Each decade seems to have a favorite genre, and in the 1960's, it was westerns that saturated the airwaves. Some of the more popular ones included Gunsmoke, Bonanza and The Big Valley. However, this later entry to the western genre was far and away the best. The High Chaparral learned from the mistakes of its predecessors and achieved a gritty, realistic feel to it that made it superior to shows of its ilk. It didn't have three sons to play rotating romantic leads nearly every week. The cast was well-chosen and professional; no histronics but just great acting. The writing was intelligent, the problems believable, and the clash of white, Mexican and Indian cultures was portrayed with sensitivity and realism.
The premise was simple yet effective: a family settles in a harsh new land and must face hardships and their own shortcomings to carve out a niche for themselves. Big John Cannon comes to Arizona with his wife Merilee, his kid brother Buck and whiny son Blue, and Merilee dies in an Indian raid. On the brink of losing everything, John's butt is yanked from the fire when he accepts a deal with wealthy Mexican Don Montoya to marry his fiery daughter Victoria. She brings to the High Chaparral her own entourage of servants, ranch hands and her rascally younger brother Manolito. Life is rocky, but gradually things settle down to the point where the Cannons stop fighting each other and concentrate on external troubles. Everyone on this show was great in his role, from Leif Erickson as the flinty patriarch to Mark Slade as his wimpy son Blue. Linda Cristal played the passionate yet tender Victoria to perfection, while Cameron Mitchell was pure enjoyment to watch as the laid-back Buck, and Henry Darrow was wonderful as the foxy Manolito Montoya. The supporting cast and guest stars were terrific, too. This was the first TV show to feature many Hispanic actors, including Cristal and Darrow, in lead roles.
The High Chaparral was also the first western to really portray the west as hot and gritty. When someone was lost and suffering from thirst in the Arizona desert, it was time to go get a tall glass of ice water. Men and even women got dirty from life on the trail; this show achieved realism and refrained from false piety in its treatment of the Indians. The viewer was aware of the reason for the Apaches' hostility (land encroachment by settlers) and the Indians weren't made out to be noble savages; they were a different culture who fought fiercely when they deemed it necessary. This show was also unique in portraying Catholicism with reasonable knowledge and respect. The Mexican characters had dignity; lowlifes came in all colors, and some of the worst were white and racist.
In summary, this was an excellent western program that ran for too short a time, and it appears in syndication on the Hallmark Channel, which we do not receive. I sincerely hope it comes out on a DVD collection for purchase; it'd be wonderful to see these great episodes again someday.
The premise was simple yet effective: a family settles in a harsh new land and must face hardships and their own shortcomings to carve out a niche for themselves. Big John Cannon comes to Arizona with his wife Merilee, his kid brother Buck and whiny son Blue, and Merilee dies in an Indian raid. On the brink of losing everything, John's butt is yanked from the fire when he accepts a deal with wealthy Mexican Don Montoya to marry his fiery daughter Victoria. She brings to the High Chaparral her own entourage of servants, ranch hands and her rascally younger brother Manolito. Life is rocky, but gradually things settle down to the point where the Cannons stop fighting each other and concentrate on external troubles. Everyone on this show was great in his role, from Leif Erickson as the flinty patriarch to Mark Slade as his wimpy son Blue. Linda Cristal played the passionate yet tender Victoria to perfection, while Cameron Mitchell was pure enjoyment to watch as the laid-back Buck, and Henry Darrow was wonderful as the foxy Manolito Montoya. The supporting cast and guest stars were terrific, too. This was the first TV show to feature many Hispanic actors, including Cristal and Darrow, in lead roles.
The High Chaparral was also the first western to really portray the west as hot and gritty. When someone was lost and suffering from thirst in the Arizona desert, it was time to go get a tall glass of ice water. Men and even women got dirty from life on the trail; this show achieved realism and refrained from false piety in its treatment of the Indians. The viewer was aware of the reason for the Apaches' hostility (land encroachment by settlers) and the Indians weren't made out to be noble savages; they were a different culture who fought fiercely when they deemed it necessary. This show was also unique in portraying Catholicism with reasonable knowledge and respect. The Mexican characters had dignity; lowlifes came in all colors, and some of the worst were white and racist.
In summary, this was an excellent western program that ran for too short a time, and it appears in syndication on the Hallmark Channel, which we do not receive. I sincerely hope it comes out on a DVD collection for purchase; it'd be wonderful to see these great episodes again someday.