Lawman (tv series)
Encyclopedia
Lawman is an American Western television series originally telecast from 1958 to 1962 starring John Russell
as Marshal Dan Troop and featuring Peter Brown
as Deputy Marshal Johnny McKay on the ABC Television Network. The series was set in Laramie
, Wyoming
during the mid to late 1870s. Warner Bros.
already had several western series on the air at the time. This began in 1955 with Cheyenne
. It continued in 1957 with the additions of Maverick
, Colt .45
, and Sugarfoot
. One year later, they added Lawman and Bronco
. Prior to the beginning of production, John Russell
, Peter Brown
, and producer Jules Schermer made a pact to maintain the quality of the series so that it would not be seen as just another western. At the start of season two, Russell and Brown were joined by Peggie Castle
as Lily Merrill, the owner of the Birdcage Saloon, and a love interest for Dan. In its last season, Lawman was the lead-in on ABC for Marilyn Maxwell
's unsuccessful series Bus Stop
, which failed to compete successfully with Bonanza
on NBC
. The series can currently be seen in re-runs Monday thru Friday at 9am ET on the Encore Westerns Channel.
, Kansas
for the town of Laramie
, Wyoming
. He was offered the town marshal's job after the previous marshal, David Lemp, was murdered. On the way into town, he met Johnny McKay, who was placing a tombstone on Lemp's grave. Johnny mistook Dan for a crook, but they met up later again at the cafe owned by Lemp's widow, Dru, played by Bek Nelson, where Johnny worked as a dishwasher. Dan put a sign in the window of the marshal's office that said, "Deputy Wanted." Johnny applied for the job, but Dan turned him down, because he felt that at 19 years old, he was just too young. Dan later came across Lacey Hawks, played by Edd Byrnes, in the Bluebonnet Saloon. Lacey tried to coax Dan into a gunfight, but Dan arrested him instead. Lacey promised Dan that his two brothers Flynn, played by Jack Elam
, and Walt, played by Lee Van Cleef
, would come after him. Johnny told Dan that Flynn is the one that killed Marshal Lemp, and that the whole town saw him do it, but were too afraid to stand up to him. He again volunteered to help Dan take them down, but Troop refused. Johnny told him that he cannot take both remaining Hawks Brothers alone. Dan went out to face them anyway. Dan shoots Flynn, but then hears another shot from behind him. Dan saw Walt fall dead, and then turned around to see Johnny standing there with a rifle in hand. Dan motioned for Johnny to follow him back into the office, and then took the "Deputy Wanted" sign down. During the course of season one, we saw Dan teaching Johnny the fundamentals of being in law enforcement. In many of the big situations, he would leave Johnny behind to guard the town, while he chased after the bad guy. However, in seasons two thru four, Johnny would start getting more involved in the action, and in some cases getting to carry entire episodes by himself. During the first season, the episodes stayed with a serious tone. However, when Lily arrived at the start of season two, they branched out by adding more comedy and even some romance into the scripts.
, is the town marshal of Laramie. Russell based the character on an officer he knew in the Marines. Dan was a hardnosed, by-the-book, seasoned lawman, who is quick with a gun, and also good with his fists. Russell, who was 37 years old when he got the part, theorized that Dan would have to be older to have this much experience as a lawman. From the third episode on, Russell had white streaks added to his hair to make him appear older. In addition to being marshal, Dan was both a mentor and friend to his deputy, Johnny McKay. According to Brown on his website, Dan and Johnny's relationship mirrored the relationship he had with Russell. While Dan was teaching Johnny how to be a lawman, Russell was teaching Brown how to be an actor. Dan also had a romantic relationship with saloon owner, Lily Merrill. Dan cared for Lily very deeply, but his job often got in the way of their happiness. He also had one brother, Clay Troop, played by James Drury
, who was killed in the season one episode, "The Gang". In this episode, it was revealed that the woman Dan loved and wanted to marry, before her death, married his brother Clay instead. According to Clay, being a gunfighter and an outlaw, "she couldn't resist trying to reform him", even though she loved Dan a little more. There were times when the townspeople would second guess him, but he always stuck to his guns and was determined to do the right thing.
Johnny McKay, played by Peter Brown
, is the deputy marshal of Laramie. Dan was hesitant to hire Johnny as his deputy, because of his young age, but he later proved his worth. Johnny was orphaned at age 10 in Kansas. His father was killed by raiders, and his mother died on a wagon train. The season one episode, "The Joker," dealt with Johnny's origin when an outlaw named Barney Tremain, played by Jeff York
, showed up in town claiming to be Johnny's real father. It was never revealed whether or not he was telling the truth. Johnny was more easy going, but he was also brave, extremely fast with a gun, and very loyal to Dan, who he always referred to as, "Mr. Troop." He was close friends with Lily, but they had more of a brother-sister dynamic going. In the first season, Dan many times left Johnny behind, but in the later years, he got more involved in the action as Dan started to see him as more of a partner in the fight against crime than his humble apprentice. Johnny actually quit three times. Once because if Tremain was his father, he thought that meant he had outlaw blood in him. The second time, he thought Dan was taking credit for a kill he made, but he later found out Dan was trying to protect him. The third time, Johnny had to shoot a friend of his, and lost his nerve to be a lawman. Somehow though, he always would eventually come back.
Lily Merrill, played by Peggie Castle
, is the owner of the Birdcage Saloon. In addition to serving as hostess, she also sang and danced on a regular basis. Lily was formerly married to outlaw Frank Quinlaven, played by Mike Road
in the season two episode, "The Exchange." They had a son named Tommy, played by Bryan Russell
, who lived with her sister. Frank tried to use Tommy as a bargaining chip to get Lily to help him rob the Laramie bank, but Dan stopped him at the last minute. Dan and Johnny often used Lily as a sounding board whenever they had a problem. Lily was beautiful, feisty, courageous, extremely loyal, and a couple times even used a gun herself to help Dan and Johnny when no one else would. In addition to running her saloon, Lily was also elected the town fire chief, and briefly filled in as schoolmarm.
Judge Trager, played by Harry Cheshire
, appeared in 15 episodes over all four seasons. Judge Trager oversaw all of the court cases in Laramie. He was also a member of the town council, and a close friend of Dan's.
Harry Tate, played by Jon Lormer
, appeared in five episodes in season one. He was the editor of the town newspaper, and a close friend of Dan's. He was killed by mistake, when he was wearing the intended victim's hat. Tate had a daughter named Julie.
Julie Tate, played by Barbara Lang
, appeared in four episodes of season one. She took over as editor for the newspaper after he father was killed. While her relationship with Dan got off to a rocky start, they eventually grew closer.
Tom Pike, played by Lane Chandler
, appeared in four episodes of season one. He was a member of the town council, and was constantly second guessing Dan's decisions.
Hank the Bartender, played by Emory Parnell
, appeared in 11 episodes of the first two seasons. He was the bartender at the Bluebonnet Saloon, a precursor to the Birdcage.
Doc Stewart was played the first appearance by James Bell
, and for seven other episodes by Tom Palmer. He was the town doctor.
Timmo McQueeney, played by Clancy Cooper
, appeared in 15 episodes in season two. He was Lily's main bartender, and a right hand man. Timmo was a big burly guy, who talked with a thick Irish accent.
Jake Summers, played by Dan Sheridan appeared in 38 episodes in seasons three and four. Jake became Lily's main bartender, and right hand man. He was also kept his eyes open in order to let Dan and Johnny know if any strangers came into town. Prior to becoming Jake, Sheridan guest starred twice in two separate roles.
Owny O'Reilly, played by Joel Grey
appeared in three episodes in seasons 2-4. Owny started out as the brother of an outlaw, but eventually became close friends with Dan and Johnny. Although, Owny was supposed to be younger than Johnny, Grey is actually three and a half years older than Peter Brown
. Owny was a lovable comedy sidekick, which included a hilarious brief stint as Dan's deputy while Johnny was away in the season three episode, "The Return of Owny O'Reilly."
Jack Stiles, played by Doodles Weaver
appeared in four episodes of season two. He was the clerk at the Hotel Laramie, and one of Dan and Johnny's informants.
Oren Slauson, played by Vinton Hayworth appeared in nine episodes of seasons 2-4. He was the manager of the Laramie Bank, which seemed to get robbed on quite a regular basis.
Ben Toomey, played by Grady Sutton
appeared in 12 episodes of seasons 3-4. He took over as clerk at the Hotel Laramie, and like Jack before him gave Dan and Johnny information on a regular basis.
Later in the first season, Barbara Lang
was brought in as Julie Tate, the daughter of Harry Tate, played by Jon Lormer
, who was the editor of the town newspaper. She and Dan did not hit it off right away, because she felt he was not doing enough to find her father's killer. After four episodes, she was never seen again.
Lily Merrill then came to town as the owner of the Birdcage Saloon. Lily had been run out of Billings
, Montana
, by a crooked sheriff. She at first thought Dan was crooked, and Dan thought she was a crook. After finding out that they were both wrong, Dan and Lily became very close during the remainder of the show's run. As their relationship grew, Lily often dropped hints about wanting to marry Dan, and he would pretend that he did not get it. Their relationship was very similar to Matt Dillon and Kitty Russell of Gunsmoke in that they were clearly in love, but his job kept preventing him from getting closer to her. Dan made a large amount of enemies in his time, and was afraid of them using Lily to get to him.
array of westerns, Lawman participated in two crossovers. John Russell
and Peter Brown
appeared in the "Hadley's Hunters" episode of Maverick
. Peter Brown and Adam West also appeared as Johnny McKay and Doc Holliday, respectively, in the Sugarfoot
episode "The Trial of the Canary Kid", which was a sequel to the Lawman episode, "The Wayfarer." The premise was that the Canary Kid, Sugarfoot's twin cousin, was in the Laramie jail at the same time as Holliday, and McKay and Holliday were called in to testify to that.
The studio routinely recycled scripts through their various series to save money on writers, frequently crediting the results to "W. Hermanos" (Spanish for W. Brothers). Two Lawman scripts, "The Payment" and "The Judge" were renamed from episodes of Cheyenne
and edited down from 60 minutes to 30.
, action figure
s, toy rifles, and cap pistol
s There was also a Lawman comic, which ran eleven issues from 1958–1962 and was drawn by Dan Spiegle
.
John Russell (actor)
John Lawrence Russell was an American actor, and World War II veteran, most noted for playing Marshal Dan Troop in the successful ABC western television series Lawman from 1958 to 1962....
as Marshal Dan Troop and featuring Peter Brown
Peter Brown (actor)
Peter Brown is an American television actor known for his role as Deputy Johnny McKay opposite John Russell in the 1958 Warner Bros. western series Lawman.-Early life:...
as Deputy Marshal Johnny McKay on the ABC Television Network. The series was set in Laramie
Laramie, Wyoming
Laramie is a city in and the county seat of Albany County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 30,816 at the . Located on the Laramie River in southeastern Wyoming, the city is west of Cheyenne, at the junction of Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 287....
, Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
during the mid to late 1870s. Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
already had several western series on the air at the time. This began in 1955 with Cheyenne
Cheyenne (TV series)
Cheyenne is a western television series of 108 black-and-white episodes broadcast on ABC from 1955 to 1963. The show was the first hour-long western, and in fact the first hour-long dramatic series of any kind, with continuing characters, to last more than one season...
. It continued in 1957 with the additions of 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...
, Colt .45
Colt .45 (TV series)
Colt .45 is an American Western television series shown on ABC between 1957 and 1960. The half-hour show derives from the 1950 Warner Brothers film of the same name starring Randolph Scott and formed part of the William T...
, and Sugarfoot
Sugarfoot
Sugarfoot is the title of a TV western that aired from 1957 to 1961. The series featured Will Hutchins as fledgling frontier lawyer Tom Brewster and Jack Elam as sidekick Toothy Thompson...
. One year later, they added Lawman and Bronco
Bronco (TV series)
Bronco is a Western series on ABC from 1958 through 1962. It was shown by the BBC in the United Kingdom. The program starred Ty Hardin as Bronco Layne, a former Confederate officer who wandered the Old West, meeting such well-known individuals as Wild Bill Hickok, Billy the Kid, Jesse James,...
. Prior to the beginning of production, John Russell
John Russell (actor)
John Lawrence Russell was an American actor, and World War II veteran, most noted for playing Marshal Dan Troop in the successful ABC western television series Lawman from 1958 to 1962....
, Peter Brown
Peter Brown (actor)
Peter Brown is an American television actor known for his role as Deputy Johnny McKay opposite John Russell in the 1958 Warner Bros. western series Lawman.-Early life:...
, and producer Jules Schermer made a pact to maintain the quality of the series so that it would not be seen as just another western. At the start of season two, Russell and Brown were joined by Peggie Castle
Peggie Castle
Peggie Castle was an American actress who specialized in playing the "other woman" in B-movies. She was also billed under the names Peggy Castle and Peggie Call.-Career:...
as Lily Merrill, the owner of the Birdcage Saloon, and a love interest for Dan. In its last season, Lawman was the lead-in on ABC for Marilyn Maxwell
Marilyn Maxwell
Marilyn Maxwell , born Marvel Marilyn Maxwell, was an American actress and entertainer.Noted for her blonde hair and sexually alluring persona, she appeared in several films and radio programs, and entertained the troops during World War II and the Korean War on USO tours with Bob Hope.-Career:She...
's unsuccessful series Bus Stop
Bus Stop (TV series)
Bus Stop is a 26-episode drama which aired on ABC from October 1, 1961, until March 25, 1962, starring Marilyn Maxwell as Grace Sherwood, the owner of a bus station and diner in the fictitious town of Sunrise in the Colorado Rockies...
, which failed to compete successfully with 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...
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...
. The series can currently be seen in re-runs Monday thru Friday at 9am ET on the Encore Westerns Channel.
Premise
Dan Troop left AbileneAbilene, Kansas
Abilene is a city in and the county seat of Dickinson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 6,844.-History:...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
for the town of Laramie
Laramie, Wyoming
Laramie is a city in and the county seat of Albany County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 30,816 at the . Located on the Laramie River in southeastern Wyoming, the city is west of Cheyenne, at the junction of Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 287....
, Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
. He was offered the town marshal's job after the previous marshal, David Lemp, was murdered. On the way into town, he met Johnny McKay, who was placing a tombstone on Lemp's grave. Johnny mistook Dan for a crook, but they met up later again at the cafe owned by Lemp's widow, Dru, played by Bek Nelson, where Johnny worked as a dishwasher. Dan put a sign in the window of the marshal's office that said, "Deputy Wanted." Johnny applied for the job, but Dan turned him down, because he felt that at 19 years old, he was just too young. Dan later came across Lacey Hawks, played by Edd Byrnes, in the Bluebonnet Saloon. Lacey tried to coax Dan into a gunfight, but Dan arrested him instead. Lacey promised Dan that his two brothers Flynn, played by Jack Elam
Jack Elam
William Scott "Jack" Elam was an American film actor best known for his numerous roles as villains in Western films and, later in his career, comedies .-Early life:...
, and Walt, played by Lee Van Cleef
Lee Van Cleef
Lee Van Cleef was an American film actor who appeared mostly in Western and action pictures. His sharp features and piercing eyes led to his being cast as a villain in scores of films such as High Noon, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and The Good The Bad and the Ugly.-Early life:Van Cleef was...
, would come after him. Johnny told Dan that Flynn is the one that killed Marshal Lemp, and that the whole town saw him do it, but were too afraid to stand up to him. He again volunteered to help Dan take them down, but Troop refused. Johnny told him that he cannot take both remaining Hawks Brothers alone. Dan went out to face them anyway. Dan shoots Flynn, but then hears another shot from behind him. Dan saw Walt fall dead, and then turned around to see Johnny standing there with a rifle in hand. Dan motioned for Johnny to follow him back into the office, and then took the "Deputy Wanted" sign down. During the course of season one, we saw Dan teaching Johnny the fundamentals of being in law enforcement. In many of the big situations, he would leave Johnny behind to guard the town, while he chased after the bad guy. However, in seasons two thru four, Johnny would start getting more involved in the action, and in some cases getting to carry entire episodes by himself. During the first season, the episodes stayed with a serious tone. However, when Lily arrived at the start of season two, they branched out by adding more comedy and even some romance into the scripts.
Main characters
Dan Troop, played by John RussellJohn Russell (actor)
John Lawrence Russell was an American actor, and World War II veteran, most noted for playing Marshal Dan Troop in the successful ABC western television series Lawman from 1958 to 1962....
, is the town marshal of Laramie. Russell based the character on an officer he knew in the Marines. Dan was a hardnosed, by-the-book, seasoned lawman, who is quick with a gun, and also good with his fists. Russell, who was 37 years old when he got the part, theorized that Dan would have to be older to have this much experience as a lawman. From the third episode on, Russell had white streaks added to his hair to make him appear older. In addition to being marshal, Dan was both a mentor and friend to his deputy, Johnny McKay. According to Brown on his website, Dan and Johnny's relationship mirrored the relationship he had with Russell. While Dan was teaching Johnny how to be a lawman, Russell was teaching Brown how to be an actor. Dan also had a romantic relationship with saloon owner, Lily Merrill. Dan cared for Lily very deeply, but his job often got in the way of their happiness. He also had one brother, Clay Troop, played by James Drury
James Drury
James Child Drury, Jr. is an American actor probably best known for his success in playing the title role in the 90-minute weekly Western television series The Virginian, broadcast on NBC from 1962-1971...
, who was killed in the season one episode, "The Gang". In this episode, it was revealed that the woman Dan loved and wanted to marry, before her death, married his brother Clay instead. According to Clay, being a gunfighter and an outlaw, "she couldn't resist trying to reform him", even though she loved Dan a little more. There were times when the townspeople would second guess him, but he always stuck to his guns and was determined to do the right thing.
Johnny McKay, played by Peter Brown
Peter Brown (actor)
Peter Brown is an American television actor known for his role as Deputy Johnny McKay opposite John Russell in the 1958 Warner Bros. western series Lawman.-Early life:...
, is the deputy marshal of Laramie. Dan was hesitant to hire Johnny as his deputy, because of his young age, but he later proved his worth. Johnny was orphaned at age 10 in Kansas. His father was killed by raiders, and his mother died on a wagon train. The season one episode, "The Joker," dealt with Johnny's origin when an outlaw named Barney Tremain, played by Jeff York
Jeff York
Jeff York was an American film and television actor who began his career in the late 1930s using his given name Granville Owen Schofield...
, showed up in town claiming to be Johnny's real father. It was never revealed whether or not he was telling the truth. Johnny was more easy going, but he was also brave, extremely fast with a gun, and very loyal to Dan, who he always referred to as, "Mr. Troop." He was close friends with Lily, but they had more of a brother-sister dynamic going. In the first season, Dan many times left Johnny behind, but in the later years, he got more involved in the action as Dan started to see him as more of a partner in the fight against crime than his humble apprentice. Johnny actually quit three times. Once because if Tremain was his father, he thought that meant he had outlaw blood in him. The second time, he thought Dan was taking credit for a kill he made, but he later found out Dan was trying to protect him. The third time, Johnny had to shoot a friend of his, and lost his nerve to be a lawman. Somehow though, he always would eventually come back.
Lily Merrill, played by Peggie Castle
Peggie Castle
Peggie Castle was an American actress who specialized in playing the "other woman" in B-movies. She was also billed under the names Peggy Castle and Peggie Call.-Career:...
, is the owner of the Birdcage Saloon. In addition to serving as hostess, she also sang and danced on a regular basis. Lily was formerly married to outlaw Frank Quinlaven, played by Mike Road
Mike Road
Mike Road is a voice actor and a Warner Bros. television series contract player whose career dates back to the 1950s....
in the season two episode, "The Exchange." They had a son named Tommy, played by Bryan Russell
Bryan Russell
Bryan Russell is an American record producer. His credits include artists such as Straylight Run, Envy on the Coast, The Academy Is, and Anterrabae, and has also worked on records with Coldplay, Dream Theater, Paul Simon, Blue Wolf and Steely Dan. He is currently living and working out of New...
, who lived with her sister. Frank tried to use Tommy as a bargaining chip to get Lily to help him rob the Laramie bank, but Dan stopped him at the last minute. Dan and Johnny often used Lily as a sounding board whenever they had a problem. Lily was beautiful, feisty, courageous, extremely loyal, and a couple times even used a gun herself to help Dan and Johnny when no one else would. In addition to running her saloon, Lily was also elected the town fire chief, and briefly filled in as schoolmarm.
Recurring characters
Dru Lemp, played by Bek Nelson, appeared in eight episodes of season one. She owned a local cafe, and was the widow of the previous town marshal David Lemp.Judge Trager, played by Harry Cheshire
Harry Cheshire
Harry Cheshire was an American character actor with over 150 film appearances. He was perhaps best known for his role as "fair and square" Judge Ben Wiley in the TV series Buffalo Bill, Jr., founder of the fictional town Wileyville, Texas near the border with Mexico.-External links:...
, appeared in 15 episodes over all four seasons. Judge Trager oversaw all of the court cases in Laramie. He was also a member of the town council, and a close friend of Dan's.
Harry Tate, played by Jon Lormer
Jon Lormer
Jon Lormier was an American actor.Born as Jonathan Lormier, he appeared in three separate roles in Star Trek: The Original Series: as Dr...
, appeared in five episodes in season one. He was the editor of the town newspaper, and a close friend of Dan's. He was killed by mistake, when he was wearing the intended victim's hat. Tate had a daughter named Julie.
Julie Tate, played by Barbara Lang
Barbara Lang
Barbara Lang was an American actress and singer. During the 1950s she was one of the many "B"-level blondes to be promoted as a Marilyn Monroe type.-Early life:...
, appeared in four episodes of season one. She took over as editor for the newspaper after he father was killed. While her relationship with Dan got off to a rocky start, they eventually grew closer.
Tom Pike, played by Lane Chandler
Lane Chandler
Lane Chandler was an American actor specializing in Westerns.-Early life:He was born as Robert Chandler Oakes on a ranch near Culbertson, Montana, the son of a horse rancher. At an early age, the family relocated to Helena, Montana, where he graduated from high school...
, appeared in four episodes of season one. He was a member of the town council, and was constantly second guessing Dan's decisions.
Hank the Bartender, played by Emory Parnell
Emory Parnell
Emory Parnell was an American vaudevillian and actor who appeared in over 250 films in his 36 year career...
, appeared in 11 episodes of the first two seasons. He was the bartender at the Bluebonnet Saloon, a precursor to the Birdcage.
Doc Stewart was played the first appearance by James Bell
James Bell
James, Jim, Jimmy and Jamie Bell may refer to:Entertainers*Jimmy Velvit, , US singer who used the pseudonym James Bell*James Bell , American character actor*Jamie Bell , English actor...
, and for seven other episodes by Tom Palmer. He was the town doctor.
Timmo McQueeney, played by Clancy Cooper
Clancy Cooper
Clancy Cooper was an American actor. He appeared in over 100 films between 1938 and 1962.He was born in Boise, Idaho and died in Hollywood, California.-Selected filmography:* The Secret Code...
, appeared in 15 episodes in season two. He was Lily's main bartender, and a right hand man. Timmo was a big burly guy, who talked with a thick Irish accent.
Jake Summers, played by Dan Sheridan appeared in 38 episodes in seasons three and four. Jake became Lily's main bartender, and right hand man. He was also kept his eyes open in order to let Dan and Johnny know if any strangers came into town. Prior to becoming Jake, Sheridan guest starred twice in two separate roles.
Owny O'Reilly, played by Joel Grey
Joel Grey
Joel Grey is an American stage and screen actor, singer, and dancer, best known for his role as the Master of Ceremonies in both the stage and film adaptation of the Kander & Ebb musical Cabaret. He has won the Academy Award, Tony Award and Golden Globe Award...
appeared in three episodes in seasons 2-4. Owny started out as the brother of an outlaw, but eventually became close friends with Dan and Johnny. Although, Owny was supposed to be younger than Johnny, Grey is actually three and a half years older than Peter Brown
Peter Brown (actor)
Peter Brown is an American television actor known for his role as Deputy Johnny McKay opposite John Russell in the 1958 Warner Bros. western series Lawman.-Early life:...
. Owny was a lovable comedy sidekick, which included a hilarious brief stint as Dan's deputy while Johnny was away in the season three episode, "The Return of Owny O'Reilly."
Jack Stiles, played by Doodles Weaver
Doodles Weaver
Winstead Sheffield Weaver , who used the professional name Doodles Weaver, was an American actor and comedian on radio, recordings, and television. He was the brother of NBC executive Sylvester "Pat" Weaver and the uncle of actress Sigourney Weaver.Born in Los Angeles, Weaver was given the nickname...
appeared in four episodes of season two. He was the clerk at the Hotel Laramie, and one of Dan and Johnny's informants.
Oren Slauson, played by Vinton Hayworth appeared in nine episodes of seasons 2-4. He was the manager of the Laramie Bank, which seemed to get robbed on quite a regular basis.
Ben Toomey, played by Grady Sutton
Grady Sutton
Grady Harwell Sutton was an American film and television actor from the 1920s to the 1970s.-Biography:Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Sutton was raised in Florida where he attended St. Petersburg High School. He began his career during the silent film era and made the transition to sound films...
appeared in 12 episodes of seasons 3-4. He took over as clerk at the Hotel Laramie, and like Jack before him gave Dan and Johnny information on a regular basis.
The female audience
In an attempt to attract female viewers, the producers tried to find the right love interest for Dan. They started off with Dru Lemp, widow of the previous town marshal. Dan admitted in the first episode he had a previous relationship with a woman who was killed by a stray bullet. Midway through the first season, the character was dropped due to Russell and Nelson having a lack of chemistry.Later in the first season, Barbara Lang
Barbara Lang
Barbara Lang was an American actress and singer. During the 1950s she was one of the many "B"-level blondes to be promoted as a Marilyn Monroe type.-Early life:...
was brought in as Julie Tate, the daughter of Harry Tate, played by Jon Lormer
Jon Lormer
Jon Lormier was an American actor.Born as Jonathan Lormier, he appeared in three separate roles in Star Trek: The Original Series: as Dr...
, who was the editor of the town newspaper. She and Dan did not hit it off right away, because she felt he was not doing enough to find her father's killer. After four episodes, she was never seen again.
Lily Merrill then came to town as the owner of the Birdcage Saloon. Lily had been run out of Billings
Billings, Montana
Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, and is the principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Area, the largest metropolitan area in over...
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, by a crooked sheriff. She at first thought Dan was crooked, and Dan thought she was a crook. After finding out that they were both wrong, Dan and Lily became very close during the remainder of the show's run. As their relationship grew, Lily often dropped hints about wanting to marry Dan, and he would pretend that he did not get it. Their relationship was very similar to Matt Dillon and Kitty Russell of Gunsmoke in that they were clearly in love, but his job kept preventing him from getting closer to her. Dan made a large amount of enemies in his time, and was afraid of them using Lily to get to him.
Guest stars
- Edd Byrnes appeared in twice in two different roles, once as Lacey Hawks in the pilot, "The Deputy."
- John CarradineJohn CarradineJohn Carradine was an American actor, best known for his roles in horror films and Westerns as well as Shakespearean theater. A member of Cecil B DeMille's stock company and later John Ford's company, he was one of the most prolific character actors in Hollywood history...
appeared as out of work actor Jeffrey Hendon in "The Actor." - Sammy Davis Jr. appeared as singing cowboy Willie Shay in "Blue Boss and Willie Shay."
- John DehnerJohn DehnerJohn Dehner was an American actor in radio, television, and films, playing countless roles, often as a droll villain. Between 1941 and 1988, he appeared in over 260 films and television programs. Prior to acting, Dehner had worked as an animator at Walt Disney Studios, and later became a radio...
appeared as Marshal Ben Wyatt in "The Long Gun." - Jack ElamJack ElamWilliam Scott "Jack" Elam was an American film actor best known for his numerous roles as villains in Western films and, later in his career, comedies .-Early life:...
appeared five times in five different roles, one of which was as Flynn Hawks in the pilot.He would later go on to co-star with Larry WardLarry WardLarry Ward may refer to:* Larry Ward , American voice actor who provided the voices of Greedo in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and Jabba the Hutt in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi...
in another ABC/Warner Bros. western series,The DakotasThe Dakotas (TV series)The Dakotas is an American Western television series starring Larry Ward and featuring Jack Elam broadcast by ABC during 1963. The short-lived show is a spin-off of Cheyenne,...
, a popular, but controversial series cancelled after only 1 season. - Louise FletcherLouise FletcherLouise Fletcher is an American actress best known for her role as Nurse Ratched in One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress, and as Kai Winn Adami in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. She also guest starred on the science fiction television series Heroes...
appeared as Betty Horgan in the season one episode, "The Encounter." - L.Q. Jones appeared as Ollie Earnshaw, the richest man in Laramie, who gets swindled by con artists in "The Bride."
- Allan LaneAllan LaneAllan "Rocky" Lane was a studio leading man and the star of many cowboy B-movies in the 1940s and 1950s. He appeared in more than 125 films and TV shows in a career lasting from 1929 to 1966...
appeared as Joe Hoyt in "The Payment." - Gerald MohrGerald MohrGerald Mohr was an American radio, film and television character actor who appeared in over 4,000 radio plays, 73 films and over 100 television shows....
appeared as a mysterious thimblerigger in "The Thimblerigger." - Robert ReedRobert ReedRobert Reed was a prolific American character actor of stage, film and television. In his first big break, he played Kenneth Preston on the popular 1960s TV legal drama, The Defenders, alongside E. G. Marshall. But he was best remembered for portraying the father, Mike Brady, on the popular...
appeared as Jim Malone in "The Left Hand of the Law." - Suzanne StorrsSuzanne StorrsSuzanne Storrs was a former Miss Utah and an American television actress who appeared in sixteen different television series between 1954 and 1961, usually as the beautiful leading lady, including Maverick with James Garner , Wanted Dead or Alive with Steve McQueen , Sugarfoot Suzanne Storrs...
appeared as Amy Saunders in "Fast Trip to Cheyenne" - 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...
appeared as Rose Grant in "The Judge" (1960) and as Jessica Kindle in "The Frame-Up" (1961). - Lee Van CleefLee Van CleefLee Van Cleef was an American film actor who appeared mostly in Western and action pictures. His sharp features and piercing eyes led to his being cast as a villain in scores of films such as High Noon, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and The Good The Bad and the Ugly.-Early life:Van Cleef was...
appeared four times, including the role of Walt Hawks in the series pilot. - Dawn WellsDawn WellsDawn Elberta Wells is an American actress known for playing Mary Ann Summers on the sitcom Gilligan's Island during its run from 1964 until 1967.- Early life :...
appeared as Elly Stratton in "No Contest." - Adam WestAdam WestWilliam West Anderson , better known by the stage name Adam West, is an American actor best known for his lead role in the Batman TV series and the film of the same name...
appeared as 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...
in the "The Wayfarer."
Production
Being part of the Warner Bros.Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
array of westerns, Lawman participated in two crossovers. John Russell
John Russell (actor)
John Lawrence Russell was an American actor, and World War II veteran, most noted for playing Marshal Dan Troop in the successful ABC western television series Lawman from 1958 to 1962....
and Peter Brown
Peter Brown (actor)
Peter Brown is an American television actor known for his role as Deputy Johnny McKay opposite John Russell in the 1958 Warner Bros. western series Lawman.-Early life:...
appeared in the "Hadley's Hunters" episode of 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...
. Peter Brown and Adam West also appeared as Johnny McKay and Doc Holliday, respectively, in the Sugarfoot
Sugarfoot
Sugarfoot is the title of a TV western that aired from 1957 to 1961. The series featured Will Hutchins as fledgling frontier lawyer Tom Brewster and Jack Elam as sidekick Toothy Thompson...
episode "The Trial of the Canary Kid", which was a sequel to the Lawman episode, "The Wayfarer." The premise was that the Canary Kid, Sugarfoot's twin cousin, was in the Laramie jail at the same time as Holliday, and McKay and Holliday were called in to testify to that.
The studio routinely recycled scripts through their various series to save money on writers, frequently crediting the results to "W. Hermanos" (Spanish for W. Brothers). Two Lawman scripts, "The Payment" and "The Judge" were renamed from episodes of Cheyenne
Cheyenne (TV series)
Cheyenne is a western television series of 108 black-and-white episodes broadcast on ABC from 1955 to 1963. The show was the first hour-long western, and in fact the first hour-long dramatic series of any kind, with continuing characters, to last more than one season...
and edited down from 60 minutes to 30.
Merchandise
Lawman also spawned a variety of merchandise during the show's run. There were lunchboxes, puzzles, boots, arcade cards, sheet musicSheet music
Sheet music is a hand-written or printed form of music notation that uses modern musical symbols; like its analogs—books, pamphlets, etc.—the medium of sheet music typically is paper , although the access to musical notation in recent years includes also presentation on computer screens...
, action figure
Action figure
An action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
s, toy rifles, and cap pistol
Cap gun
A cap gun is a toy gun that creates a loud sound simulating a gunshot and a puff of smoke when the trigger is pulled. Cap guns were originally made of cast iron, but after World War II were made of zinc alloy, and most newer models are made of plastic....
s There was also a Lawman comic, which ran eleven issues from 1958–1962 and was drawn by Dan Spiegle
Dan Spiegle
Dan Spiegle is an American comic book and cartoon artist and illustrator . He has had a long career in drawing comics based on movie and television characters, and has worked for companies including Dell Comics, DC Comics and Marvel Comics.-Life and career:In his second year of high school,...
.