"Frontier Circus" (1961) TV series 1961-1962

Creator:

Samuel A. Peeples
(more)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

5 October 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Western

Plot:

A one-ring circus travels through the American West in the 1880's.

Plot Keywords:

Circus

Cast

Chill Wills	...	Colonel Casey Thompson / ... (26 episodes, 1961-1962)
John Derek	...	Ben Travis (26 episodes, 1961-1962)
Richard Jaeckel	...	Tony Gentry (26 episodes, 1961-1962)

Series Directed by
William Witney		(4 episodes, 1961-1962)
John English		(3 episodes, 1961-1962)
Sydney Pollack		(3 episodes, 1961-1962)
Don Weis		(3 episodes, 1961-1962)
Alan Crosland Jr.		(2 episodes, 1961-1962)
Robert Gist		(2 episodes, 1962)
Hollingsworth Morse		(2 episodes, 1962)

Series Writing credits
Samuel A. Peeples		(26 episodes, 1961-1962)
Frank Price		(4 episodes, 1961-1962)
Lawrence Kimble		(3 episodes, 1961-1962)
Steven Ritch		(3 episodes, 1962)
Ken Pettus		(2 episodes, 1961-1962)
Jean Holloway		(2 episodes, 1961)
Shimon Wincelberg		(2 episodes, 1962)

Series Original Music by
David Buttolph		(11 episodes, 1961-1962)
Sidney Fine		(3 episodes, 1961)

Series Cinematography by
Bob Gough		(8 episodes, 1961-1962)
Benjamin H. Kline		(4 episodes, 1961-1962)
Ray Rennahan		(4 episodes, 1961-1962)
Bud Thackery		(2 episodes, 1961-1962)
Ray Flin		(2 episodes, 1962)
John L. Russell		(2 episodes, 1962)

Series Film Editing by
Lee Huntington		(11 episodes, 1961-1962)
Douglas Stewart		(8 episodes, 1961-1962)
Joseph Harrison		(4 episodes, 1962)

Series Art Direction by
George Patrick		(14 episodes, 1961-1962)
John Meehan		(5 episodes, 1962)
Raymond Beal		(4 episodes, 1961-1962)
Frank Arrigo		(2 episodes, 1962)

Series Set Decoration by
John McCarthy Jr.		(26 episodes, 1961-1962)
Perry Murdock		(19 episodes, 1961-1962)
Ralph Sylos		(4 episodes, 1961-1962)

Series Makeup Department
Florence Bush	....	hair stylist (26 episodes, 1961-1962)
Jack Barron	....	makeup artist (24 episodes, 1961-1962)
Robert Dawn	....	makeup artist (2 episodes, 1961)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
George Bisk	....	assistant director (6 episodes, 1961-1962)
Ben Bishop	....	assistant director (5 episodes, 1961-1962)
Wallace Worsley Jr.	....	assistant director (4 episodes, 1961-1962)
Carter DeHaven	....	assistant director (3 episodes, 1961-1962)
Frank Losee	....	assistant director (3 episodes, 1961-1962)
Lou Watt	....	assistant director (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
John W. Rixey	....	sound (5 episodes, 1961-1962)
David H. Moriarty	....	sound (3 episodes, 1961-1962)
William Russell	....	sound (3 episodes, 1961-1962)
Earl Crain Jr.	....	sound (3 episodes, 1962)
Corson Jowett	....	sound (3 episodes, 1962)
Edwin J. Somers Jr.	....	sound (2 episodes, 1961-1962)
Melvin M. Metcalfe Sr.	....	sound (2 episodes, 1961)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Vincent Dee	....	costume supervisor (26 episodes, 1961-1962)

Series Editorial Department
David J. O'Connell	....	editorial department head (26 episodes, 1961-1962)
George Fredrick	....	assistant editor (unknown episodes)

Series Music Department
Stanley Wilson	....	music supervisor (26 episodes, 1961-1962)
David Buttolph	....	composer: theme music (15 episodes, 1961-1962)

Series Other crew
Ralph Helfer	....	animal trainer (2 episodes, 1961)

Production Companies

• Calliope Productions

Distributors

• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)

Other Companies

• Revue Studios  filming location

Runtime:

60 min (26 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Corriganville, Ray Corrigan Ranch, Simi Valley, California, USA

Company:

Calliope Productions

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Alfred Hitchcock Presents: A Jury of Her Peers (#7.12)" (1961)

Holy Blended Genres, Batman!

This is an obscure one. "Frontier Circus" ran on CBS for 26 (hour-long) episodes during the 1961-62 broadcast season; I don't recall ever seeing it turn up in syndication. Technically it is a western; shot in black and white two years after Bonanza had begun bringing color westerns into America's living rooms, which gave it little chance for success.

The networks were desperately seeking a gimmick to distinguish their offerings from the mass of television westerns getting air time in 1961. CBS remembered that "Circus Boy" had been a modest success in a 30 minute format for two seasons (1956-1958). And Disney had just done well with their January 1960 theatrical release of "Toby Tyler (or Ten Weeks with a Circus)". So they made a series about a circus traveling around the Old West in the 1880's.

Character actor Chill Wills (who had been the voice of "Francis, The Talking Mule") plays Colonel Casey Thompson who runs the T&T circus with Ben Travis (John Derek before he married Ursula Andress, Linda Evans, and Bo Derek). Richard Jaeckel plays T&T advance man Tony Gentry (sort of a Rowdy Yates of the circus set).

The show was an interesting blend of circus acts, Indian fights, and shootouts with assorted bad hombres.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.