The Golden Trail

Reese (Neville Brand) is called in for praise, and assigned a solo mission, by Parmalee (Philip Carey); he is to transport a special, secret shipment from St. Louis to Laredo. Reese suspects it's an important shipment of gold, and brags to Chad (Peter Brown) and Joe (William Smith), in the saloon. Their conversation is overheard; causing several gold-diggers to threaten Reese's mission - including: sweet talking Jeanette Nolan (as Ma Burns), corrupt Sheriff (as Wes Cottrell), old timer Arthur Hunnicutt, and gun-slinger Tom Reese (as Tom Baker).

This episode is the first to focus almost exclusively on one character; in this case, Mr. Brand's Reese. An opening scene includes the three rangers, and some stock footage appears toward the end. Mr. Brown's "Chad" has a good scene, near the end. Understandably, the "Laredo" team spirit is subdued. Ms. Nolan's scheming turn as "Muriel Beauregard" is the strongest of a notable guest roster.

*** The Golden Trail (11/4/65) Earl Bellamy ~ Neville Brand, Jeanette Nolan, Philip Carey

This Laredo episode finds Philip Carey giving Neville Brand a special assignment. This one is for him alone, Peter Brown and William Smith are not along for the ride. There's a special cargo that Captain Parmalee wants picked up at the Red River and bought to Laredo.

Must be valuable, something like gold. So our three rough house rangers get the rumor spread. Pretty soon all kinds of people are after this shipment.

Among others the law itself in sheriff Jim Davis, the infamous Baker gang headed by Tom Reese, grizzled oldtimer Arthur Hunnicutt, and worst of all granny Jeanette Nolan and her curvaceous and ample granddaughter Adar Jameson. Believe it this one's the trickiest of all.

This is truly one of the funniest of Laredo episodes.