Wanted Dead or Alive (TV series)

Wanted: Dead or Alive
230px Title card
Genre	Western
Starring	Steve McQueen
Theme music composer	William Loose (first season), Herschel Burke Gilbert (second and third seasons)
Opening theme	William Loose
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	94 (list of episodes)
Production
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	25 mins.
Production company(s)	Four Star Television Malcom Enterprises, Inc CBS Productions
Release
Original network	CBS
Picture format	Black-and-white
Audio format	Monaural
Original release	September 6, 1958 (1958-09-06) – March 29, 1961 (1961-03-29)
Chronology
Followed by	Wanted: Dead or Alive
Related shows	Trackdown

Wanted: Dead or Alive is an American Western television series starring Steve McQueen as the bounty hunter Josh Randall. It aired on CBS for three seasons in 1958–61. The black-and-white program was a spin-off of a March 1958 episode of Trackdown, a 1957–59 western series starring Robert Culp. Both series were produced by Four Star Television in association with CBS Television.

The series launched McQueen, known for the concept of "cool" in entertainment, as the first television star to cross over into comparable status on the big screen.

Synopsis

File:MareLeg.JPG

Mare's Leg

Josh Randall (McQueen) is a Confederate veteran and bounty hunter with a soft heart. He often donates his earnings to the needy and helps his prisoners if they have been wrongly accused.

Randall pleads with a mother (Virginia Gregg) to obtain medical treatment for her son. (1959)

Randall carries a shortened Winchester Model 1892 carbine called the "Mare's Leg" in a holster patterned after "gunslinger" rigs then popular in movies and television. Randall can draw and fire his weapon with blazing speed. Three Mare's Legs were used in the series, differing in the shape of the lever and the barrel.

Although Randall is a bounty hunter, he doesn't chase and capture only men on wanted posters. He also settles a family feud, frees unjustly jailed or sentenced men, helps an amnesia victim recover his memory, and finds missing husbands, sons, fathers, a fiancée, a suitor, a daughter who had been captured many years earlier by Indians, an Army deserter, a pet sheep, and even Santa Claus. This variety, as well as his pursuit of justice and not just money, contributed to the show's attraction and popularity.

Except for a few episodes at the beginning of the series, Randall rode a horse named Ringo.

Several episodes in 1960 included a sidekick named Jason Nichols (Wright King), a deputy sheriff turned bounty hunter. He and Randall worked well together on-screen, sharing a chemistry audiences enjoyed. By the start of the third season, Nichols had been dropped. The episode called "The Partners", where Nichols killed three men that Randall felt could have been taken alive, is often considered the episode that broke up the partnership, although that was actually only the second episode with Wright King and long before the last episode he appeared in.

“ Three hard mother-grabbin' years, but I learned my trade and it gave me discipline. ” — McQueen, commenting about his experience on the series.

Episodes

Season 1 (1958–59)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	1	"The Martin Poster"	Thomas Carr	John Robinson	September 6, 1958 (1958-09-06)
Josh Randall tracks down two brothers he witnesses shooting a sheriff.
2	2	"Fatal Memory"	Thomas Carr	Don Brinkley	September 13, 1958 (1958-09-13)
Col. Sykes, Josh's former commander, is listed as a wanted man on a counterfeit poster.
3	3	"The Bounty"	Thomas Carr	Samuel A. Peeples	September 20, 1958 (1958-09-20)
Josh clashes with a sadistic bounty hunter as they search for a reclusive old man with an Apache bodyguard wanted for a crime committed years ago.
4	4	"Dead End"	Thomas Carr	George F. Slavin	September 27, 1958 (1958-09-27)
Josh is hired by a rancher to find a man wanted for grand theft and kidnapping.
5	5	"The Passing of Shawnee Bill"	Thomas Carr	David Lang	October 4, 1958 (1958-10-04)
A stranger offers to help Josh capture a fugitive for half the reward.
6	6	"The Giveaway Gun"	Donald McDougall	Frank D. Gilroy	October 11, 1958 (1958-10-11)
Josh searches for a gunfighter identified by the way he draws his pistol.
7	7	"Ransom for a Nun"	Donald McDougall	Fred Freiberger	October 18, 1958 (1958-10-18)
Josh offers to take a killer to Tucson since the sheriff is worried about a rescue attempt by the outlaw's gang, who are holding a nun hostage.
8	8	"Miracle at Pot Hole"	Thomas Carr	Ellis Marcus	October 25, 1958 (1958-10-25)
Josh finds a suspected murderer, then begins to doubt the man's guilt.
9	9	"The Fourth Headstone"	Donald McDougall	Frank D. Gilroy	November 1, 1958 (1958-11-01)
Josh tries to help a woman he suspects has been framed for murder.
10	10	"Til Death Do Us Part"	Donald McDougall	Don Brinkley	November 8, 1958 (1958-11-08)
Josh tracks down a woman wanted for murdering her husband, only to discover the man to still be alive.
11	11	"The Favor"	Thomas Carr	John Robinson	November 15, 1958 (1958-11-15)
Josh does a favor for a sheriff and embarks on a perilous journey to bring a murder suspect to justice.
12	12	"Ricochet"	Donald McDougall	Tony Barrett	November 22, 1958 (1958-11-22)
A woman hires Josh to find her husband, for whom she plans death.
13	13	"Sheriff of Red Rock"	Thomas Carr	Philip Saltzman	November 29, 1958 (1958-11-29)
Josh brings in a wanted man, who's a member of a bounty hunter gang in cahoots with the local sheriff.
14	14	"Die by the Gun"	Donald McDougall	Story: Lawrence Menkin Teleplay: Christopher Knopf and Lawrence Menkin	December 6, 1958 (1958-12-06)
Josh and his prisoner, wanted for robbery, are ambushed by killers.
15	15	"Rawhide Breed"	Donald McDougall	Samuel A. Peeples	December 13, 1958 (1958-12-13)
A stagecoach carrying Josh and his prisoner is attacked by Indians.
16	16	"Eight Cent Reward"	Thomas Carr	Story: John Robinson Teleplay: Christopher Knopf	December 20, 1958 (1958-12-20)
Josh is given a most unusual assignment: bringing in Santa Claus.
17	17	"Drop to Drink"	Donald McDougall	Wells Root	December 27, 1958 (1958-12-27)
A pony-express company hires Josh to solve the mystery of a murdered rider and a stolen ring.
18	18	"Rope Law"	Thomas Carr	Donn Mullally	January 3, 1959 (1959-01-03)
A lynch mob sets out to hang Josh's prisoner, who's been falsely accused of his stepdaughter's murder.
19	19	"Six-Up to Bannach"	Thomas Carr	John Robinson	January 10, 1959 (1959-01-10)
A stagecoach carrying Josh and his prisoner races against time to save an innocent man from an unjust hanging.
20	20	"The Spurs"	Donald McDougall	David Lang	January 17, 1959 (1959-01-17)
Josh tracks down a bank robber in spite of reports claiming that the robber's been murdered.
21	21	"Reunion for Revenge"	R.G. Springsteen	Richard H. Landau	January 24, 1959 (1959-01-24)
Josh brings in a man wanted by the law and a group of escaped convicts who blame him for sending them to prison.
22	22	"Competition"	R.G. Springsteen	Daniel B. Ullman	January 31, 1959 (1959-01-31)
Josh must find out why a seemingly nice farmer had put a price on his head.
23	23	"Call Your Shot"	Donald McDougall	Fred Freiberger	February 7, 1959 (1959-02-07)
Josh is hired to find a drunk's son.
24	24	"Secret Ballot"	Donald McDougall	Don Brinkley	February 14, 1959 (1959-02-14)
Josh tries to help the mayoral campaign of his friend Ned Easter.
25	25	"The Corner"	R.G. Springsteen	D.D. Beauchamp & Mary M. Beauchamp	February 21, 1959 (1959-02-21)
Josh is wrongly accused of murdering a friend.
26	26	"Eager Man"	Donald McDougall	Ray Buffum	February 28, 1959 (1959-02-28)
A fugitive is eager to let Josh take him in, but only if his wife is willing to share the reward.
27	27	"The Legend"	Thomas Carr	Tony Barrett	March 7, 1959 (1959-03-07)
Josh finds himself up against a pair of desperadoes in a search for a legendary lost treasure.
28	28	"Railroaded"	Thomas Carr	D.D. Beauchamp & Mary M. Beauchamp	March 14, 1959 (1959-03-14)
Josh must prove that a young boy did not murder a detective.
29	29	"Double Fee"	Donald McDougall	Ellis Marcus	March 21, 1959 (1959-03-21)
An opera singer gets Josh involved in a kidnapping case.
30	30	"The Kovack Affair"	Thomas Carr	Story: John Robinson Teleplay: D.D. Beauchamp & Mary M. Beauchamp	March 28, 1959 (1959-03-28)
A friend turns to Josh for help when he's pressured into relinquishing his controlling interest in a hotel.
31	31	"Bounty for a Bride"	Donald McDougall	Samuel A. Peeples	April 4, 1959 (1959-04-04)
Josh fights a fierce Apache for the hand of an Indian princess.
32	32	"Crossroads"	Donald McDougall	David Lang	April 11, 1959 (1959-04-11)
A fugitive's father attempts to stop Josh from capturing his son.
33	33	"Angels of Vengeance"	R.G. Springsteen	Charles Beaumont	April 18, 1959 (1959-04-18)
A religious cult seeks vengeance on Josh for murdering their leader's son.
34	34	"Littlest Client"	Thomas Carr	Story: Ray Buffum Teleplay: John Robinson and Ray Buffum	April 25, 1959 (1959-04-25)
A child refuses to believe that her father is dead so she asks Josh to find him.
35	35	"The Conquerors"	Thomas Carr	Fred Freiberger	May 2, 1959 (1959-05-02)
A banker hires Josh to find his son, who's joined a gang of conquerors.
36	36	"Amos Carter"	Thomas Carr	John Robinson	May 9, 1959 (1959-05-09)
Josh attempts to end a feud between two hillbilly families.

Season 2 (1959–60)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
37	1	"The Montana Kid"	Thomas Carr	D.D. Beauchamp & Mary M. Beauchamp	September 5, 1959 (1959-09-05)
Josh uses a recently released youth called the Montana Kid to nab a gambler.
38	2	"The Healing Woman"	Donald McDougall	Teleplay: Charles Beaumont Story: Charles Beaumont and Richard Matheson	September 12, 1959 (1959-09-12)
Josh tries to rescue a sick child from a quack.
39	3	"The Matchmaker"	Frank MacDonald	Fred Freiberger	September 19, 1959 (1959-09-19)
Josh is forced to find a bride for the "ugliest man in town."
40	4	"Breakout"	Thomas Carr	Richard H. Landau	September 26, 1959 (1959-09-26)
Josh stages a jailbreak when he's hired to reclaim money.
41	5	"Estralita"	Donald McDougall	Ray Buffum	October 3, 1959 (1959-10-03)
Josh learns that an angry mob is just as eager to capture a killer as he is.
42	6	"The Hostage"	Donald McDougall	Don Brinkley	October 10, 1959 (1959-10-10)
As soon as Josh brings in a notorious killer, the outlaw takes the sheriff hostage.
43	7	"The Empty Cell"	Thomas Carr	D.D. Beauchamp & Mary M. Beauchamp	October 17, 1959 (1959-10-17)
Josh delivers a prisoner, only to have him and the sheriff mysteriously disappear.
44	8	"Bad Gun"	Thomas Carr	John Tomerlin	October 24, 1959 (1959-10-24)
Josh goes after a man with a defective gun.
45	9	"The Tyrant"	Donald McDougall	Tom Gries	October 31, 1959 (1959-10-31)
A Cavalry deserter Josh is tracking down is being held prisoner by the town marshal.
46	10	"Reckless"	R.G. Springsteen	Robert Leslie Bellem	November 7, 1959 (1959-11-07)
Tate Bradley hires Josh to find the man who killed Bradley's son in an argument over a girl.
47	11	"Desert Seed"	Donald McDougall	Calvin Clements, Sr.	November 14, 1959 (1959-11-14)
Josh tracks down a fugitive who killed in self-defense.
48	12	"Twelve Hours to Crazy Horse"	Thomas Carr	Cy Chermak	November 21, 1959 (1959-11-21)
Josh escorts an accused murderer to trial, but the victim's brother intends to take justice into his own hands.
49	13	"No Trail Back"	Donald McDougall	Peter Germano	November 28, 1959 (1959-11-28)
One of the robbers Josh is after has been bitten by a rabid dog.
50	14	"Man on Horseback"	Donald McDougall	Paul Franklin	December 5, 1959 (1959-12-05)
Josh follows an Apache who's been framed for shooting a man.
51	15	"Chain Gang"	Thomas Carr	Robert Leslie Bellem	December 12, 1959 (1959-12-12)
Josh must escape from a chain gang when he's arrested on a false charge.
52	16	"Vanishing Act"	Donald McDougall	John Tomerlin	December 26, 1959 (1959-12-26)
A magician distracts townspeople while robbing banks.
53	17	"Mental Lapse"	Thomas Carr	Teleplay: John Tomerlin Story: William F. Nolan	January 2, 1960 (1960-01-02)
Josh attempts to help an amnesiac remember who he is.
54	18	"Angela"	George Blair	Tom Gries	January 9, 1960 (1960-01-09)
Angela Prior is determined to see the man who murdered her father hang.
55	19	"The Monster"	Thomas Carr	Don Brinkley	January 16, 1960 (1960-01-16)
An elephant trainer uses one of his elephants to scare people out of their villages and rob them.
56	20	"The Most Beautiful Woman"	Arthur D. Hilton	George Greedy	January 23, 1960 (1960-01-23)
Josh is willing to do anything for money, including searching for a woman believed to be dead.
57	21	"Jason"	George Blair	Teleplay: D.D. Beauchamp & Mary M. Beauchamp Story: John Robinson	January 30, 1960 (1960-01-30)
Josh becomes suspicious of Jason Nichols when the deputy begs to join his hunt for a desperado.
58	22	"The Partners"	George Blair	D.D. Beauchamp & Mary M. Beauchamp	February 6, 1960 (1960-02-06)
Jason proposes that he and Josh become partners.
59	23	"Tolliver Bender"	George Blair	Eric Norden	February 13, 1960 (1960-02-13)
Josh and Jason rescue Tolliver Bender from the gallows so he can testify at a trial, but the citizens want a hostage to ensure his return.
60	24	"A House Divided"	George Blair	D.D. Beauchamp & Mary M. Beauchamp	February 20, 1960 (1960-02-20)
Josh becomes a target for assassination as he tries to intervene in a family feud.
61	25	"Triple Vice"	George Blair	Fred Freiberger	February 27, 1960 (1960-02-27)
Josh and Jason trail a killer to Mexico, where Josh gets a new perspective thanks to a barmaid.
62	26	"Black Belt"	George Blair	John Tomerlin	March 19, 1960 (1960-03-19)
Josh and Jason are hired to bring in a black belt accused of murder, unaware that their employer is the real killer.
63	27	"The Pariah"	George Blair	Fred Freiberger	March 26, 1960 (1960-03-26)
Josh agrees to keep an eye on his friend's son Randy Holleran, who's a pariah for deliberately withholding the town's medical supplies.
64	28	"Vendetta"	George Blair	Samuel Newman	April 9, 1960 (1960-04-09)
Josh captures an Army recruit whose mission is to start a war with the Indians.
65	29	"Death Divided by Three"	George Blair	Don Brinkley	April 23, 1960 (1960-04-23)
Josh tracks down a fugitive who's also being sought after by his wife.
66	30	"The Inheritance"	Arthur D. Hilton	George W. George	April 30, 1960 (1960-04-30)
Josh is tasked with bringing home a dying man's runaway son.
67	31	"Prison Trail"	Thomas Carr	D.D. Beauchamp	May 14, 1960 (1960-05-14)
Josh and Jason are escorting four prisoners to jail when one of them is frightened by a stranger.
68	32	"Pay-Off at Pinto"	Donald McDougall	Wells Root	May 21, 1960 (1960-05-21)
The citizens of Pinto panic when the bank is robbed, so the bank owner enlists Josh to capture the robbers.

Season 3 (1960–61)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
69	1	"The Trial"	Harry Harris, Jr.	Ed Adamson	September 21, 1960 (1960-09-21)
Josh is hired to bring in a former Union officer, only to find that it's all part of an illegal mock trial staged by the officer's former soldiers.
70	2	"The Cure"	Gene Reynolds	Ed Adamson	September 28, 1960 (1960-09-28)
A woman hires Josh to sober up the town drunk so she can marry him.
71	3	"Journey for Josh"	Harry Harris, Jr.	Ed Adamson	October 5, 1960 (1960-10-05)
Josh falls for the female robber he's escorting to prison.
72	4	"The Looters"	Harry Harris, Jr.	Norman Katkov	October 12, 1960 (1960-10-12)
Josh tracks down desperadoes who broke out of prison during a tornado.
73	5	"The Twain Shall Meet"	Richard Donner	Norman Katkov	October 19, 1960 (1960-10-19)
A writer from Boston joins Josh on his manhunt to get an exclusive story.
74	6	"The Showdown"	Murray Golden	Ed Adamson	October 26, 1960 (1960-10-26)
Josh is forced into a showdown with an old friend who swears he's innocent.
75	7	"Surprise Witness"	Murray Golden	Ed Adamson	November 2, 1960 (1960-11-02)
The townspeople refuse to tell Josh who murdered his friend - until a surprise witness comes forward.
76	8	"To the Victor"	Murray Golden	Ed Adamson	November 9, 1960 (1960-11-09)
The women leave town and refuse to return unless all the men put away their guns.
77	9	"Criss-Cross"	Murray Golden	Norman Katkov	November 16, 1960 (1960-11-16)
Josh catches the crook he was trailing, but the sheriff claims he has the wrong man.
78	10	"The Medicine Man"	R.D. Donner	Norman Katkov	November 23, 1960 (1960-11-23)
A medicine man claims to know how the money from the bank - as well as the teller - went missing.
79	11	"One Mother Too Many"	Harry Harris, Jr.	Norman Katkov	November 7, 1960 (1960-11-07)
Fearing she'll lose custody of her son, a widow proposes to Josh in order to acquire a new father.
80	12	"The Choice"	Harry Harris, Jr.	Norman Katkov	December 14, 1960 (1960-12-14)
A bounty hunter named Frank Koster is after the man who bested him in a gunfight.
81	13	"Three for One"	Murray Golden	Norman Katkov	December 21, 1960 (1960-12-21)
The friends of the prisoner Josh brought in kidnap the sheriff and threaten a person a day until their leader is released.
82	14	"Witch Woman"	Harry Harris, Jr.	Norman Katkov	December 28, 1960 (1960-12-28)
Josh is hired to keep a voodoo doctor away from a man's pregnant wife.
83	15	"Baa-Baa"	Harry Harris, Jr.	Norman Katkov	January 4, 1961 (1961-01-04)
Josh is hired by George Goode to find Mrs. Goode's pet ewe.
84	16	"The Last Retreat"	Richard D. Donner	Norman Katkov	January 11, 1961 (1961-01-11)
Josh must protect a woman when the killer her testimony put in prison escapes.
85	17	"Bounty on Josh"	Richard D. Donner	Ed Adamson	January 25, 1961 (1961-01-25)
A gunman stalks Josh in a small town.
86	18	"Hero in the Dust"	Harry Harris, Jr.	Norman Katkov	February 1, 1961 (1961-02-01)
Harry Weaver hires Josh to bring in his twin brother - a fugitive wanted for murder.
87	19	"Epitaph"	Harry Harris, Jr.	Norman Katkov	February 8, 1961 (1961-02-08)
Josh goes after his friend Jim Kramer, a lawman who's been seduced by his girlfriend into robbing a bank.
88	20	"The Voice of Silence"	Richard D. Donner	Ed Adamson	February 15, 1961 (1961-02-15)
Frank Hagen asks Josh to look after his deaf-mute daughter Carol while he serves time in jail.
89	21	"El Gato"	Murray Golden	Ed Adamson	February 22, 1961 (1961-02-22)
Josh tracks down a bandit known as El Gato.
90	22	"Detour"	Murray Golden	Norman Katkov	March 1, 1961 (1961-03-01)
Clayton Armstrong wishes to elope with Jane Fairweather, but he's afraid of her father, so he turns to Josh for help.
91	23	"Monday Morning"	Murray Golden	Ed Adamson	March 8, 1961 (1961-03-08)
A thief decides to return the loot he stole, but fears what his partners will do when they find it missing.
92	24	"The Long Search"	Murray Golden	Norman Katkov	March 15, 1961 (1961-03-15)
A geisha arrives to find the man who promised to marry her.
93	25	"Dead Reckoning"	Murray Golden	Ed Adamson	March 22, 1961 (1961-03-22)
A woman asks Josh to bring her husband back alive so he can prove he killed one of the Taggart boys in self-defense, but the brothers of the deceased are out for revenge.
94	26	"Barney's Bounty"	Richard D. Donner	Sumner Arthur Long and Ed Adamson	March 29, 1961 (1961-03-29)
Josh helps his friend Barney Durant track down a pair of horse thieves.

Guest stars

Dyan Cannon billed as Diane Cannon daughter of magician Season 2- Episode 52.

Wright King appeared as Jason Nichols in eleven episodes in 1960.

Guest stars included Noah Beery, Jr., James Best, Lon Chaney, Jr., James Coburn, Lawrence Dobkin, John Dehner, Betsy Drake, Alan Hale, Jr., DeForest Kelley, Michael Landon, Nan Leslie, Ralph Meeker, Jay North, Warren Oates, Susan Oliver, Luana Patten, William Schallert, Jay Silverheels, Suzanne Storrs, Mary Tyler Moore, and Lee Van Cleef.

Production notes

The series was filmed in black and white at the Selznick Studios and produced by Four Star Television. A number of additional shooting locations were used, with the bulk of the outdoor action sequences shot on the famed Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth, Calif., widely regarded as the most heavily filmed outdoor shooting location in the history of TV and the movies. A number of sets on the Republic Pictures backlot in Studio City, Calif., also appear in the series, notably the Western street and the Duchess Ranch set, which at the time of production on the series consisted mainly of a large barn, a main house and a bunkhouse.

Writers included Samuel A. Peeples and Charles Beaumont.

The first season theme song was written and conducted by William Loose. It was replaced by a new theme titled "Wanted". This theme was used until the end of the series and was written and supervised by Herschel Burke Gilbert.

Ratings

• October 1958 – April 1959: No. 16 – 28.0 (tied with Peter Gunn)
• October 1959 – April 1960: No. 9 – 28.7
• October 1960 – April 1961: not in top 30

Colorized version

In December 1987, Four Star International colorized Wanted: Dead or Alive making it the first vintage TV series to be completely colorized; the colorized version aired on at least 50 independent television stations.

1987 film

In 1987, New World Pictures adapted the series into a low-budget film of the same name; Rutger Hauer played modern-day bounty hunter Nick Randall, Josh's grandson.

DVD releases

On June 7, 2005, New Line Home Video released season 1 of Wanted: Dead or Alive on DVD in Region 1. In 2007, BCI Eclipse acquired the distribution rights to the series and released the final two seasons on DVD. Season 2 was released on July 17, 2007, and season 3 on October 16, 2007. These releases are now out of print as BCI Eclipse ceased operations in December 2008.

In June 2009, Mill Creek Entertainment acquired the rights to the series and have subsequently re-released the first two seasons. On August 25, 2009, they released an 11-disc box set featuring all 94 episodes of the series on DVD for the first time.

DVD name	Ep#	Release date
Season One	36	August 25, 2009
Season Two	32	March 9, 2010

Notes

1. ^ A. Eric Norden was unbilled for writing the episode "Tolliver Bender".
2. ^ B. Richard Donner was alternately credited for directing episodes.

External links

• Wanted: Dead or Alive at IMDb
• Wanted: Dead or Alive at TV.com
• Steve McQueen shooting an episode of Wanted: Dead or Alive on the Iverson Movie Ranch
• Iverson Movie Ranch: History, vintage photos.