"The Restless Gun" (1957) TV series 1957-1959

Director:

Edward Ludwig

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

23 September 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Cast

John Payne

...

Vint Bonner / ... (77 episodes, 1957-1959)

Also Known As:

The Six Shooter (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

30 min (78 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:

Revue Studios

Trivia:

The basis for the series was the 1953- 54 radio series "The Six Shooter", starring James Stewart and created by Frank Burt. Many of the series' first-season episodes were adapted from episodes aired on radio.

Soundtrack:

The Restless Gun

Thinking person's western?

My memory captures voices and John Payne's narration is one of the positive things about this series. In those days of black and white, there were mood differences in series by network. Because of station location I seem not to have watched Maverick and his buddies. Restless Gun, as best I can recall, seems to have been a bit softer edged than Gunsmoke and Have Gun. In truth, I cannot remember individual episodes, just the mood of the thing.

Restless Gun began (or ended) with Vint Bonner quoting something like this, "There is so much bad in the best of us and so much good in the worst of us, that it ill behooves any of us to talk about the rest of us." I used to have a paperback or two based on the series and still have a Dell comic which has nice photos and rotten art. My recollection is that Bonner was a kind, sympathetic character who did not want to shoot anybody but had to do what needed to be done.

Since it lasted only two years audience interest must not have been great. However, this was golden age of television westerns and most of them "bit the dust." However, with over 70 episodes this one should be shown. I have never seen it listed on cable but it may have been at some point. Nor does it seem to appear in those episode rip off DVD collections which have a smattering of many things.

It would be nice to see a couple, just to compare to Bonanza and the others which are seen so often.