Cimarron City (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Cimarron City is an American Western
television series starring George Montgomery and John Smith
that aired on NBC
from October 11, 1958 until April 4, 1959. The name "Cimarron City" refers to a boom town
north of Oklahoma City
rich in oil
and gold
which aspires to become the capital of the future state of Oklahoma
.
and a major cattle
rancher. Rockford works blacksmith
and Deputy Sheriff Lane Temple, played by John Smith
, to maintain law and tranquility amid all of the outlaw activity and various crooked schemes concocted by the populace. Audrey Totter
played boarding house owner Beth Purcell. The episodes were supposed to rotate equally among Montgomery, Smith, and Totter. The writers, however, did not give Totter enough of the leads as promised. She became a bit player and left the series. The series also featured Dan Blocker
in his pre-Bonanza
role as Tiny Budinger, a ranch hand for Rockford. Cimarron City lasted only a single season.
in Chatsworth in Los Angeles County
, California
.
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
television series starring George Montgomery and John Smith
John Smith (actor)
John Smith was an American actor remembered in particular for two NBC western television series.-Early life and career:He was born Robert Errol Van Orden, in Los Angeles, California...
that aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
from October 11, 1958 until April 4, 1959. The name "Cimarron City" refers to a boom town
Boomtown
A boomtown is a community that experiences sudden and rapid population and economic growth. The growth is normally attributed to the nearby discovery of a precious resource such as gold, silver, or oil, although the term can also be applied to communities growing very rapidly for different reasons,...
north of Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
rich in oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
and gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
which aspires to become the capital of the future state of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
.
Synopsis
George Montgomery, a veteran of Western B-movies, played Matthew Rockford, the son of the city's founder. Rockford is also the mayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
and a major cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
rancher. Rockford works blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
and Deputy Sheriff Lane Temple, played by John Smith
John Smith (actor)
John Smith was an American actor remembered in particular for two NBC western television series.-Early life and career:He was born Robert Errol Van Orden, in Los Angeles, California...
, to maintain law and tranquility amid all of the outlaw activity and various crooked schemes concocted by the populace. Audrey Totter
Audrey Totter
Audrey Mary Totter is an American actress and former Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract star of Austrian-Slovene and Swedish descent...
played boarding house owner Beth Purcell. The episodes were supposed to rotate equally among Montgomery, Smith, and Totter. The writers, however, did not give Totter enough of the leads as promised. She became a bit player and left the series. The series also featured Dan Blocker
Dan Blocker
Dan Blocker was an American actor best remembered for his role as Eric "Hoss" Cartwright in the NBC western television series Bonanza.-Early life:...
in his pre-Bonanza
Bonanza
Bonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the...
role as Tiny Budinger, a ranch hand for Rockford. Cimarron City lasted only a single season.
Cast
- George Montgomery .... Matt Rockford, Mayor
- John Smith .... Deputy Lane Temple
- Audrey Totter .... Beth Purcell
- Dan BlockerDan BlockerDan Blocker was an American actor best remembered for his role as Eric "Hoss" Cartwright in the NBC western television series Bonanza.-Early life:...
.... Tiny Budinger - Wally BrownWally BrownWally Brown was an actor, comedian, and long-time partner of Alan Carney.- Biography :Wally was born in Malden, Massachusetts and served as a vaudevillian. In 1942, he began his film career in Hollywood at RKO Radio Pictures with the film Petticoat Larceny...
.... Jed Fame - Claire Carleton .... Alice Purdy
- Pete Dunn .... Dody Hamer
- George Dunn.... Jesse Williams
- Tom Fadden .... Silas Perry
- Stuart Randall .... Sheriff Art Sampson
- Addison RichardsAddison RichardsAddison Richards was an American film actor. He appeared in over 300 films between 1933 and 1964. He died from a heart attack...
.... Martin Kingsley - Fred Sherman .... Burt Purdy
Guest stars
- Walter CoyWalter CoyWalter Darwin Coy was an American stage, radio, film, and, principally, television actor, originally from Great Falls, Montana. He was best known for narrating the NBC western anthology series, Frontier, which aired early Sunday evenings in the 1955-1956 season.-Career:Coy performed on Broadway...
as Ed Brayder in episode entitled "Kid on a Calico Horse" (1958) - Ed HintonEd Hinton (actor)Edgar Latimer Hinton, Jr., known as Ed Hinton and sometimes as Edward Hinton , was an American actor known particularly for guest-starring roles on television westerns...
as a prosecutorProsecutorThe prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
in "Kid on a CalicoEquine coat colorHorses exhibit a diverse array of coat colors and distinctive markings. A specialized vocabulary has evolved to describe them.While most horses remain the same color throughout life, a few, over the course of several years, will develop a different coat color from that with which they were born...
Horse" (1958) - Gregg PalmerGregg PalmerGregg Palmer, originally Palmer Lee is an American actor, known primarily for his prolific work in television westerns...
as Tom Hiller in the episode "The Bitter Lesson" - Pernell RobertsPernell RobertsPernell Elvin Roberts, Jr. was an American stage, movie and television actor, as well as a singer. In addition to guest starring in over 60 television series, he was widely known for his roles as Ben Cartwright's eldest son, Adam Cartwright, on the western series Bonanza, a role he played from...
- Randy StuartRandy StuartRandy Stuart, born as Elizabeth Shaubell , was an American actress whose longest running role was as Louise Baker, the wife of the Cold War spy in the 26-episode adventure television series, Biff Baker, U.S.A., which aired on CBS, with Alan Hale, Jr., as the title character...
Production notes
The series was filmed at Iverson's Movie RanchMovie ranch
A movie ranch is a ranch that is at least partially dedicated to being used as a site for the creation and production of motion pictures, and television productions...
in Chatsworth in Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Episodes
| Episode # | Episode title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1-1 | "I, The People" | October 11, 1958 |
| 1-2 | "Terror Town" | October 18, 1958 |
| 1-3 | "To Become a Man" | October 29, 1958 |
| 1-4 | "Twelve Guns" | November 1, 1958 |
| 1-5 | "The Medicine Man" | November 8, 1958 |
| 1-6 | "Hired Hand" | November 15, 1958 |
| 1-7 | "Kid On a Calico Horse" | November 22, 1958 |
| 1-8 | "The Beast of Cimarron" | November 29, 1958 |
| 1-9 | "A Respectable Girl" | December 6, 1958 |
| 1-10 | "The Bloodline" | December 13, 1958 |
| 1-11 | "Cimarron Holiday" | December 20, 1958 |
| 1-12 | "McGowan's Debt" | December 27, 1958 |
| 1-13 | "The Bitter Lesson" | January 3, 1959 |
| 1-14 | "A Legacy of Ossie Harper" | January 10, 1959 |
| 1-15 | "Child 0f Fear" | January 17, 1959 |
| 1-16 | "Burn the Town Down" | January 24, 1959 |
| 1-17 | "Runaway Train" | January 31, 1959 |
| 1-18 | "The Beauty and The Sorrow" | February 7, 1959 |
| 1-19 | "Return of the Dead" | February 14, 1959 |
| 1-20 | "Blind Is the Killer" | February 21, 1959 |
| 1-21 | "The Unaccepted" | February 28, 1959 |
| 1-22 | "The Ratman" | March 7, 1959 |
| 1-23 | "Have Sword, Will Duel" | March 14, 1959 |
| 1-24 | "Chinese Invasion" | March 21, 1959 |
| 1-25 | "The Town Is A Prisoner" | March 26, 1959 |
| 1-26 | "The Evil One" | April 4, 1959 |