TOUGH (!!!) SHOOTING STARS TRIVIA TEST:
1. Everyone knows that Gene Barry played Bat Masterson on BAT MASTERSON and that Hugh O’Brian played Wyatt Earp on WYATT EARP. But who played Wyatt Earp on BAT MASTERSON? Likewise, who played Bat Masterson on WYATT EARP?
2. On what later TV Western did Gene Barry and Hugh O’Brian finally get to play Bat and Wyatt together?
3. Two other actors also played Wyatt and Bat at the same time that the more famous O‘Brian/Barry shows were on the air (1958-59), though in this case, the characters’ names were fictionalized to avoid confusion. The show was called WICHITA TOWN: Who played the Marshal Earp and Deputy Masterson characters on that one?
4. John Wayne appeared on two TV Western series as a special unannounced guest. Name both those shows.
5. The Duke’s son Patrick Wayne played a part on a mid-1960s TV comedy Western that Henry Fonda had played in an earlier movie; in each, Chill Wills was the con-man sidekick. Name the movie/series.
6. Name each of the TV Westerns in which Slim Pickens played the sidekick.
7. Ward Bond was the original Wagonmaster on WAGON TRAIN and, most people believe, John McIntyre was the second actor to take on the Wagonmaster role. Wrong! McIntyre was the third. There was one other who, in between them, played the part for a single episode in the spring of 1961. Name this later Oscar winner.
8. Who was the original choice to play the lead in both THE VIRGINIAN and A COWBOY IN AFRICA, parts that eventually went to James Drury and Chuck Connors? (He turned it down because he’d just done six years on a Western show and wanted to do something different).
9. Who played the continuing character of Doc Holliday on the final season of MAVERICK (1961-62)?
10. The lead on MAVERICK was played by three actors . . . James Garner as Bret, Jack Kelly as Bart, and Roger Moore as Beau . . . In truth, though, there was a fourth, who lasted only two episodes in 1961. Who played “Brent”?
11. In addition to Fess Parker, name the two actors who also played Daniel Boone on weekly TV series - though each of those shows lasted only a mere four episodes apiece!
12. Who played Bill Boyd’s sidekick on the TV version of HOPALONG CASSIDY?
13. Most people remember that the three original “adult” TV Westerns - GUNSMOKE, CHEYENNE, and THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF WYATT EARP - all premiered the same week in 1955. Actually, there was a fourth: an anthology on NBC as a Sunday night early-evening series. The others became huge hits; this one, hosted by Walter Coy, lasted only one season. Name this obscure Worthington Miner-produced show.
14. In addition to such luminaries as Ronald Reagan, Robert Taylor, and many others, DEATH VALLEY DAYS also had a female host. Name her.
15. Who played Clint Walker’s sidekick on three of the first four episodes of CHEYENNE?
16. The storyline for the SUGARFOOT series was taken directly from a Warner Bros. movie of the previous year that had starred Will Rogers, Jr. Name it.
17. What very famous Western was originally touted as a possible TV vehicle for movie star Randolph Scott?
18. Sam Elliott, Robert Culp, and Lorne Greene all played this historic Texas figure on TV movies and special: name the “tallest Texan.”
19. In what actual western city was the ABC TV series LAWMAN set?
20. Name the two actors who, for four seasons, played a pair of cowboys in an NBC Tuesday night show set in that same city?
21. Two pilots were made for a CAT BALLOU TV series. Though both were aired, no such weekly show ever made it to the small screen. Name the two actors who played the part of “Kid Shaleen,” made famous by Lee Marvin in the movie.
22. Jeff Hunter was “Captain Pike” in the pilot for STAR TREK though when the series arrived on NBC, William Shatner was onboard as “Captain Kirk.” Each of those actors played the lead in a TV Western series. Name those shows.
23. Russell Hayden, formerly “Lucky” in the HOPALONG CASSIDY theatrical films, had top-billing in one TV Western. Jackie Coogan was his sidekick. Name it.
24. Russ Hayden also produced a TV series about the Arizona Rangers that took its title from the number of men who had been enlisted for the original organization. Name the show.
25. The first African-American to have a continuing role on a TV series played the part of “Batt,” a real life former slave employed on the Arizona ranch of John Slaughter. In Disney’s TV historical series, Tom Tryon played Big John from Texas; name the actor, best known as the lead in the film HOME OF THE BRAVE (he also played the black member of Frank Sinatra’s squad in THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE), who played Batt on TV between 1959-60.
26. During its final season on the air (1966-67), RAWHIDE finally added a black cowboy to its cast. Name the actor who played that part.
27. Clayton Moore dropped out of THE LONE RANGER for two seasons. Who replaced him?
28. The actor who replaced Clayton Moore for two seasons on THE LONE RANGER later had the lead in a TV Western (Eastern, actually!) with Lon Chaney Jr. playing his Indian sidekick. Give the FULL name of that show.
29. Name the famous American author whose literary works provided the inspiration for the TV series mentioned in the previous question.
30. Oscar-winner Sir John Mills starred in a notoriously unsuccessful TV Western in the late 1960s. Name it.
31. Name Sir John’s co-star in that short-lived series.
32. Alan Ladd played SHANE in the movies. Who played him on TV?
33. John Wayne played HONDO in the movies. Who played him on TV?
34. The star of the HONDO series also appeared in one other TV Western with James Coburn as his shifty sidekick. Name it.
35. The made-for-TV movies and mini-series co-starring Tom Selleck and Sam Elliott as brothers were based on the works of what famous Western writer?
NOTE:
For the answers, you can either wait for the publication of SHOOTING STARS OF THE SMALL SCREEN from University of Texas Press, Austin--or, if you prefer, e-mail me at dougbrode@msn.com and I’ll return-e-mail the answers to you.
2. On what later TV Western did Gene Barry and Hugh O’Brian finally get to play Bat and Wyatt together?
3. Two other actors also played Wyatt and Bat at the same time that the more famous O‘Brian/Barry shows were on the air (1958-59), though in this case, the characters’ names were fictionalized to avoid confusion. The show was called WICHITA TOWN: Who played the Marshal Earp and Deputy Masterson characters on that one?
4. John Wayne appeared on two TV Western series as a special unannounced guest. Name both those shows.
5. The Duke’s son Patrick Wayne played a part on a mid-1960s TV comedy Western that Henry Fonda had played in an earlier movie; in each, Chill Wills was the con-man sidekick. Name the movie/series.
6. Name each of the TV Westerns in which Slim Pickens played the sidekick.
7. Ward Bond was the original Wagonmaster on WAGON TRAIN and, most people believe, John McIntyre was the second actor to take on the Wagonmaster role. Wrong! McIntyre was the third. There was one other who, in between them, played the part for a single episode in the spring of 1961. Name this later Oscar winner.
8. Who was the original choice to play the lead in both THE VIRGINIAN and A COWBOY IN AFRICA, parts that eventually went to James Drury and Chuck Connors? (He turned it down because he’d just done six years on a Western show and wanted to do something different).
9. Who played the continuing character of Doc Holliday on the final season of MAVERICK (1961-62)?
10. The lead on MAVERICK was played by three actors . . . James Garner as Bret, Jack Kelly as Bart, and Roger Moore as Beau . . . In truth, though, there was a fourth, who lasted only two episodes in 1961. Who played “Brent”?
11. In addition to Fess Parker, name the two actors who also played Daniel Boone on weekly TV series - though each of those shows lasted only a mere four episodes apiece!
12. Who played Bill Boyd’s sidekick on the TV version of HOPALONG CASSIDY?
13. Most people remember that the three original “adult” TV Westerns - GUNSMOKE, CHEYENNE, and THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF WYATT EARP - all premiered the same week in 1955. Actually, there was a fourth: an anthology on NBC as a Sunday night early-evening series. The others became huge hits; this one, hosted by Walter Coy, lasted only one season. Name this obscure Worthington Miner-produced show.
14. In addition to such luminaries as Ronald Reagan, Robert Taylor, and many others, DEATH VALLEY DAYS also had a female host. Name her.
15. Who played Clint Walker’s sidekick on three of the first four episodes of CHEYENNE?
16. The storyline for the SUGARFOOT series was taken directly from a Warner Bros. movie of the previous year that had starred Will Rogers, Jr. Name it.
17. What very famous Western was originally touted as a possible TV vehicle for movie star Randolph Scott?
18. Sam Elliott, Robert Culp, and Lorne Greene all played this historic Texas figure on TV movies and special: name the “tallest Texan.”
19. In what actual western city was the ABC TV series LAWMAN set?
20. Name the two actors who, for four seasons, played a pair of cowboys in an NBC Tuesday night show set in that same city?
21. Two pilots were made for a CAT BALLOU TV series. Though both were aired, no such weekly show ever made it to the small screen. Name the two actors who played the part of “Kid Shaleen,” made famous by Lee Marvin in the movie.
22. Jeff Hunter was “Captain Pike” in the pilot for STAR TREK though when the series arrived on NBC, William Shatner was onboard as “Captain Kirk.” Each of those actors played the lead in a TV Western series. Name those shows.
23. Russell Hayden, formerly “Lucky” in the HOPALONG CASSIDY theatrical films, had top-billing in one TV Western. Jackie Coogan was his sidekick. Name it.
24. Russ Hayden also produced a TV series about the Arizona Rangers that took its title from the number of men who had been enlisted for the original organization. Name the show.
25. The first African-American to have a continuing role on a TV series played the part of “Batt,” a real life former slave employed on the Arizona ranch of John Slaughter. In Disney’s TV historical series, Tom Tryon played Big John from Texas; name the actor, best known as the lead in the film HOME OF THE BRAVE (he also played the black member of Frank Sinatra’s squad in THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE), who played Batt on TV between 1959-60.
26. During its final season on the air (1966-67), RAWHIDE finally added a black cowboy to its cast. Name the actor who played that part.
27. Clayton Moore dropped out of THE LONE RANGER for two seasons. Who replaced him?
28. The actor who replaced Clayton Moore for two seasons on THE LONE RANGER later had the lead in a TV Western (Eastern, actually!) with Lon Chaney Jr. playing his Indian sidekick. Give the FULL name of that show.
29. Name the famous American author whose literary works provided the inspiration for the TV series mentioned in the previous question.
30. Oscar-winner Sir John Mills starred in a notoriously unsuccessful TV Western in the late 1960s. Name it.
31. Name Sir John’s co-star in that short-lived series.
32. Alan Ladd played SHANE in the movies. Who played him on TV?
33. John Wayne played HONDO in the movies. Who played him on TV?
34. The star of the HONDO series also appeared in one other TV Western with James Coburn as his shifty sidekick. Name it.
35. The made-for-TV movies and mini-series co-starring Tom Selleck and Sam Elliott as brothers were based on the works of what famous Western writer?
NOTE:
For the answers, you can either wait for the publication of SHOOTING STARS OF THE SMALL SCREEN from University of Texas Press, Austin--or, if you prefer, e-mail me at dougbrode@msn.com and I’ll return-e-mail the answers to you.