Laredo (TV series)

{{Infobox television

| image = Laredo (TV series).png

| caption = Title card

| genre = Western

| starring = {{Plainlist|

}}

| theme_music_composer = Russell Garcia

| opentheme =

| composer = Stanley Wilson

| country = United States

| language = English

| num_seasons = 2

| num_episodes = 56

| camera = Single-camera

| runtime = 60 minutes

| company = Universal Television

| channel = NBC

| first_aired = {{start date|1965|09|16}}

| last_aired = {{end date|1967|04|07}}

| related = The Virginian

}}

Laredo is an American Western television series that aired on NBC from 1965–67, starring Neville Brand, William Smith, Peter Brown, and Philip Carey as Texas Rangers. It is set on the Mexican border around Laredo in Webb County in South Texas. The program presented 56 episodes in color. It was produced by Universal Television. The series has a comedic element, but like another NBC series that premiered in 1965, The Wackiest Ship in the Army, it was an hour in length, had no laugh track, and characters were not infrequently killed in it, thus going against three unofficial rules for sitcoms at the time.

The pilot episode of Laredo aired in 1965 on NBC's The Virginian under the title "We've Lost a Train". In 1969, the pilot was released theatrically under the title Backtrack. Three episodes from the series were edited into the 1968 feature film Three Guns for Texas.Maltin, Leonard, Leonard Maltin's TV Movies Video Guide, 1991 Edition, pages 61 & 1180, Plume, 1990

Synopsis

The series were about three members of the Texas Rangers and their commander Captain Parmalee, who didn't approve of the Rangers jokes and pranks. The time period was after the Civil War.Brooks, Tim and Marsh, Earle, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows 1946 – Present (first edition), pages 336-337, Ballantine, 1979

Reese Bennett was a former Union Army office in his forties when he joined the Texas Rangers. Joe Riley was an ex-gunfighter when he joined for both adventure and sanctuary from lawmen outside of Texas. Chad Cooper was from Boston, and had been a member of the Border Patrol during the Civil War. At the beginning of the second season Erik Hunter became a new Ranger.

Peter Brown, who played Chad Cooper, recalled that the producers of the show wanted the three stars to have the same relationship and camaraderie as did the stars of Gunga Din, and had Brand, Brown, and Smith watch the film three times.Brown, Peter & Sturt, Alesx The Fastest Gun in Hollywood, page 31, Wild Horse Press, 2013

Cast

File:Laredo (TV series).jpg, Peter Brown, William Smith and Philip Carey (L to R)]]

File:Robert Wolders Laredo 1966.JPG]]

File:Claude Aikins in Bonanza (The Mill).jpg]]

=Main cast=

Neville Brand as Reese Bennett
Peter Brown as Chad Cooper
William Smith as Joe Riley
Philip Carey as Captain Edward Parmalee
Robert Wolders as Erik Hunter (26 episodes, 1966-1967)
Claude Akins as Cotton Buckmeister (5 episodes, 1966-1967)

=Guest cast=

{{Cast listing|

}}

Episodes

=Season 1 (1965–66)=

{{Episode table|background=74E387 |overall=|season= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |episodes=

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 1

|EpisodeNumber2 = 1

|Title = Lazyfoot, Where Are You?

|DirectedBy = Paul Stanley

|WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay|s= Lewis Reed & Calvin Clements |t= Calvin Clements}}

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1965|9|16}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=74E387

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 2

|EpisodeNumber2 = 2

|Title = I See By Your Outfit

|DirectedBy = Harvey Hart

|WrittenBy = John D.F. Black

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1965|9|23}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=74E387

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 3

|EpisodeNumber2 = 3

|Title = Yahoo

|DirectedBy = David Lowell Rich

|WrittenBy = John D.F. Black

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1965|9|30}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=74E387

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 4

|EpisodeNumber2 = 4

|Title = Rendezvous at Arillo

|DirectedBy = Harvey Hart

|WrittenBy = Calvin Clements

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1965|10|7}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=74E387

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 5

|EpisodeNumber2 = 5

|Title = Three's Company

|DirectedBy = Bernard McEveety

|WrittenBy = John McGreevey

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1965|10|14}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=74E387

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 6

|EpisodeNumber2 = 6

|Title = Anybody Here Seen Billy?

|DirectedBy = Lawrence Dobkin

|WrittenBy = John McGreevey

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1965|10|21}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=74E387

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 7

|EpisodeNumber2 = 7

|Title = A Question of Discipline

|DirectedBy = R.G. Springsteen

|WrittenBy = Archie Lawrence

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1965|10|28}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=74E387

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 8

|EpisodeNumber2 = 8

|Title = The Golden Trail

|DirectedBy = Earl Bellamy

|WrittenBy = Gene L. Coon & Bloise N. Coon

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1965|11|4}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=74E387

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 9

|EpisodeNumber2 = 9

|Title = A Matter of Policy

|DirectedBy = R.G. Springsteen

|WrittenBy = Edward J. Lasko

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1965|11|11}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=74E387

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 10

|EpisodeNumber2 = 10

|Title = Which Way Did They Go?

|DirectedBy = Leon Benson

|WrittenBy = Gerry Day

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1965|11|18}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=74E387

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 11

|EpisodeNumber2 = 11

|Title = Jinx

|DirectedBy = Paul Stanley

|WrittenBy = John D.F. Black

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1965|12|2}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=74E387

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 12

|EpisodeNumber2 = 12

|Title = The Land Grabbers

|DirectedBy = R.G. Springsteen

|WrittenBy = Ric Hardman

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1965|12|9}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=74E387

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 13

|EpisodeNumber2 = 13

|Title = The Pride of the Rangers

|DirectedBy = Tony Leader

|WrittenBy = John McGreevey

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1965|12|16}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=74E387

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 14

|EpisodeNumber2 = 14

|Title = The Heroes of San Gill

|DirectedBy = Paul Stanley

|WrittenBy = Calvin Clements

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1965|12|23}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=74E387

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 15

|EpisodeNumber2 = 15

|Title = A Medal for Reese

|DirectedBy = Lawrence Dobkin

|WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay|s= Edward J. Lasko & George Bast|t= Edward J. Lasko}}

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1965|12|30}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=74E387

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 16

|EpisodeNumber2 = 16

|Title = The Calico Kid

|DirectedBy = Lawrence Dobkin

|WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay|s= S.S. Schweitzer|t= Gene L. Coon}}

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1966|1|6}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=74E387

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 17

|EpisodeNumber2 = 17

|Title = Above the Law

|DirectedBy = Richard Benedict

|WrittenBy = John McGreevey

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1966|1|13}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=74E387

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 18

|EpisodeNumber2 = 18

|Title = That's Noway, Thataway

|DirectedBy = Howard Morris

|WrittenBy = Vincent Bogert & Gene L. Coon

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1966|1|20}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=74E387

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 19

|EpisodeNumber2 = 19

|Title = Limit of the Law Larkin

|DirectedBy = William Witney

|WrittenBy = Ric Hardman

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1966|1|27}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=74E387

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 20

|EpisodeNumber2 = 20

|Title = Meanwhile Back at the Reservation

|DirectedBy = Bernard McEveety

|WrittenBy = John D.F. Black

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1966|2|10}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=74E387

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 21

|EpisodeNumber2 = 21

|Title = The Treasure of San Diablo

|DirectedBy = William Witney

|WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay|s= Gerry Day & B.W. Sandefur |t= Gerry Day}}

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1966|2|17}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=74E387

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 22

|EpisodeNumber2 = 22

|Title = No Bugles, One Drum

|DirectedBy = Earl Bellamy

|WrittenBy = John D.F. Black

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1966|2|24}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=74E387

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 23

|EpisodeNumber2 = 23

|Title = Miracle at Massacre Mission

|DirectedBy = Bernard McEveety

|WrittenBy = John T. Dugan

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1966|3|3}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=74E387

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 24

|EpisodeNumber2 = 24

|Title = It's the End of the Road, Stanley

|DirectedBy = Leon Benson

|WrittenBy = Gene L. Coon

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1966|3|10}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=74E387

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 25

|EpisodeNumber2 = 25

|Title = A Very Small Assignment

|DirectedBy = Paul Stanley

|WrittenBy = Edward J. Lasko

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1966|3|17}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=74E387

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 26

|EpisodeNumber2 = 26

|Title = Quarter Past Eleven

|DirectedBy = Irving J. Moore

|WrittenBy = John D.F. Black

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1966|3|24}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=74E387

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 27

|EpisodeNumber2 = 27

|Title = The Deadliest Kid in the West

|DirectedBy = Leon Benson

|WrittenBy = Gerry Day

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1966|3|31}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=74E387

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 28

|EpisodeNumber2 = 28

|Title = Sound of Terror

|DirectedBy = William Witney

|WrittenBy = John McGreevey

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1966|4|7}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=74E387

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 29

|EpisodeNumber2 = 29

|Title = The Would-Be Gentleman of Laredo

|DirectedBy = Earl Bellamy

|WrittenBy = John T. Dugan

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1966|4|14}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=74E387

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 30

|EpisodeNumber2 = 30

|Title = A Taste of Money

|DirectedBy = William Witney

|WrittenBy = John D.F. Black

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1966|4|28}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=74E387

}}

=Season 2 (1966–67)=

{{Episode table|background=004000 |overall=|season= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |episodes=

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 31

|EpisodeNumber2 = 1

|Title = The Legend of Midas Mantee

|DirectedBy = Hollingsworth Morse

|WrittenBy = Gerry Day & B.W. Sandefur

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1966|9|16}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=004000

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 32

|EpisodeNumber2 = 2

|Title = The Dance of the Laughing Death

|DirectedBy = Jerry Hopper

|WrittenBy = Fred Freiberger

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1966|9|23}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=004000

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 33

|EpisodeNumber2 = 3

|Title = A Double Shot of Nepenthe

|DirectedBy = Abner Biberman

|WrittenBy = Gene L. Coon

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1966|9|30}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=004000

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 34

|EpisodeNumber2 = 4

|Title = Coup de Grace

|DirectedBy = R.G. Springsteen

|WrittenBy = William Raynor & Myles Wilder

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1966|10|7}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=004000

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 35

|EpisodeNumber2 = 5

|Title = The Land Slickers

|DirectedBy = Sherman Marks

|WrittenBy = William Hellinger & Clint Young

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1966|10|14}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=004000

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 36

|EpisodeNumber2 = 6

|Title = Finnegan

|DirectedBy = Alexander Singer

|WrittenBy = Edward J. Lasko

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1966|10|21}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=004000

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 37

|EpisodeNumber2 = 7

|Title = Any Way the Wind Blows

|DirectedBy = John English

|WrittenBy = John McGreevey

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1966|10|28}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=004000

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 38

|EpisodeNumber2 = 8

|Title = The Sweet Gang

|DirectedBy = Ezra Stone

|WrittenBy = Walter Black

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1966|11|4}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=004000

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 39

|EpisodeNumber2 = 9

|Title = One Too Many Voices

|DirectedBy = William Witney

|WrittenBy = John McGreevey

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1966|11|18}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=004000

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 40

|EpisodeNumber2 = 10

|Title = Road to San Remo

|DirectedBy = Irving J. Moore

|WrittenBy = Calvin Clements

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1966|11|25}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=004000

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 41

|EpisodeNumber2 = 11

|Title = The Last of the Caesars - Absolutely

|DirectedBy = R.G. Springsteen

|WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay|s= Jay Simms|t= Joseph Bonaduce & Jay Simms}}

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1966|12|6}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=004000

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 42

|EpisodeNumber2 = 12

|Title = A Prince of a Ranger

|DirectedBy = Charles R. Rondeau

|WrittenBy = Joseph Bonaduce

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1966|12|9}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=004000

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 43

|EpisodeNumber2 = 13

|Title = Oh Careless Love

|DirectedBy = Charles R. Rondeau

|WrittenBy = Gilbert Ralston

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1966|12|23}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=004000

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 44

|EpisodeNumber2 = 14

|Title = Leave It to Dixie

|DirectedBy = Abner Biberman

|WrittenBy = Marty Roth

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1966|12|30}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=004000

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 45

|EpisodeNumber2 = 15

|Title = The Seventh Day

|DirectedBy = Irving J. Moore

|WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay|s= Alvin Boretz |t= Joel Murcott}}

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1967|1|6}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=004000

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 46

|EpisodeNumber2 = 16

|Title = Scourge of San Rosa

|DirectedBy = Joseph Pevney

|WrittenBy = Calvin Clements

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1967|1|20}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=004000

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 47

|EpisodeNumber2 = 17

|Title = The Short, Happy Fatherhood of Reese Bennett

|DirectedBy = Ezra Stone

|WrittenBy = Leonard Praskins & Barbara Merlin

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1967|1|27}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=004000

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 48

|EpisodeNumber2 = 18

|Title = The Bitter Yen of General Ti

|DirectedBy = Charles R. Rondeau

|WrittenBy = John T. Dugan

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1967|2|3}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=004000

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 49

|EpisodeNumber2 = 19

|Title = The Other Cheek

|DirectedBy = Ezra Stone

|WrittenBy = Gene L. Coon

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1967|2|10}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=004000

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 50

|EpisodeNumber2 = 20

|Title = Enemies and Brothers

|DirectedBy = Gene Nelson

|WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay|s= Tom Adair & John Elliotte|t= Brian Barstu and Tom Adair & John Elliotte}}

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1967|2|17}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=004000

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 51

|EpisodeNumber2 = 21

|Title = Hey Diddle Diddle

|DirectedBy = William Witney

|WrittenBy = Gerry Day

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1967|2|24}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=004000

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 52

|EpisodeNumber2 = 22

|Title = The Small Chance Ghost

|DirectedBy = Richard Bartlett

|WrittenBy = Marty Roth

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1967|3|3}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=004000

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 53

|EpisodeNumber2 = 23

|Title = A Question of Guilt

|DirectedBy = Leo Penn

|WrittenBy = Joseph Bonaduce

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1967|3|10}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=004000

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 54

|EpisodeNumber2 = 24

|Title = Like One of the Family

|DirectedBy = Robert Gist

|WrittenBy = John McGreevey

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1967|3|24}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=004000

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 55

|EpisodeNumber2 = 25

|Title = Walk Softly

|DirectedBy = William Witney

|WrittenBy = Edward J. Lasko

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1967|3|31}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=004000

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 56

|EpisodeNumber2 = 26

|Title = Split the Difference

|DirectedBy = Alan Rafkin

|WrittenBy = Paul Mason

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1967|4|7}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=004000

}}

Selected episodes

In "The Golden Trail", Jeanette Nolan is cast as Ma Burns, who investigates the progress of a gold shipment that Reese Bennett is supposedly transporting from St. Louis to Laredo. Jim Davis appears in this episode as a sheriff.Billy Hathorn, "Roy Bean, Temple Houston, Bill Longley, Ranald Mackenzie, Buffalo Bill, Jr., and the Texas Rangers: Depictions of West Texans in Series Television, 1955 to 1967", West Texas Historical Review, Vol. 89 (2013), pp. 115-116 Nolan also appeared as Martha Tuforth in "It's the End of the Road, Stanley" (1966) and as Vita Rose in "Like One of the Family" (1967).

Lane Bradford was cast five times in different roles, as Three-finger Jake in "Rendezvous at Arillo" and as Amos Slaughter in "Which Way Did They Go?" (both 1965), as Ben Slick in "The Treasure of San Diablo" and as Charley Smith in "Road to San Remo" (both 1966), and as Lyle in "Walk Softly" (1967).

DVD releases

Timeless Media Group released the entire series on DVD in Region 1 on November 24, 2009. The 12-disc boxed set features all 56 episodes of the series, as well as bonus features.{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Laredo-The-Complete-Series/12721#ixzz2DV5qzCDt|title=Laredo - Timeless Release of The Complete Series as a 12-DVD Set this November|last=Lambert|first=David|date=2009-09-24|publisher=tvshowsondvd.com|access-date=28 November 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012080227/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Laredo-The-Complete-Series/12721#ixzz2DV5qzCDt|archive-date=12 October 2012}}

Other media

Gold Key Comics published a single issue comic book tie-in in 1966.[http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/main/features/comic.php?comicid=74182 Laredo]

References

External links

{{IMDb title|0058819|Laredo}}

Category:1965 American television series debuts

Category:1967 American television series endings

Category:NBC television dramas

Category:American English-language television shows

Category:1960s Western (genre) television series

Category:Television series about the Texas Ranger Division

Category:Television series by Universal Television

Category:Television shows set in Texas

Category:American television spinoffs

Category:Fictional characters of the Texas Ranger Division