Dusty's Trail
Encyclopedia
Dusty's Trail is an American Western
/comedy series
that aired in syndication from September 1973 to March 1974. The series is set in the 19th century about a small group of travelers separated from their wagon train
who become lost. Dusty's Trail stars Bob Denver
as "Dusty" Boots, the assistant to the leader of a wagon train, and Forrest Tucker
as Mr. Callahan, his irascible boss.
and a stagecoach
that have become separated from the main wagon train on its way to California
in the 19th century. The people in this group are the wagonmaster (Mr. Callahan) and his shotgun lookout (Dusty), a wealthy Eastern banker and his wife (Mr. and Mrs. Brookhaven), a saloon-girl dancer (Lulu), a book-smarts man (Andy), and a farmer's daughter (Betsy). The show follows the adventures of these range rovers, while they attempt to find the main wagon train. According to the theme song, "... Dusty's the reason for their plight, thanks to Dusty- nothing's right".
, who had previously created its progenitor, Gilligan's Island
. According to U.S. television researchers Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, the reason for the show's failure was that it was too derivative of Gilligan's Island. (The show had seven regular characters, each of whom corresponded directly to a Gilligan character.) Normally, retreading an old format shouldn't mean an early demise of a series, unless the show being emulated is a rerun icon like Gilligan's Island. Despite its exceptionally short run, it has found new life in weekly reruns on the America One
network. In 1976, four episodes of the series were tied together and released as The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West
.
Denver professed on several occasions, that Dusty's Trail was his favorite show to perform. "At that time I was just over the animus at how CBS
threw us in the dumper (Gilligan's Island). Herb Edelman
and I did Good Guys, but sour critics said it should have been just called 'Guys'. Gilligan repeats were on the tube more than Cronkite, and its royalties about kaput. I told myself to just enjoy the ride, and if it (Dusty's Trail) hit paydirt, super, if not, then it wasn't in the cards. It was my best year in front of a camera".
in the United States.
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...
/comedy series
Television comedy
Television comedy had a presence from the earliest days of broadcasting. Among the earliest BBC television programmes in the 1930s was Starlight, which offered a series of guests from the music hall era — singers and comedians amongst them...
that aired in syndication from September 1973 to March 1974. The series is set in the 19th century about a small group of travelers separated from their wagon train
Wagon train
A wagon train is a group of wagons traveling together. In the American West, individuals traveling across the plains in covered wagons banded together for mutual assistance, as is reflected in numerous films and television programs about the region, such as Audie Murphy's Tumbleweed and Ward Bond...
who become lost. Dusty's Trail stars Bob Denver
Bob Denver
Robert Osbourne "Bob" Denver was an American comedic actor known for his roles as Gilligan on the television series Gilligan's Island and the beatnik Maynard G. Krebs on the 1959–1963 TV series The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.-Early life:Denver was born in New Rochelle, New York, and raised in...
as "Dusty" Boots, the assistant to the leader of a wagon train, and Forrest Tucker
Forrest Tucker
Forrest Tucker was an American actor in both movies and television from the 1940s to the 1980s. Tucker, who stood 190 cm tall and weighed 93 kg , appeared in nearly 100 action films in the 1940s and 1950s.-Early life:Forrest Meredith Tucker was born in Plainfield, Indiana, a son of...
as Mr. Callahan, his irascible boss.
Summary
The series portrays passengers of a wagonConestoga wagon
The Conestoga wagon is a heavy, broad-wheeled covered wagon that was used extensively during the late 18th century and the 19th century in the United States and sometimes in Canada as well. It was large enough to transport loads up to 8 tons , and was drawn by horses, mules or oxen...
and a stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
that have become separated from the main wagon train on its way to 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...
in the 19th century. The people in this group are the wagonmaster (Mr. Callahan) and his shotgun lookout (Dusty), a wealthy Eastern banker and his wife (Mr. and Mrs. Brookhaven), a saloon-girl dancer (Lulu), a book-smarts man (Andy), and a farmer's daughter (Betsy). The show follows the adventures of these range rovers, while they attempt to find the main wagon train. According to the theme song, "... Dusty's the reason for their plight, thanks to Dusty- nothing's right".
Reception
The show was created for Denver by Sherwood SchwartzSherwood Schwartz
Sherwood Charles Schwartz was an American television producer. He worked on radio shows in the 1940s, and created the television series Gilligan's Island on CBS and The Brady Bunch on ABC...
, who had previously created its progenitor, Gilligan's Island
Gilligan's Island
Gilligan's Island is an American television series created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz and originally produced by United Artists Television. The situation comedy series featured Bob Denver; Alan Hale, Jr.; Jim Backus; Natalie Schafer; Tina Louise; Russell Johnson; and Dawn Wells. It aired for...
. According to U.S. television researchers Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, the reason for the show's failure was that it was too derivative of Gilligan's Island. (The show had seven regular characters, each of whom corresponded directly to a Gilligan character.) Normally, retreading an old format shouldn't mean an early demise of a series, unless the show being emulated is a rerun icon like Gilligan's Island. Despite its exceptionally short run, it has found new life in weekly reruns on the America One
America One
America One is an over-the-air television network in the United States. The network serves over 170 LPTV, Class A, Full Power, Cable and Satellite affiliate stations...
network. In 1976, four episodes of the series were tied together and released as The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West
The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West
The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West is a 1976 film directed by Jack Arnold.Dusty is a bumbling assistant to Wagonmaster Callahan. Thanks to Dusty's bungling, they are soon separated from the wagon train and lost in the wilderness.-Summary:...
.
Denver professed on several occasions, that Dusty's Trail was his favorite show to perform. "At that time I was just over the animus at how 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...
threw us in the dumper (Gilligan's Island). Herb Edelman
Herb Edelman
Herbert "Herb" Edelman was an American actor of stage, film and television. He was twice nominated for an Emmy Award for his television work. One of his best remembered roles was as Stanley Zbornak, the ex-husband of Dorothy Zbornak on the long-running situation comedy, The Golden Girls...
and I did Good Guys, but sour critics said it should have been just called 'Guys'. Gilligan repeats were on the tube more than Cronkite, and its royalties about kaput. I told myself to just enjoy the ride, and if it (Dusty's Trail) hit paydirt, super, if not, then it wasn't in the cards. It was my best year in front of a camera".
DVD release
On October 12, 2004, Brentwood Home Video released 17 episodes of the series on Region 1 DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in the United States.