"The Adventures of Champion" (1955) TV series 1955-1956

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Directors:

Thomas Carr
William McCarthy
(more)

Writer:

Paul Gangelin (writer)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

30 September 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Western

Plot:

The exploits of Champion, a wild stallion who befriends twelve year-old Ricky North (Barry Curtis) in the American Southwest in the 1880's...

Plot Keywords:

Dog | Ranch | 1880s | Stallion | German Shepherd

Cast

Champion	...	Champion, the Wonder Horse / ... (26 episodes, 1955-1958)
Barry Curtis	...	Ricky North (26 episodes, 1955-1958)
Jim Bannon	...	Sandy North (26 episodes, 1955-1958)
Blaze	...	Rebel, the Dog / ... (26 episodes, 1955-1958)

(more)

Series Directed by
George Archainbaud		(7 episodes, 1955-1956)
Ford Beebe		(5 episodes, 1955)
John English		(3 episodes, 1955-1956)
Thomas Carr		(unknown episodes)
William McCarthy		(unknown episodes)
Frank McDonald		(unknown episodes)
Robert G. Walker		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Oliver Drake		(3 episodes, 1955-1956)
J. Benton Cheney		(2 episodes, 1955-1956)
Eric Freiwald		(2 episodes, 1955)
Orville H. Hampton		(2 episodes, 1955)
Robert Schaefer		(2 episodes, 1955)
Paul Gangelin		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Louis Gray	....	producer (10 episodes, 1955-1956)
Gene Autry	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Eric Jenson	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Armand Schaefer	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)

Series Cinematography by
William Bradford		(9 episodes, 1955-1956)

Series Film Editing by
Jack Wheeler		(8 episodes, 1955-1956)
Bruce B. Pierce		(2 episodes, 1955-1956)

Series Production Management
Armand Schaefer	....	executive in charge of production (10 episodes, 1955-1956)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stanley Neufeld	....	assistant director (6 episodes, 1955-1956)
Melville Shyer	....	assistant director (3 episodes, 1955)

Series Sound Department
Harold E. Wooley	....	sound editor (8 episodes, 1955-1956)

Series Stunts
Bob Woodward	....	stunt double: Jim Bannon (1 episode, 1956)
John Daheim	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Robert 'Buzz' Henry	....	stunts (unknown episodes)

Series Editorial Department
Anthony Wollner	....	supervising film editor (10 episodes, 1955-1956)

Series Music Department
Erma E. Levin	....	music editor (9 episodes, 1955-1956)

Series Other crew
Paul Gangelin	....	story editor (9 episodes, 1955-1956)

Production Companies

• Flying 'A' Productions

Distributors

• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1955) (USA) (TV) (original airing)

Also Known As:

"Champion the Wonder Horse" (UK)

Runtime:

30 min (26 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Andy Jauregui Ranch - Placerita Canyon Road, Newhall, California, USA

Company:

Flying 'A' Productions

Trivia:

Champion was in fact played by four different horses. The original "Champion" that made Gene Autry famous in the movies is not the same horse that appeared in the 1955-1956 TV series. Champion easily earned his title of "Wonder Horse" by performing a variety of tricks which included kneeling, untying rope knots and dancing and prancing for the public. It died (buried at Autry's Melody Ranch) when Autry was serving in the military during World War II. The others: "Champion" (the horse of the TV series), a chestnut stallion foaled in 1940. The others--"Champion Jr." and "Little Champion"--were all used in Autry's postwar films. "Champion's" hoofprints can be seen in front of Graumann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Just a Minute: (#3.9)" (1995)

Soundtrack:

Champion The Wonder Horse

Childhood's innocent memories

A big hit with kids in the UK during its re-run in the 1970s. Always played at the end of the childrens slot around 5.30pm on weeknights, before the boring grownups shows came on... like the Six O'Clock News.

Sat glued week after week. Never mind that it's black & white, never mind that it's good ole' cowboy action, with the hook of a "trick" horse, it was wholesome, brilliant entertainment for young minds. 'Gentle Ben' and 'Flipper' never came close with the formula.

Long overdue a DVD release, so we can show OUR kids what it was like!