Texas Ranger Hoby Gilman travels the Old West tracking down assorted killers, bank robbers, horse thieves, and other evil-doers.Texas Ranger Hoby Gilman travels the Old West tracking down assorted killers, bank robbers, horse thieves, and other evil-doers.Texas Ranger Hoby Gilman travels the Old West tracking down assorted killers, bank robbers, horse thieves, and other evil-doers.
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An obvious vehicle for Culp, "Trackdown" was on the cutting edge of the 'adult' western. Culp's character, Hoby Gilman comes off as a hip Texas Ranger-kind of a cross between Sunset Strips Kooky, and Dragnet's Joe Friday! By today's standards, routine, at the time it was must viewing.
Trackdown, Wanted Dead or Alive, Gunsmoke, and Have Gun, Will Travel were my favorite television westerns during the 1950s. I have the DVDs of the last three but can no record of Trackdown being available?
Hoby Gillman is as an important part of my memory as Josh Randall, Matt Dillon, and Paladin. I remember being glued in front of the television set on Saturday night with my family all around, turning the rabbit ears in JUST the right direction to get the least amount of "snow". A bowl full of popcorn and a bottle of Dr.Pepper by my side, I rode the range with all of my idols. Through the miracle of cable and a DVD player I can experience this feeling once again and it's wonderful! Trackdown was on for three seasons, as I recall. Does anyone know if it's available?
Hoby Gillman is as an important part of my memory as Josh Randall, Matt Dillon, and Paladin. I remember being glued in front of the television set on Saturday night with my family all around, turning the rabbit ears in JUST the right direction to get the least amount of "snow". A bowl full of popcorn and a bottle of Dr.Pepper by my side, I rode the range with all of my idols. Through the miracle of cable and a DVD player I can experience this feeling once again and it's wonderful! Trackdown was on for three seasons, as I recall. Does anyone know if it's available?
This show's character was a major departure for standard western characterizations of the late 1950's. And the individual solely responsible for that swing in characterization was the series star, Robert Culp.
Culp played the show's lead character, Texas Ranger Hobey Gillman, as a hip, cool dude; somewhat reminiscent of the then running top rated detective series, Peter Gunn.
Culp gave the character a cool walk 'hip-diddy' walk, and spoke his lines as though he'd taken his responses off the top of his head and, basically, without any thought whatsoever before doing so. He was even cool when someone had the drop on him, or when he outdrew the bad guy. He was just plain 'cool'.
Robert Culp sharpened this image during his tenure in his first television starring role and vehicle. He then deftly transferred it, intact, to the character Kelly Robinson in the 1965 TV espionage hit, "I Spy."
In that top rated series in which he starred with acting newcomer Bill Cosby, to this day, many fans of the show felt that it was Culp's acting demeanor that gave the show it's real appeal.
Unfortunately, Cosby's being the first Black in a television series in a lead role, stole the show from him. Cosby became the viewer draw.
Culp was initially hired to be the 'lead' star in the series, but in the last three years of its run, Cosby was the everyone talked about even though, clearly, he was not the veteran or polished actor Cosby was.
In the final two years, Cosby was even paid more for his participation than Culp was, which did not come out until some ten or more years after the series ended.
Regardless, the series was a good one for its time, even though now quite dated to a younger generation who know little of and care less about the 'Cold War' period of history.
Culp played the show's lead character, Texas Ranger Hobey Gillman, as a hip, cool dude; somewhat reminiscent of the then running top rated detective series, Peter Gunn.
Culp gave the character a cool walk 'hip-diddy' walk, and spoke his lines as though he'd taken his responses off the top of his head and, basically, without any thought whatsoever before doing so. He was even cool when someone had the drop on him, or when he outdrew the bad guy. He was just plain 'cool'.
Robert Culp sharpened this image during his tenure in his first television starring role and vehicle. He then deftly transferred it, intact, to the character Kelly Robinson in the 1965 TV espionage hit, "I Spy."
In that top rated series in which he starred with acting newcomer Bill Cosby, to this day, many fans of the show felt that it was Culp's acting demeanor that gave the show it's real appeal.
Unfortunately, Cosby's being the first Black in a television series in a lead role, stole the show from him. Cosby became the viewer draw.
Culp was initially hired to be the 'lead' star in the series, but in the last three years of its run, Cosby was the everyone talked about even though, clearly, he was not the veteran or polished actor Cosby was.
In the final two years, Cosby was even paid more for his participation than Culp was, which did not come out until some ten or more years after the series ended.
Regardless, the series was a good one for its time, even though now quite dated to a younger generation who know little of and care less about the 'Cold War' period of history.
Durring the years when so much of US programming was taken up by Western shows there were many good 'oaters' and this was one of my faves. I was thrilled, then when one year when it was running my Dad took me to the Texas State Prison Rodeo in Huntsville, Texas and the featured entertainment that weekend was Robert Culp appearing as his 'Trackdown' personna. There is not much available on DVD of this show all these years later but I did find one disc with 10 episodes. Video tranfer is so-so but not unwatchable, from ATI Inc Audio Tape Inc).
Robert Culp is the most unique actor I've ever seen. He's one of the most believable characters--no matter what he portrays, from Trackdown to I Spy... Rarely does one see an actor with such natural finesse and brillance.
Did you know
- TriviaSteve McQueen's Josh Randall (Wanted Dead or Alive) was introduced in an episode of The Bounty Hunter (1958) (later spun off into its own series).
- Crazy creditsFollowing the end credits, this statement appears in small, uppercase type: "The story is true. Names, firms and locales have been changed to protect relatives and descendants who may be living."
- ConnectionsFeatured in TV's Western Heroes (1993)
- How many seasons does Trackdown have?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime
- 30m
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 4:3
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