Search the Western Clippings Site

An Interview With…
        - Archives

Will "Sugarfoot" Hutchins
    - Archives

Do You Remember?
    - Northwest Passage
    - Father Murphy
    - Little House on the Prairie
    - Here Come the Brides
    - Circus Boy
    - Gabby Hayes Show
    - Davy Crockett
    - Young Maverick
    - Bret Maverick
    - Wagon Train
    - Death Valley Days
    - The Travels of Jaimie  McPheeters
    - Cade’s County
    - Guns of Will Sonnett
    - Cowboy in Africa
    - Sheriff of Cochise
    - Rin Tin Tin
    - Two Faces West
    - The Monroes
    - The Westerner
    - Daniel Boone
    - Whiplash
    - Riverboat
    - Zorro
    - Wild Wild West
    - Spin and Marty
    - Grizzly Adams
    - Buckskin
    - Stagecoach West
    - Dundee and the Culhane
    - Daniel Boone (Disney)
    - Andy Burnett
    - Swamp Fox
    - Texas John Slaughter
    - Black Saddle
    - Hondo
    - Man Called Shenandoah
    - Elfego Baca
    - Man Without a Gun
    - The Big Valley
    - Have Gun Will Travel
    - Laredo
    - Custer
    - Buffalo Bill Jr.
    - Iron Horse
    - The Outcasts
    - Sugarfoot
    - The Cisco Kid
    - Lawman
    - Lancer
    - Zane Grey Theatre
    - Laramie
    - Overland Trail
    - Range Rider
    - Pony Express
    - Union Pacific
    - The Rebel
    - The Dakotas
    - Tales of the Texas Rangers
    - Casey Jones
    - Colt .45
    - Wanted Dead or Alive
    - Alias Smith and Jones
    - Cimarron Strip
    - State Trooper
    - Bat Masterson
    - Bronco
    - Cheyenne
    - Destry
    - Sgt. Preston of the Yukon
    - The Tall Man
    - Hotel de Paree
    - Tate
    - Tales of Wells Fargo
    - The Deputy
    - Trackdown
    - Stories of the Century
    - Jefferson Drum
    - 26 Men
    - The Rifleman
    - Shane
    - Broken Arrow
    - Wichita Town
    - Rawhide
    - Adventures of Kit Carson
    - Shotgun Slade
    - Yancy Derringer
    - Law of the Plainsman
    - Adventures of Jim Bowie
    - Adventures of Champion
    - Tombstone Territory
    - Wild Bill Hickok
    - Gunslinger
    - Maverick
    - Brave Eagle
    - Hopalong Cassidy
    - The Outlaws
    - Judge Roy Bean
    - Fury
    - Man From Blackhawk
    - Mackenzie’s Raiders
    - Legend of Jesse James
    - Branded
    - The Lone Ranger
    - Frontier Doctor
    - The Loner
    - Whispering Smith
    - The Texan
    - Cowboy G-Men
    - Tim McCoy Show
    - Gene Autry Show
    - Boots and Saddles
    - Roy Rogers Show
    - Rough Riders
    - My Friend Flicka
    - Sky King
    - Steve Donovan
    - Californians
    - Restless Gun
    - Gray Ghost
    - Temple Houston
    - Annie Oakley
    - Johnny Ringo
    - Cimarron City

Comic Book Cowboys
    - Archives

Rangeland Elegance
    - Archives

Westerns of...
    - Archives

Heavies and Characters
      - Archives

The Stuntmen - Neil Summers
    - Archives

Western Treasures
    - Archives

Circus Cowboys
    - Archives

Radio Range Riders
    - Archives

Western Artifacts
    - Archives

Film Festival Fotos
    - Archives

Silent Western Reviews
    - Archives

Serial Report
    - Archives

Subscribe to Western Clippings

THINGS TO PURCHASE:

Western Clippings Back Issues

Daily Comic Strips
    - Page 1 (1910-1949)
    - Page 2 (1950-1979)

Sunday Comic Strips
    - 1907-1990

Books

Miscellaneous Collectibles

Autographs

Lobby Cards

Movie Posters

Home

TV GUIDE ad for "My Friend Flicka"."MY FRIEND FLICKA"

“My Friend Flicka” (CBS 2/10/56-2/1/57) took its lead from two successful 20th Century-Fox films, “My Friend Flicka” (‘43) and “Thunderhead, Son of Flicka” (‘45). As in the films, the Fox produced TV series revolved around the popular theme of a boy and his horse and the struggles of the McLaughlin family on a ranch in Montana.

Toronto, Canada, born Johnny Washbrook essayed the role of young Ken McLaughlin (played in the films by Roddy McDowall) and the late Gene Evans was his father, Rob (Preston Foster in the films). Anita Louise (1915-1970) replaced the film’s Rita Johnson as Ken’s mother, Nell, in the half hour color series which ran for 38 episodes.

The horse, Flicka (actually an Arabian sorrel named Wahama), was owned by livestock supplier Ralph McCutcheon with his training handled by Les Hilton.

Superb character actor Frank Ferguson (1899-1978) was Gus, the ranch foreman. Gene Evans once told me Ferguson was also a noted acting coach at Columbia. Gene recalled, “Anita Louise was married to Fox honcho (Buddy Adler) and had a ‘whim’ to do a series. A year later she had a ‘whim’ to not do it any longer, leaving the rest of us unemployed. When we were shooting, Anita had her own schedule and Johnny Washbrook was only able to work certain hours because he was a minor; so you know who got the first and last shot everyday. Frank was a great guy to work with—a good fisherman. Johnny was a great kid with saucer-like eyes. We shot on the Fox western street and the Fox Ranch in Malibu Canyon.”

Gene Evans, Johnny Washbrook, Flicka and Anita Louise, the McLaughlins of TV's "My Friend Flicka".Johnny Washbrook (born 10/16/44) was 10 years old when the series began. Now a New England banker, he told Ray Nielsen of the Memphis Film Festival, following Evans’ death, “Gene was one of the reasons why the company was so bonded and worked so well together.” He called Evans ‘Dad’ on and off camera to get into the feel of his role. “I can remember visiting friends on the sets of other shows at the time. I never found anyone having as much fun as I was doing ‘Flicka’.”

At the same time, Washbrook observed that the grind of doing a series could sometimes be stressful. Pranks would be pulled to relieve tension and Evans frequently took part in the hi-jinx. “All our outdoor shooting was done in Malibu Canyon. It got very hot there in the summer, sometimes up to 110 degrees. Gene would often turn on the fire hose and wet down the crew with it. The actors couldn’t join in because of our costumes and make-up. But Gene sure got a kick out of cooling-off everyone else.”

Recently, when “My Friend Flicka” was on TV Land reruns, Gene told me, “Some people thought I was too strict with my son—too stern on Ken. Now people say we need more shows today where parents are more restrictive.” Many episodes included a line by Gene to Johnny, “You did what you thought was right son, and that’s the important thing.” Most of us brought up on series like “Flicka” still live by those words today.