The Jesse Cowan Story (8 Jan. 1958)

The Cowans and Beals have been feuding a long time. Bob and Jesse return from the war and find their family dead and the Beals have joined a wagon train. Revenging their family is just the start of what Major Adams must now deal with.

Director:

Sidney Lanfield

Writer:

Dwight Newton

Stars:

Ward Bond, Robert Horton, George Montgomery

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Ward Bond	...	Major Seth Adams
Robert Horton	...	Flint McCullough
George Montgomery	...	Jesse Cowan
Penny Edwards	...	Sally Jo Beal
Mort Mills	...	Bob Cowan
Lee Van Cleef	...	Rufe Beal
Olive Carey	...	Dorcas Beal
James Burke	...	Ance Beal
Frank McGrath	...	Charlie Wooster
Terry Wilson	...	Bill Hawks
Malcolm Atterbury	...	John Bixby
Clarence Straight	...	Troy
Norman Leavitt	...	Wilk Beal
Jeanne Bates	...	Laura Beal

Storyline

Jesse and Bob Cowan return from the war to find the Beals have burned out and killed their family in the continuing Beal-Cowan feud. The Beals have gone west in a wagon train so the Cowan boys go after them. As they near the train, Bob is wounded by Indians. The Cowan boys join the train and Jesse spots Sally Jo Beal. Both have adored each other from afar but the feud has kept them apart. Rufus wants Sally Jo to marry a Beal cousin but she will have nothing to do with it. A fight between Rufus and Jesse is broken up by the Major leading to the Cowans and Ance Beal calling a truce but Rufus refuses to abide by it. When Ance dies, the Beals plan to leave to return home to the valley but an Indian attack stalls them and leads to unplanned consequences for both families.

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Plot Keywords:

character name in title

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Genres:

Drama | Western

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 January 1958 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Republic Studios - 4024 Radford Avenue, North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Revue Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

Feud Goes West

This Wagon Train episode focused on a couple of mountain families involved in a blood feud. While Cowan brothers George Montgomery and Mort Mills were off in the Civil War fighting on opposite sides incidentally, their family was massacred by the Beales.

But the Beales didn't stay around to face any retribution, they joined up with Ward Bond's Wagon Train and are heading to California. So Montgomery and Mills take off after them.

Complicating things is the fact that Montgomery and Beale kin Jeanne Bates are in love. But her brother Lee Van Cleef is up for a fight, in fact itching for one. All this while the Wagon Train is facing an imminent Indian attack.

In a bit of a John Ford family reunion, Olive Carey is in the cast also as the Beale matriarch. She's a wise old girl as she usually is and tells Bates to follow her heart.

It's a nice episode, the regulars and the guests do some good work here.