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 "Shotgun Slade".“SHOTGUN SLADE”

A double-barreled shotgun blast point blank at the viewer marked the opening to the syndicated “Shotgun Slade” starring Scott Brady as sort of an old west Peter Gunn. To the accompaniment of Gerald Fried’s jazzy score, Slade was a Denver, CO, based detective on horseback who hired out his services to the government, Wells Fargo, insurance companies and private individuals.

Slade (no first name ever mentioned) carried a specially designed double-barreled shotgun instead of a six-gun. The lower barrel fired a 12 gauge shotgun shell, while the upper one discharged a .32 caliber rifle bullet.

79 syndicated half-hour episodes aired over two seasons, beginning in October ‘59 and ending by June ‘61.

Produced by Universal’s TV arm, Revue, at a time when network censors were getting antsy about too much violence, “Shotgun Slade” crammed as much rough action into its 26 minutes as possible. But even Revue condescended and toned down at least the wild opening on the second season, simply having Slade come down an outside stairway and mount his horse. Gone was the in-your-face shotgun blast.

Scott Brady as Shotgun Slade.Series creator Frank Gruber and producer Nat Holt certainly knew how to make an entertaining western long before either came to TV. Holt began producing westerns in the mid-late ‘40s with Randolph Scott (“Badman’s Territory”, “Trail Street”, “Return of the Badmen”, “Canadian Pacific”) before teaming with Gruber on “Fighting Man of the Plains” in ‘49. Earlier Gruber wrote “The Kansan” (Richard Dix) and “Oregon Trail” (Sunset Carson). Together they wrote/produced eight more terrific big screen westerns—“Cariboo Trail”, “Great Missouri Raid”, “Flaming Feather”, “Silver City”, “Warpath”, “Denver and Rio Grande”, “Pony Express”, “Rage At Dawn”—through 1955.

They designed Slade not only as a man of swift action, but also as a ladies’ man (again, patterned after Peter Gunn?) to give the series plenty of feminine pulchritude with guest stars like Lisa Gaye, Ruta Lee, Claudia Barrett, Marie Windsor, Ann Robinson, Connie Hines, Nan Leslie, Kathie Browne, Donna Martell, Jane Nigh, Yvette Vickers, Mari Blanchard, Diane Foster, even Jacqueline Holt, producer Nat Holt’s actress daughter.

The best of TV’s badmen guested on “Slade” as well: Roy Barcroft, Gregory Walcott, Lee Van Cleef, Gregg Palmer, Jack Lambert, George Keymas, Ted De Corsia, James Griffith, Chris Alcaide, Myron Healey, H. M. Wynant, among others.

Additionally, producer Holt did what is regarded as “stunting”, with special guest stars brought in that were not normally seen on TV westerns. These included former B-western stars Jimmy Wakely, Tex Ritter and Don Barry; sports stars—football player Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch, boxer Lou Nova, baseball player Sandy Koufax; comedian Ernie Kovacs; flying ace “Pappy” Boyington; country singer Johnny Cash; and silent actor Francis X. Bushman.

Filmed mostly on the Universal backlot, director Sydney Pollack (“Way We Were”, “Jeremiah Johnson” etc.) cut his directorial teeth on “Slade” and other series at this time.

Scott Brady as Shotgun Slade.Star Scott Brady (1924-1985) was the younger brother (by 5 years) of Lawrence Tierney who was already making a name for himself in Hollywood by the time Brooklyn born Brady came west after service in the Navy during WWII. Brady’s first screen role was in his brother’s “Born to Kill” after which he soon signed with Universal-International. Like Gruber and Holt, by time for “Slade” he also knew his way around the western backlot, having been in “Kansas Raiders”, “Montana Belle”, “Johnny Guitar”, “Law Vs. Billy the Kid”, “Maverick Queen”, “Storm Rider” and others.

“Shotgun Slade” never reached the top ratings ranks of “Rawhide”, “Gunsmoke” etc. but provided solid western excitement to TV viewers.


top of page