Good series starring Barton MacLane as Marshal Frank Caine. He and his two deputies, Will Foreman (Don Collier) and Chalk Breeson (Bruce Yarnell) try and keep the peace in the Oklahoma territory. Slim Pickens appeared in twenty episodes as Slim.
Opening episode:September 29, 1960:”Thirty A Month” w/Steve Forrest, Robert Culp and Warren Oates – Rance (Steve Forrest) is a trail boss who has finally saved enough money to buy a spread. It’s taken him ten years to save up four thousand dollars. Sam (Robert Culp), Billy (Warren Oates) and Brazos (Gary Walberg) all ride into the town of Guthrie with him.
Rance goes to the bank to get his money. It’s closed. The cashier ran off with all the money and Rance is broke. Brazos is always telling stories about how he used to ride with famous outlaw gangs. He mentions a train robbery where one gang waited by the water tower for the train to stop for water. The gang got thirty-six thousand dollars in the robbery. That gives Rance an idea.
The four try the same thing. Rance forces trainman Pete (Howard “Floyd The Barber” McNear) to convince the guard inside the car with the safe to open up. Rance kills him and when Pete says he can’t open the safe Rance hits him over the head knocking him out.
The only solution is dynamite. Before it can blow the safe Sam drags Pete out of the car. The dynamite goes off. The safe stays locked. The four ride off. They go to a general store and rob the supplies they need. While they’re riding off the store keeper (Dub Taylor) manages to put a bullet in Billy.
One of the townsmen. Squires, catches up to them and says he knows where Billy can get some doctorin’. He takes them to Ruby Starr’s saloon where she gets the bullet out. Rance notices Squires is gone and knows they better clear out. They get Billy on a horse and they ride out with an angry Ruby yelling for her money.
Out on the trail the posse catches up with them and the bullets fly. The episode moves along from there. It’s a good show. In this opener Jock Gaynor plays Deputy Marshal Heck Martin. Bruce Yarnell’s character wasn’t in this one.
Steve Forrest made dozens of TV and movie appearances including playing Lt.Dan “Hondo” Harrelson on “S.W.A.T.” (1975-76) and Wes Parmalee on “Dallas” in 1986.
Gary Walberg is best known as Lt.Frank Monahan on “Quincy M.E.” (1976-83)
Barton MacLane was all over TV and the movies. His final role was as General Peterson in “I Dream Of Jeannie” (1965-69).
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