My Friend Flicka (TV series)
Encyclopedia
My Friend Flicka is a 39-episode western
television series set at the fictitious Goose Bar Ranch in Wyoming
at the turn of the 20th century. The program was filmed in color but initially aired in black and white on CBS at 7:30 p.m. Fridays from February 10, 1956, to February 1, 1957. It was a mid-season replacement for Gene Autry
's The Adventures of Champion
. Both series, however failed in the ratings against ABC
's The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin
.
After the initial Friday airing, viewers could still find the series on CBS Saturdays at 7 p.m. Eastern during March 1957, on Sundays at 6 p.m. from April to May 1957, and on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. from June to August 1957. NBC
carried the program in color at 6:30 p.m. Sunday from September to December 1957 and at 7 p.m. Sunday from January to May 1958. In subsequent years, the series aired mostly on Saturday mornings on all networks. The Disney Channel
ran it on Monday evenings in the mid-1980s. Over the years many viewers were unaware that the series produced episodes for only a single season.
My Friend Flicka starred native Canadian Johnny Washbrook
as Ken McLaughlin, a boy devoted to his horse Flicka, Swedish for "little girl", but actually an Arabian sorrel
named Wahana. Gene Evans
played the authoritarian father Rob McLaughlin, a former U.S. Army cavalry
officer. Anita Louise
was cast as the gentle-spirited mother, Nell. Frank Ferguson
portrayed Gus Broeberg, the loyal ranch hand. Flicka is based on a novel by Mary O'Hara
, written at the Remount Ranch, located between Laramie
and Cheyenne
, Wyoming. Some Internet sites say that the series is set in Montana
, where some of the filming was done. The majority of the filming, however, was at Fox Movie Ranch
. My Friend Flicka holds the distinction of having been the first television series filmed by 20th Century Fox
. A 1943 film, My Friend Flicka
, starred Roddy McDowall
as Ken.
Johnny Washbrook
guested on several TV shows after the series ended, and acted into the 1970s then went into banking. He has appeared in several western celebrity signing shows in the U.S. lately, and lives with his family in Martha's Vineyard. Sydney Mason appeared on My Friend Flicka seven times as Sheriff Downey. Robert Adler appeared five times in different roles; Claude Akins
, three times, and Hugh Beaumont, Tiger Fafara
and Denver Pyle
, twice. Pamela Baird
appeared in ten episodes as Hildy Broeberg. Beaumont, Fafara, and Baird later had roles on the sitcom Leave It to Beaver
.
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 set at the fictitious Goose Bar Ranch in Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
at the turn of the 20th century. The program was filmed in color but initially aired in black and white on CBS at 7:30 p.m. Fridays from February 10, 1956, to February 1, 1957. It was a mid-season replacement for Gene Autry
Gene Autry
Orvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
's The Adventures of Champion
The Adventures of Champion
The Adventures of Champion is a 15-minute adventure serial radio drama directed by William Burch and heard weekday afternoons on the Mutual Broadcasting System in 1949-50.-Radio:...
. Both series, however failed in the ratings against 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 The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin
The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin
The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin is an American children's television program which originally aired in 166 episodes on ABC from October 1954 until August 1959. It starred child actor Lee Aaker as Rusty, a boy orphaned in an Indian raid, who was being raised by the soldiers at a US Cavalry post known...
.
After the initial Friday airing, viewers could still find the series on CBS Saturdays at 7 p.m. Eastern during March 1957, on Sundays at 6 p.m. from April to May 1957, and on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. from June to August 1957. NBC
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...
carried the program in color at 6:30 p.m. Sunday from September to December 1957 and at 7 p.m. Sunday from January to May 1958. In subsequent years, the series aired mostly on Saturday mornings on all networks. The Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
ran it on Monday evenings in the mid-1980s. Over the years many viewers were unaware that the series produced episodes for only a single season.
My Friend Flicka starred native Canadian Johnny Washbrook
Johnny Washbrook
John "Johnny" Washbrook is a former child actor best known for his role as 12-year-old Ken McLaughlin on the western television series My Friend Flicka, originally broadcast from 1956-1957 on CBS.-My Friend Flicka:...
as Ken McLaughlin, a boy devoted to his horse Flicka, Swedish for "little girl", but actually an Arabian sorrel
Sorrel (horse)
Sorrel is an alternative word for one of the most common equine coat colors in horses. While the term is usually used to refer to a copper-red shade of chestnut, in some places it is used generically in place of "chestnut" to refer to any reddish horse with a same-color or lighter mane and tail,...
named Wahana. Gene Evans
Gene Evans
Gene Evans was an American actor.He was born in Holbrook, Arizona, but reared in Colton, California. His acting career began while he was serving in World War II. He performed with a theatrical troupe of GIs in Europe. Evans made his film debut in 1947 and appeared in dozens of movies and...
played the authoritarian father Rob McLaughlin, a former U.S. Army cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
officer. Anita Louise
Anita Louise
-Life and career:Born Anita Louise Fremault in New York, New York, she made her acting debut on Broadway at the age of six, and within a year was appearing regularly in Hollywood films...
was cast as the gentle-spirited mother, Nell. Frank Ferguson
Frank Ferguson
Frank Ferguson was an American character actor with hundreds of appearances in both film and television. Perhaps his best known role was as the ranch handyman, Gus Broeberg, on the CBS television series, My Friend Flicka, based on a novel of the same name...
portrayed Gus Broeberg, the loyal ranch hand. Flicka is based on a novel by Mary O'Hara
Mary O'Hara (author)
Mary O'Hara Alsop was an American author and screenwriter.-Biography:Mary O'Hara Alsop was born July 10, 1885 in Cape May Point, New Jersey, the third child of Reverend Dr. Reese Fell Alsop and Mary Lee Spring. O'Hara, who was named after her maternal grandmother, Mary O'Hara Spring , grew up in...
, written at the Remount Ranch, located between Laramie
Laramie, Wyoming
Laramie is a city in and the county seat of Albany County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 30,816 at the . Located on the Laramie River in southeastern Wyoming, the city is west of Cheyenne, at the junction of Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 287....
and Cheyenne
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population is 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the...
, Wyoming. Some Internet sites say that the series is set in Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, where some of the filming was done. The majority of the filming, however, was at Fox Movie Ranch
Movie ranch
A movie ranch is a ranch that is at least partially dedicated to being used as a site for the creation and production of motion pictures, and television productions...
. My Friend Flicka holds the distinction of having been the first television series filmed by 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
. A 1943 film, My Friend Flicka
My Friend Flicka (film)
My Friend Flicka is a 1943 coming-of-age film about a young boy, played by Roddy McDowall, who is given a colt to raise. It is based on the popular children's novel by Mary O'Hara.-Cast:*Roddy McDowall as Ken McLaughlin*Preston Foster as Rob McLaughlin...
, starred Roddy McDowall
Roddy McDowall
Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude "Roddy" McDowall was an English actor and photographer. His film roles included Cornelius and Caesar in the Planet of the Apes film series...
as Ken.
Johnny Washbrook
Johnny Washbrook
John "Johnny" Washbrook is a former child actor best known for his role as 12-year-old Ken McLaughlin on the western television series My Friend Flicka, originally broadcast from 1956-1957 on CBS.-My Friend Flicka:...
guested on several TV shows after the series ended, and acted into the 1970s then went into banking. He has appeared in several western celebrity signing shows in the U.S. lately, and lives with his family in Martha's Vineyard. Sydney Mason appeared on My Friend Flicka seven times as Sheriff Downey. Robert Adler appeared five times in different roles; 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...
, three times, and Hugh Beaumont, Tiger Fafara
Tiger Fafara
Lucas "Tiger" Fafara II cheese is a former child actor on the Leave It to Beaver sitcom, amongst others, appearing in eighteen episodes between 1957 and 1960. He was born in San Francisco, California....
and Denver Pyle
Denver Pyle
Denver Dell Pyle was an American film and television actor. He is best remembered for playing Uncle Jesse in The Dukes of Hazzard .-Early life:...
, twice. Pamela Baird
Pamela Baird
Pamela Baird is an American former actress, best known for her role as "Mary Ellen Rogers", the girlfriend of "Wally Cleaver" on the classic sitcom, Leave It to Beaver. She appeared in seven of the show's 235 episodes. but her name was mentioned in many other segments...
appeared in ten episodes as Hildy Broeberg. Beaumont, Fafara, and Baird later had roles on the sitcom Leave It to Beaver
Leave It to Beaver
Leave It to Beaver is an American television situation comedy about an inquisitive but often naïve boy named Theodore "The Beaver" Cleaver and his adventures at home, in school, and around his suburban neighborhood...
.
Episodes and guest stars
- "One Man's Horse" (series premiere), Flicka is stolen by an outlaw. (Hugh Beaumont as Simmons and Forrest LewisForrest Lewis-Career:In the mid-1950s, Lewis appeared briefly as a deputy in the syndicated crime drama Sheriff of Cochise, starring John Bromfield. He also guest starred with Maudie Prickett in the episode "Brief Glory" of the syndicated western series 26 Men...
as a storekeeper) - "Blind Faith", Flicka is blinded in an accident and unexpectedly recovers. (Robert Adler as Ed Quinney)
- "A Case of Honor", Rob is accused of poisoning a water hole during a clash of ranchers and sheepherders. (Peter WhitneyPeter WhitneyPeter Whitney, was an American actor in film and television. Born as Peter King Engle in Long Branch, New Jersey, Whitney's corpulent, heavy build qualified him to play villains in many Hollywood movies in the 1940s and 1950s.From the late 1950s, he was more prolific playing character roles in...
as Crothers) - "A Good Deed", Ken and Flicka help a disabled boy overcome his fear of horses.
- "Cavalry Horse", the McLaughlins try to save a soldier's horse from extermination. (Robert Adler as Pete Slocum)
- "The Accident", Ken is stalked by a cougar after being thrown by Flicka. (Robert Adler as John Bronson)
- "The Stranger", Ken is held hostage by an escaped convict. (Jeff Morrow as Mason)
- "The Wild Horse", strangers want to buy Flicka, who suddenly goes missing after Ken refuses to sell. (Denver PyleDenver PyleDenver Dell Pyle was an American film and television actor. He is best remembered for playing Uncle Jesse in The Dukes of Hazzard .-Early life:...
as Alec, Guinn WilliamsGuinn Williams (actor)Guinn "Big Boy" Williams was an American actor who appeared in memorable westerns such as Dodge City , Santa Fe Trail , and The Comancheros...
as the blacksmith, and Tyler McVeyTyler McVeyTyler McVey was an American character actor.-Early life and career:McVey was born in Bay City on Saginaw Bay in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. His first screen role, uncredited, came at the age of 39 in 1951, when he portrayed Brady in the The Day the Earth Stood Still...
as a police officer) - "Rogue Stallion", McLaughlin and a neighbor each try to capture a wild horse. (John DoucetteJohn DoucetteJohn Doucette was a film character actor. He was a balding, husky man remembered for playing mob muscle and western bad guys in movies...
and 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...
as Hap and Matt Scott) - "The Little Secret", Ken saves the life of a Native American Indian baby. (Claude Akins as Keenak)
- "Act of Loyalty", Flicka helps a fugitive escape from jail, and some townspeople erroneously suspect that Ken is involved.
- "Silver Saddle", Flicka competes in a race for a silver saddle, but some suspect Ken had released a rival horse. (Herbert RudleyHerbert RudleyHerbert Rudley, , was a prolific character actor who appeared on stage, in films and on television.Rudley was born in 1910 in Philadelphia, and attended Temple University. He left Temple after winning a scholarship to Eva Le Gallienne's Civic Repertory Theatre.He began appearing on stage in 1926...
as Mr. Rawlins) - "The Phantom Hand", McLaughlin makes plans to sell the ranch after his entire herd runs away. (Roy RobertsRoy RobertsRoy Roberts was an American character actor. Over his more than 40-year career, he appeared in more than nine hundred productions on stage and screen.-Biography:...
) - "The Little Visitor", Ken and a boy are trapped in a mine.
- "The Golden Promise", Ken and Gus search for gold and leave Rob with the ranch chores. (Robert Adler as a foreman)
- "Black Dust", construction crews reopening a mine contaminate the water supply. (Robert Adler as Ben)
- "Night Rider", an old murder mystery is revived. (Hugh Beaumont appears again as Simmons.)
- "The Settler", Ken and Flicka pursue a runaway horse.
- "Wind from Heaven", Ken befriends a child of homesteaders with whom the ranchers are in conflict. (Steve Conte as Steve Connell and John M. PickardJohn Pickard (American actor)John M. Pickard was an American actor who appeared primarily in television Westerns.-Early life and career:...
as Rufe Grimes) - "The Whip", Ken copes with a powerful black stallion without the use of a whip used by an experienced horse trainer. (Herbert Rudley)
- "The Runaways", Ken pursues Flicka, after she runs away to join a wild horse mistaken for an albino killer.
- "The Cameraman", Rob saves a photographer from stampeding horses and then suspects that the man is a thief. (John CarradineJohn CarradineJohn Carradine was an American actor, best known for his roles in horror films and Westerns as well as Shakespearean theater. A member of Cecil B DeMille's stock company and later John Ford's company, he was one of the most prolific character actors in Hollywood history...
) - "Old Danny", Ken and Flicka help a little girl whose dog faces a threat from coyotes. (Ann DoranAnn DoranAnn Lee Doran was an American character actress.-Early life and career:Born in Amarillo, Texas, Doran began acting at the age of four. She appeared in hundreds of silent films under assumed names to keep her father's family from finding out about her work...
as Mrs. Martha Japson, later the mother on the series National Velvet, and Sandy DescherSandy DescherSandra "Sandy" Descher is an American former child actress of the 1950s.-Biography:Although born in Burbank, California, she was discovered by accident while on vacation. When Descher was about five years old, her family had travelled across country to New York City where the girl fell in love...
as Betty Japson) - "Rough and Ready", future U.S. President Theodore RooseveltTheodore RooseveltTheodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
intervenes in a range warRange warA range war is a type of conflict that occurs in agrarian or stockrearing societies. Typically fought over water rights or grazing rights to unfenced/unowned land, it could pit competing farmers or ranchers against each other...
(Frank AlbertsonFrank AlbertsonFrank Albertson was an American character actor who made his debut in a minor part in Hollywood at age 13....
as Roosevelt) - "Royal Carriage", Ken prepares the reception for a visiting countess.
- "Mr. Goblin", Ken brings home a stray white colt. (Tiger Fafara)
- "Rebels in Hiding", the Indian Thundercloud runs off with his grandson, Silver Fawn.
- "Lock, Stock, and Barrel", Ken hides Flicka in an abandoned barn, unaware that the building has been sold. (Claude Akins as August Hoskins)
- "The Unmasking", Ken and a young woman befriend a thief. (Sheb WooleySheb WooleyShelby F. "Sheb" Wooley was a character actor and singer, best known for his 1958 novelty song "Purple People Eater"...
as Harry Runyon) - "Refuge for the Night", Ken and Nell are alone at the ranch when an escaped convict arrives.
- "Against All Odds", Ken finds a puppy in his rabbit trap. (Phil Chambers as Doc Harrow)
- "The Old Champ", Rob competes as a wrestler at a medicine show. (Mike MazurkiMike MazurkiMike Mazurki was an Austrian-born American actor and professional wrestler who appeared in over 100 movies. His towering 6' 5" presence and intimidating face usually got him roles playing tough guys, thugs, strong men, and gangsters.Mazurki was born as Mikhail Mazurkevych in Tarnopol, Galicia,...
as Hercules) - "The Medicine Man", townspeople opposed a young Indian doctor who is treating Nell. (Pat Hogan as Mark Hawk)
- "When Bugles Blow", Rob considers re-enlisting in the cavalry, but Gus advises caution. (Raymond BaileyRaymond BaileyRaymond Thomas Bailey was an American actor on the Broadway stage, movies, and television. He is best known for his role as wealthy banker, Milburn Drysdale, in the television series The Beverly Hillbillies....
as ColonelColonelColonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Percival) - "The Recuse", Ken learns a painful lesson when he ridicules an elderly woman. (Douglas Evans)
- "The Foundlings", Ken runs away from home and encounters two unhappy orphans.
- "Growing Pains", a little girl and a prize bull arrive at the ranch.
- "Lost River". Rob buys a stallion with a Chinese brand, which he learns means "Evil comes to him who owns me". (Sammee TongSammee TongSammee Tong was an American film and television character actor.He appeared in more than thirty films and some forty television programs between 1935 and 1965. He first appeared in an uncredited role as a waiter in Charlie Chan in Shanghai , and later as Cheela, the houseboy, in Think Fast, Mr....
, later of the sitcom Bachelor Father, as Wong and Forrest Taylor as Shaginaw) - "Big Red" (series finale), while trailing an escaped show horse, Rob and Ken are menaced by a gun-wielding cowboy. (Denver Pyle as Clint Taylor and Jean ByronJean ByronJean Byron was an American film, television, and stage actress. She is best known for the role of Natalie Lane, Patty Lane's mother in The Patty Duke Show.-Early life and career:...
as Barbara Schuyler)
External links
- My Friend Flicka — A site dedicated to the My Friend Flicka Television Series