F Troop 

The misadventures of the staff and neighbors of a remote U.S. Army outpost in the Wild West.

Creator:

Richard M. Bluel

Stars:

Forrest Tucker, Larry Storch, Ken Berry

Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Forrest Tucker	...	Sgt. Morgan O'Rourke / ... 65 episodes, 1965-1967
Larry Storch	...	Cpl. Randolph Agarn / ... 65 episodes, 1965-1967
Ken Berry	...	Capt. Wilton Parmenter / ... 65 episodes, 1965-1967
Melody Patterson	...	Wrangler Jane Angelica Thrift 65 episodes, 1965-1967
James Hampton	...	Hannibal Dobbs / ... 65 episodes, 1965-1967
Frank DeKova	...	Chief Wild Eagle / ... 63 episodes, 1965-1967
Bob Steele	...	Trooper Duffy 63 episodes, 1965-1967
Ben Frommer	...	Smokey Bear / ... 52 episodes, 1965-1967
Don Diamond	...	Crazy Cat / ... 50 episodes, 1965-1967
Joe Brooks	...	Trooper Vanderbilt 47 episodes, 1965-1967
Ivan Bell	...	Trooper Duddleson / ... 46 episodes, 1965-1967
Jimmie Horan	...	Trooper Hogan 31 episodes, 1965-1967

Storyline

Becoming a hero by accidentally leading a cavalry charge the wrong way, Captain Wilton Parmenter is given command of Fort Courage. The Fort's crafty Sergeant O'Rourke has a deal with the local Hekawe Indians to market their wares to the tourists. They must sometimes pretend to be enemies (and the Shugs really are enemies). Jane is out to marry the innocent Parmenter.

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Plot Keywords:

fort | u.s. army | blonde | comic sidekick | commanding officer | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Western

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 September 1965 (USA)

Also Known As:

I forti di Forte Coraggio

Filming Locations:

Kanab Movie Ranch - 5001 Angel Canyon Road, Kanab, Utah, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros. Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min (65 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White (season 1) Color (season 2)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The name of the tribe, to which Wild Eagle belonged, was the Hekawe. In one episode, it was explained that the name came about by two Indians falling off a cliff and one asking "Where the heck are we?" The original name of the tribe, the Fugawe (As in, "Where the Fugawe?"), was rejected by network censors.

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Goofs

The breech-loading revolvers and rifles seen in the show had not been invented as of the late 1860's.

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Quotes

Corporal Randolph Agarn: How do you get to Fort Courage? That's easy. You take a right at the rock that looks like a bear, then a left at the bear that looks like a rock...

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: Teenage Caveman (1991)

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Soundtracks

F Troop
Lyrics by Irving Taylor
Music by William Lava

User Reviews

Silly, funny family entertainment

There was a time, perhaps when our better sensibilities knew it, when we were allowed to laugh at all races, religions and socio-ethnicities without being labeled "racist". It was a gentler, more naive time indeed, and the airwaves broadcast TV aimed at the silly side of life. "Gilligan's Island", "The Beverly Hillbillies", "I Dream of Jeannie", "Petticoat Junction", "It's About Time" and of course, "F-Troop".

There is a common thread in all of these shows: Simple, honest people are ennobled. Officious, pompous people are made fun of. Everyone is fodder for fun - no-one is above being poked at.

Ken Berry as William Parmenter is amazing in his comic timing (Mayberry RFD was a big step down for me). Melody Patterson is absolutely delicious jail-bait as "Calamity" Jane, and of course Frank DeKova and Don Diamond as Chief Wild Eagle and Crazy Cat, and Forrest Tucker and Larry Storch, as Sgt. O'Rourke and Corporal Agarn, respectively, are mirror-images of avarice and opportunity.

The relationships of these last 4 characters were the most typical of TV, but smartly turned on it's head: Agarn and Crazy Cat, full of ideas and energy, scheming and snatching at everything that moved, in their climb to "success". Sgt. O'Rourke and Chief Wild Eagle, as the "Establishment", wisely knowing when to take opportunities, but at the same time wringing their hands about their underlings almost as to say "What is it with the kids these days"?

This was wonderful social satire loaded with sight-gags, something for young and old. Unfortunately we Americans seem to have lost the knack for subtle comedy, as we now linger under the thumb of blistering insults and mechanical obviousness. I don't know if we get it ourselves these days - perhaps that is why people look at the show and react first without giving the show any thought.

I don't mean to discount the valid views of other, more PC posters, but they're missing the point. TV and film are just time capsules...you can no more examine history through something like "F-Troop" than experience the future through something like "2001". Ultimately, they're both the '60s.

What you can do is understand the period and sensibilities of that time, and remember one major lesson - something we were learning then but have perhaps since forgotten: That we are all the same under the skin. And at best, we should be taken very, very lightly.