"The Adventures of Jim Bowie" (1956) TV series 1956-1958

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

7 September 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Western | Adventure

Plot:

Set in the Louisiana Territory around 1830, wealthy planter Jim Bowie encounters many famous people in New Orleans or the backwoods...

Plot Keywords:

Knife | 1830s | Louisiana | Cult Western | Bowie Knife

Cast

Scott Forbes

...

Jim Bowie (76 episodes, 1956-1958)

Runtime:

30 min (76 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Iverson Ranch, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Desilu Productions

Soundtrack:

Jim Bowie

corny but cool

Despite the fact that a number of episodes have Bowie encountering a variety of historical celebrities {including J.J. Audubon} that the real knife-wielder probably never actually met, the series is not without some historical value. Most of the westerns from the "Golden Age of TV" are supposed to represent the 1870s, but sometimes have technology from a much later date & a range of locale quite impossible for anyone to cover on horseback in a single lifetime. This saga accurately situates Scott Forbes' Bowie in the 1820s & displays the single shot pistols & musket rifles that were in use at the time. It also keeps Bowie pretty much confined to LA, where the real personality prospered until he ran afoul of the law & was forced to re-locate in TX where he ultimately met his end at the Alamo. The effort to chronicle the diffusion of French culture into Louisiana bayou is rather commendable for any TV program, especially in the late 1950s. Surely corny but somehow cool at the same time.