The Californians (TV series)
The Californians | |
---|---|
Adam Kennedy as Dion Patrick with Maria Tsien. | |
Starring |
Richard Coogan Art Fleming Herbert Rudley Sean McClory Adam Kennedy Carole Mathews Nan Leslie |
Theme music composer |
Harry Warren Harold Adamson |
Opening theme | "I've Come to California" |
Country of origin | United States |
No. of seasons | 2 |
No. of episodes | 69 |
Production | |
Running time | 30 minutes |
Release | |
Original network | NBC |
Picture format | Black and white |
Original release | September 24, 1957 – May 26, 1959 |
The Californians is a 69-episode half-hour Western television series, set in the San Francisco gold rush of the 1850s, which aired on NBC from September 24, 1957, to May 26, 1959. Adam Kennedy appeared the first year in thirty-seven episodes as Dion Patrick, an Irish newspaperman who helps the local vigilante committee.
Cast
Richard Coogan starred in fifty-four episodes as Matthew Wayne, a sheriff and then marshal who organizes the city police, courts a young widow, Wilma Fansler, portrayed in thirty-three episodes in the second season by Carole Mathews, and clashes with an ambitious attorney, Jeremy Pitt, played in thirty-two episodes by Art Fleming, later the first host of Jeopardy!
Other co-stars were Herbert Rudley as Sam Brennan, Sean McClory as Jack McGivern, and Nan Leslie as Martha McGivern. Rudley, McClory, and Leslie were each cast in thirty-seven episodes. Howard Caine played Schaab in eight episodes.
Guest stars
- Charles Aidman
- Frank Albertson
- Chris Alcaide
- John Anderson
- John Archer
- R.G. Armstrong
- Whit Bissell
- Robert Blake
- Willis Bouchey
- Edgar Buchanan
- James T. Callahan
- James Coburn
- Mike Connors
- Hans Conried
- Russ Conway
- Robert O. Cornthwaite
- Ted de Corsia
- Robert L. Crawford, Jr.
- Frank Dekova
- Troy Donahue
- John Doucette
- Douglass Dumbrille
- Douglas Fowley
- Robert Fuller
- Bruce Gordon
- Don Haggerty
- James Hong
- Russell Johnson
- Allyn Joslyn
- Robert Karnes
- Stacy Keach, Sr.
- Tommy Kirk
- Gail Kobe
- Keye Luke
- Patricia Medina
- Don Megowan
- Gerald Mohr
- J. Pat O'Malley
- Stafford Repp
- Addison Richards
- Carlos Romero
- Vito Scotti
- James Seay
- Arthur Space
- Bob Steele
- John Sutton
- Ray Teal
- Joan Tompkins
- Sammee Tong
- Audrey Totter
- Lurene Tuttle
- James Westerfield
- Peter Whitney
- Jean Willes
- Marie Windsor
Production notes
The Californians theme song is composed by Harry Warren, with lyrics by Harold Adamson, entitled "I've Come to California". Ken Darby, of the Ken Darby Singers, did some of the musical composition for the series.
The Californians faced competition from The West Point Story on ABC and The $64,000 Question on CBS. In its second season, the western competed with The Garry Moore Show on CBS and the crime/police reality show Confession, hosted by Jack Wyatt, on ABC.[1]
References
- ↑ 1957–1958 and 1958–1959 American network television schedules