Birthday

| DirectedBy=Alan Pattillo

| WrittenBy=Jill Allgood

| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1960|11|17|df=y}}

| ProdCode=37

| ShortSummary=The townspeople plan a party for Tex's birthday.

}}

}}

Production

American Western TV shows such as Gunsmoke and Wagon Train were popular with British audiences, so APF's Gerry Anderson and Arthur Provis decided to make a cowboy series based on a story concept pitched to them by Barry Gray.{{r|BFI4FF}} According to Anderson, Four Feather Falls "was really me trying to make the sort of films I used to see in the cinema."{{Cite book | last1 = Archer | first1 = Simon | author1-link = Simon Archer (author) | last2 = Hearn | first2 = Marcus | title = What Made Thunderbirds Go! The Authorised Biography of Gerry Anderson | year = 2002 | publisher = BBC Books | location = London, UK | isbn = 978-0-563-53481-5 | pages = 49-55 | chapter=Strings Attached}} APF offered Gray about £100 (£{{Inflation|UK|100|1959|r=-3|fmt=c|cursign=£}} in {{Inflation/year|UK}}) to buy his idea, which was originally titled Two Gun Tex Tucker. This was changed to Two Gun Tex of Texas, then The Sheriff of Four Feather Falls before the final title was chosen.{{Cite book|title=Filmed in Supermarionation|first1=Stephen|last1=La Rivière|author1-link=Stephen La Rivière|year=2014|edition=2nd|orig-year=2009|publisher=Network Distributing|location=London, UK|isbn=978-0-992-9766-0-6|pages=35-64|chapter=Four Feather Falls}}

Development began in late 1958 while the first 26 episodes of Torchy the Battery Boy were still in production, and without the knowledge of APF's employer Roberta Leigh, with whom Anderson planned to sever ties in the aim of becoming an independent producer. The pilot episode, "How It Began", was produced in April 1959 on a budget of £6,000 (about £{{Inflation|UK|6000|1959|r=-3|fmt=c|cursign=£}} in {{Inflation/year|UK}}).{{Cite book | last1 = Bentley | first1 = Chris | title = The Complete Gerry Anderson: The Authorised Episode Guide | publisher = Reynolds & Hearn | location = London, UK | edition = 4th | year = 2008 | orig-year = 2001 | isbn = 978-1-905287-74-1 | page = 31}} A full series of 39 episodes was commissioned by Granada after APF's intended distributor, Anglo Amalgamated, turned it down. Except for the pilot, which was made in APF's studios at Islet Park House in Maidenhead,{{r|tv.heaven}} all episodes were made in a converted warehouse on the Slough Trading Estate.{{r|NMM}} Previously owned by special effects artist Les Bowie, this provided quadruple the floor space of Islet Park House, where the crew had been filming in a re-purposed ballroom. After moving to the Slough estate in June 1959, APF upgraded its new facilities with the installation of a director's control booth and video assist TV monitors to guide the puppeteers, who operated the marionettes from a Dexion bridge built several feet over the set. The model set representing the town of Four Feather Falls measured {{Convert|30 x 15|ft|m}}. Filming in Slough ended in April 1960.

Anderson considered the puppets with static heads, made by Christine Glanville for his earlier productions, to be unacceptable because the viewer could not tell which character was talking unless its puppet moved up or down. For Four Feather Falls, the papier-mâché heads were replaced by interchangeable hollow fibreglass heads with internal rods that could move the eyes from side to side. The heads also contained sound-activated solenoids, which allowed the puppets' lips to move automatically in synchronisation with the dialogue.{{r|NMM}} The electronics of the day required more space than would be available in a human-scale head, therefore all the puppets in Four Feather Falls had oversized heads, though the bodies as a whole were one-third life size. Anderson's aim was to make the puppets look as realistic as possible, the beginning of the Supermarionation puppetry process, although that term was not coined until his next series, Supercar.

The wires used to control the puppets were eight feet long and made of tungsten steel, an improvement on the curtain wire used in Anderson's two earlier puppet series (The Adventures of Twizzle and Torchy), and were only 1/200 of an inch thick. Being shiny, the wires had to be blackened. The horses moved by being pulled along on a trolley, which meant the viewer never saw their feet when they were moving.

The voice cast assembled to record each script without seeing the puppets, much like recording a radio series; synchronisation of each character's speech with the movement of its puppet's mouth was performed later.{{sfnp|Parsons|2011|loc=The Joys of Television|ps=}} The tight budget precluded the use of sophisticated special effects, and less costly alternatives were used. For example, to achieve the effect of muzzle flashes, small specks of black paint were carefully applied to the 35 mm negatives so they would appear as white flashes on the finished prints. The production design and puppet costuming were more detailed than those of Twizzle and Torchy.{{Cite book | last1 = Peel | first1 = John | author1-link = John Peel (writer) | title = Thunderbirds, Stingray, Captain Scarlet: The Authorised Programme Guide | year = 1993 | publisher = Virgin Books | isbn = 978-0-86369-728-9 | pages=10-11; 26}}

Continuity for the series was provided by Sylvia Thamm, who later married Gerry Anderson. Provis, who left APF mid-production due to disagreements over the direction of the company, was given a five per cent share of the profits from the series.

Music

The show's music and song lyrics were composed by Barry Gray. Michael Holliday provided Tex's singing voice, and Tommy Reilly performed the harmonica pieces.{{r|BFI4FF}} The best known song to come out of the series was "Four Feather Falls", sung in some episodes by Michael Holliday in the style of Bing Crosby and sometimes incorrectly described as the theme song to the series. The closing theme song was "Two Gun Tex of Texas." Holliday was paid £2,000 (about £{{Inflation|UK|2000|1959|r=-3|fmt=c|cursign=£}} in {{Inflation/year|UK}}) for his singing work on the pilot episode{{snd}}a significant part of the pilot's £6,000 budget.{{r|tv.heaven}} In all, Holliday recorded six songs for the series: "Four Feather Falls", "The Phantom Rider", "The Rick-Rick-A-Rackety Train", "Happy Hearts and Friendly Faces", "My Home Town", and "Two Gun Tex of Texas".{{r|tv.heaven}} The recording was conducted at Gate Studios in Borehamwood.

Syndication

Four Feather Falls was the first APF series to be fully networked on ITV, that is shown by all regional franchises of the network simultaneously. The series was repeated in some British TV regions on a sporadic basis up until 1968. In December 2004, it was announced that the rights had been acquired by Network, and it was released on three Region 2 DVDs in May 2005. It is the only Supermarionation series not yet released to DVD in North America as of January 2006. Sylvia Anderson wrote two British children's annuals based on the show, published by Collins in 1960 and 1961. The first book featured a short text story based on the pilot episode of the TV series.

Other media

The show was adapted into comics form and published as an ongoing strip in Polystyle Publications' TV Comic. The Four Feathers Falls strip was drawn by Neville Main, and appeared from issue #439 (14 May 1960) until issue #564 (6 October 1962). Sylvia Anderson wrote a Four Feather Falls annual. A tie-in board game was also released.

References

Notes

{{notelist|notes=}}

Citations

{{reflist|30em|refs=

{{citation |last=Clark |first=Anthony |title=BFI Screenonline: Four Feather Falls (1960) |contribution=Four Feather Falls (1960) |url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/455659/index.html |publisher=BFI Screenonline |access-date=8 January 2013}}

{{citation |last=Thom |first=Emma |contribution=Supermarionation: Gerry Anderson, a life in puppetry |url=https://blog.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/gerry-anderson-1929-2012/ |publisher=National Science and Media Museum |access-date=1 May 2020|title=Supermarionation: Gerry Anderson, a life in puppetry |date=27 December 2012 }}

{{citation |contribution=Four Feather Falls |url=http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/fourfeather.htm |publisher=Television Heaven |access-date=21 January 2013 |title=Four Feather Falls | A Television Heaven Review |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015142448/http://televisionheaven.co.uk/fourfeather.htm |archive-date=15 October 2012 |url-status=dead }}

}}

Bibliography

{{refbegin}}

  • {{citation |last=Green |first=Paul |title=Encyclopedia of Weird Westerns |year=2009 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-4390-1}}
  • {{citation |last=Parsons |first=Nicholas |title=With Just a Touch of Hesitation, Repetition and Deviation: My Life in Comedy |year=2011 |publisher=Mainstream Publishing |isbn=978-1-84596-712-3}}
  • {{citation |last=Pirani |first=Adam |title=The Complete Gerry Anderson Episode Guide |year=1989 |publisher=Titan Books |isbn=978-1-85286-216-9}}

{{refend}}

External links

{{Portal|Television|Fantasy}}

  • {{IMDb title|0163445}}
  • [https://nostalgiacentral.com/television/tv-by-decade/tv-shows-1950s/four-feather-falls/ Four Feather Falls at Nostalgia Central]

{{Gerry Anderson}}

Category:1960 British television series debuts

Category:1960 British television series endings

Category:1960s British children's television series

Category:1960s Western (genre) television series

Category:Black-and-white British television shows

Category:British children's action television series

Category:British children's fantasy television series

Category:British English-language television shows

Category:British television shows featuring puppetry

Category:Children's television series about talking animals

Category:Fantasy Westerns

Category:ITV children's television shows

Category:Marionette films

Category:Television series about bandits

Category:Television series by AP Films

Category:Television series set in the 19th century

Category:Television shows about magic

Category:Television shows about Native Americans

Category:Television shows adapted into comics

Category:Television shows set in Kansas

Category:Western (genre) television series featuring gimmick weapons