"Rawhide" (1959) TV series 1959-1966

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

Release Date:

9 January 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Western

Plot:

Gil Favor is trail boss of a continuous cattle drive; he is assisted by Rowdy Yates. The crew runs into characters and adventures along the way.

Plot Keywords:

Cattle | Cattle Drive | One Word Title | Cult TV | Cult Western

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 5 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Clint Eastwood	...	Rowdy Yates (217 episodes, 1959-1965)
Paul Brinegar	...	Wishbone (215 episodes, 1959-1965)
Steve Raines	...	Jim Quince (214 episodes, 1959-1965)
Eric Fleming	...	Gil Favor (202 episodes, 1959-1965)
James Murdock	...	Mushy (202 episodes, 1959-1965)
Rocky Shahan	...	Joe Scarlet (181 episodes, 1959-1965)
Robert Cabal	...	Hey Soos (112 episodes, 1959-1965)
Sheb Wooley	...	Pete Nolan (110 episodes, 1959-1965)

Runtime:

60 min (217 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Filming Locations:

Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)

Trivia:

Soon after Clint Eastwood made his Italian westerns, Jolly Films (which produced Per un pugno di dollari (1964)) came out with a film called (in English) "The Magnificent Stranger", which was actually two episodes of "Rawhide" (1959) edited together ("The Backshooter" and "Incident of the Running Man"). Clint Eastwood sued and the film was withdrawn.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In some episodes Gil Favor is seen wearing Wrangler jeans - rivets and the trademark "W" on two pockets. The Wrangler brand wasn't sold until 1947.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Clint Eastwood: Director (1982) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Rawhide Theme

The finest TV western

Rawhide was a wonderful TV western series. Focusing on a band of trail drovers lead by the trail boss Gil Favor. Most episodes - especially from the first 3 seasons were really character studies of Favor and his men. Guest stars came and went but unlike Wagon Train they seldom dominated the episodes they appeared in. Rawhide was a true, gritty western and Gil Favor stood out as a memorable character never to be forgotten. Thanks to Eric Fleming's performance the show became a massive hit. Of course he was ably supported by a wonderful cast of good actors - Clint Eastwood, Sheb Wooley, Paul Brinegar, Steve Raines, James Murdoch, Rocky Shahan, Robert Cabal. All of these actors left their mark in a piece of television history. Rawhide captured the flavour of that time of the west that no other series has for me, as yet anyhow, managed to do so. Later seasons tended to split the leads and give them individual story lines. For me some of the time this didn't work - the cattle drive and the regulars provided the best stories. However there were still some classic stories and Rawhide remained top drawer affair. The black and white photography added to a bleak, realistic feel that other western series seldom managed to capture. Rustlers, Indians,Commancheroes, beautiful damsels in distress, serial killers, they all showed up to give our heroes problems. The end came for the series quietly when the final season was axed less than half way through. The reason - Eric Fleming had departed and Rawhide was now a head without a body - the gritty realism was gone, Gil Favor commanded respect and exuded authority - he was never infallible and this made him all the more interesting. We shall not see his like again. Watch an episode whenever you can, they seldom disappoint.