"The Wild Wild West" (1965) TV series 1965-1969

User Rating:

8.3/10   

Creator:

Michael Garrison
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Release Date:

17 September 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller | Western

Plot:

Two Secret Services agents, equipped with a wide array of gizmos, work for the government in the Old West.

Plot Keywords:

Gadget | Agent | Secret | Train | Epilogue Scene

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 5 nominations

Cast

Robert Conrad	...	James T. West / ... (104 episodes, 1965-1969)
Ross Martin	...	Artemus Gordon (96 episodes, 1965-1969)
Dick Cangey	...	Henchman / ... (44 episodes, 1966-1969)

(more)

Series Directed by
Irving J. Moore		(26 episodes, 1965-1969)
Alan Crosland Jr.		(11 episodes, 1965-1968)
Marvin J. Chomsky		(11 episodes, 1967-1969)
Robert Sparr		(5 episodes, 1966-1967)
Charles R. Rondeau		(4 episodes, 1967-1969)
James B. Clark		(4 episodes, 1967-1968)
Mike Moder		(4 episodes, 1968-1969)
Richard Donner		(3 episodes, 1966)
Michael Caffey		(3 episodes, 1967-1968)
Alex Nicol		(3 episodes, 1967-1968)
Richard C. Sarafian		(2 episodes, 1965)
Don Taylor		(2 episodes, 1965)
William Witney		(2 episodes, 1965)
Edward Dein		(2 episodes, 1966)
Lee H. Katzin		(2 episodes, 1966)
Ralph Senensky		(2 episodes, 1966)
Gunnar Hellström		(2 episodes, 1967)
Bernard McEveety		(2 episodes, 1968-1969)

Series Writing credits
Michael Garrison		(99 episodes, 1965-1969)
Henry Sharp		(10 episodes, 1965-1968)
John Kneubuhl		(8 episodes, 1965-1967)
Earl Barret		(7 episodes, 1966-1969)
Robert C. Dennis		(7 episodes, 1966-1969)
Ken Kolb		(7 episodes, 1966-1967)
Ken Pettus		(7 episodes, 1967-1969)
Leigh Chapman		(6 episodes, 1966-1968)
Robert E. Kent		(5 episodes, 1967-1969)
Calvin Clements Jr.		(4 episodes, 1966-1968)
Edward J. Lakso		(4 episodes, 1967-1968)
Paul Playdon		(3 episodes, 1968-1969)
Oliver Crawford		(2 episodes, 1965-1969)
Stephen Kandel		(2 episodes, 1965-1968)
Richard H. Landau		(2 episodes, 1965-1968)
Preston Wood		(2 episodes, 1965-1966)
Jackson Gillis		(2 episodes, 1966-1968)
Michael Edwards		(2 episodes, 1966-1967)
Shimon Wincelberg		(2 episodes, 1966-1967)
Kevin DeCourcey		(2 episodes, 1966)
Donn Mullally		(2 episodes, 1966)
David Moessinger		(2 episodes, 1967-1968)
Peter G. Robinson		(2 episodes, 1967)
Ron Silverman		(2 episodes, 1967)
Ed Adamson		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Leonard Katzman	....	associate producer (89 episodes, 1965-1969)
Bruce Lansbury	....	producer (68 episodes, 1966-1969)
Joe Kirby	....	assistant producer (20 episodes, 1968-1969)
Michael Garrison	....	executive producer / producer (18 episodes, 1965-1966)
Fred Freiberger	....	producer (10 episodes, 1965)
Richard H. Landau	....	associate producer (10 episodes, 1965)
Philip Leacock	....	executive producer (7 episodes, 1965-1966)
John Mantley	....	producer (7 episodes, 1965-1966)
Gene L. Coon	....	producer (6 episodes, 1966)
Bruce Fowler Jr.	....	associate producer (3 episodes, 1965)
Collier Young	....	producer (3 episodes, 1965)

Series Original Music by
Richard Markowitz		(29 episodes, 1965-1967)
Richard Shores		(14 episodes, 1966-1969)
Jack Pleis		(8 episodes, 1967-1968)
Harry Geller		(5 episodes, 1966-1968)
Robert Drasnin		(4 episodes, 1965-1966)
Robert Prince		(3 episodes, 1968-1969)
Morton Stevens		(2 episodes, 1966-1968)

Series Cinematography by
Ted Voigtlander		(55 episodes, 1965-1967)
Edward R. Plante		(28 episodes, 1967-1969)
Richard L. Rawlings		(19 episodes, 1967-1969)

Series Film Editing by
Alan Jaggs		(36 episodes, 1965-1969)
Grant K. Smith		(19 episodes, 1965-1967)
Frank Capacchione		(14 episodes, 1967-1969)
Byron Chudnow		(14 episodes, 1967-1969)
Robert Sparr		(7 episodes, 1965-1966)
Gene Fowler Jr.		(5 episodes, 1966-1967)
Robert B. Warwick Jr.		(3 episodes, 1965)
Ellsworth Hoagland		(2 episodes, 1969)

Series Casting by
James Lister		(32 episodes, 1965-1966)
Edward F. Rhine		(17 episodes, 1966-1967)
William J. Kenney		(15 episodes, 1968-1969)
Al Onorato		(4 episodes, 1968-1969)
Ethel Winant		(3 episodes, 1966)

Series Art Direction by
Albert Heschong		(49 episodes, 1965-1967)
William Craig Smith		(42 episodes, 1967-1969)
Raymond Beal		(4 episodes, 1966)
Robert Crawley Sr.		(3 episodes, 1967-1968)
Gibson Holley		(3 episodes, 1967)

Series Set Decoration by
Ray Molyneaux		(97 episodes, 1965-1969)

Series Costume Design by
Jack Muhs		(31 episodes, 1967-1969)
Vou Lee Giokaris		(20 episodes, 1968-1969)
Paula Giokaris		(10 episodes, 1967-1968)

Series Makeup Department
Ken Chase	....	makeup artist (20 episodes, 1968-1969)
Don Schoenfeld	....	makeup artist (15 episodes, 1967-1968)
Lynn F. Reynolds	....	makeup artist (2 episodes, 1968)

Series Production Management
Cy Brooskin	....	unit production manager (27 episodes, 1965-1966)
Mike Moder	....	unit production manager (23 episodes, 1967-1968)
Sam Manners	....	unit production manager (15 episodes, 1968-1969)
Christopher N. Seiter	....	unit production manager (10 episodes, 1968-1969)
Lee H. Katzin	....	unit production manager (7 episodes, 1966)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles R. Scott Jr.	....	assistant director (37 episodes, 1966-1969)
Mike Moder	....	assistant director (15 episodes, 1966-1967)
Christopher Seitz	....	assistant director (13 episodes, 1967-1968)
Rowe Wallerstein	....	assistant director (10 episodes, 1965-1966)
Gordon A. Webb	....	assistant director (9 episodes, 1968-1969)
John W. Rogers	....	assistant director (8 episodes, 1965-1966)
Dick Gallegly	....	assistant director (4 episodes, 1965)
Les Sheldon	....	second assistant director (3 episodes, 1966-1967)
Leonard Katzman	....	assistant director (2 episodes, 1965)
William Girdler	....	assistant director (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Craig Binkley	....	leadman (24 episodes, 1968-1969)
Michael Baugh	....	set designer (5 episodes, 1965)
Arthur Friedrich	....	property master (3 episodes, 1965)
Allan Gordon	....	property master (unknown episodes)

Series Stunts
James M. George	....	stunt double: Robert Conrad / stunt double: Perry Lopez / ... (8 episodes, 1968-1969)
Whitey Hughes	....	stunt double: J.S. Johnson / stunt double: Melinda Plowman / ... (4 episodes, 1968)
Steven Burnett	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Eddy Donno	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Bill M. Ryusaki	....	stunts (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Tony Van Renterghem	....	assistant camera: IATSE (unknown episodes)

Series Casting Department
Al Onorato	....	casting (6 episodes, 1968-1969)
William J. Kenney	....	casting (3 episodes, 1968)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jack Muhs	....	costumer (9 episodes, 1967-1969)
Paula Giokaris	....	costumer (4 episodes, 1967-1968)
Vou Lee Giokaris	....	costumer (3 episodes, 1967-1969)
Frank Delmar	....	wardrobe (unknown episodes)

Series Music Department
Richard Markowitz	....	composer: theme music / conductor / ... (66 episodes, 1965-1969)
Morton Stevens	....	music supervisor / composer: stock music (32 episodes, 1966-1969)
Bob Bain	....	musician: guitar (28 episodes, 1965-1966)
Martin L. Klein	....	music supervisor (22 episodes, 1968-1969)
Jack Pleis	....	conductor (8 episodes, 1967-1968)
Robert Drasnin	....	conductor / music conductor (4 episodes, 1965-1966)
Harry Geller	....	conductor (4 episodes, 1966-1968)

Series Transportation Department
Chris Haynes	....	driver (2 episodes, 1969)

Series Other crew
Henry Sharp	....	story consultant / story editor (69 episodes, 1966-1969)
Joe Kirby	....	assistant to producer / assistant to producers (58 episodes, 1966-1969)
Preston Wood	....	story consultant / story editor (13 episodes, 1965-1966)
Don Leonard	....	assistant to producer (10 episodes, 1965)
Herbert DuFine	....	assistant to producers (7 episodes, 1965-1966)
Gene Fowler Jr.	....	production associate (7 episodes, 1965-1966)
William Koenig	....	story consultant (5 episodes, 1966)
Leonard Katzman	....	production associate (3 episodes, 1965)
Mark Weingart	....	story editor (3 episodes, 1965)

Production Companies

• Bruce Lansbury Productions
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)
• Michael Garrison Productions

Distributors

• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1965-1969) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• CBS Films
• Fuji Television Network (1965) (Japan) (TV)
• Paramount Television
• Viacom

Other Companies

• CBS Studio Center  filming location

Also Known As:

"The Wild West" (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

51 min (104 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White (1965-1966) | Color (1966-1969)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Bruce Lansbury Productions

Trivia:

The series was ultimately canceled due to CBS being uncomfortable with the "excessive" violence of the series, rather than declining ratings.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Just Shoot Me!: Jack Gets Tough (#4.10)" (1999)

one more thing...

I've just read the comments posted here and agree with almost everything positive said. I don't think Ross Martin received enough praise at the time for the work he did. Nor do I think the show receive the respect it deserved.

It was riveting when it first aired, and had the feel of a really good mystery show, with many excellent twists and turns of plot.

But, I can't believe no one mentioned that this show had the greatest theme song of all time! If you can find it do hear it. It has both a "western" sound to it, as well as a really great theme and arrangement. Warning: there were two versions produced. The original is better, but both are excellent.