Pistols 'n' Petticoats
Encyclopedia
Pistols 'n' Petticoats is an American
Western
sitcom
that ran on CBS during the 1966-1967 television season. It was produced by Kayro/Universal Television for CBS Productions
and ran from September 17, 1966 to March 11, 1967. The series was created by George Tibbles
, who wrote the show's theme song. This was one of two sitcoms that ran on CBS with the "Petticoat" name in its title at the time, the other being Petticoat Junction
, which was produced by Filmways
and has no connection to this program.
The Hankses lived in the town of Wretched, Colorado
, in the year 1870, where at that time, the sprawling Old West was being occupied by outlaws. It was up to the Hankses to clean up the town, which made them more popular with the citizens than with the town sheriff, Harold Sikes, who did not like having the spotlight shine on the Hankses. The Hankses also had adversaries with rival Buss Courtney and members of a nearby Indian tribe, led by Chief Eagle Shadow, and his assistants, Grey Hawk and Little Bear.
used several of the episodes as "archive footage" for the 1967 feature film The Far Out West.
Currently, both Universal Home Video and Echo Bridge Home Video hold the DVD rights to the series.
Pistols 'n' Petticoat was filmed in Color
, then becoming the standard in new network programming.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
that ran on CBS during the 1966-1967 television season. It was produced by Kayro/Universal Television for CBS Productions
CBS Productions
CBS Productions is the production arm of the CBS television network now a part of CBS Corporation, formed in 1952 to produce shows in-house, instead of relying solely on outside productions. Its first production was CBS Television Workshop, a drama anthology series...
and ran from September 17, 1966 to March 11, 1967. The series was created by George Tibbles
George Tibbles
George Tibbles was a screenwriter, contributing to TV series such as Leave it to Beaver, Date with the Angels, The Munsters, Alice, Family Affair and Who's the Boss?...
, who wrote the show's theme song. This was one of two sitcoms that ran on CBS with the "Petticoat" name in its title at the time, the other being Petticoat Junction
Petticoat Junction
Petticoat Junction is an American situation comedy produced by Filmways which originally aired on CBS from 1963 to 1970. The series is one of three interrelated shows about rural characters created by Paul Henning; the others are The Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres.The setting for the series...
, which was produced by Filmways
Filmways
Filmways, Inc. was a television and film production company founded by American film executive Martin Ransohoff in 1958...
and has no connection to this program.
Series background
Pistols 'n' Petticoats chronicled the lives of the gun-slinging Hanks family, which consisted of Grandpa (Andrew), his wife Grandma (Effie), widowed daughter Henrietta, granddaughter (and Henrietta's daughter) Lucy, and their pet wolf Bowser. The "Petticoats" referred to the Hanks ladies, even though Lucy (who was raised in the city) would spend more time being at odds with the rest of the clan rather than helping protect their land.The Hankses lived in the town of Wretched, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, in the year 1870, where at that time, the sprawling Old West was being occupied by outlaws. It was up to the Hankses to clean up the town, which made them more popular with the citizens than with the town sheriff, Harold Sikes, who did not like having the spotlight shine on the Hankses. The Hankses also had adversaries with rival Buss Courtney and members of a nearby Indian tribe, led by Chief Eagle Shadow, and his assistants, Grey Hawk and Little Bear.
Cast
- Ann SheridanAnn Sheridan-Life and career:Born Clara Lou Sheridan in Denton, Texas on February 21, 1915, she was a student at the University of North Texas when her sister sent a photograph of her to Paramount Pictures. She subsequently entered and won a beauty contest, with part of her prize being a bit part in a...
as Henrietta Hanks - Ruth McDevittRuth McDevittRuth McDevitt was an American stage, film, radio and television actress.-Career:She was born Ruth Thane Shoecraft in Coldwater, Michigan. After attending the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, she married Patrick McDevitt and decided to devote her time to her marriage. After her husband's death in...
as Grandma Effie Hanks - Carole Wells as Lucy Hanks
- Douglas FowleyDouglas FowleyDouglas Fowley was an American movie and television actor.Fowley was born Daniel Vincent Fowley in The Bronx, New York. The 5'11" actor is probably best remembered for his role as the movie director Roscoe Dexter in Singin' in the Rain . The actor appeared in over 240 films and later in dozens of...
as Grandpa Andrew Hanks - Gary VinsonGary VinsonGary Vinson was an American actor who appeared in significant roles in three television series of the 1960s: The Roaring 20s, McHale's Navy, and Pistols 'n' Petticoats.-Early life and career:...
as Sheriff Harold Sikes - Robert LoweryRobert Lowery (actor)Robert Lowery was an American motion picture, television, and stage actor who appeared in over seventy films.-Early life:...
as Buss Courtney - Lon Chaney, Jr.Lon Chaney, Jr.Lon Chaney, Jr. , born Creighton Tull Chaney, was an American character actor. He was best known for his roles in monster movies and as the son of famous silent film actor, Lon Chaney...
as Chief Eagle Shadow - Marc Cavell as Grey Hawk
- Alex Hentelhoff as Little Bear
- Jay SilverheelsJay SilverheelsJay Silverheels was a Canadian Mohawk First Nations actor. He was well known for his role as Tonto, the faithful American Indian companion of the Lone Ranger in a long-running American television series. -Early life:...
as Great Bear
Production notes
The series would be Ann Sheridan's last role, for she would pass away on January 21, 1967, nearly two months before CBS cancelled the series, despite its popularity. Of the 26 shows that were produced, Sheridan only appeared in 21 episodes. After its cancellation, Universal PicturesUniversal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
used several of the episodes as "archive footage" for the 1967 feature film The Far Out West.
Currently, both Universal Home Video and Echo Bridge Home Video hold the DVD rights to the series.
Pistols 'n' Petticoat was filmed in Color
Color
Color or colour is the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called red, green, blue and others. Color derives from the spectrum of light interacting in the eye with the spectral sensitivities of the light receptors...
, then becoming the standard in new network programming.
Episode list
| Episode # | | Episode Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "A Crooked Line" | September 17, 1966 |
| 2 | "No Sale" | September 24, 1966 |
| 3 | "Bitter Blossom O'Brien" | October 1, 1966 |
| 4 | "Sir Richard of Wretched" | October 8, 1966 |
| 5 | "The Hank and the Indian War" | October 15, 1966 |
| 6 | "The Triangle" | October 22, 1966 |
| 7 | "A Wagonload of Wives" | October 29, 1966 |
| 8 | "The Ross Guttley Story" | November 5, 1966 |
| 9 | "The Gun Runners " | November 12, 1966 |
| 10 | "Lookout Point" | November 19, 1966 |
| 11 | "Quit Shootin' Folks, It's Grandma" | November 26, 1966 |
| 12 | "Shootout at the O'Day Corral" | December 3, 1966 |
| 13 | "Grandma's Date" | December 10, 1966 |
| 14 | "Here Comes Trouble" | December 17, 1966 |
| 15 | "Willie the Kid" | December 24, 1966 |
| 16 | "Wretched Beautiful" | December 31, 1966 |
| 17 | "Faint Heart Never Won Grandpa" | January 7, 1967 |
| 18 | "The Stranger" | January 14, 1967 |
| 19 | "Beware the Hangman" | January 21, 1967 |
| 20 | "A Man for Hank" | January 28, 1967 |
| 21 | "Petrified Wretched" | February 4, 1967 |
| 22 | "The Golden Fleece" | February 11, 1967 |
| 23 | "Peace Offering" | February 18, 1967 |
| 24 | "The Taming of Sorry Water" | February 25, 1967 |
| 25 | "Colonel Comes to Town" | March 4, 1967 |
| 26 | "Harold's Double" | March 11, 1967 |
External links
- Pistols 'n' Petticoats at TV Shows on DVD
- Pistols 'n' Petticoats at TV Party
- Pistols 'n' Petticoats, including a clip of the series' opening scene, at Nostalgia Central