The Gene Autry Show is an American western/cowboytelevision series which aired for 91 episodes on CBS from July 23, 1950 until August 7, 1956, originally sponsored by Wrigley'sDoublemint chewing gum.[1]
Series star Gene Autry had already established his singing cowboy character on radio and films. Now he and his horse Champion were featured in a weekly television series of western adventures. Gene's role changed almost weekly from rancher, to ranch hand, to sheriff, to border agent, etc. Gene's usual comic relief and sidekick, Pat, was played by Pat Buttram. During the first season, Gene's sidekick was played by Chill Wills twice (as Chill) and by Fuzzy Knight four times (as Sagebrush). Alan Hale, Jr. played a bad guy in several episodes of Seasons 1 and 2, but he also played Gene's sidekick, Tiny, in two episodes of Season 1. Dick Jones was cast in ten episodes of The Gene Autry Show and acted in two other Flying A Productions, The Range Rider and Buffalo Bill, Jr.
Production
Autry established his own production company, Flying A Productions,[2] and acted as executive director for the series.[citation needed]
Initially the show was broadcast on Sundays from 7 to 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time. In July 1953 it was moved to Tuesdays from 8 to 8:30 p.m. E. T. In September 1954, It was moved to Saturdays from 7 to 7:30 p.m. E. T.[3]
A review in TV Guide in 1954 said that episodes of the show were entertaining for young viewers but were "in too much of a rut for the majority of their elders".[5] The review added, "This weekly triumph of good over evil makes for beneficial viewing for the kids, and maybe that’s Autry’s sole aim."[5] It noted Pat Buttram's appeal to young viewers and added, "Others in the cast are uniformly competent."[5]
On December 10, 2013, Timeless Media released The Gene Autry Show- The Complete series.[10]
DVD Name
Ep #
Release Date
The Complete First Season
26
June 7, 2011
The Complete Second Season
26
November 22, 2011
The Complete Third and Fourth Seasons
26
April 10, 2012
The Complete Fifth Season
13
May 21, 2013
The Complete Series
91
December 10, 2013
References
^Woolery, George W. (1985). Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981, Part II: Live, Film, and Tape Series. The Scarecrow Press. pp. 189–192. ISBN0-8108-1651-2.
^ abMcNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 315. ISBN0-14-02-4916-8.
