Hec Ramsey
| Hec Ramsey | |
|---|---|
| Starring | Richard Boone |
| Country of origin | USA |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Jack Webb |
| Producer(s) | Douglas Benton; Harold Jack Bloom |
| Running time |
90 min. 120 min. |
| Production company(s) |
Mark VII Limited Universal Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Original release | October 8, 1972 – April 7, 1974 |
Hec Ramsey is a television Western starring Richard Boone, a creation of Jack Webb's production company, Mark VII Limited in association with Universal Studios, broadcast in the United States by NBC as part of the NBC Mystery Movie wheel show during the 1972-73 and 1973-74 seasons.
Overview
This series was groundbreaking[1] in that it was the first television Western set in the days when the Old West was fading, the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. Producer Jack Webb considered the series "Dragnet meets John Wayne," and critics picked up on that.[2] The scripts balanced authentic "modern" investigative methods of the 1900s-era "Old West" with action and adventure.
Hec Ramsey stars Richard Boone as Hector "Hec" Ramsey, a gunfighter and lawman who developed a strong interest in the emerging field of forensics. He still carried a firearm, but had traded his low-slung "gunfighter" rig for a single-action Army-type revolver with a short barrel, carried in a cavalry draw holster. However, his most important "weapons" were now fingerprinting equipment, magnifying lenses, scales, and other equipment which allowed him to determine the real perpetrators of crimes with greater accuracy than had previously been possible.
Ramsey, having recently become expert with his new equipment, accepts the position of deputy police chief in the fictional town of New Prospect, Oklahoma. He learns that the chief of police, Oliver B. Stamp (Rick Lenz), is a very young, very inexperienced lawman who needs help. Stamp is aware of his inexperience, and after some initial friction, the two men develop a strong working relationship. They are frequently accompanied by a colorful local doctor, Amos Coogan (frequent Webb collaborator Harry Morgan).
Despite good ratings, Hec Ramsey was canceled after two seasons following unresolvable disagreements between Boone and Universal Studios. Douglas Benton and Harold Jack Bloom were the producers; Jack Webb was executive producer.
Guest stars in the series' 10 episodes included: Claude Akins, R.G. Armstrong, Rory Calhoun, Jackie Cooper (in "Dead Heat"), Angie Dickinson, Steve Forrest, Pat Hingle, Kim Hunter, Rita Moreno, Sheree North, Ruth Roman, Kurt Russell (in "Scar Tissue"), Stella Stevens, Stuart Whitman (in "A Hard Road to Vengeance"), Chill Wills, Marie Windsor (in "Mystery of the Green Feather"), and Keenan Wynn.
Episodes
Season 1 (1972–1973)
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Century Turns" | Daniel Petrie | Harold Jack Bloom | October 8, 1972 |
| Deputy sheriff Hec Ramsey uses the latest crime-solving techniques to solve the murder of a homesteading couple. | ||||
| 2 | "Hangman's Wages" | George Marshall | Shimon Wincelberg | October 29, 1972 |
| Hec searches for a convicted outlaw's admirer who is threatening to kill a person a day unless the outlaw is set free. | ||||
| 3 | "The Mystery of the Green Feather" | Herschel Daugherty | John Meston | December 17, 1972 |
| Indians are implicated in the murder of a family of settlers, but Hec is not one to jump to conclusions. | ||||
| 4 | "The Mystery of the Yellow Rose" | Douglas Benton | Teleplay: John Meston Story: William R. Cox and Douglas Benton | January 28, 1973 |
| Hec tracks a check forger to Santa Rita, New Mexico, where he encounters an old flame who is being framed for murder. | ||||
| 5 | "The Mystery of Chalk Hill" | Harry Morgan | Harold Swanton | February 18, 1973 |
| Hec relocates to Enid, Oklahoma, where he gets involved in a double-homicide case. | ||||
Season 2 (1973–1974)
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | "A Hard Road to Vengeance" | Alex March | Teleplay: S. Bar-David and Harold Jack Bloom Story: S. Bar-David | November 25, 1973 |
| The citizens of New Prospect are about to honor a dead outlaw with a monument when the lawman who shot him shows up. | ||||
| 7 | "The Detroit Connection" | Nicholas Colasanto | Joseph Calvelli | December 30, 1973 |
| When a crime syndicate from Detroit murders one of the oil drillers they have tricked into accepting loans, Hec sets out to take them down. | ||||
| 8 | "Dead Heat" | Richard Quine | Brad Radnitz | February 3, 1974 |
| A young man dies of heart failure and Hec suspects foul play. | ||||
| 9 | "Scar Tissue" | Andrew V. McLaglen | Mann Rubin | March 10, 1974 |
| Hec helps a hot-headed young man search for his father and uncovers dark secrets along the way. | ||||
| 10 | "Only Birds and Fools" | Harry Morgan | Richard Fielder | April 7, 1974 |
| Hec investigates a murder committed at an exhibition celebrating the first flight. | ||||
References
- ↑ Rowan, Terry (2013). "The American Western - A Complete Film Guide". Google Books. Books.Google.com. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
- ↑ Bawden, James (9 December 2011). "Harry Morgan: TV's Best Ever Character Star". James Bawden Blog. James Bawden. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
- Brooks, Tim and Marsh, Earle, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows
External links
- Hec Ramsey at the Internet Movie Database
- Hec Ramsey at TV.com