Fury (TV series)
Fury (retitled Brave Stallion in syndicated reruns) is an American western television series that aired on NBC from 1955 to 1960.[1] It stars Peter Graves as Jim Newton, who operates the Broken Wheel Ranch in California; Bobby Diamond as Jim's adopted son, Joey Clark Newton, and William Fawcett as ranch hand Pete Wilkey. Roger Mobley co-starred in the two final seasons as Homer "Packy" Lambert, a friend of Joey's.[2]
| Fury | |
|---|---|
 Fury DVD cover | |
| Also known as | Brave Stallion |
| Genre | Western |
| Written by | Robert B. Bailey Arthur Browne, Jr. Lillie Hayward Melvin Levy Richard Schayer Nat Tanchuck |
| Directed by | Ray Nazarro Sidney Salkow Lesley Selander |
| Starring | Peter Graves Bobby Diamond Jimmy Baird William Fawcett Roger Mobley |
| Theme music composer | Ernest Gold |
| Composer(s) | Les Baxter Emil Newman |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 116 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Leon Fromkess |
| Producer(s) | Mark Bennett Irving Cummings Ray Nazarro |
| Cinematography | Kenneth Peach |
| Editor(s) | Henry Adams |
| Running time | 30 mins. (approx) |
| Production company(s) | Television Programs of America (1955– 1958) (seasons 1–3) Independent Television Corporation (1958–1960) (seasons 4–5) |
| Distributor | Independent Television Corporation |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Picture format | Black-and-white |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original release | October 15, 1955 – March 19, 1960 |
The frequent introduction to the show depicts the beloved stallion running inside the corral and approaching the camera as the announcer reads: "FURY!...The story of a horse...and a boy who loves him." Fury is the first American series to be produced originally by Television Programs of America and later by the British-based company ITC Entertainment.
Outdoor footage for the series was filmed primarily on the Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth, Calif., throughout the five-season run of the series, with some of the earliest footage for the series shot on the Garner Ranch in Idyllwild, Calif. One episode, "Packy, the Lion Tamer," which premiered on Jan. 2, 1960, included footage shot at Jungleland USA in Thousand Oaks, California,[3] and occasional footage appearing during the series was shot at Corriganville Movie Ranch near Simi Valley, California.[4]
Synopsis
The story begins with two young boys fighting on the street. As Joey Clark, the winner of the exchange, walks away, the loser attempts to throw something at him, but the object goes through a nearby window. The store owner quickly pins the blame on Joey, who has been labeled a troublemaker from past incidents. Rancher Jim Newton witnesses the incident and follows along as Joey is taken before the judge to clear the boy's name. After learning that Joey is an orphan, Newton takes him home to his Broken Wheel Ranch and begins adoption procedures.
A typical plot involved a guest star who falls into mischief, was rebellious or disorderly, and got into trouble but is subsequently rescued by Fury. In most episodes, Fury allowed only Joey to ride him, but occasionally others were allowed the honor of mounting Fury if they had done a good deed for the horse. One of the original concepts of the show was that Fury remained a 'wild' (untamed) horse, who wouldn't allow anyone but Joey to ride him or even come near him. In several episodes people would see the calm interaction between the horse "and the boy who loved him," and assume that the horse must be broken --- but when they tried to put a saddle on him, Fury would rear up and attack them!
Numerous episodes focus on youth organizations, including the Boy Scouts, Big Brothers, Junior Achievement, 4-H Club, Little League, and even the Girl Scouts. A 1957 episode is dedicated to Fire Prevention Week.[5]
Ann Robinson played Joey Newton's dedicated teacher, Helen Watkins, in nine episodes of the first season.[6] In addition to Roger Mobley as Packy Lambert, another friend of Joey's is portrayed in the series by child actor Jimmy Baird (born 1945), who was cast as Rodney "Pee Wee" Jenkins.[7]James Seay portrayed a sheriff in six episodes. Maudie Prickett was cast twice, once in the title role of "Aunt Harriet" (1958).
Among the other guest stars were Shelley Fabares as Midge Mallon in "The Tomboy" (1957), Tony Young in "Timber Walker" (1959), Lee Van Cleef as Race Collins in "House Guests" (1959), and Walter Maslow in "The Relay Station" (1959).
Jim Bannon appeared twice on Fury, once as a prison warden in the episode "Fish Story" (1958). Andy Clyde was cast in "Fury Runs to Win" (1956) and "Black Gold" (1959). Russ Conway was cast in "Joey Goes Hunting" (1955) and "A Present for Packy" (1960). Nan Leslie was cast twice on Fury, as Stella Lambert in "The Model Plane" (1958) and as Packy's mother in "The Pulling Contest" (1959). Paul Picerni of "Untouchables" fame, portrayed Tupelo in "Packy, the Lion Tamer" (1960). He also appeared in "An Old Indian Trick" (1959). John M. Pickard, star of the syndicated Boots and Saddles western series, appeared in the episodes "Timber" (1956) and "Trail Drive" (1959). Will Wright, known for his curmudgeonly roles, was cast in "Ghost Town" (1955) and "The Meanest Man" (1958).
Much of the outdoor footage was shot on the Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth, California, where the "Fury Set" was built in 1955, specifically for the series. This set included a small house, a cabin, corrals and other features, but it was dominated by a large barn. In addition to being used throughout five seasons of "Fury," the Fury Set was used in many films, including Fury at Showdown (1957) and The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock (1959), and in other television series, including Bonanza and Cimarron Strip, before it burned to the ground in the massive Newhall/Malibu fire of fall 1970.
Cast
The cast included:[8]
- Peter Graves: Jim Newton
- Bobby Diamond: Joey Newton
- William Fawcett: Pete
- Ann Robinson: Helen Watkins
- Jimmy Baird: Pee Wee Jenkins
- Roger Mobley: Packey Lambert
- Nan Leslie: Harriet Newton
Episode list
Season 1: 1955–56
| No | Ep | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Joey Finds a Friend" | October 15, 1955 |
| 2 | 2 | "Killer Stallion" | October 22, 1955 |
| 3 | 3 | "The Horse Coper" | October 29, 1955 |
| 4 | 4 | "Joey Goes Hunting" | November 5, 1955 |
| 5 | 5 | "Scorched Earth" | November 12, 1955 |
| 6 | 6 | "Joey's Dame Trouble" | November 19, 1955 |
| 7 | 7 | "Joey and the Gypsies" | November 26, 1955 |
| 8 | 8 | "Joey's Father" | December 3, 1955 |
| 9 | 9 | "Joey Saves the Day" | December 10, 1955 |
| 10 | 10 | "The 4-H Story" | December 17, 1955 |
| 11 | 11 | "Junior Rodeo" | December 24, 1955 |
| 12 | 12 | "Ghost Town" | December 31, 1955 |
| 13 | 13 | "The Hobo" | January 7, 1956 |
| 14 | 14 | "Tungsten Queen" | January 14, 1956 |
| 15 | 15 | "Joey Sees It Through" | January 21, 1956 |
| 16 | 16 | "Stolen Fury" | January 28, 1956 |
| 17 | 17 | "The Choice" | February 4, 1956 |
| 18 | 18 | "The Boy Scout Story" | February 11, 1956 |
| 19 | 19 | "Search for Joey" | February 18, 1956 |
| 20 | 20 | "The Miracle" | February 25, 1956 |
| 21 | 21 | "The Test" | March 3, 1956 |
| 22 | 22 | "Fury Runs to Win" | March 10, 1956 |
| 23 | 23 | "Timber" | March 17, 1956 |
| 24 | 24 | "Wonder Horse" | March 24, 1956 |
| 25 | 25 | "Pirate Treasure" | March 31, 1956 |
| 26 | 26 | "The Baby" | April 7, 1956 |
Season 2: 1956–57
| No | Ep | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 1 | "The Runaway" | October 6, 1956 |
| 28 | 2 | "Joey and the Little League" | October 13, 1956 |
| 29 | 3 | "Earthquake" | October 20, 1956 |
| 30 | 4 | "Trial by Jury" | October 27, 1956 |
| 31 | 5 | "Joey and the Wolf Pack" | November 3, 1956 |
| 32 | 6 | "Indian Mountain" | November 17, 1956 |
| 33 | 7 | "Flying Saucers" | November 24, 1956 |
| 34 | 8 | "Joey and the Stranger" | December 1, 1956 |
| 35 | 9 | "Pete's Folly" | December 15, 1956 |
| 36 | 10 | "Boy's Day" | December 22, 1956 |
| 37 | 11 | "The Feud" | January 5, 1957 |
| 38 | 12 | "Loco Weed Story" | January 12, 1957 |
| 39 | 13 | "The Horse Caper" | January 19, 1957 |
| 40 | 14 | "Joey Shows the Way" | January 26, 1957 |
| 41 | 15 | "Nature's Engineers" | February 2, 1957 |
| 42 | 16 | "The Strong Man" | February 16, 1957 |
| 43 | 17 | "The Scientists" | February 23, 1957 |
| 44 | 18 | "My Horse Ajax" | March 9, 1957 |
| 45 | 19 | "The Tomboy" | March 16, 1957 |
| 46 | 20 | "Joey, Junior Lifeguard" | March 30, 1957 |
Season 3: 1957–58
| No | Ep | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 47 | 1 | "Fire Prevention Week" | October 12, 1957 |
| 48 | 2 | "The Racers" | October 19, 1957 |
| 49 | 3 | "Community Chest" | October 26, 1957 |
| 50 | 4 | "Mercy Flight" | November 2, 1957 |
| 51 | 5 | "The Renegade" | November 9, 1957 |
| 52 | 6 | "Pee Wee Grows Up" | November 16, 1957 |
| 53 | 7 | "The Fourth Estaters" | November 23, 1957 |
| 54 | 8 | "The Tornado" | November 30, 1957 |
| 55 | 9 | "The Pinto Stallion" | December 7, 1957 |
| 56 | 10 | "Bike Road-eo" | December 14, 1957 |
| 57 | 11 | "The Wayfarer" | December 21, 1957 |
| 58 | 12 | "One Thousand Dollar Reward" | December 28, 1957 |
| 59 | 13 | "Operation CD" | January 4, 1958 |
| 60 | 14 | "The Break-Up" | January 11, 1958 |
| 61 | 15 | "Joey's First Crush" | January 18, 1958 |
| 62 | 16 | "Pee Wee's Problem" | January 25, 1958 |
| 63 | 17 | "The Lost Herd" | February 1, 1958 |
| 64 | 18 | "The Baby Sitters" | February 8, 1958 |
| 65 | 19 | "The Horse Nobody Wanted" | February 15, 1958 |
| 66 | 20 | "The Bounty Hunters" | February 22, 1958 |
| 67 | 21 | "The Meanest Man" | March 1, 1958 |
| 68 | 22 | "A Fish Story" | March 8, 1958 |
| 69 | 23 | "Rogues and Squires" | March 15, 1958 |
| 70 | 24 | "Robbers' Roost" | March 22, 1958 |
| 71 | 25 | "Second Chance" | March 29, 1958 |
| 72 | 26 | "The Claim Jumpers" | April 5, 1958 |
Season 4: 1958–59
| No | Ep | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 73 | 1 | "The Littlest Horse Thief" | October 4, 1958 |
| 74 | 2 | "Aunt Harriet" | October 11, 1958 |
| 75 | 3 | "Palomino" | October 18, 1958 |
| 76 | 4 | "Halloween" | October 25, 1958 |
| 77 | 5 | "Jailbreak" | November 1, 1958 |
| 78 | 6 | "The Fire Watchers" | November 15, 1958 |
| 79 | 7 | "The Ornithologists" | November 22, 1958 |
| 80 | 8 | "The Unwanted Shepherd" | November 29, 1958 |
| 81 | 9 | "Troubles Have Wings" | December 6, 1958 |
| 82 | 10 | "The Model Plane" | December 20, 1958 |
| 83 | 11 | "The Will" | December 27, 1958 |
| 84 | 12 | "The Pulling Contest" | January 3, 1959 |
| 85 | 13 | "Ten Dollars a Head" | January 17, 1959 |
| 86 | 14 | "Feeling His Oats" | January 24, 1959 |
| 87 | 15 | "Bad Medicine" | January 31, 1959 |
| 88 | 16 | "Sonic Boom" | February 7, 1959 |
| 89 | 17 | "An Old Indian Trick" | February 14, 1959 |
| 90 | 18 | "The Relay Station" | February 21, 1959 |
| 91 | 19 | "Black Gold" | February 28, 1959 |
| 92 | 20 | "Girl Scout" | March 7, 1959 |
| 93 | 21 | "House Guests" | March 14, 1959 |
| 94 | 22 | "Joey's Jalopy" | April 4, 1959 |
Season 5: 1959–60
| No | Ep | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 95 | 1 | "Junior Achievement" | October 10, 1959 |
| 96 | 2 | "The Big Leaguer" | October 17, 1959 |
| 97 | 3 | "Trail Drive" | October 24, 1959 |
| 98 | 4 | "Man-Killer" | October 31, 1959 |
| 99 | 5 | "Visiting Day" | November 7, 1959 |
| 100 | 6 | "Timber Walker" | November 14, 1959 |
| 101 | 7 | "Turkey Day" | November 21, 1959 |
| 102 | 8 | "The Map" | November 28, 1959 |
| 103 | 9 | "The Rocketeers" | December 5, 1959 |
| 104 | 10 | "The Fort" | December 12, 1959 |
| 105 | 11 | "The Vanishing Blacksmith" | December 19, 1959 |
| 106 | 12 | "The Big Brothers" | December 26, 1959 |
| 107 | 13 | "Packy, the Lion Tamer" | January 2, 1960 |
| 108 | 14 | "Private Eyes" | January 9, 1960 |
| 109 | 15 | "The Witch" | January 16, 1960 |
| 110 | 16 | "Gymkhana" | January 23, 1960 |
| 111 | 17 | "A Present for Packy" | January 30, 1960 |
| 112 | 18 | "Trottin' Horse" | February 6, 1960 |
| 113 | 19 | "Packy's Dilemma" | February 13, 1960 |
| 114 | 20 | "Gaucho" | February 20, 1960 |
| 115 | 21 | "The Skin Divers" | February 27, 1960 |
| 116 | 22 | "Packy's Dream" | March 19, 1960 |
Syndication
The series continued in reruns on NBC until 1966 and was syndicated throughout the 1960s and 1970s by ITC Entertainment, which produced the series. Season 1 now plays on STIRR from 2-3pm central time Sunday-Saturday.
References
- Hyatt, Wesley (1997). The Encyclopedia of Daytime Television. Watson-Guptill Publications. pp. 170–171. ISBN 978-0823083152. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
- "Broken Wheel Ranch website, Roger Mobley". Archived from the original on 2009-01-02. Retrieved 2008-10-17.
- Schneider, Jerry L. (2015). Western Filming Locations Book 1. CP Entertainment Books. Page 117. ISBN 9780692561348.
- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047734/locations
- ""Fire Prevention Week", Fury, October 12, 1957". Internet Movie Data Base. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
- "Ann Robinson". Internet Movie Data Base. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
- "Jimmy Baird". Internet Movie Data Base. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
- Woolery, George W. (1985). Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981, Part II: Live, Film, and Tape Series. The Scarecrow Press. pp. 183–185. ISBN 0-8108-1651-2.
External links
- Fury on IMDb
- Fury at TV.com
- A Fury scrapbook (fan site)
- Behind-the-scenes production photos Collection of Stephen Lodge, nephew of the script supervisor.