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Stoney Burke (TV series)

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Stoney Burke
Jack Lord as Stoney Burke
GenreWestern
Starring
Theme music composerDominic Frontiere
ComposerDominic Frontiere
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes32
Production
ProducerLeslie Stevens
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time44 mins.
Production companyDaystar Productions
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseOctober 1, 1962 (1962-10-01) –
May 20, 1963 (1963-05-20)

Stoney Burke is an American contemporary Western television series broadcast on ABC from October 1, 1962, until May 20, 1963. Jack Lord starred in the title role. Burke is a professional rodeo cowboy who specializes in saddle bronc riding and competes for the Golden Buckle, presented annually to the rodeo world champion in each rodeo event.

Overview

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During his quest for the Golden Buckle, Stoney becomes entangled in the lives of numerous people and is accompanied on the rodeo circuit by friends Ves Painter (Warren Oates), Cody Bristol (Robert Dowdell), and E. J. Stocker (Bruce Dern).

Lord said that he wanted Stoney Burke to move beyond rodeos "into good thematically solid stories."[1] He added, "What we're trying to do is say something to gently lift the moral tone of society. We have a responsibility to ennoble and enlighten as well as entertain."[1]

Production

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Leslie Stevens was the producer. Daystar Productions partnered with United Artists to produce the series.[2] Dominic Frontiere scored the episodes.[3] The Stoney Burk Theme was recorded by Maureen Bayand (released by United Artists)[4] and by Nelson Riddle (released by Capitol).[5]

Stoney Burke was broadcast on Mondays from 9 to 10 p. m. Eastern Time.[6]

By May 1963, plans were underway for syndication of the show. A representative of Economee Television Programs (a subsidiary of United Artists Television) said that stations in 14 major markets had bought the series. Those markets included Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles.[7]

Reception

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The same year that Stoney Burke premiered, NBC aired its own drama about rodeo performers, Wide Country. Both series were Westerns that debuted at the end of the time when Western programs—a fixture of 1950s and early 1960s television—had been a number one draw on the medium. By the mid-1960s, market saturation had begun to take its toll; while established series such as Bonanza and Gunsmoke continued to thrive, new shows with less than robust ratings struggled to survive. Both rodeo series were cancelled after one season.[8]

William W. Savage, in his book The Cowboy Hero: His Image in American History & Culture, commented, ". . . while the rodeo format afforded the sorts of dramatic possibilities (weekly changes of locale and population, for example) that had ensured the success of dozens of western programs, it seems clear that rodeo performers paled in comparison to the 'genuine' television cowboy heroes . . .".[9]

Guest stars

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Dick Clark of American Bandstand was cast as Sgt. Andy Kincaid in the 1963 episode "Kincaid" (one of several backdoor pilots),[10] which also featured real-life rodeo cowboy Casey Tibbs playing himself. James Coburn was cast as Jamison in the 1963 episode "The Test"; J. Pat O'Malley, Richard Eyer, and Ivan Dixon were also featured in this episode.

Episodes

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No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
1"The Contender"Leslie StevensLeslie StevensOctober 1, 1962 (1962-10-01)

  • CO–STARRING Kate Manx
  • SPECIAL GUEST STAR Philip Abbott as Royce Hamilton

CAST
Carl Benton Reid
Bartlett Robinson
Cleo Ann as Ruby Lee
Bill Hart

Notes: Episode title does not appear on-screen.
Kate Manx was married to series producer, director and writer Leslie Stevens from 1958 until shortly before her death in 1964.
2"Fight Night"Leslie StevensLeslie StevensOctober 8, 1962 (1962-10-08)

CAST
Edgar Buchanan        Alan Bunce
George Mitchell        Bill Hart
Claudia Bryar        Leonard Nimoy
Bill Zuckert        Paul Birch

Note: Episode title does not appear on-screen.
3"Child of Luxury"Leslie StevensLeslie StevensOctober 15, 1962 (1962-10-15)

CAST
              Judson Laire
George Mitchell        Charles Carlson
Bill Hart        Dee J. Thompson
        and Stan Berman
Uncredited Shep Houghton

Note: Episode includes a teaser and preview of next week's episode.
4"Point of Honor"Leslie StevensLeslie StevensOctober 22, 1962 (1962-10-22)

CAST
         Patricia Breslin
Ben Johnson        Ian Wolfe
Bill Hart        Bill Mullikin
Lew Brown        Casey Tibbs
and Dean Stanton as Dell Tindall
Uncredited Bill Walker

Note: Episode includes a teaser.
5"The Mob Riders"Leslie StevensLeslie StevensOctober 29, 1962 (1962-10-29)

CAST
Gene Lyons        Denise Alexander
Bill Gunn        Curt Conway
Ford Rainey        John Duke
Kim Hamilton        Bill Hart
and Michael Parks as Tack Reynolds
Uncredited Buck Taylor

Note: Episode starts with cold open and ends with preview of next week's episode.
6"A Matter of Pride"Leslie StevensLeslie StevensNovember 5, 1962 (1962-11-05)

CAST
               Jena Engstrom
Virginia Christine        Edith Atwater
George Mitchell        Bill Hart
Robert Brubaker        Henry Scott

Note: Episode includes a teaser and preview of next week's episode.
7"Sidewinder"Leslie StevensLeslie StevensNovember 12, 1962 (1962-11-12)

CAST
David White        Gail Kobe
George Mitchell        Bill Hart
Shirley O'Hara        Helen Gurley Brown
           and Strother Martin
Uncredited Bill Walker

Note: Episode includes a teaser.
8"The Scavenger"Leslie StevensLeslie StevensNovember 19, 1962 (1962-11-19)

CAST
         John Kellogg
Paul Comi        Shirley Ballard
Bill Hart        Roy Glenn
and Enoch Gates as The Derelict

Note: Episode starts with cold open and ends with preview of next week's episode.
9"Spin a Golden Web"Robert ButlerPhilip SaltzmanNovember 26, 1962 (1962-11-26)

CAST
          John Anderson
Ken Lynch        Mary Munday
James Callahan        Bill Hart
Uncredited Bill Walker, Carol Henry

Note: Episode starts with cold open and ends with preview of next week's episode.
10"The Wanderer"Leonard HornMilton GeigerDecember 3, 1962 (1962-12-03)

CAST
Bill Hart        Nora Marlowe
Roy Engel        Betty Harford
Lex Connelly        Bill Erwin
John Graham        Wes Liston
Uncredited Mark Russell

Note: Episode starts with cold open.
11"Five by Eight by Eight"Tom GriesPalmer ThompsonDecember 10, 1962 (1962-12-10)
12"Bandwagon"Laslo BenedekMeyer DolinskyDecember 17, 1962 (1962-12-17)
13"Cousin Eunice"Tom GriesBob BarbashDecember 24, 1962 (1962-12-24)
14"Gold-Plated Maverick"William A. GrahamS.S. SchweitzerJanuary 7, 1963 (1963-01-07)
15"Death Rides a Pale Horse"Tom GriesFrank L. MossJanuary 14, 1963 (1963-01-14)
16"The King of the Hill"Tom GriesJohn FalvoJanuary 21, 1963 (1963-01-21)
17"A Matter of Percentage"William A. GrahamRichard Levinson & William LinkJanuary 28, 1963 (1963-01-28)
18"Image of Glory"John ErmanBob BarbashFebruary 4, 1963 (1963-02-04)
19"Cat's Eyes"Laslo BenedekPhilip SaltzmanFebruary 11, 1963 (1963-02-11)
20"Web of Fear"Laszlo BenedekEd AdamsonFebruary 18, 1963 (1963-02-18)
21"Point of Entry"Leonard HornLeslie StevensMarch 4, 1963 (1963-03-04)
22"To Catch the Kaiser"Tom GriesPhilip SaltzmanMarch 11, 1963 (1963-03-11)
23"Joby"John ErmanPhilip SaltzmanMarch 18, 1963 (1963-03-18)
24"Forget Me More"Robert ButlerPeter PackerMarch 25, 1963 (1963-03-25)
25"Color Him Lucky"Laslo BenedekDonn MullallyApril 1, 1963 (1963-04-01)
26"The Weapons Man"Leslie StevensLeslie StevensApril 8, 1963 (1963-04-08)
27"Kelly's Place"Tom GriesStephen LordApril 15, 1963 (1963-04-15)
28"Kincaid"Leonard J. HornBob BarbashApril 22, 1963 (1963-04-22)
29"A Girl Named Amy"Lalso BenedekBob Barbash & S.S.SchweitzerApril 29, 1963 (1963-04-29)
30"Tigress by the Tail"Tom GriesBarry TriversMay 6, 1963 (1963-05-06)
31"The Test"Leonard J. HornBob BarbashMay 13, 1963 (1963-05-13)
32"The Journey"Leslie StevensLeslie StevensMay 20, 1963 (1963-05-20)

DVD release

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On April 16, 2013, Timeless Media Group released Stoney Burke - The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1.[11] The six disc set includes all 32 episodes of the series.

See also

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Jack Lord filmography

References

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  1. ^ a b Lynch, Sylvia D. (March 22, 2018). Jack Lord: An Acting Life. McFarland. p. 115. ISBN 978-1-4766-6627-3. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  2. ^ Morreale, Joanne (April 5, 2022). The Outer Limits. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 978-0-8143-4746-1. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  3. ^ Burlingame, Jon (March 3, 2023). Music for Prime Time: A History of American Television Themes and Scoring. Oxford University Press. p. 125. ISBN 978-0-19-061830-8. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  4. ^ "Singles Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. January 19, 1963. p. 46. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  5. ^ "Today's Top Record Talent" (PDF). Billboard. April 6, 1963. p. 62. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  6. ^ Aaker, Everett (June 8, 2017). Television Western Players, 1960-1975: A Biographical Dictionary. McFarland. p. 465. ISBN 978-1-4766-6250-3. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  7. ^ "'Stoney Burke' bought in 14 markets for fall" (PDF). Broadcasting. April 29, 1963. p. 64. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  8. ^ Wooden, Wayne S.; Ehringer, Gavin (1996). Rodeo in America: Wranglers, Roughstock & Paydirt. University Press of Kansas. p. 270. ISBN 978-0-7006-0813-3. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  9. ^ Savage, William W. (1979). The Cowboy Hero: His Image in American History & Culture. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 131. ISBN 978-0-8061-1920-5. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  10. ^ Jackson, John (June 3, 1999). American Bandstand: Dick Clark and the Making of a Rock 'n' Roll Empire. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-028490-9. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  11. ^ Stoney Burke - Box Art Arrives for 'The Complete Series' Starring Jack Lord Archived 2013-02-11 at the Wayback Machine

Sources

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