CTVA
The Classic TV Archive - TV Western series  

Wichita Town (1959-60)
Episode Guide compiled by The Classic TV Archive
with contributions by:
Tom Dischley, Rina Fox, Mike Stidman
references:
Library of Congress (telnet://locis.loc.gov)
Internet Movie Database (https:// us.imdb.com)
UCLA Film and Television Archive
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WICHITA TOWN
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Mirisch-McCrea Productions in association with Four Star Television
for
NBC (Wednesdays 10:30pm EST)(Sep59-Apr60)(original run)
NBC (Fridays 8:30pm EST)(Jun60-Sep60)(summer reruns)
Produced by Mirisch Television Enterprises
Produced by  Frank Baur (to be verified)
Associate Producer: Richard Heermance (#11 #16)

US Western series 1959-60  26 episodes x 30 min bw
starring
Joel McCrea
as Marshal Mike Dunbar
Jody McCrea as Ben Matheson
Carlos Romero as Rico Rodriguez
George Neise as Dr. Nat Wyndham
Bob Anderson as Aeneas MacLinahan
Robert Foulk as Joe Kingston

Premise:
The exploits of Marshal Mike Dunbar as he attempts to maintain law and
order in Wichita Town, Kansas, during the 1870's

"Wichita Town" theme - words and music by Wayne P. Walker

################ Wichita Town ################
############### season 1959-60 ###############
##############################################
NBC Wednesdays 10:30pm Eastern

  1.1 [--] Wichita Town: THE NIGHT THE COWBOYS ROARED (pilot) [verified -MS]
Mirisch-McCrea prod. no. 6605
30Sep59 NBC Wed
Written by Richard Alan Simmons / Story by Dan Ullman
Directed by Jerry Hopper
Starring: Joel McCrea (as Marshal Mike Dunbar)
with:
Jody McCrea .......... Ben Matheson (recurring)
Bob Anderson ......... Aeneas McLinahan (recurring)
Frank Ferguson ....... Eric Holbein (recurring)
Robert Foulk ......... Joe Kingston (recurring)
Guest Cast:
Tony Montenaro ....... Manuel
Herbert Rudley ....... Yeager
James Coburn ......... Fletcher
Alan Watts ........... Dilling
Don Kennedy .......... McGraw
Pitt Herbert ......... Sutton
Chuck Hayward ........ Bridey
Neil Grant ........... Santley
Earl Hodgins ......... Old Man
Synopsis:
A group of cowboys get drunk and run wild in Wichita, killing a young boy.
When the marshal quits, it is up to trail boss Mike Dunbar to restore order. [MS]

[02] Wichita Town: WYNDHAM'S WAY
Mirisch-McCrea prod. no. 2901
07Oct59 NBC Wed
Starring: Joel McCrea (as Marshal Mike Dunbar)
Guest Cast:
John Pickard
Joe Bassett
Synopsis:
Marshal Mike Dunbar is surprised to see a doctor ride into Wichita.
The town has been without a doctor, and Dunbar tries to persuade
the stranger to stay. [RF]

1.3 [--] Wichita Town: BULLET FOR A FRIEND [verified -MS]
Mirisch-McCrea prod. no. 2905
14Oct59 NBC Wed
Written by David P. Harmon
Directed by R. G. Springsteen
Starring: Joel McCrea (as Marshal Mike Dunbar)
With:
Carlos Romero ....... Rico Rodriguez (recurring)
Robert Foulk ........ Joe Kingston (recurring)
Bob Anderson ........ Aeneas McLinahan (recurring)
Guest Cast:
Robert J. Wilke ..... Johnny Burke
James Griffith ...... Vic Parker
Don Keefer .......... Clerk
Charles Seel ........ Old Man
Synopsis 1:
During the absence of Marshal Dunbar, gunman Rico Rodriguez comes
to Wichita. Despite Rico's warning, Johnny Burke vows to kill
Vic Parker, a man who once double-crossed him. [RF]
Synopsis 2:
Rico Rodriguez comes to Wichita to investigate the shooting of his nephew,
Manuel. On discovering that Marshal Dunbar was the only friend that Manuel
had, Rico decides to repay Dunbar's kindness by trying to stop Johnny Burke
from killing Vic Parker. [MS]

[04] Wichita Town: They Won't Hang Jimmy Relson
Mirisch-McCrea prod. no. 2913
21Oct59 NBC Wed
Starring: Joel McCrea (as Marshal Mike Dunbar)
Guest Cast:
Vic Morrow .................... Jimmy Relson
Dave Willock .................. Quincy

1.5 [--] Wichita Town: DRIFTING [verified -MS]
Mirisch-McCrea prod. no. 2911
28Oct59 NBC Wed
Teleplay by Frank Davis
Directed by Jerry Hopper
Starring: Joel McCrea (as Marshal Mike Dunbar)
With:
Jody McCrea ......... Ben Matheson (recurring)
Bob Anderson ........ Aeneas MacLinehan (recurring)
Guest Cast:
Pitt Herbert ........ Art Sutton
John Larch .......... Gant
L.Q. Jones .......... Walter
Denny Niles ......... George Tyler
Helen Conrad ........ Mrs. Fowler
John McIntire ....... Frank Matheson
Synopsis 1:
A gunman named Gant comes to Wichita looking for a Frank Matheson.
Ben Matheson suddenly realizes that the hired killer is seeking
his father, who had deserted the Matheson family and disappeared
12 years before. [RF]
Synopsis 2:
Ben is pulled into a dispute between his estranged father and a man
named Gant who wants to kill him. [MS]

1.06 [--] Wichita Town: MAN ON THE HILL
Mirisch-McCrea prod. no. 2923
04Nov59 NBC Wed
Starring: Joel McCrea (as Marshal Mike Dunbar)
Guest cast:
Mort Mills .................... Pete Bennett
Don Grady ..................... Arnie Sloeurn
Virginia Gregg ................ Mal Sloeurn
Jan Shepard ................... Clara Bennett
Jennifer Lea .................. Marianne
William Schallert ............. Al Watson
Synopsis:
Pete Bennett, a Wichita farmer, goes on a killing spree and threatens
the life of young Arnie Slocum. Marshal Dunbar and his deputy
realize they must outsmart a madman in order to save Arnie's life. [RF]

[07] Wichita Town: Day of Battle
Mirisch-McCrea prod. no. 2925
18Nov59 NBC Wed
Starring: Joel McCrea (as Marshal Mike Dunbar)
Guest Cast:
Robert Foulk .................. Kingston
Nan Leslie .................... Margaret Cook
Harry Lauter .................. Jim Dudley
Jean Willes ................... Myra Dudley
John Stephenson ............... Cavendish

[08] Wichita Town: Compadre
Mirisch-McCrea prod. no. 2915
25Nov59 NBC Wed
Starring: Joel McCrea (as Marshal Mike Dunbar)
Guest Cast:
Robert Foulk .................. Joe Kingston
Victor Millan ................. Rafael

[09] Wichita Town: Passage to the Enemy
Mirisch-McCrea prod. no. 2907
02Dec59 NBC Wed
Starring: Joel McCrea (as Marshal Mike Dunbar)
Guest Cast:
Robert Vaughn ................. Frank Warren
Jean Inness ................... Mrs. Warren
Ben Cooper .................... Tom Warren

[10] Wichita Town: Out of the Past
Mirisch-McCrea prod. no. 2929
09Dec59 NBC Wed
Starring: Joel McCrea (as Marshal Mike Dunbar)
Guest Cast:
Skip Homeier .................. Murdock
Robert H. Harris .............. Gus Ritter
Jan Stine ..................... Gus Ritter, Jr.

1.11 [--] Wichita Town: DEATH WATCH [verified -MS]
Mirisch-McCrea prod. no. 2919
16Dec59 NBC Wed
Associate Producer: Richard Heermance
Written by Ellis Kadison
Directed by Frank Baur
Starring: Joel McCrea (as Marshal Mike Dunbar)
With:
Jody McCrea ............ Ben Matheson (recurring)
George N. Neise ........ Dr. Wyndham (recurring)
Bob Anderson ........... Aeneas MacLinehan (recurring)
Guest Cast:
Phillip Pine ........... Charlie Wilkes
Tina Carver ............ Milly Davis
Joan Berry ............. Ida Taylor
Howard Negley .......... Luke Connors
Don Elson .............. Fred
John Dehner ............ Lew Lowry
Synopsis:
During a cyclone, Ben finds himself in a storm cellar with a cardsharp,
a saloon girl, a man dying from a gunshot wound, and unknown to them,
the man who shot him. [MS]

1.12 [--] Wichita Town: THE DEVIL'S CHOICE
Mirisch-McCrea prod. no. 2931
23Dec59 NBC Wed
Starring: Joel McCrea (as Marshal Mike Dunbar)
Guest Cast:
Robert Bray .............. "Rev. Nichols"
Richard Coogan ........... "Rev. Nichols"
Bob Swan ................. "Rev. Nichols"
Dave Willock ............. Quinch
Earle Hodgins ............ Professor
Dabbs Greer .............. John Matthews
Arthur Space ............. Sid Durant
Fred Sherman ............. Conductor
Synopsis:
Marshal Dunbar and his deputy discover the dead body of a
federal agent who was escorting two killers. [RF]

1.13 [--] Wichita Town: BIGGEST MAN IN TOWN
Mirisch-McCrea prod. no. 2917
30Dec59 NBC Wed
Starring: Joel McCrea (as Marshal Mike Dunbar)
Guest Cast:
Don Dubbins .............. Petey McGlasson
Yvonne Lime .............. Fran
Ron Hagerthy ............. Tod
Bill Catching ............ Ab Singleton
Synopsis:
Outlaw Ab Singleton is beating an old man when mild-mannered Petey
McGlasson happens on the scene. Petey fires his gun wildly and
a shot hits the outlaw. [RF]

[14] Wichita Town: Ruby Dawes
Mirisch-McCrea prod. no. 2921
06Jan60 NBC Wed
Starring: Joel McCrea (as Marshal Mike Dunbar)
Guest Cast:
Marilyn Erskine ............... Ruby Dawes
Charles Aidman ................ Wes Barker
Jock Gaynor ................... Joe Malone
Gregory Walcott ............... Willy Sparks

[15] Wichita Town: BOUGHT
a.k.a "Fight for Thursday" (copyright title)
Mirisch-McCrea prod. no. 2909 (ODAT: 13Jan60; OREG: LP16607)
13Jan60 NBC Wed
Starring: Joel McCrea (as Marshal Mike Dunbar)
Guest Cast:
Robert Middleton .............. Sam Buhl
Enid Janes .................... Thursday
Rodney Bell ................... Dixon
Cliff Field ................... Gregg

1.16 [--] Wichita Town: THE LONG NIGHT [verified -MS]
Mirisch-McCrea prod. no. 2943
20Jan60 NBC Wed
Associate Producer: Richard Heermance
Written by Paul Savage
Directed by R. G. Springsteen
Starring: Joel McCrea (as Marshal Mike Dunbar)
With:
George N. Neise ........ Dr. Nat Wyndham (recurring)
Carlos Romero .......... Rico Rodriguez (recurring)
Guest Cast:
Charles Seel ........... Charlie Cruter
Peter Leeds ............ Dan Sommers
Sherwood Price ......... Chet Sommers
Angus Duncan ........... Seth Johnson
*
Richard Keene .......... Man (unlisted in credits)
Joe McGuinn ............ Sheriff (unlisted in credits)
Synopsis:
An outlaw's deathbed confession can free a man who will hang at dawn--
if Mike Dunbar can get a telegram through to Salinas in time. Meanwhile,
Wyndham broods about being unable to save a woman who died giving birth.[MS]

[17] Wichita Town: Seed of Hate
Mirisch-McCrea prod. no. 2935
27Jan60 NBC Wed
Starring: Joel McCrea (as Marshal Mike Dunbar)
Guest Cast:
Keith Larsen .................. Blue Raven
Francis J. McDonald ........... Medicine Chief
Harry Harvey, Jr. ............. Gil Larson
Ben Chadwick .................. Indians
Armand Alzamora ............... Indians
Larry Chance .................. Indians

[18] Wichita Town: The Avengers
Mirisch-McCrea prod. no. 2941
03Feb60 NBC Wed
Starring: Joel McCrea (as Marshal Mike Dunbar)
Guest Cast:
Emile Meyer ................... Pa
Tom Gilson .................... Kinard
Paul Carr ..................... Jud
John Milford .................. Hazen

1.19 [--] Wichita Town: BROTHERS OF THE KNIFE [verified -MS]
Mirisch-McCrea prod. no. 2927
10Feb60 NBC Wed (Network rerun 23Sep60)
Associate Producer Richard Heermance
Written by Lawrence Menken
Directed by Jesse Hibbs
Starring: Joel McCrea (as Marshal Mike Dunbar)
Guest Cast:
Abraham Sofaer ........ Victor Tomasino
Anthony Caruso ........ Zitto Vizzini
Robert Carricart ...... Dom Micelli
David Whorf ........... Joe Tomasino
Jay Novello ........... Frank Ruzzo
Jan Arvan ............. Louis Vincenti
Naomi Stevens ......... Rosa Vincenti
Mario Siletti ......... Mario Bartelme
Joseph A. Vitale ...... Robert Fazella
Nestor Paiva .......... Rico Bunetta
Dave Willock .......... Quincy
Charlie Cruter ........ Charles Seel
Janet Stewart ......... Waitress
Synopsis 1:
The black hand of the Mafia reaches into Wichita when one of its bosses, Zitto
Vizzini, forces Tomasino, a local citizen, to exact cash tributes from Sicilian
-born families. [TA]
Synopsis 2:
The Mafia pressure a watchmaker to collect tribute money from his fellow Sicilian
immigrants. The Sicilians decide to take the law into their own hands. [MS]

[20] Wichita Town: Afternoon in Town
Mirisch-McCrea prod. no. 2903
17Feb60 NBC Wed
Starring: Joel McCrea (as Marshal Mike Dunbar)
Guest Cast:
Dick Sargent .................. Scotty
James Coburn .................. Wally
Suzanne Lloyd ................. Laura

1.21 [--] Wichita Town: THE FRONTIERSMAN [verified -MS]
a.k.a "The Strange task of Otis Stockett"
Mirisch-McCrea prod. no. 2939
02Mar60 NBC Wed
Associate Producer Richard Heermance
Written by Robert Schaefer and Eric Freiwald
Directed by Walter Grauman
Starring: Joel McCrea (as Marshal Mike Dunbar)
with:
George Neise ........ Dr. Nat Wyndham (recurring)
Bob Anderson ........ Aeneas McLinahan (recurring)
Robert Foulk ........ Joe Kingston (recurring)
Guest Cast:
Gene Evans .......... Otis Stockett
Frank Killmond ...... Eddie Danvers
Cliff Fields ........ Tyler
Gil Rogers .......... Billy
Ruthie Robinson ..... Ellie
Mary Sinclair ....... Hannah Bernard
Synopsis:
Otis Stockett comes to Wichita looking for a teaching job. As a test, he is
given three days to teach a young prisoner to read and write, while auditing
the town's ledgers. [MS]
Note:
This was a pilot for a series that was never picked up. The title sequence,
closing credits, etc. are different than the rest of the series. [MS]

[22] Wichita Town: The Hanging Judge
Mirisch-McCrea prod. no. 2947
09Mar60 NBC Wed
Starring: Joel McCrea (as Marshal Mike Dunbar)
Guest Cast:
Frank Lovejoy ................. Judge Parker
Carl Benton Reid .............. Senator Gray
Yale Wexler ................... Jim Kling
Phil Chambers ................. Tully
William Leslie ................ Dan Upham
Suzi Crandall ................. Mary Parker

[23] Wichita Town: Second Chance
Mirisch-McCrea prod. no. 2945
16Mar60 NBC Wed
Starring: Joel McCrea (as Marshal Mike Dunbar)
Guest Cast:
Tom Drake ..................... Rare McCloud
Robert F. Simon ............... Walt McCloud
Charles Herbert ............... Jed McCloud
Jane Nigh ..................... Myra Henderson
Dennis Cross .................. Fred Keever
John Pickard .................. Bain

[24] Wichita Town: Paid in Full
Mirisch-McCrea prod. no. 2949
23Mar60 NBC Wed
Starring: Joel McCrea (as Marshal Mike Dunbar)
Guest Cast:
John Mcintire ................. Frank
I. Stanford Jolley ............ Smokey
Dick Cutting .................. Roy Higgins

[25] Wichita Town: The Legend of Tom Horn
Mirisch-McCrea prod. no. 2951
30Mar60 NBC Wed
Starring: Joel McCrea (as Marshal Mike Dunbar)
Guest Cast:
Nancy Gates ................... Laurie Carter
Michael Pate .................. Kotana
Denver Pyle ................... Aaron Faber
Bob Bice ...................... Bill Mace
Joe Partridge ................. Joe Moss

[26] Wichita Town: Sidekicks (final episode)
Mirisch-McCrea prod. no. 2933
06Apr60 NBC Wed
Starring: Joel McCrea (as Marshal Mike Dunbar)
Guest Cast:
Alan Hale, Jr. ................ Wally
Ron Hayes ..................... Scotty
Suzanne Lloyd ................. Laura Canfield
Dub Taylor .................... Newt

------------------------------------------------
NBC Summer Reruns Fridays 8:30pm EST (Jun60-23Sep60)
------------------------------------------------
[--] 23Sep60 rerun of #19 "Brothers of the Knife" (first aired 10Feb60)
(Last show in the series.  The Westerner (1960) starring Brian Keith  debuts next week)

################ Wichita Town ################
################# the end ##################
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