Oscar winning actor Walter Brennan played all sorts of characters. From crusty sidekicks(opposite John Wayne and Dean Martin in Rio Bravo),to meddling old fools(Disney's The One and Only,Original Family Band),and evil baddies(opposite Henry Fonda in My Darling Clementine and alongside James Stewart in How The West Was Won). Brennan also portrayed lovable but cranky family members(like his character Amos McCoy on the 1950's situation television comedy series The Real McCoys which ran from 1957-1963 on two major television networks,ABC and then CBS and was produced by Sheldon Leonard and based on the characters created by Irving Pincus). Rarely did he play a tough guy,a mentor or a sage until this series came along.
"The Guns of Will Sonnett",was producer Aaron Spelling's first and only attempt at doing a weekly western series. Created by Aaron Spelling and produced by Danny Thomas,this series produced 50 episodes all in color and it ran from September 8,1967-March 21,1969 for the ABC network. Produced by Spelling-Thomas Productions under the executive producers Danny Thomas and Aaron Spelling along with producers Shelley Hull and Dick Clark. Filmed at Desilu-Paramount Studios. Walter Brennan played Will Sonnett,a elderly older man and father figure who was quick with a gun unless it was absolutely necessary. He's leading his grandson(Dack Rambo),Jeff Sonnett from town-to-town looking for the older son,Jim Sonnett(Jason Evers)he never got the chance to meet whom in just above every episode they've seem to missed him. This series was reminiscent of the David Janssen's classic series "The Fugitive" where each week the two Sonnetts come even close to meeting their long-lost family member. Along the way they encounter gun-slingers and low-lifes that come in between there quest. This was ABC's sleeper hits during its line-up of shows for the 1967-1968 season.
This was a brilliant western series that lasted three seasons,even at the time went the show went into its second season(for the 1968-1969 season),Spelling and Thomas were producing another great series,"The Mod Squad",which became one of the greatest cop shows ever to come out of the late 1960's and well into the early 1970's. "The Guns of Will Sonnett" was in fact Spelling's only attempt at making a weekly western and after the show went off the air in March of 1969,Spelling continue into his foray of cop shows and dramas.
