MovieChat Forums > Lawman (1958) Discussion > First episode

First episode

posted 14 years ago by ronaldt49
10 replies | jump to latest

Was broadcast today.
What I learned this time around and actually noticed were

1. Lawman time frame is 1879 onward. Initially Dan Troop rides up and sees Johnny with headstone of prior marshall with date of death as 1879.

2. Troop didn't initally have the white streak across the front of his hair. I've read elsewhere that John Russel figured that with the experience that his character Dan Troop was to have had, then he would have been in his mid 40s. Russell himself was only 37 when filming first started so he later asked the makeup people to add the white streak in his hair.

3. I definitely miss Miss Lily and her bartender the first season.

4. I also hope the Lawman supporters increase in numbers as right now there are only a few entries.

[–] heybhc 14 years ago

This was a great first episode with a first-rate cast; Elam, Van Cleef and Byrnes make formidable bad guys.

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[–] ronaldt49 14 years ago

In the second episode broadcast yesterday (Friday)the streak in the front of Troop's hair makes its appearance.
By the way, John Russell should have been greatful to have no white hair at 37. I started at 18.

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[–] ronaldt49 14 years ago

Oh, I wish!! It didn't turn snow white.

My favorite white headed guy was/is Morgan Woodward. I first saw his work in Star Trek TOS. I have seen him in many shows since then, my favorite of those is when he and John Wayne appeared on The Lucy Show in a comedy skit. He has played a lot of bad guys. This was the only time I saw him in something at least bordering on comedy. I'm sure it's on Youtube or some other site. Check it out.

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[–] Skye_Reynolds 14 years ago

I saw the first episode last night. They made no attempt to hide the outcome of the episode. Johnny McKay was going to save Dan Troop's life and become his deputy. The episode's introduction told us as much. Even so, the showdown was good enough to allow you to suspend disbelief. We got to see the conflict from the marshal's perspective and he wasn't aware that McKay was going to shoot the man he couldn't get.

But yeah, I agree that Lily Merrill was a far better love interest for Dan Troop than what Dru Lemp was. Not to knock Bek's performance, but as a character, Dru seemd to be a rather formulaic love interest. They also played that card in which an overly worrysome woman makes the rugged male lead seem tougher by contrast. Lily was often concerned about Dan's wellbeing, but it came across as more sincere and in no way demeaning to her as an individual.

Over all, it was a good premiere episode though. It was better than some that I'd seen and I was completely surprised to see Jack Elam and Lee Van Cleef in the pilot together. How do you follow up something like that?

It had a lot of memorable quote too.
"You remind me of a dog I once had."

[–] bwf24 14 years ago

I remember watching episodes of Lawman in syndication on one of our few local stations in the 1960s. I was happy when I read that Encore Westerns was adding it to their schedule last year. I hadn't seen it for many years. I only wish that before its run ends, they would add it to their late afternoon/early evening schedule. But I'm just glad they are showing it.

[–] paulr03 13 years ago

I'm watching 'the Captives' Lawman episode. As pointed out the series is 1879+ and in this episode the big talk is Wild Bill Hickok had been killed by Jack McCall. Wild Bill Died in 1876 and McCall was hanged in 1877!

[–] Brownsbros3 12 years ago

I guess it was a little "creative licensing." They did this with different episodes dealing with real life events. There is another episode dealing with Robert Ford shooting Jesse James and another with the man that shot John Wilkes Booth. They kind of let the facts slide in order to tell a good story.