Hondo (TV series)
| Hondo | |
|---|---|
 Taeger as Hondo Lane. | |
| Genre | Western |
| Developed by | Andrew J. Fenady |
| Written by |
Frank Chase Andrew J. Fenady James Edward Grant Louis L'Amour |
| Directed by |
Michael Caffey Alan Crosland, Jr. Harry Harris Lee H. Katzin Michael D. Moore Arthur H. Nadel Eddie Saeta William Witney |
| Starring |
Ralph Taeger Noah Beery, Jr. Gary Clarke Kathie Browne Buddy Foster Michael Pate |
| Composer(s) | Richard Markowitz |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 17 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Andrew J. Fenady |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
Batjac Productions Fenady Associates MGM Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC |
| Original release | September 8 – December 29, 1967 |
Hondo is an American Western drama series starring Ralph Taeger and Noah Beery, Jr. that aired on ABC from September 8 until December 29, 1967 during the 1967 fall season. The series was produced by Batjac Productions, Inc., Fenady Associates, Inc., and MGM Television.
Overview
Hondo is based on the 1953 3D film of the same name starring John Wayne and Geraldine Page, which was in turn an offshoot of an early Louis L'Amour novel. It concerns Hondo Lane, a former Confederate cavalry officer who had moved west following the Civil War and taken an Indian bride, only to see her killed as part of a massacre of Indians conducted by United States Army troops. Now Hondo and his dog, Sam, travel alone and seek to prevent further trouble between the Army and the remaining Indians. They also fight to counter land grabbers and other outlaws.
Hondo's frequent sidekick, Buffalo Baker, is portrayed by Noah Beery, Jr., the nephew of Wallace Beery and son of Noah Beery, who later played "Rocky" in The Rockford Files with James Garner.
The little boy, Johnny Dow, is played by Buddy Foster, older brother of Jodie Foster.
While the Wayne film had been fairly successful, this series, airing against the hit sitcom Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. on CBS and Star Trek on NBC, was soon canceled, with the last broadcast occurring on December 29, 1967.
The rule of thumb for syndication is at least 100 episodes, but Hondo, with only seventeen segments, became popular after it left the air and became the subject of an article in the Wall Street Journal. It is presently being broadcast on GetTV.
The first two episodes were edited together to form the feature film Hondo and the Apaches, which was released theatrically outside of North America.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Ralph Taeger | Hondo Lane |
| Noah Beery, Jr. | Buffalo Baker |
| Gary Clarke | Captain Richards |
| Kathie Browne | Angie Dow |
| Buddy Foster | Johnny Dow |
| Michael Pate | Chief Vittoro |
| William Bryant | Colonel Crook |
| Robert Taylor | Gallagher (first two episodes) |
| Randy Boone | Sean Gallagher (first two episodes) |
| Michael Rennie | Tribolet (first two episodes) |
| John Smith | Ed Dow (first episode) |
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Hondo and the Eagle Claw" | Lee H. Katzin | Andrew J. Fenady | September 8, 1967 |
| Hondo searches for an Apache chief in order to invite him to a peace parley. Guest Stars: Robert Taylor, Michael Rennie, Randy Boone, Jim Davis, Gary Merrill | ||||
| 2 | "Hondo and the War Cry" | Lee H. Katzin | Andrew J. Fenady | September 15, 1967 |
| Richards leads his troops against Vittoro, who has agreed to peace talks with Crook. Guest Stars: Robert Taylor, Michael Rennie, Randy Boone, Jim Davis, Don Collier | ||||
| 3 | "Hondo and the Singing Wire" | William Witney | George Schenck | September 22, 1967 |
| Hondo becomes embroiled in a feud between a renegade Apache and the hot-tempered foreman of the crew erecting telegraph wires near Fort Whipple. Guest Stars: Pat Conway (star of the 1957-60 Western series Tombstone Territory), Donald Woods, Perry Lopez, Don 'Red' Barry, Iron Eyes Cody. | ||||
| 4 | "Hondo and the Superstition Massacre" | Lee H. Katzin | Andrew J. Fenady | September 29, 1967 |
| 5 | "Hondo and the Savage" | TBA | TBA | October 6, 1967 |
| 6 | "Hondo and the Apache Kid" | TBA | TBA | October 13, 1967 |
| 7 | "Hondo and the War Hawks" | TBA | TBA | October 20, 1967 |
| A new colonel (John Carroll) wants to retrieve hunting weapons given to Vittoro's people. | ||||
| 8 | "Hondo and the Mad Dog" | TBA | TBA | October 27, 1967 |
| A killer tries to prove witness Sam has rabies; with James MacArthur, Royal Dano. | ||||
| 9 | "Hondo and the Judas" | Lee H. Katzin | Teleplay by: Frank Chase Story by: Andrew J. Fenady | November 3, 1967 |
| William Quantrill (Forrest Tucker) reconvenes his Raiders and asks Hondo to join; with Rick Nelson, John Agar, John Carradine. | ||||
| 10 | "Hondo and the Comancheros" | TBA | TBA | November 10, 1967 |
| 11 | "Hondo and the Sudden Town" | TBA | TBA | November 17, 1967 |
| 12 | "Hondo and the Ghost of Ed Dow" | TBA | TBA | November 24, 1967 |
| 13 | "Hondo and the Death Drive" | TBA | TBA | December 1, 1967 |
| 14 | "Hondo and the Hanging Town" | TBA | TBA | December 8, 1967 |
| 15 | "Hondo and the Gladiators" | TBA | TBA | December 15, 1967 |
| 16 | "Hondo and the Apache Trail" | TBA | TBA | December 22, 1967 |
| 17 | "Hondo and the Rebel Hat" | TBA | TBA | December 29, 1967 |
DVD release
On June 13, 2017, Warner Bros. released the entire series on DVD via their Warner Archive manufacture-on-demand service.[1]
References
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hondo (television series). |
- Hondo on IMDb
- Hondo at TV.com
- Brooks, Tim and Marsh, Earle, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows