THE TEXAN "No Tears for the Dead" 1958
This is an episode of the 1958 to 1960 western series, THE TEXAN. The series ran for a total of 79 episodes over two seasons. The title character, Bill Longley, is played by Rory Calhoun. Calhoun plays an ex Confederate Army soldier who returns home to Texas after the Civil War. After finding that his wife had died of fever while he was away, he takes to wandering. The man is fast with a gun, which of course leads to trouble, whether he wants it, or not.
This episode is the eleventh of the series. Calhoun comes up on a wounded man, William Challee, and his teen-aged daughter. Challee has been gut shot and is on his last few moments of life. He asks Calhoun to take care of his daughter, then, dies. The tomboyish girl, Beverly Washburn just stares at the body of her father.
Just then, a group of armed men ride up. They are a posse from a nearby town out looking for a hold-up man. The posse is led by Ray Teal in a pre-Bonanza role as a Sheriff. One of the men, Michael Pate, rushes up and identifies the dead man, Challee as the robber. Pate runs the local stage office and had been the man robbed. Pate goes through the man's saddle bags looking for the cash. Pate claims that he was robbed of 7,000 is greenbacks. He finds nothing.
When Pate starts roughing up the girl, Calhoun steps up and intervenes. Pate looks like he might go for his gun, but Sheriff Teal stops him. He knows full well who Calhoun is, and his reputation with hard steel. Calhoun agrees to bring the girl in to be questioned after they bury her father.
Calhoun brings in young Miss Washburn and drops her at the house of a friend, Carole Matthews. Calhoun had known Matthews now dead husband during the late war. Calhoun figures Matthews can get the young woman cleaned up.
Calhoun now pays a visit to Sheriff Teal. He tells Teal what Washburn told him, she knows nothing about a robbery. Her father had rode into camp that morning and collapsed from his gut wound. Also in the office is Michael Pate. Pate claims he was clobbered over the head and the safe rifled. He says he got off a couple of rounds as the robber rode off.
Something about Pate rubs Calhoun the wrong way. He also wonders how the dead man, Challee got gut shot if he was riding away from Pate. He quizzes Pate which clearly makes the man nervous.
Later in the evening, Calhoun follows Pate when he heads for the livery stable with a bed roll and saddlebags. Calhoun follows, and catches the man digging up the so called missing cash from under some hay.
Fists are soon flying with Pate getting in the best punch. Both men have lost their pistol in the scramble, so Pate grabs a handy pitchfork and goes for Calhoun. Calhoun stumbles backwards and hits the sod next to one of the six-guns. Pate is soon a well ventilated stiff ready for Boot Hill.
It seems that Pate and the dead man, Challee had been partners in crime. Challee was down on his luck and had agreed to help Pate rob his own office. He had not counted on Pate wanting the whole take. The girl Washburn never knew her dad was a criminal.
The director here is Erle C Kenton. Kenton started in the silent era (1919) and worked right up to 1960. He was a rather prolific director of b-features in the 30's and 40's before moving to television in the 1950's. Some of his more famous films include, ISLAND OF LOST SOULS, HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, HOUSE OF Dracula, THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN and THE CAT CREEPS.
The d of p was another veteran from the silent era, Paul Ivano. Ivano was the cinematographer on the famous Erich Von Stroheim-Gloria Swanson film, QUEEN KELLY. Several of his other films include the film noir, THE SUSPECT, BLACK ANGEL and THE GANGSTER.
Australian actor, Michael Pate moved to the U.S. in the early 1950's and became a regular villain type on film and television. His film work includes, THUNDER ON THE HILL, THE BLACK CASTLE, HOUDINI, SECRET OF THE INCAS, HONDO, KING RICHARD AND THE CRUSADERS, A LAWLESS STREET, THE COURT JESTER, THE KILLER IS LOOSE and 7th CAVALRY. He moved back down under in the late 60's and had a big hit with the police series, MATLOCK POLICE, which ran for 192 episodes.
This is an episode of the 1958 to 1960 western series, THE TEXAN. The series ran for a total of 79 episodes over two seasons. The title character, Bill Longley, is played by Rory Calhoun. Calhoun plays an ex Confederate Army soldier who returns home to Texas after the Civil War. After finding that his wife had died of fever while he was away, he takes to wandering. The man is fast with a gun, which of course leads to trouble, whether he wants it, or not.
This episode is the eleventh of the series. Calhoun comes up on a wounded man, William Challee, and his teen-aged daughter. Challee has been gut shot and is on his last few moments of life. He asks Calhoun to take care of his daughter, then, dies. The tomboyish girl, Beverly Washburn just stares at the body of her father.
Just then, a group of armed men ride up. They are a posse from a nearby town out looking for a hold-up man. The posse is led by Ray Teal in a pre-Bonanza role as a Sheriff. One of the men, Michael Pate, rushes up and identifies the dead man, Challee as the robber. Pate runs the local stage office and had been the man robbed. Pate goes through the man's saddle bags looking for the cash. Pate claims that he was robbed of 7,000 is greenbacks. He finds nothing.
When Pate starts roughing up the girl, Calhoun steps up and intervenes. Pate looks like he might go for his gun, but Sheriff Teal stops him. He knows full well who Calhoun is, and his reputation with hard steel. Calhoun agrees to bring the girl in to be questioned after they bury her father.
Calhoun brings in young Miss Washburn and drops her at the house of a friend, Carole Matthews. Calhoun had known Matthews now dead husband during the late war. Calhoun figures Matthews can get the young woman cleaned up.
Calhoun now pays a visit to Sheriff Teal. He tells Teal what Washburn told him, she knows nothing about a robbery. Her father had rode into camp that morning and collapsed from his gut wound. Also in the office is Michael Pate. Pate claims he was clobbered over the head and the safe rifled. He says he got off a couple of rounds as the robber rode off.
Something about Pate rubs Calhoun the wrong way. He also wonders how the dead man, Challee got gut shot if he was riding away from Pate. He quizzes Pate which clearly makes the man nervous.
Later in the evening, Calhoun follows Pate when he heads for the livery stable with a bed roll and saddlebags. Calhoun follows, and catches the man digging up the so called missing cash from under some hay.
Fists are soon flying with Pate getting in the best punch. Both men have lost their pistol in the scramble, so Pate grabs a handy pitchfork and goes for Calhoun. Calhoun stumbles backwards and hits the sod next to one of the six-guns. Pate is soon a well ventilated stiff ready for Boot Hill.
It seems that Pate and the dead man, Challee had been partners in crime. Challee was down on his luck and had agreed to help Pate rob his own office. He had not counted on Pate wanting the whole take. The girl Washburn never knew her dad was a criminal.
The director here is Erle C Kenton. Kenton started in the silent era (1919) and worked right up to 1960. He was a rather prolific director of b-features in the 30's and 40's before moving to television in the 1950's. Some of his more famous films include, ISLAND OF LOST SOULS, HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, HOUSE OF Dracula, THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN and THE CAT CREEPS.
The d of p was another veteran from the silent era, Paul Ivano. Ivano was the cinematographer on the famous Erich Von Stroheim-Gloria Swanson film, QUEEN KELLY. Several of his other films include the film noir, THE SUSPECT, BLACK ANGEL and THE GANGSTER.
Australian actor, Michael Pate moved to the U.S. in the early 1950's and became a regular villain type on film and television. His film work includes, THUNDER ON THE HILL, THE BLACK CASTLE, HOUDINI, SECRET OF THE INCAS, HONDO, KING RICHARD AND THE CRUSADERS, A LAWLESS STREET, THE COURT JESTER, THE KILLER IS LOOSE and 7th CAVALRY. He moved back down under in the late 60's and had a big hit with the police series, MATLOCK POLICE, which ran for 192 episodes.
