Two Beggars on Horseback (18 Jan. 1959)

Bart and Bret both toss certified $10,000 drafts into a poker game, but are told that the exchange company has just gone under. For 10 % of the drafts, a woman confides to each of the ... See full summary »

Director:

Douglas Heyes

Writer:

Douglas Heyes

Stars:

Jack Kelly, Roscoe Ates, Patricia Barry

Cast

Episode credited cast:
Jack Kelly	...	Bart Maverick
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Roscoe Ates	...	Kibitzer
Patricia Barry	...	Jessamy Longacre
Clem Bevans	...	Old Man
John Cliff	...	Sundown
James Garner	...	Bret Maverick
Duane Grey	...	Howie Horwitz
Louis Quinn	...	Townsman
Ray Teal	...	Harvey Stryker
Rusty Wescoatt	...	Gang member
Will Wright	...	General Hoyt Bosco

Storyline

Bart and Bret both toss certified $10,000 drafts into a poker game, but are told that the exchange company has just gone under. For 10 % of the drafts, a woman confides to each of the brothers separately, that the Deadwood office of the company doesn't yet know it's closing. But they'll have to race through "Indian country" to get to Deadwood ahead of a company official on his way to close the office.

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Genres:

Action | Western | Adventure | Comedy

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Details

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 January 1959 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Stage 22, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros. Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Bret Maverick: I've still got $30. I was thinkin' I might split it with ya, and then again I might get back in that poker game and run it up to a thousand.
Bart Maverick: But, what if you lose the thirty?
Bret Maverick: You don't get the fifteen.
Bart Maverick: But, if ya win the thousand?
Bret Maverick: You do get the fifteen.
Bart Maverick: Bret, sometimes your heart runs away with your head.

User Reviews

"Business is business"

Once the series concept shifted to humor, whole new vistas for story-lines opened up. This is one of them, a fine screenplay from director-writer Douglas Heyes with laughs throughout. Bret and Bart each have a bank-draft for $10,000. Trouble is the bank is going defunct so their paper is worthless. But then again, maybe not, thanks to the archly coy Patricia Berry who seals deals with a kiss. Trouble is she's about as trustworthy as the bank, so the boys have to decide which shape they like better, hers or the bank's.

It's a real duel of wits as everyone's trying to get to the branch bank before the bad news arrives. What's really distinctive about this 60 minutes is how everybody's out for himself or herself. Even the brothers are humorously competing in this Darwinian free-for-all. No high- minded motives here, just greed. Watch Bart cut Bret's saddle cinch so that Bret ends up ignominiously on the ground. And, of course, the running gag that sort of sums up the ground-rules is "Business is business". In short, "Nothing personal, I'm just trying to get mine". I expect more than a few viewers appreciated this kind of realism done in the charming Maverick way.

Good to see such stalwarts as cranky old Will Wright and roughneck Ray Teal in supporting roles. Downside is again the production values with some really bad outdoor sets and poorly matched stock shots. But that doesn't matter much since one humorous scrape follows another right up to the boffo climax.