The Deputy (1959-1961) (TV Series)

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  • THE DEPUTY


    TOP GUN PRODUCTIONS/NBC



    Information From IMDb


    Plot Summary
    "That was the Arizona territory in 1880, and I was its chief marshal."
    So began this western series starring Henry Fonda as Simon Fry.
    Unfortunately, Fonda's character was fully integrated into the plot
    in only six of the episodes of the first season and thirteen in season two.
    In all other episodes he appeared only briefly,
    generally at the start of the episode and again at the close.
    Fonda did narrate most episodes. Fonda worked for ten weeks on season one,
    for example, shooting all of his scenes during that time,
    which left the rest of the year free for film and theater work.
    While Allen Case tried hard as the title character, Clay McCord,
    the series is well- known for the substantial differences in quality
    between what the series producers (and Fonda himself)
    came to call the "Fonda" and "Non- Fonda" episodes.
    Written by rtvf


    Series Cast
    Henry Fonda ... Marshal Simon Fry (76 episodes, 1959-1961)
    Allen Case ... Clay McCord / ... (75 episodes, 1959-1961)
    Read Morgan ... Sergeant Hapgood Tasker / ... (35 episodes, 1959-1961)
    Betty Lou Keim ... Fran McCord (23 episodes, 1959-1960)
    Wallace Ford ... Herk Lamson (22 episodes, 1959-1960)
    Phil Tully ... Bartender / ... (10 episodes, 1960-1961)
    Addison Richards ... Doc Landy (8 episodes, 1960-1961)
    Vito Scotti ... Jose (6 episodes, 1960)
    and many more including
    Denver Pyle ... Akins / ... (2 episodes, 1959-1961)


    Series Directed
    David Butler (15 episodes, 1959-1961)
    Tay Garnett (12 episodes, 1960-1961)
    Sidney Lanfield (10 episodes, 1960)
    and more including, one of Duke's directors
    Arthur Lubin (3 episodes, 1959-1960)


    Series Produced
    William Frye .... executive producer / producer (76 episodes, 1959-1961)
    Henry Fonda .... executive producer (75 episodes, 1959-1961)
    Michael Kraike .... producer (75 episodes, 1959-1961)


    Series Writing Credits
    Roland Kibbee (76 episodes, 1959-1961)
    Norman Lear (76 episodes, 1959-1961)
    and many more...


    Series Original Music
    Jack Marshall (76 episodes, 1959-1961)


    Trivia
    Henry Fonda's first television series was this western, set in the Arizona territory in 1880 (as Fonda's character often said during an opening narration on many episodes.) Fonda's sequences were shot all at once each season so that he would be free the rest of the year to pursue film and theater work.


    An album of songs sung by Allen Case titled "The Deputy Sings" was released in 1960.


    The following two episodes have fallen into the public domain: "The Deputy: The Hard Decision (#2.18)" (1961) and "The Deputy: The Return of Widow Brown (#2.30)" (1961).


    Filming Locations
    Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA
    (western streets)
    Corriganville, Ray Corrigan Ranch, Simi Valley, California, USA

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited 7 times, last by ethanedwards ().

  • The Deputy is a 1959-1961 half-hour NBC western series featuring
    Henry Fonda as Chief Marshal Simon Fry of the Arizona Territory
    and Allen Case as Deputy Clay McCord, a storekeeper who tried to avoid using a gun.


    User Review

    Quote

    Routine Western spiced up by occasional appearance by film actor
    21 January 2005 | by westpoint64 (United States)
    There's a sleigh of hand in the very title of this show. Note that the name of the show is "The Deputy". This conveniently allowed Fonda to not have to be a major player in all the episodes. Fonda appears in some episodes throughout the show but more likely than not you'll see him only at the beginning and end (usually this is explained by Fonda's Simon Fry character being "out of town")...and I've even seen a few episodes where Fonda doesn't appear at all! Really, the show's more about Allen Case than Fonda, but the Fonda name was there to draw viewers. Other than Fonda's needing money, I doubt there was any reason he'd do TV...particularly in a stock Western like this one. Don't get me wrong: the show's pleasant in a Revue Studios crank-em-out-cookie-cutter way (guess who produced the show?) and the jazz guitar that's going on in the background (sounds like Barney Kessel! cool!) is nice, but the plots are pretty clichéd and you've been there before. I wouldn't call

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited 4 times, last by ethanedwards ().

  • Thanks to Paula for bringing this one to our attention.



    Thanks for the post Paula,
    pity Henry was not in more of the episodes,
    and although billed as the star, as the title suggests,
    it was all about The Deputy played by Allen Case.
    Apparently at the time Fonda fans were disappointed to
    see that Henry was only seen in a third of the episodes,
    and most of those, only briefly!

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited once, last by ethanedwards ().

  • and why use that goofy layout on the set that makes it look like Fonda is using his deputy for a shield?