Bret Maverick: The Lazy Ace
Encyclopedia
Bret Maverick: The Lazy Ace is the 1981 2-hour pilot episode of the television series Bret Maverick
, trimmed to a quicker pace and repackaged as a TV-movie for rerunning on local television stations. The 1981 show was based on the 1957 series Maverick
, catching up with professional poker
-player Bret Maverick (James Garner
). The film, written by Gordon T. Dawson and directed by Stuart Margolin
, occasionally appears under the simpler title Bret Maverick.
The real pilot, however, of both this series and the preceding CBS
show Young Maverick
, could be said to be the 1979 TV-movie The New Maverick
, which featured both Garner as Bret and Jack Kelly
as his brother Bart.
Bret Maverick
Bret Maverick is an American Western series starring James Garner in the role that made him famous in the 1957 series Maverick: a professional poker player traveling alone year after year through the Old West from riverboat to saloon...
, trimmed to a quicker pace and repackaged as a TV-movie for rerunning on local television stations. The 1981 show was based on the 1957 series Maverick
Maverick (TV series)
Maverick is a western television series with comedic overtones created by Roy Huggins. The show ran from September 22, 1957 to July 8, 1962 on ABC and stars James Garner as Bret Maverick, a cagey, articulate cardsharp. Eight episodes into the first season, he was joined by Jack Kelly as his brother...
, catching up with professional poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
-player Bret Maverick (James Garner
James Garner
James Garner is an American film and television actor, one of the first Hollywood actors to excel in both media. He has starred in several television series spanning a career of more than five decades...
). The film, written by Gordon T. Dawson and directed by Stuart Margolin
Stuart Margolin
Stuart Margolin is an American film and television actor and director.-Television:Margolin is best known for his role on the television show The Rockford Files, playing Evelyn "Angel" Martin, the shifty friend and former cellmate of Jim Rockford...
, occasionally appears under the simpler title Bret Maverick.
The real pilot, however, of both this series and the preceding CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
show Young Maverick
Young Maverick
Young Maverick is a 1979 television series that unsuccessfully attempted to recapture some of the magic of the highly successful 1957 series Maverick, which had starred James Garner as roving gambler Bret Maverick. Charles Frank played Ben Maverick, the son of Beau Maverick, making him Bret's...
, could be said to be the 1979 TV-movie The New Maverick
The New Maverick
The New Maverick is a 1978 made-for-TV movie based on the 1957 television series Maverick, with James Garner as Bret Maverick, Charles Frank as newcomer cousin Ben Maverick , Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick, and Susan Sullivan as "Poker Alice" Ivers. The TV-movie was a pilot for the series Young...
, which featured both Garner as Bret and Jack Kelly
Jack Kelly (actor)
Jack Kelly was an American film and television actor most noted for the role of "Bart Maverick" in the TV series Maverick, which ran on ABC from 1957 to 1962...
as his brother Bart.
Cast
- James GarnerJames GarnerJames Garner is an American film and television actor, one of the first Hollywood actors to excel in both media. He has starred in several television series spanning a career of more than five decades...
.... Bret Maverick - Ed BruceEd BruceWilliam Edwin "Ed" Bruce, Jr. is an American country music songwriter and singer. He is known for penning the 1975 song "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" .-Early life & songwriting career:...
.... Sheriff Tom Guthrie - Ramon Bieri .... Elijah Crow
- Richard HamiltonRichard Hamilton (actor)Richard Hamilton was an American film, television, theater, and radio actor. He was raised in California, where he worked at the Pasadena Playhouse, before moving to Broadway. There, he performed in award-winning productions of Buried Child and Mornings at Seven...
.... Cy Whittaker - John Shearin .... Sheriff Mitchel Dowd
- David Knell .... Rodney Catlow
- Darleen CarrDarleen CarrDarleen Carr is an American actress best known for a recurring role in the 1981–82 television series Bret Maverick opposite James Garner...
.... Mary Lou Springer - Janis PaigeJanis PaigeJanis Paige is an American film, musical theatre and television actress. Born Donna Mae Tjaden in Tacoma, Washington, she began singing in public from the age of five in local amateur shows...
.... Mandy Packer - Bill McKinneyBill McKinneyBill McKinney is an American character actor whose most famous role was the sadistic mountain man in the movie Deliverance...
.... Ramsey Bass - John McLiam .... Doc HollidayDoc HollidayJohn Henry "Doc" Holliday was an American gambler, gunfighter and dentist of the American Old West, who is usually remembered for his friendship with Wyatt Earp and his involvement in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral...
, Card Player - Stuart MargolinStuart MargolinStuart Margolin is an American film and television actor and director.-Television:Margolin is best known for his role on the television show The Rockford Files, playing Evelyn "Angel" Martin, the shifty friend and former cellmate of Jim Rockford...
.... Philo Sandeen - Billy Kerr .... Blue-Eyed Kid, Gunfighter
- Jack Garner .... Jack, Red Ox Bartender
- Luis Delgado .... Shifty Delgado
- Ed Bakey .... Lyman Nickerson, Card Player
- Bill Cross ... Dembro
- Richard MollRichard MollCharles Richard Moll is an American actor and voice artist,best known for playing Bull Shannon, the bailiff on the NBC sitcom Night Court from 1983 to 1992...
... Sloate - Chuck Mitchell ... Joe Dakota, Card Player
- Duane R. Campbell ... Lucas, town drunk
- Ivan J. Rado ... Wolfgang Mieter, Miner who tunneled into Bank
- David H. Banks ... Delta Fox, Card Player
- Tommy Bush ... Deputy Sturgess
- Ruth Estler ... Townswoman
- Norman Merrill Jr. ... Bank Teller
- Al Berry ... Townsman
- Kirk CameronKirk CameronKirk Thomas Cameron is an American actor best known for his role as Mike Seaver on the television situation comedy Growing Pains , as well as several other television and film appearances as a child actor...
... Boy #1 - Max Martini ... Boy #2 (billed as Max Martin)
External links
- James Garner Interview on the Charlie Rose Show
- James Garner interview at Archive of American TelevisionArchive of American TelevisionThe Archive of American Television is a division of the non-profit Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation that films interviews with notable people from all aspects of the television industry....
- (c/o Google Video) - March 17, 1999