Hec Ramsey
Encyclopedia
Hec Ramsey is a television Western
, a production 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.
meets John Wayne
", as the scripts balanced authentic investigative methods of 1900 with action and adventure.
Hec Ramsey starred Richard Boone
as Hector "Hec" Ramsey, who had been a gunfighter/lawman, but had developed a strong interest in the then-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 fingerprint
ing 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
. Arriving in town, he learns that the chief of police, Oliver B. Stamp (Rick Lenz
), is a very young, very inexperienced lawman who needs lots of help—fortunately, Stamp knows it, and after some initial friction, the two men develop a strong working relationship.
A colorful local doctor, Amos Coogan (Harry Morgan
, who accompanied Webb during the 1967-1970 version of Dragnet
and appeared on the 1971 Mark VII show The D.A.), also frequently became involved.
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.
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...
, a production of Jack Webb
Jack Webb
John Randolph "Jack" Webb , also known by the pseudonym John Randolph, was an American actor, television producer, director and screenwriter, who is most famous for his role as Sergeant Joe Friday in the radio and television series Dragnet...
's production company, Mark VII Limited
Mark VII Limited
Mark VII Limited was the production company of actor, producer, and director Jack Webb, and was active from 1951 to 1982. Many of its series were produced in association with Universal Television; most of them aired on the NBC television network in the U.S....
, in association with Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
, broadcast in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by 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...
as part of the NBC Mystery Movie
NBC Mystery Movie
The NBC Mystery Movie is the general name of an American television series, produced by Universal Studios, that was broadcast by NBC from 1971-77...
wheel show during the 1972-73 and 1973-74 seasons.
Overview
This series was groundbreaking 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. Critics dubbed the series "DragnetDragnet (series)
Dragnet is a radio and television crime drama about the cases of a dedicated Los Angeles police detective, Sergeant Joe Friday, and his partners...
meets John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
", as the scripts balanced authentic investigative methods of 1900 with action and adventure.
Hec Ramsey starred Richard Boone
Richard Boone
Richard Allen Boone was an American actor who starred in over 50 films and was notable for his roles in Westerns and for starring in the TV series Have Gun – Will Travel.-Early life:...
as Hector "Hec" Ramsey, who had been a gunfighter/lawman, but had developed a strong interest in the then-emerging field of forensics
Forensics
Forensic science is the application of a broad spectrum of sciences to answer questions of interest to a legal system. This may be in relation to a crime or a civil action...
. 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
Cavalry draw
Cavalry draw is a method used to extract a pistol from a holster, which is designed to carry the pistol butt-forward.The name and technique come from the gunleather used by the cavalry of both the United States Army and the Confederate States Army, during the Civil War...
holster. However, his most important "weapons" were now fingerprint
Fingerprint
A fingerprint in its narrow sense is an impression left by the friction ridges of a human finger. In a wider use of the term, fingerprints are the traces of an impression from the friction ridges of any part of a human hand. A print from the foot can also leave an impression of friction ridges...
ing 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
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...
. Arriving in town, he learns that the chief of police, Oliver B. Stamp (Rick Lenz
Rick Lenz
Rick Lenz is an American actor best known for repeating his Broadway role as Igor Sullivan in the 1969 film Cactus Flower.-Career:...
), is a very young, very inexperienced lawman who needs lots of help—fortunately, Stamp knows it, and after some initial friction, the two men develop a strong working relationship.
A colorful local doctor, Amos Coogan (Harry Morgan
Harry Morgan
Harry Morgan is an American actor. Morgan is well-known for his roles as Colonel Sherman T. Potter on M*A*S*H , Pete Porter on both Pete and Gladys and December Bride , Detective Bill Gannon on Dragnet , and Amos Coogan on Hec Ramsey...
, who accompanied Webb during the 1967-1970 version of Dragnet
Dragnet (series)
Dragnet is a radio and television crime drama about the cases of a dedicated Los Angeles police detective, Sergeant Joe Friday, and his partners...
and appeared on the 1971 Mark VII show The D.A.), also frequently became involved.
Despite good ratings, Hec Ramsey was canceled after two seasons following unresolvable disagreements between Boone and Universal Studios. Douglas Benton and Harold Jack Bloom
Harold Jack Bloom
Harold Jack Bloom was a television producer and screenwriter who scored a notable hit with his first major screenplay to the classic Anthony Mann Western The Naked Spur in 1953, earning an Oscar nomination in the process....
were the producers; Jack Webb was executive producer.
Season 1 (1972–1973)
| № | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | "Pilot" | 1972·Oct·08 |
| 1 | "The Century Turns" | 1972·Oct·08 |
| 2 | "Hangman's Wages" | 1972·Oct·29 |
| 3 | "The Green Feather Mystery" | 1972·Dec·17 |
| 4 | "The Mystery of the Yellow Rose" | 1973·Jan·28 |
| 5 | "The Mystery of Chalk Hill" | 1973·Feb·18 |
Season 2 (1973–1974)
| № | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | "A Hard Road to Vengeance" | 1973·Nov·25 |
| 7 | "The Detroit Connection" | 1973·Dec·30 |
| 8 | "Dead Heat" | 1974·Feb·03 |
| 9 | "Scar Tissue" | 1974·Mar·10 |
| 10 | "Only Birds and Fools" | 1974·Apr·07 |