Wanted Dead or Alive is an American Western television series starring Steve McQueen as bounty hunter Josh Randall. It aired on CBS for three seasons in 1958–1961. The black-and-white program was a spin-off of a March 1958 episode of Trackdown, a 1957–1959 Western series starring Robert Culp. Both series were produced by Vincent Fennelly for Four Star Television in association with CBS.[1][2]: 895
The series made McQueen a television star.[3]: 105 He would later crossover into comparable status on the big screen, making him the first TV star to do so.[4]
Series overview edit
Episodes edit
Season 1 (1958–1959) edit
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "The Martin Poster" | Thomas Carr | John Robinson | September 6, 1958 | |
| Josh Randall tracks down two brothers (Michael Landon, Nick Adams) he witnesses shoot a sheriff. With John Cliff, Dabbs Greer and Jenifer Lea. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Fatal Memory" | Thomas Carr | Don Brinkley | September 13, 1958 | |
| Colonel Sykes (Russell Thorson), Josh's former commander, is listed as a wanted man on a poster counterfeited by a dead man's wife (Joan Banks). With Gloria Talbot, Ralph Moody and Victor Perrin. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "The Bounty" | Thomas Carr | Samuel A. Peeples | September 20, 1958 | |
| Josh clashes with a sadistic bounty hunter as they search for a reclusive old man with an Apache bodyguard wanted for a crime committed years ago. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Dead End" | Thomas Carr | George F. Slavin | September 27, 1958 | |
| Josh is hired by a rancher to find a man wanted for grand theft and kidnapping. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "The Passing of Shawnee Bill" | Thomas Carr | David Lang | October 4, 1958 | |
| A stranger offers to help Josh capture a fugitive in return for half the reward. With Alan Hale Jr. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "The Giveaway Gun" | Donald McDougall | Frank D. Gilroy | October 11, 1958 | |
| Josh searches for a gunfighter identified by the way he draws his pistol. With Everett Sloane, Frank Faylen, Lurene Tuttle, Richard Devon, John Harmon and Addison Richard. | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | "Ransom for a Nun" | Donald McDougall | Fred Freiberger | October 18, 1958 | |
| Josh offers to take a killer to Tucson because the sheriff is worried about a rescue attempt by the outlaw's gang, who are holding a nun hostage. | ||||||
| 8 | 8 | "Miracle at Pot Hole" | Thomas Carr | Ellis Marcus | October 25, 1958 | |
| Josh finds a suspected murderer, then begins to doubt the man's guilt. | ||||||
| 9 | 9 | "The Fourth Headstone" | Donald McDougall | Frank D. Gilroy | November 1, 1958 | |
| Josh tries to help a woman he suspects has been framed for murder. | ||||||
| 10 | 10 | "Til Death Do Us Part" | Donald McDougall | Don Brinkley | November 8, 1958 | |
| Josh tracks down a woman wanted for murdering her husband. | ||||||
| 11 | 11 | "The Favor" | Thomas Carr | John Robinson | November 15, 1958 | |
| As a favor for a sheriff, Josh embarks on a perilous journey to bring a murder suspect to justice. With Sam Buffington. | ||||||
| 12 | 12 | "Ricochet" | Donald McDougall | Tony Barrett | November 22, 1958 | |
| A woman hires Josh to find her husband, for whom she plans death. | ||||||
| 13 | 13 | "Sheriff of Red Rock" | Thomas Carr | Philip Saltzman | November 29, 1958 | |
| Josh brings in a wanted man who is a member of a bounty hunter gang in cahoots with the local sheriff. | ||||||
| 14 | 14 | "Die by the Gun" | Donald McDougall | Story by : Lawrence Menkin Teleplay by : Christopher Knopf and Lawrence Menkin | December 6, 1958 | |
| Josh and his prisoner wanted for robbery are ambushed by killers. With Warren Oates. | ||||||
| 15 | 15 | "Rawhide Breed" | Donald McDougall | Samuel A. Peeples | December 13, 1958 | |
| A stagecoach carrying Josh and his prisoner is attacked by Indians. | ||||||
| 16 | 16 | "Eight Cent Reward" | Thomas Carr | Story by : John Robinson Teleplay by : Christopher Knopf | December 20, 1958 | |
| Josh is given a most unusual assignment: bringing in Santa Claus. With Sam Buffington. | ||||||
| 17 | 17 | "Drop to Drink" | Donald McDougall | Wells Root | December 27, 1958 | |
| A Pony Express company hires Josh to solve the mystery of a murdered rider and a stolen ring. | ||||||
| 18 | 18 | "Rope Law" | Thomas Carr | Donn Mullally | January 3, 1959 | |
| A lynch mob intends to hang Josh's prisoner, who has been falsely accused of his stepdaughter's murder. | ||||||
| 19 | 19 | "Six-Up to Bannach" | Thomas Carr | John Robinson | January 10, 1959 | |
| A stagecoach carrying Josh and his prisoner races against time to save an innocent man from an unjust hanging. With James Best and Sam Buffington. | ||||||
| 20 | 20 | "The Spurs" | Donald McDougall | David Lang | January 17, 1959 | |
| Josh tracks down a bank robber in spite of reports claiming the robber has been murdered. With Betsy Drake and Dick Foran. | ||||||
| 21 | 21 | "Reunion for Revenge" | R.G. Springsteen | Richard H. Landau | January 24, 1959 | |
| Josh brings in a man wanted by the law and a group of escaped convicts who blame him for sending them to prison. With Ralph Meeker and James Coburn. | ||||||
| 22 | 22 | "Competition" | R.G. Springsteen | Daniel B. Ullman | January 31, 1959 | |
| Josh meets two evil bounty hunters he must take out of his way. | ||||||
| 23 | 23 | "Call Your Shot" | Donald McDougall | Fred Freiberger | February 7, 1959 | |
| Josh is hired to find a drunk's son. | ||||||
| 24 | 24 | "Secret Ballot" | Donald McDougall | Don Brinkley | February 14, 1959 | |
| Josh tries to help the mayoral campaign of his friend Ned Easter. With DeForest Kelley and Bethel Leslie. | ||||||
| 25 | 25 | "The Corner" | R.G. Springsteen | D.D. Beauchamp and Mary M. Beauchamp | February 21, 1959 | |
| Josh is wrongly accused of murdering a friend. | ||||||
| 26 | 26 | "Eager Man" | Donald McDougall | Ray Buffum | February 28, 1959 | |
| A fugitive is eager to let Josh take him in, but only if his wife is willing to share the reward. | ||||||
| 27 | 27 | "The Legend" | Thomas Carr | Tony Barrett | March 7, 1959 | |
| Josh finds himself up against a pair of desperados in search of a legendary lost treasure. With Warren Oates. | ||||||
| 28 | 28 | "Railroaded" | Thomas Carr | D.D. Beauchamp and Mary M. Beauchamp | March 14, 1959 | |
| Josh must prove that a young boy did not murder a detective. With Edgar Buchanan. | ||||||
| 29 | 29 | "Double Fee" | Donald McDougall | Ellis Marcus | March 21, 1959 | |
| An opera singer involves Josh in a kidnapping case. With Diane Brewster. | ||||||
| 30 | 30 | "The Kovack Affair" | Thomas Carr | Story by : John Robinson Teleplay by : D.D. Beauchamp and Mary M. Beauchamp | March 28, 1959 | |
| A friend turns to Josh for help when he's pressured into relinquishing his controlling interest in a hotel. With James Coburn. | ||||||
| 31 | 31 | "Bounty for a Bride" | Donald McDougall | Samuel A. Peeples | April 4, 1959 | |
| Josh fights a fierce Apache for the hand of an Indian princess. | ||||||
| 32 | 32 | "Crossroads" | Donald McDougall | David Lang | April 11, 1959 | |
| A fugitive's father attempts to stop Josh from capturing his son. | ||||||
| 33 | 33 | "Angels of Vengeance" | R.G. Springsteen | Charles Beaumont | April 18, 1959 | |
| A religious cult seeks vengeance on Josh for murdering its leader's son. With John Dehner. | ||||||
| 34 | 34 | "Littlest Client" | Thomas Carr | Story by : Ray Buffum Teleplay by : John Robinson and Ray Buffum | April 25, 1959 | |
| A child refuses to believe her father is dead, so she asks Josh to find him. | ||||||
| 35 | 35 | "The Conquerors" | Thomas Carr | Fred Freiberger | May 2, 1959 | |
| A banker hires Josh to find his son, who has joined a gang of conquerors. With John Dehner. | ||||||
| 36 | 36 | "Amos Carter" | Thomas Carr | John Robinson | May 9, 1959 | |
| Josh attempts to end a feud between two hillbilly families. | ||||||
Season 2 (1959–1960) edit
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | 1 | "The Montana Kid" | Thomas Carr | D.D. Beauchamp and Mary M. Beauchamp | September 5, 1959 | |
| Josh uses a recently released youth known as the Montana Kid to nab a gambler. | ||||||
| 38 | 2 | "The Healing Woman" | Donald McDougall | Story by : Charles Beaumont and Richard Matheson Teleplay by : Charles Beaumont | September 12, 1959 | |
| Josh tries to rescue a sick child from a bad doctor. | ||||||
| 39 | 3 | "The Matchmaker" | Frank MacDonald | Fred Freiberger | September 19, 1959 | |
| Josh must find a bride for the "ugliest man in town". With Royal Dano. | ||||||
| 40 | 4 | "Breakout" | Thomas Carr | Richard H. Landau | September 26, 1959 | |
| Josh stages a jailbreak when he's hired to reclaim money. | ||||||
| 41 | 5 | "Estralita" | Donald McDougall | Ray Buffum | October 3, 1959 | |
| Josh learns that an angry mob is just as eager to capture a killer as he is. With Charles Aidman and Rita Lynn. | ||||||
| 42 | 6 | "The Hostage" | Donald McDougall | Don Brinkley | October 10, 1959 | |
| When Josh brings in a notorious killer (Lee Van Cleef), the outlaw takes the sheriff (Tyler McVey) hostage. | ||||||
| 43 | 7 | "The Empty Cell" | Thomas Carr | D.D. Beauchamp and Mary M. Beauchamp | October 17, 1959 | |
| Josh delivers a prisoner, only to have him and the sheriff mysteriously disappear. With Lon Chaney Jr. and DeForest Kelley. | ||||||
| 44 | 8 | "Bad Gun" | Thomas Carr | John Tomerlin | October 24, 1959 | |
| Josh pursues a man with a defective gun. | ||||||
| 45 | 9 | "The Tyrant" | Donald McDougall | Tom Gries | October 31, 1959 | |
| A cavalry deserter Josh is tracking is being held prisoner by the town marshal. With R.G. Armstrong. | ||||||
| 46 | 10 | "Reckless" | R.G. Springsteen | Robert Leslie Bellem | November 7, 1959 | |
| Tate Bradley hires Josh to find the man who killed Bradley's son in an argument over a girl. With Everett Sloane. | ||||||
| 47 | 11 | "Desert Seed" | Donald McDougall | Calvin Clements, Sr. | November 14, 1959 | |
| Josh tracks a fugitive who killed in self-defense. With Rafael Campos. | ||||||
| 48 | 12 | "Twelve Hours to Crazy Horse" | Thomas Carr | Cy Chermak | November 21, 1959 | |
| Josh escorts an accused murderer to trial, but the victim's brother intends to take justice into his own hands. With John Dehner. | ||||||
| 49 | 13 | "No Trail Back" | Donald McDougall | Peter Germano | November 28, 1959 | |
| One of the robbers Josh is after has been bitten by a rabid dog. | ||||||
| 50 | 14 | "Man on Horseback" | Donald McDougall | Paul Franklin | December 5, 1959 | |
| Josh follows an Apache (Jay Silverheels) who has been framed for shooting a man. Also with Jeanne Cooper, Fred Beir, James T. Chandler and Howard Negley. | ||||||
| 51 | 15 | "Chain Gang" | Thomas Carr | Robert Leslie Bellem | December 12, 1959 | |
| Josh must escape from a chain gang when he's arrested on a false charge. | ||||||
| 52 | 16 | "Vanishing Act" | Donald McDougall | John Tomerlin | December 26, 1959 | |
| A magician distracts townspeople while robbing banks. | ||||||
| 53 | 17 | "Mental Lapse" | Thomas Carr | Story by : William F. Nolan Teleplay by : John Tomerlin | January 2, 1960 | |
| Josh attempts to help an amnesiac (Harry Townes) remember who he is. Also with Jan Shepard, Ed Prentiss, Paul Dubov and John Parrish. | ||||||
| 54 | 18 | "Angela" | George Blair | Tom Gries | January 9, 1960 | |
| Angela Prior (Fay Spain) is determined to see the man (Richard Bakalyan) who murdered her father hang. Also with Joe Patridge, Howard Petrie, Warren Oates and Wayne Rogers. | ||||||
| 55 | 19 | "The Monster" | Thomas Carr | Don Brinkley | January 16, 1960 | |
| An elephant trainer (Martin Landau) uses one of his elephants to scare people from their villages and rob them. Also with Bek Nelson, Eugene Martin, Ned Glass, Russell Thorson and William Fawcett. | ||||||
| 56 | 20 | "The Most Beautiful Woman" | Arthur D. Hilton | George Greedy | January 23, 1960 | |
| Josh is hired by a man (Arthur Franz) wanting to find a woman believed to be dead. Townspeople where she was last seen try to discourage him from finding the truth. Also with Mort Mills, Gordon L. Polk and Owen Bush. | ||||||
| 57 | 21 | "Jason" | George Blair | Story by : John Robinson Teleplay by : D.D. Beauchamp and Mary M. Beauchamp | January 30, 1960 | |
| Josh becomes suspicious of Jason Nichols when the deputy begs to join his hunt for a desperado. With Wright King. | ||||||
| 58 | 22 | "The Partners" | George Blair | D.D. Beauchamp and Mary M. Beauchamp | February 6, 1960 | |
| Jason proposes that he and Josh become partners. With Wright King. | ||||||
| 59 | 23 | "Tolliver Bender" | George Blair | Eric Norden[A] | February 13, 1960 | |
| Josh and Jason (Wright King) rescue Tolliver Bender (Douglas Fowley) from the gallows so he can testify at a trial, but the citizens want a hostage to ensure his return. Also with Gloria Talbot and John Carradine. | ||||||
| 60 | 24 | "A House Divided" | George Blair | D.D. Beauchamp and Mary M. Beauchamp | February 20, 1960 | |
| Josh becomes a target for assassination as he tries to intervene in a family feud. With Wright King. | ||||||
| 61 | 25 | "Triple Vise" | George Blair | Fred Freiberger | February 27, 1960 | |
| Josh and Jason (Wright King) trail a killer to Mexico, where Josh gets a new perspective, thanks to a barmaid. | ||||||
| 62 | 26 | "Black Belt" | George Blair | John Tomerlin | March 19, 1960 | |
| Josh and Jason are hired to bring in a black-belt accused of murder, unaware that their employer is the real killer. With Wright King. | ||||||
| 63 | 27 | "The Pariah" | George Blair | Fred Freiberger | March 26, 1960 | |
| Josh agrees to keep an eye on his friend's son, Randy Holleran, who is a pariah for deliberately withholding the town's medical supplies. With Susan Oliver. | ||||||
| 64 | 28 | "Vendetta" | George Blair | Samuel Newman | April 9, 1960 | |
| Josh captures an army recruit whose mission is to start a war with the Indians. With Harry Townes. | ||||||
| 65 | 29 | "Death Divided by Three" | George Blair | Don Brinkley | April 23, 1960 | |
| Josh tracks a fugitive who is also being sought by his wife. | ||||||
| 66 | 30 | "The Inheritance" | Arthur D. Hilton | George W. George | April 30, 1960 | |
| Josh is tasked with bringing home a dying man's runaway son. With John Litel, Edward Kemmer, Don Kennedy, John Anderson, Maxine Cooper, Thomas B. Henry and George Eldredge. | ||||||
| 67 | 31 | "Prison Trail" | Thomas Carr | D.D. Beauchamp | May 14, 1960 | |
| Josh and Jason are escorting four prisoners to jail when one of them is frightened by a stranger. With Wright King. | ||||||
| 68 | 32 | "Pay-Off at Pinto" | Donald McDougall | Wells Root | May 21, 1960 | |
| The citizens of Pinto panic when the bank is robbed, so the bank owner enlists Josh to capture the robbers. With Philip Ahn. | ||||||
Season 3 (1960–1961) edit
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 69 | 1 | "The Trial" | Harry Harris Jr. | Ed Adamson | September 21, 1960 | |
| Josh is hired to bring in a former Union officer, but learns it is all part of an illegal mock trial staged by the officer's former soldiers. With James Coburn. | ||||||
| 70 | 2 | "The Cure" | Gene Reynolds | Ed Adamson | September 28, 1960 | |
| A woman hires Josh to sober the town drunk so she can marry him. | ||||||
| 71 | 3 | "Journey for Josh" | Harry Harris Jr. | Ed Adamson | October 5, 1960 | |
| Josh falls for the female robber he is escorting to prison. | ||||||
| 72 | 4 | "The Looters" | Harry Harris Jr. | Norman Katkov | October 12, 1960 | |
| Josh tracks desperados who broke out of prison during a tornado. | ||||||
| 73 | 5 | "The Twain Shall Meet" | Richard Donner | Norman Katkov | October 19, 1960 | |
| A writer from Boston joins Josh on his manhunt to get an exclusive story. With Mary Tyler Moore. | ||||||
| 74 | 6 | "The Showdown" | Murray Golden | Ed Adamson | October 26, 1960 | |
| Josh is forced into a showdown with an old friend who swears he is innocent. | ||||||
| 75 | 7 | "Surprise Witness" | Murray Golden | Ed Adamson | November 2, 1960 | |
| The townspeople refuse to tell Josh who murdered his friend, until a surprise witness comes forward. | ||||||
| 76 | 8 | "To the Victor" | Murray Golden | Ed Adamson | November 9, 1960 | |
| Josh is asked by the town's men to help stop a revolt by the town's women, who insist all the men put away their guns. With Suzanne Storrs, Frank Albertson, George Ramsey, Nacho Galindo, Olan Soule, Hal K. Dawson, Jan Stine, Diana Crawford, Susan Crane, Dick Farnsworth and Vince Deadrick. | ||||||
| 77 | 9 | "Criss-Cross" | Murray Golden | Norman Katkov | November 16, 1960 | |
| Josh brings in his captive (Mark Rydell), only to learn from the sheriff (Robert Nash) he has the wrong man. Another man (John Craven) admits to the crime, so Josh goes after him. Also with Vaughn Taylor, Patricia King and Guy Wilkerson. | ||||||
| 78 | 10 | "The Medicine Man" | R.D. Donner[B] | Norman Katkov | November 23, 1960 | |
| A medicine man (J. Pat O'Malley) and Josh get involved in the aftermath of a bank robbery. The banker (Ted DeCorsia) says it was a bank teller (John Baer) new to town, but the banker's wife (Cloris Leachman) thinks the teller is innocent. Also with Richard Bartell, Ben Morris, James Parnell and Ric Applewhite. | ||||||
| 79 | 11 | "One Mother Too Many" | Harry Harris Jr. | Norman Katkov | November 7, 1960 | |
| Fearing she will lose custody of her son, a widow proposes to Josh in an attempt to acquire a new father for him. | ||||||
| 80 | 12 | "The Choice" | Harry Harris Jr. | Norman Katkov | December 14, 1960 | |
| A bounty hunter named Frank Koster is after the man who bested him in a gunfight. With Dick Foran, Maxine Stuart, Burt Douglas, Barbara Hines and Chuck Hayward. | ||||||
| 81 | 13 | "Three for One" | Murray Golden | Norman Katkov | December 21, 1960 | |
| The friends of the prisoner Josh brought in kidnap the sheriff and threaten to kill a person a day until their leader is released. | ||||||
| 82 | 14 | "Witch Woman" | Harry Harris Jr. | Norman Katkov | December 28, 1960 | |
| Josh is hired to keep a voodoo doctor away from a man's pregnant wife. | ||||||
| 83 | 15 | "Baa-Baa" | Harry Harris Jr. | Norman Katkov | January 4, 1961 | |
| Josh is hired by George Goode to find Mrs. Goode's pet ewe. | ||||||
| 84 | 16 | "The Last Retreat" | Richard D. Donner[B] | Norman Katkov | January 11, 1961 | |
| Josh must protect a woman when the killer her testimony put in prison escapes. With Constance Ford and Warren Oates. | ||||||
| 85 | 17 | "Bounty on Josh" | Richard D. Donner[B] | Ed Adamson | January 25, 1961 | |
| A gunman stalks Josh in a small town. | ||||||
| 86 | 18 | "Hero in the Dust" | Harry Harris Jr. | Norman Katkov | February 1, 1961 | |
| Harry Weaver hires Josh to bring in his twin brother, a fugitive wanted for murder. | ||||||
| 87 | 19 | "Epitaph" | Harry Harris Jr. | Norman Katkov | February 8, 1961 | |
| Josh goes after his friend Jim Kramer, a lawman who has been seduced by his girlfriend into robbing a bank. With Richard Anderson. | ||||||
| 88 | 20 | "The Voice of Silence" | Richard D. Donner[B] | Ed Adamson | February 15, 1961 | |
| Frank Hagen asks Josh to look after his deaf-mute daughter Carol while he serves time in jail. | ||||||
| 89 | 21 | "El Gato" | Murray Golden | Ed Adamson | February 22, 1961 | |
| Josh tracks down a bandit known as El Gato. With Noah Beery Jr. | ||||||
| 90 | 22 | "Detour" | Murray Golden | Norman Katkov | March 1, 1961 | |
| Clayton Armstrong (Howard Morris) wishes to elope with Jane Fairweather (Jan Brooks), but he's afraid of her father (Howard Smith), so he turns to Josh for help. Also with Melinda Plowman, Byron Foulger and Jacquelyne Park. | ||||||
| 91 | 23 | "Monday Morning" | Murray Golden | Ed Adamson | March 8, 1961 | |
| A thief decides to return the loot he stole, but fears what his partners will do when they find it missing. | ||||||
| 92 | 24 | "The Long Search" | Murray Golden | Norman Katkov | March 15, 1961 | |
| A geisha, Linda Wong, asks Josh to help find the man (Robert Kenneally) who promised to marry her. Also with Lynn Bernay, Dale Ishimoto, William Eben Stephens, Stanley Clements and Olan Soule. | ||||||
| 93 | 25 | "Dead Reckoning" | Murray Golden | Ed Adamson | March 22, 1961 | |
| A woman asks Josh to bring her husband back alive so he can prove he killed one of the Taggart boys in self-defense, but the brothers of the deceased are out for revenge. | ||||||
| 94 | 26 | "Barney's Bounty" | Richard D. Donner[B] | Sumner Arthur Long and Ed Adamson | March 29, 1961 | |
| Josh helps his friend Barney Durant track down a pair of horse thieves. With Noah Beery Jr. | ||||||
Notes edit
References edit
- ^ Billy Hathorn, "Roy Bean, Temple Houston, Bill Longley, Ranald Mackenzie, Buffalo Bill, Jr., and the Texas Rangers: Depictions of West Texans in Series Television, 1955 to 1967", West Texas Historical Review, Vol. 89 (2013), pp. 103–104
- ^ McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
- ^ West, Richard (1987). Television Westerns: Major and Minor Series, 1946–1978. McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0899502526.
- ^ Todd, McCarthy (March 31, 1998). "Steve McQueen: The King of Cool". Variety. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
As Daily Variety editor-in-chief Peter Bart points out, McQueen was the first TV star – 'Wanted Dead or Alive' made him one – to cross over to comparable status on the big screen.
- ^ a b "TV Ratings – 1958".
- ^ a b "TV Ratings – 1959".