Branded 

In the 1880s Jason McCord travels the country trying to prove he's no coward. He needs to do this because the military career of this West point graduate came to an end when he was thrown out of the army after being accused of cowardice.

Creator:

Larry Cohen

Stars:

Chuck Connors, Chuck Hamilton, William Bryant

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Chuck Connors	...	Jason McCord 48 episodes, 1965-1966

Storyline

In this Western series, Jason McCord, the only survivor of the Battle of Bitter Creek, is court-martialed and kicked out of the Army because of his alleged cowardice. Rather than demean the good name of the Army commander who was actually to blame for the massacre, McCord travels the Old West trying to restore his good name and reputation.

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Plot Keywords:

sioux indian | ammo belt | cartridge belt | american indian | sitting bull | 

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Genres:

Western

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Spoofed in Mad Magazine as "BrandXed".

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Goofs

Though the series overview states that this show was set in the 1880's, several episodes are clearly set during the Presidency of Ulysses S. Grant. And two specifically deal with events leading up to Custer's Massacre at Little Bighorn. Thereby proving that the setting for some episodes was in the 1870's.

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Quotes

Unknown singer of theme song: All but one man died, There at Bitter Creek. / And they say he ran away. Branded! Marked with a coward's shame. What do you do when you're branded, will you fight for your name? He was innocent. Not a charge was true. But the world would never know. Branded! Scorned as the one who ran. What do you do when you're branded, and you know you're a man? Wherever you go for the rest of your life, you must prove... You're a man.

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Alternate Versions

Repackaged for syndication with "The Guns of Will Sonnett" as "Chuck Connors' Great Western Theatre" with new introductions from Chuck Connors.

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Connections

Referenced in An Opera of Violence (2003)

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Soundtracks

Branded
Written by Dominic Frontiere and Alan Alch.

User Reviews

A neglected series with good guy/bad guy Chuck Connors

Chuck Connors followed up his "Rifleman" series with another western, "Branded," which made good use of his ability to pass as both hero and villain. In this series he's a man regarded as a coward for deserting his troops during an Indian attack but the truth, as viewers know, is quite different. In videostores you might find a compilation of three "Branded" episodes under the name "Blade Rider." This tape shows Connors gagged and bound spread-eagled between two trees, forced to wage a duel to the death while swinging from a vine, and thrust into a knife-fight while surrounded by a ring of fire. In all these scenes Connors is bare-chested and looking quite good for a man about 44 years old. These scenes once again demonstrate the vivid sado-masochism which underlay many TV westerns.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 January 1965 (USA)

Also Known As:

Branded

Filming Locations:

Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park - 10700 W. Escondido Canyon Rd., Agua Dulce, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Madison Productions, Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions, Sentinel Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min (48 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1