"The Range Rider" (1951) TV series 1951-1953

Directors:

Thomas Carr
Don McDougall

Writers:

Buckley Angell (writer)
Eric Freiwald (writer)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | unknown

Genre:

Western

Plot Keywords:

Character Name In Title

Cast

Jock Mahoney	...	The Range Rider / ... (77 episodes, 1951-1953)
Dickie Jones	...	Dick West (77 episodes, 1951-1953)

Runtime:

30 min (78 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Flying 'A' Productions

Trivia:

Although Dick Jones plays teenager Dick West, in real life he was only eight years younger than Jock Mahoney.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The A-Team: When You Comin' Back, Range Rider?: Part 2 (#2.6)" (1983)

Not unlike the Red Ryder series

This was one of my favorite westerns on early television. As I remember, it either preceded or followed "The Lone Ranger" on Saturday nights where I lived in northern Arkansas. It somewhat resembled the Red Ryder series in that The Range Rider was the hero with a youngster as a sidekick. Instead of the Native American youth "Little Beaver," played inevitably by a non-Native American, Dick Jones played Dick West. At times Dick West was more of a Batman's Robin rather than a "Little Beaver." This Gene Autry production starred famous stuntman Jock Mahoney, stepfather of Sally Fields, as the Range Rider, determined to bring justice to the American frontier. He was now billed as Jack Mahoney and being the star did few stunts.

The show could be counted on to deliver 30 minutes minus commercials of action and adventure. Because Jack Mahoney was so tall, Dick West looked diminutive (he was in reality of average height) and much younger than he really was.