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Season 4 (1955-56)
Episode Guide
compiled by The Classic TV Archive
with contributions by:
references:
TV Guide
Library of Congress (telnet://locis.loc.gov)
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############# Death Valley Days ##############
############# season 4 1955-56 ##############
##############################################
20 New episodes
(McCann Erickson, Inc. prod. nos. #354-#373)
Hosted by
Stanley Andrews - The Old Ranger
4.01 Death Valley Days: THE VALENCIA CAKE [BH]
McCann Erickson, Inc. prod. no. 354 (ODAT: 23Sep55; OREG: LP5589)
Directed by Stuart McGowan/ Teleplay by Ruth Woodman
Hosted by Stanley Andrews
Guest Cast:
Robert Tafur
Ariana Cole
Tom Hernandez
Harry Shearer
Donna Martell
Ernestine Barrier
Gabriel Curtiz
Rosa Turich
Gilbert Frye
Sid Kane
Heenan Elliott
Pilar Arcos
George Lewis
Fanny McEnroe
Synopsis:
This episode, set in Mexico, documents the fortunes of three generations
of the Fernandez family over a 60-year span on their million acre grant
from the King of Spain. What's called the "most priceless cake in history"
gives the story its title. The cake is baked on a paper base that, to
everyone's consternation, is the lost grant to save the family from
eviction when New Mexico becomes a U.S. possession. [Variety: Oct.28'55][BH]
4.02 Death Valley Days: RENO [BH]
McCann-Erickson, Inc. prod. no. 355 (ODAT: 23Sep55; OREG: LP5588)
Producer, Dorrell McGowan
Directed by Stuart McGowan/ Teleplay by Ruth Woodman
Hosted by Stanley Andrews
Guest Cast:
William Schallert
Frank Griffin
Stanley Clements
Tom Monroe
Paul Sorensen
Sam Flint
Florence Ayer
Jack O'Shea
I.Stanford Jolley
Synopsis:
Years after serving under Lt. Jesse Lee Reno in Mexico, two
prospectors learn of his death during the war between the states.
To honor their former officer, the pair name a Truckee River way
station "Reno" from which grew the city of Reno, Nevada.
[Variety: Oct.11'55][BH]
4.03 Death Valley Days: THE HOMELIEST MAN IN NEVADA [BH]
McCann-Erickson, Inc. prod. no. 356 (ODAT: 24Oct55; OREG: MP6915)
Directed by Stuart McGowan/ Teleplay by Ruth Woodman
Hosted by Stanley Andrews
Guest Cast:
Paul Wexler
Patricia Joiner
Richard Avonde
Synopsis:
A plain face proves to be the key to romance for the hero of this tale. [RF/BH]
4.04 Death Valley Days: CALIFORNIA'S FIRST ICE MAN [BH]
McCann Erickson, Inc. prod. no. 357 (ODAT: 12Dec55; OREG: LP5944)
Directed by Stuart McGowan/ Teleplay by Ruth Woodman
Hosted by Stanley Andrews
Guest Cast:
Rhodes Reason ........... Peter Jeffries
I. Stanford Jolley ...... Colby
Donna Drew .............. Laura
Synopsis:
A young Bostonian comes to California during the gold rush days and
runs into the heavy who "ruined" his father back East. The heavy's
up to his old tricks, only now he's charging pioneers sky high prices
for snow in their drinks. This makes the young man so mad he imports
ice from Boston, ruins the heavy, and gets rich quick doing it. [BH]
Review:
"Just a fair entry in the series, with Mrs. Woodman's teleplay
providing few dramatics, little excitement." [Variety: Jan.4'56][BH]
4.05 Death Valley Days: THE HANGMAN WAITS [BH]
McCann Erickson, Inc. prod. no. 358 (ODAT: 19Dec55 ; OREG: LP5943)
Directed by Stuart McGowan/ Teleplay by Ruth Woodman
Hosted by Stanley Andrews
Guest Cast:
Percy Helton
Clark Howat
Claire Weeks
Ken Christy
Synopsis:
Alex Grant faces conviction and death until a friend steps to the
witness stand on his behalf. [BH]
4.06 Death Valley Days: A KILLING IN DIAMONDS [BH]
McCann Erickson, Inc. prod. no. 359 (ODAT: 20Oct55; OREG: LP5792)
Directed by Stuart McGowan/ Teleplay by Ruth Woodman
Hosted by Stanley Andrews
Guest Cast:
Michael Vallon
Robin Short
Baynes Barron
Emmett Vogan
Marc Hamilton
John Ayers
Sid Kane
Jack Gardner
Synopsis:
The gold fever was at its peak when two prospectors walked into booming San
Francisco and poured flashing diamonds from a sack. Under examination they
proved to be the real thing and now every-one wanted to get in on the
killing. A representative of the town's biggest bank even took a trip to
the diamond field, and sure enough, it was the real thing. What he didn't
know at the time was that the "prospectors" bought the gems in London and
"salted" the field. Being a true story, the epilog records that they took
the $600,000 for their shares and disappeared, one of them opening a bank
in Kentucky. [Variety: Nov.15'55][BH]
Note:
The year of the Great Diamond Hoax was 1872. The above episode was re-made in
Color by Madison Productions as "The Great Diamond Mines" c.Feb.23'68. [BH]
(see episode 16.12 prod. no. 798)
4.07 Death Valley Days: MIRACLE OF THE SEA GULLS [BH]
McCann Erickson, Inc. prod. no. 360 (ODAT: 14Nov55; OREG: LP5853)
Directed by Stuart McGowan/ Teleplay by Ruth Woodman
Hosted by Stanley Andrews
Guest Cast:
Peter Dane
Catherine O'Hara
Austin Greene
Herbert C.Lytton
Almira Sessions
William O.Wayne
Bill Kennedy
Synopsis:
A counterfeiter joins Brigham Young's wagon train en route to Salt
Lake City, and finds that money, even good money if he had any,
will avail him nothing in the wilderness.
Review:
The script draws on the authenticated story of how the sea gulls arrived
hundreds of miles inland to devour the grasshoppers which threatened
the tiny Mormon settlement with extinction. Until then, the counterfeiter
had been skeptical of the Mormon piety but, impressed by the power of
prayer, joins the church, thus clearing the last bar to marrying a Mormon
girl who loves him. [Variety: Dec.6'55][BH]
4.08 Death Valley Days: NEVADA'S PLYMOUTH ROCK [BH]
McCann Erickson, Inc. prod. no. 361 (ODAT: 13Feb56; OREG: LP6434)
Directed by Stuart McGowan/ Teleplay by Ruth Woodman
Hosted by Stanley Andrews
Guest Cast:
Liam Sullivan
Charmienne Harker
Bobby Beckman
Paul Knight
Helen Jay
Synopsis:
An Eastern family comes to Nevada, but the wife is fearful that
the rough and tumble climate will have an unhealthy effect on
their youngster, and she wants to go back to Boston. When the
kid is badly hurt in an accident, her husband agrees. But a
Nevadan comes back from the East, bearing with him a hunk of
the Plymouth Rock. On top of which the wife by now understands
they are pioneers, like the Pilgrims in their day, so she stays. [BH]
Review:
"Few can transmit the flavor of the Old West to TV as ex-pertly as Ruth
Woodman ...and she is at her best in this vignette of Old Nevada.
Mrs. Woodman brings to the screen in realistic fashion not only the
atmosphere of the Old West, but her characterizations are vivid,
invariably understandable." [Variety: Feb.27'56][BH]
4.09 Death Valley Days: WILDCAT'S FIRST PIANO [BH]
McCann Erickson, Inc. prod. no. 362 (ODAT: 21Nov55; OREG: LP5852)
Directed by Stuart McGowan/ Teleplay by Ruth Woodman
Hosted by Stanley Andrews
Guest Cast:
Michael Garth ................. Chuck Latham
Marilyn Saris ................. Deborah Lee
Synopsis:
Culture comes to a Nevada mining town in the 1890's when the first
piano arrives - but no one can play it. [BH]
[--] prod. no. 363 MISSING - no copyright details
4.10 Death Valley Days: THE BARON OF ARIZONA [BH]
McCann Erickson, Inc. prod. no? (copyright date 06Feb56)
(possibly #363)
Directed by Stuart McGowan/ Teleplay by Ruth Woodman
Hosted by Stanley Andrews
Guest Cast:
Kenneth Harp
Audrey Conti
Jack Gardner
Synopsis:
From the archives of the U. S. government comes this story of a
land-grabber who called himself the "Baron of Arizona." James
Reavis claimed title to a vast area of land and tried to turn
the homesteaders living on it into his slaves. In 1880, a
crusading reporter investigated the legitimacy of the "baron"
and he was brought to trial. [BH]
4.11 Death Valley Days: THE MAN WHO'D BET ON ANYTHING [BH]
McCann Erickson, Inc. prod. no. 364 (ODAT: 16Jan56; OREG: LP5956)
Directed by Stuart McGowan/ Teleplay by Ruth Woodman
Hosted by Stanley Andrews
Guest Cast:
Mark Bennett....Abraham Curry
Helen Gilbert.......Mrs.Curry
Synopsis:
Way back in the mid-19th. century, Abraham Curry, who would bet
on anything, placed his biggest bet. He grabbed a lot of barren
land in the Western wastelands (which became Carson City) and
bet it would be the site of the state capital of Nevada which
wasn't even a state at the time. Curry sees the decision on the
state capital almost go to Virginia City, but his faith wins
out and a last minute decision sees Carson City become the
capital. [BH]
Review:
"Mrs.Ruth Woodman...transmits the superb grasp she has of the Old
West to the screen, and both the atmosphere and the men who made
the West grow are authentically mirrored here. Mark Bennett is
convincing as the free-wheeling visionary Westerner and Helen
Gilbert performs well as his wife." [Variety: Jan.30'56][BH]
4.12 Death Valley Days: THE HOODOO MINE [BH]
McCann Erickson, Inc. prod. no. 365 (ODAT: 2Mar56; OREG: LP6444)
(rerun in "Pioneers" series 1968)
Directed by Stuart McGowan/ Teleplay by Ruth Woodman
Hosted by Stanley Andrews
Guest Cast:
Tyler McDuff ............. Norman Berry
Duane Thornsen ........... Bill Snyder
Linda Brent .............. Lupin
Synopsis 1:
A young prospector is left by his partner to die from thirst
after striking out a rich claim.
Synopsis 2:
A young prospector is left by his partner to die of thirst in the
wilderness. An Indian maiden saves his life but she puts a curse
on the rich silver mine he and his partner has found. [BH]
4.13 Death Valley Days: GOLD IS WHERE YOU FIND IT [BH]
McCann Erickson, Inc. prod. no. 366 (ODAT: 9Jan56; OREG: LP5957)
Directed by Stuart McGowan/ Teleplay by Ruth Woodman
Hosted by Stanley Andrews
Guest Cast:
Claudia Barrett
Michael Bryant
George Mathews
George Baxter
Synopsis:
When one of his stagecoaches is held up and robbed, a Wells Fargo
detective is accused of being involved in the theft and fired.
He goes away for several months, but returns with the two crooks
- and the stolen gold - in hand. [BH]
Review:
"Despite the fact this yarn - a detective story - is off-beat for this
series "Gold" is purely pedestrian." [Variety: Feb.15'56][BH]
4.14 Death Valley Days: MISTER BIGFOOT [BH]
McCann Erickson, Inc. prod. no. 367 (ODAT: 12Mar56; OREG: LP6443)
Directed by Stuart McGowan/ Teleplay by Ruth Woodman
Hosted by Stanley Andrews
Guest Cast:
Charles Martin...Stubby Weeks
Duane Thorsen.....Dutch Hogan
Ann McCrea......Merinda Pratt
Paul Keast......Prof.Muchmore
Synopsis:
Two men - one small in stature, the other, large - are both fond
of the same girl. A visiting anthropologist plants fake footprints
of a "giant" in Death Valley, which scares the big guy away. The
little guy goes after the mythical giant, how-ever, thus proving
to the girl that he's the bravest and wins her. [BH]
Review:
"This in not much on which to devote a half-hour, and rates as one
of Mrs.Woodman's poor-er scripting efforts." [Variety: March 26'56][BH]
4.15 Death Valley Days: TWO BITS [BH]
McCann Erickson, Inc. prod. no.368 (ODAT: 07Apr56; OREG: LP6565)
Directed by Stuart McGowan/ Teleplay by Ruth Woodman
Hosted by Stanley Andrews
Guest Cast:
Harry Mackin ............ Pvt. Sam Loomis
Charlie Heard ........... Col. Downey
Synopsis:
An emaciated race horse arrives at a remote fort in the Arizona
Territory in 1864 and is saved from destruction by a young private.
The horse becomes a hero during an Apache uprising when it sprints
through the Indians after its rider has been shot off, and gets
help for the under-manned fort. [BH]
4.16 Death Valley Days: ESCAPE [BH]
McCann Erickson, Inc. prod. no. 369 (ODAT: 30Mar56; OREG: LP6564)
Directed by Stuart McGowan/ Teleplay by Ruth Woodman
Hosted by Stanley Andrews
Guest Cast:
Mark Dana ............... Harry Neilson
Beverly Tyler ........... Evelyn Neilson
Synopsis:
A couple, on the verge of divorce, is menaced by an es-caped killer
for 12 harrowing hours. [BH]
4.17 Death Valley Days: BILL BOTTLE'S BIRTHDAY [BH]
McCann Erickson, Inc. prod. no. 370 (ODAT: 27Apr56; OREG: LP7072)
Directed by Stuart McGowan/ Teleplay by Ruth Woodman
Hosted by Stanley Andrews
Guest Cast:
Don Kent
Barbara Lang
Camille Franklyn
Homer Clayton
Synopsis:
A pompous prospector puts an ad in the newspaper inviting anyone
bearing the name of Bottle to attend his birthday party. [BH]
4.18 Death Valley Days: THE SINBUSTER [BH]
McCann Erickson, Inc. prod. no. 371 (ODAT: 4May56; OREG: LP7070)
Directed by Stuart McGowan/ Teleplay by Ruth Woodman
Hosted by Stanley Andrews
Guest Cast:
Peter Thompson
Lyn Thomas
Don Kelly
Synopsis:
An itinerant preacher, arriving in the California town of Mojave,
is given a hostile greeting by the miners and cowhands who live
there. [BH]
4.19 Death Valley Days: THE LONGEST BEARD IN THE WORLD [BH]
McCann Erickson, Inc. prod. no. 372 (ODAT: 1Jun56; OREG: LP7071)
Directed by Stuart McGowan/ Teleplay by Ruth Woodman
Hosted by Stanley Andrews
Guest Cast: [LHA/BH]
Guy Prescott .......... Lawyer Barnaby Taylor
Patricia Donahue
Lucille Sewall
Synopsis:
Barnaby Taylor, a young Western lawyer, runs for Congress on
the merits of his four-foot-long beard, but when someone else
turns up with a longer beard, Barnaby figures he should throw
in the sponge. The depressed lawyer is urged by his girlfriend
to shave off his whiskers and the public goes for him because
he's clean-shaven and they vote him in. [BH]
4.20 Death Valley Days: PAY DIRT [BH]
McCann Erickson, Inc. prod. no. 373 (ODAT: 25May56; OREG: LP7073)
Directed by Stuart McGowan/ Teleplay by Ruth Woodman
Hosted by Stanley Andrews
Guest Cast:
Barbara Long ........... Norman Gordon
Bradford Jackson ....... MacGordon
Paul McGuire ........... Don Daley
Synopsis:
A pair of newlyweds head West, hoping to strike it rich. When
the husband is tricked into buying a phony gold mine, the hoax
almost breaks up their marriage. [BH]
############# Death Valley Days ##############
############## end of season 4 ###############
##############################################
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