Laredo (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Laredo is an NBC
Western
television series starring Neville Brand
, William Smith
, Peter Brown
, and Philip Carey
as Texas Rangers
. The program premiered on September 16, 1965, and the final new episode was broadcast on April 7, 1967. The series was produced by Universal Television.
of ABC
's Lawman
. Joe Riley was portrayed by William Smith. Reese was previously an officer of the Union Army during the American Civil War
. Originally from New Orleans, Chad was in the Border Patrol during the war. He joined the Rangers to search for the gunrunners who had ambushed fellow border patrolmen. Joe was a gunfighter who was at times on the wrong side of the law. He joined the Rangers to obtain protection from a sheriff
. Chad and Joe tease Reese about his age: he was in his forties.
The three Rangers are led by Captain Edward Parmalee, played by Philip Carey (1925-2009), who was stern and disciplined. Robert Wolders
as Erik Hunter joined the show in the second and final season. Claude Akins
played Ranger Cotton Buckmeister in five episodes but never became a part of the cast. The pilot of Laredo was an episode of The Virginian
called "We've Lost A Train", which was broadcast in April 1965. It was released theatrically in 1969 under the title Backtrack.
Reese's horse Cactus is mentioned in several episodes. Chad's horse called "Amigo" was actually Peter Brown's personal horse.
Among the Laredo guest stars was character actor
Robert F. Simon
(1908-1992), who appeared as Senator John Sparks in the episode "A Matter of Policy" (1965) and as Mr. Tinker in "The Other Cheek" (1967). Walter Coy
appeared as Morrell in the 1967 episode "Like One of the Family". Gregg Palmer
guest starred in the 1965 episode "The Golden Trail" and as Sergeant Mason in the 1966 segment, "The Dance of the Laughing Death". I. Stanford Jolley
appeared twice, as Jarvis in "A Matter of Policy" (1965) and as Old Man in "Finnegan" (1966). Diane Roter
who played cast member Jennifer Sommers in the parent series The Virginian
guest starred as Lohray in "The Dance of the Laughing Death" (1966). Kurt Russell
guest starred as Grey Smoke in "Meanwhile Back at the Reservation" (1966).
Three of the episodes from the first season of the series were edited into the feature film Three Guns for Texas.
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
Western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
television series starring Neville Brand
Neville Brand
Neville Brand was an American television and movie actor.-Early life:Neville Brand was born in Illinois. He was born to Leo and Helen Brand as one of seven children. Leo, was an electrician and bridge building steel worker in Detroit, where Neville was raised...
, William Smith
William Smith (actor)
William Smith is an American actor who has appeared in almost 300 feature films and television productions.Smith began his acting career at the age of 8 in 1942...
, Peter Brown
Peter Brown (actor)
Peter Brown is an American television actor known for his role as Deputy Johnny McKay opposite John Russell in the 1958 Warner Bros. western series Lawman.-Early life:...
, and Philip Carey
Philip Carey
-Biography:He was born as Eugene Joseph Carey in Hackensack, New Jersey. A former U.S. Marine, Carey was wounded as part of the ship's detachment of the USS Franklin during World War II and served again in the Korean War....
as Texas Rangers
Texas Ranger Division
The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction in Texas, and is based in Austin, Texas...
. The program premiered on September 16, 1965, and the final new episode was broadcast on April 7, 1967. The series was produced by Universal Television.
Synopsis
Laredo combined action and humor with the focus on three fictitious Texas Rangers. Reese Bennett, played by Brand, is older than his two partners. Chad Cooper was played by Peter Brown, the former co-star with John RussellJohn Russell (actor)
John Lawrence Russell was an American actor, and World War II veteran, most noted for playing Marshal Dan Troop in the successful ABC western television series Lawman from 1958 to 1962....
of ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Lawman
Lawman (tv series)
Lawman is an American Western television series originally telecast from 1958 to 1962 starring John Russell as Marshal Dan Troop and featuring Peter Brown as Deputy Marshal Johnny McKay on the ABC Television Network. The series was set in Laramie, Wyoming during the mid to late 1870s. Warner Bros....
. Joe Riley was portrayed by William Smith. Reese was previously an officer of the Union Army during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Originally from New Orleans, Chad was in the Border Patrol during the war. He joined the Rangers to search for the gunrunners who had ambushed fellow border patrolmen. Joe was a gunfighter who was at times on the wrong side of the law. He joined the Rangers to obtain protection from a sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
. Chad and Joe tease Reese about his age: he was in his forties.
The three Rangers are led by Captain Edward Parmalee, played by Philip Carey (1925-2009), who was stern and disciplined. Robert Wolders
Robert Wolders
Robert Wolders is a Dutch television actor.He played the role of Erik Hunter in the second season of the TV series Laredo...
as Erik Hunter joined the show in the second and final season. Claude Akins
Claude Akins
Claude Marion Akins was an American actor with a long career on stage, screen and television.Powerful in appearance and voice, Akins could be counted on to play the clever tough guy, on the side of good or bad, in movies and television. He is best remembered as Sheriff Lobo in the 1970s TV series...
played Ranger Cotton Buckmeister in five episodes but never became a part of the cast. The pilot of Laredo was an episode of The Virginian
The Virginian (TV series)
The Virginian is an American Western television series starring James Drury and Doug McClure, which aired on NBC from 1962 to 1971 for a total of 249 episodes. Filmed in color, The Virginian became television's first 90-minute western series...
called "We've Lost A Train", which was broadcast in April 1965. It was released theatrically in 1969 under the title Backtrack.
Reese's horse Cactus is mentioned in several episodes. Chad's horse called "Amigo" was actually Peter Brown's personal horse.
Among the Laredo guest stars was character actor
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
Robert F. Simon
Robert F. Simon
Robert F. Simon was an American character actor, often portraying military or authority figure roles. Though his face was recognized by audiences, he was mostly unknown by name...
(1908-1992), who appeared as Senator John Sparks in the episode "A Matter of Policy" (1965) and as Mr. Tinker in "The Other Cheek" (1967). Walter Coy
Walter Coy
Walter Darwin Coy was an American stage, radio, film, and, principally, television actor, originally from Great Falls, Montana. He was best known for narrating the NBC western anthology series, Frontier, which aired early Sunday evenings in the 1955-1956 season.-Career:Coy performed on Broadway...
appeared as Morrell in the 1967 episode "Like One of the Family". Gregg Palmer
Gregg Palmer
Gregg Palmer, originally Palmer Lee is an American actor, known primarily for his prolific work in television westerns...
guest starred in the 1965 episode "The Golden Trail" and as Sergeant Mason in the 1966 segment, "The Dance of the Laughing Death". I. Stanford Jolley
I. Stanford Jolley
Isaac Stanford Jolley, Sr., known as I. Stanford Jolley was a prolific American character actor of film and television, primarily in western roles as cowboys, law-enforcement officers, or villains...
appeared twice, as Jarvis in "A Matter of Policy" (1965) and as Old Man in "Finnegan" (1966). Diane Roter
Diane Roter
Diane Roter is an American actress best known for her appearances in the long running TV western The Virginian in its fourth season which ran from 1965 to 1966. She then appeared in an episode of Laredo which was a spin off from The Virginian series in 1966 and later appeared in an episode of the...
who played cast member Jennifer Sommers in the parent series The Virginian
The Virginian (TV series)
The Virginian is an American Western television series starring James Drury and Doug McClure, which aired on NBC from 1962 to 1971 for a total of 249 episodes. Filmed in color, The Virginian became television's first 90-minute western series...
guest starred as Lohray in "The Dance of the Laughing Death" (1966). Kurt Russell
Kurt Russell
Kurt Vogel Russell is an American television and film actor. His first acting roles were as a child in television series, including a lead role in the Western series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters...
guest starred as Grey Smoke in "Meanwhile Back at the Reservation" (1966).
Three of the episodes from the first season of the series were edited into the feature film Three Guns for Texas.
Cast
- Neville BrandNeville BrandNeville Brand was an American television and movie actor.-Early life:Neville Brand was born in Illinois. He was born to Leo and Helen Brand as one of seven children. Leo, was an electrician and bridge building steel worker in Detroit, where Neville was raised...
...Reese Bennett - Peter BrownPeter Brown (actor)Peter Brown is an American television actor known for his role as Deputy Johnny McKay opposite John Russell in the 1958 Warner Bros. western series Lawman.-Early life:...
...Chad Cooper - William SmithWilliam Smith (actor)William Smith is an American actor who has appeared in almost 300 feature films and television productions.Smith began his acting career at the age of 8 in 1942...
...Joe Riley - Philip CareyPhilip Carey-Biography:He was born as Eugene Joseph Carey in Hackensack, New Jersey. A former U.S. Marine, Carey was wounded as part of the ship's detachment of the USS Franklin during World War II and served again in the Korean War....
...Captain Edward Parmalee - Robert WoldersRobert WoldersRobert Wolders is a Dutch television actor.He played the role of Erik Hunter in the second season of the TV series Laredo...
...Erik Hunter - Claude AkinsClaude AkinsClaude Marion Akins was an American actor with a long career on stage, screen and television.Powerful in appearance and voice, Akins could be counted on to play the clever tough guy, on the side of good or bad, in movies and television. He is best remembered as Sheriff Lobo in the 1970s TV series...
...Cotton Buckmeister (5 episodes, 1966-1967)