Laredo

I thought that bloke looked a bit like Clint Eastwood but it was someone else.

The Texas Rangers of "Laredo" were introduced in an episode of "The Virginian" where they proved enough of a hit to earn their own series that ran for two seasons on NBC. It was a fun, frequently rowdy hour that was a favorite in my youth. The fine cast was headed by Neville Brand as the older Reese Bennett whom the other Rangers often patronized and made the butt of their jokes. Peter Brown was the calm, compassionate but still deadly Chad Cooper, and William Smith was Joe Riley, a half-Indian as quick with a knife as he was with a gun. Philip Carey rounded out the cast as Captain Parmallee, who frequently found the actions of his charges less than commendable. In the final season, European Robert Wolders was added to the cast as the flamboyant Eric Hunter, whose wardrobe might have raised eyebrows in the Hollywood of the 1960s, and would have certainly gotten him killed in the Old West if he hadn't been so handy with a gun himself. Claude Akins also began to make frequent appearances at that time as a Ranger named Cotton, a character bearing many similarities to Reese Bennett, and it appears Akins was put on the payroll only to fill in for Brand whose drinking sometimes made him unavailable. All in all, a memorable show that also had a brief flirtation with the big screen. In 1968, a year after its cancellation, several episodes from the first season were stitched together to make "Three Guns for Texas" which was released to theaters with "The Counterfeit Killer," a Jack Lord starrer that originally appeared on NBC's Bob Hope's Chrysler Theater. A year later, the series's pilot also had a brief theatrical run under the title "Backtrack."

Laredo,along with the High Chaparral,were two of the best western series ever produced.The rangers of Laredo stood out from the other TV western series casts in a number of ways.They liked a good fight.Not just to impose justice but because these guys enjoyed brawling,on duty and off.They loved to set one another up for a practical joke,they made mistakes,could be full of themselves,and try to pull fast ones on their Captain.Not perfect,but very human.Through it all they were also loyal to one another and risked their lives without hesitation for their buddy.They could break the law if need be in order to enforce it.The show had loads of humor and never took itself too seriously.That was not commonplace with most TV westerns.The cast was outstanding!From the bellowing Neville Brand,brawny William Smith,smooth Peter Brown,worldly Robert Wolders,and stern Philip Carey,they all shared a wonderful chemistry.The second season of the series brought new and cooler outfits for some of the cast.Peter Brown's Chad Cooper role now wore a blue double breasted shirt,just what one would expect of a lady's man.William Smith's Joe Riley could be found in a distinctive buckskin shirt that remains a favorite of mine.His having lived among the Indians made it seem logical he would prefer such a top.Robert Wolders Eric Hunter's numerous fancy duds had to be seen to be believed.Somehow that even made sense to me.His character was European,cultured & educated,possibly of royal background.His tastes would lean towards the elegant.The theme music is rousing & memorable.It was a show that should have continued for more than its 2 seasons.

"Larado" was a successful attempt to transfer the three British sergeant characters from "Gunga Din" (1939) into the American west and transform them into Texas Rangers. Archie (Cary Grant) became Chad Cooper (Peter Brown), Mac (Victor McLaglen) became Joe Riley (William Smith) and Tommy (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.) became Reese Bennett (Neville Brown).

Brown was the best of the mid-1960's "pretty boy" action stars (James Stacy, Mark Goddard, and David Hedison come to mind).

The show was a western parody, which like "Maverick" did not take itself too seriously despite an attempt to introduce relatively realistic action sequences and some straight drama. The humor mostly came from Chad and Joe teasing and baiting Reese, whose sputtering reactions were always entertaining. Brand was the heart of the show because his character was eccentric rather than serious. Reese did not have to play the straight man role because that function was handled by Ranger boss Captain Parmalee (Phillip Carey). While Reese indignantly blusters around, Parmalee just acts mildly aggravated by the threesome's juvenile antics, in the tradition of Ward Cleaver.

To go with "Larado's" three "Gunga Din" characters, Carey also brought a connection to television's "Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers" (1956-57) series in which he starred as Lieutenant Michael Rhodes. Not to be outdone "American" Indian themes were prominent in the show with the Rangers regularly fighting renegade Indians and Joe having a vague Cheyenne Bodie type Indian background (note his beaded Indian belt).

Apparently Neville Brand had a contract dispute or just didn't get along with some members of the cast/crew because he quit midway through the second season. Although they tried to carry on with Claude Akins as replacement the show had essentially lost its best element and could not make a successful transition. Brand's fans would get to see him again when they combined several episodes into a feature length movie called "Three Guns For Texas" (1968).

William Smith would go on to become the quintessential low budget movie tough guy and would star with Brown in "Chrome and Hot Leather" (1971). His all-time best performance was as Joe Namath's nemesis in "C.C. and Company" (1970).

Half of Season One is now out in a DVD package with the misleading title "Best of Laredo". The remainder of Season One is scheduled for DVD release in March 2008. No effort was made to cull out the best episodes, rather they just released 15 or the first 17 to air back in 1965- 66. Oddly the episodes are not arranged on the DVD by their original air dates. The DVD set has no special features.

Here is a list of the 15 episodes on Volume #1 of the Season One 3-DVD package in the order they appear on the DVD's, followed by their original air dates in parenthesis: Rendezvous At Arillo (7 October 1965) Anybody Here Seen Billy? (21 October 1965) I See By Your Outfit (23 September 1965) A Question of Discipline (28 October 1965) Limit of the Law Larkin (27 January 1966) Yahoo (30 September 1965) Lazy Foot, Where Are You? (16 September 1965) Three's Company (14 October 1965) The Golden Trail (4 November 1965) The Land Grabbers (9 December 1965) The Calico Kid (6 January 1966) A Matter of Policy (11 November 1965) The Pride of the Rangers (16 December 1965) Which Way Did They Go? (18 November 1965) A Medal for Reese (30 December 1965).

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

"Laredo" featured Peter Brown, William Smith, and Neville Brand as a male bonding trio of Texas Rangers portrayed tongue-in-cheek as a combination Dead End Kids go Western and AWOL members from Sergeant Bilko's platoon. As conditions warranted they could also become a trio of Dirty Harrys whom Philip Carey as Captain Parmalee would let loose to track down, catch, and sadistically interrogate the suspects of some crime of the wild west. It really was a fun show which could even be interpreted to be a kind of predecessor to and portrayal of the Texas Rangers Call and McCray of "Lonesome Dove" before they got old.