Iron Horse (TV series)

The Iron Horse
Cast from left: Bob Ransom, Gary Collins and Dale Robertson, 1966.
Genre	Western
Created by	James Goldstone Stephen Kandel
Written by	Stanley Adams Oliver Crawford Bob Duncan Wanda Duncan Samuel Fuller Milton S. Gelman Peter Germano Stephen Kandel Mort R. Lewis John O'Dea Gilbert Ralston Arthur Rowe George F. Slavin
Directed by	László Benedek Alan Crosland, Jr. Samuel Fuller Murray Golden Jesse Hibbs Herbert Hirschman Anton Leader Gene Nelson Leo Penn Herb Wallerstein
Starring	Dale Robertson Robert Random Gary Collins Ellen Burstyn
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	47
Production
Executive producer(s)	Matthew Rapf Charles Marquis Warren
Producer(s)	Fred Freiberger Stephen Kandel
Running time	60 mins.
Production company(s)	Dagonet Productions Screen Gems
Release
Original network	ABC
Original release	September 12, 1966 – January 6, 1968

The Iron Horse (known onscreen as Iron Horse) is an American Western television series that appeared on ABC from 1966 to 1968 and featured Dale Robertson as fictional gambler-turned-railroad baron Ben Calhoun. Costars included Gary Collins, Robert Random and Ellen Burstyn (who was billed as Ellen McRae). The series pilot was released as the film Scalplock.

Synopsis

The plot centered on Calhoun's poker game-win of the incomplete Buffalo Pass, Scalplock, & Defiance Railroad and his wide-ranging attempts to finish the line despite obstacles that were ever-present.

A running subplot was Calhoun's frequent and (for TV at that time) flagrant sexual dalliances with his many attractive female guest stars, as well as his steadier on and off arrangement with Julie Parsons, played by Ellen Burstyn. Though he was never actually shown in bed with any of them, there was little room for doubt about what was going on between scenes, and marriage was never even brought up as a possibility. The second season cut back on Calhoun's sexual exploits a bit, perhaps in response to viewer complaints.

Much of the external footage involving trains was shot on the historic Sierra Railroad in and around Jamestown and Sonora, California, and the filming was produced by Screen Gems.

In its first season, The Iron Horse outdistanced part of its competition on CBS, Run, Buddy, Run starring Jack Sheldon, which was canceled after 16 episodes.

Guest stars

• Karen Black, Patricia Dunne in the episode, "The Prisoners" (1967)
• Ahna Capri, Angie in "Steel Chain to a Music Box" (1967)
• Pat Conway, formerly Sheriff Clay Hollister on the ABC and then syndicated western, Tombstone Territory.
• Dennis Cross as Jim Vail in "Town Full of Fear"
• Sharon Farrell as Carrie in "The Pembrooke Blood" (1969)
• Celia Kaye as Emily in "Decision at Sundown"
• Don Keefer as Blake and Barbara Stuart as Lil Kane in "Sister Death" (1967)
• Douglas Kennedy, as Adam Preston in "The Bridge at Forty-Mile" (1967), with X Brands as Juanito in the same episode
• Walter Maslow, as Dimas Mott in "Right of Way through Paradise" (1966)
• John M. Pickard, as Sergeant Terry in "War Cloud" and as Bulwer in "Through Ticket to Gunsight" (both 1966)
• Judson Pratt as Brady in "Wild Track" (1967)
• Mike Ragan as Cantley in "The Prisoners' (1967)
• Arthur Space as Andy in "Gallows for Bill Pardew" (1967)
• Lurene Tuttle as Mrs. Emerson in "Sister Death" (1967)
• Michael Witney as Jared Hobson in "The Execution" (1967)
• Tony Young appeared three times, as Shad in "No Wedding Bells for Tony" (1966), Red Shirt (uncredited) in "Hellcat" (also 1966), and as Tower in "Banner with a Strange Device (1967).

DVD release

On October 2, 2012 Sony Pictures Home Entertainment was due to release the first season of the series on DVD through an online manufacture-on-demand program via Amazon.com and Warner Bros, Archives, but this release has been delayed.^[1]

References

• The Movie Railroads. Jensen, Larry (1981 - Darwin Publications)

External links

• The Iron Horse on IMDb
• The Iron Horse at TV.com