The memorable theme song was penned by prolific composers David Buttolph (music) and Paul Francis Webster (lyrics). Moore also mentioned in the book that he, Garner, Kelly, and their wives would regularly gather at the Kelly home for what they called "poker school". Garner's episodes tended to be more comedic due to his obvious talent in that area, while Kelly's were inclined to be more dramatic. Otherwise he was honest almost to a fault, in at least one case insisting on repaying a questionable large debt (in "According to Hoyle"). In fact, if memory serves, ABC even scheduled the show opposite CBS's perennial Sunday evening blockbuster, The Ed Sullivan Show. In the chilling "Ghost Rider" with Stacy Keach Sr., Bret learns that a weeping woman to whom he'd given a ride in a buckboard had been dead for weeks when he met her. It was released in Standard format. The Maverick boys - Bret, Bart, Beau and Brent - are a clan of well-dressed dandies, gamblers who'd much rather make their money playing cards than messing up their fine clothing with actual work. None of the Mavericks were particularly fast draws with a pistol. The new episodes, however, alternated with reruns from earlier seasons starring Garner as Bret. Maverick is a comedy-western television series created by Roy Huggins that ran from September 22, 1957 to July 8, 1962 on ABC and featured James Garner, Jack Kelly, Roger Moore, and Robert Colbert as the poker-playing traveling Mavericks (Bret, Bart, Beau, & Brent). Going into the wide open spaces usually meant crossing the tree line from the Warner Bros. sound stages to the backlot and moving around some of the many fake boulders. Colbert was introduced as Brent in the season four episode titled "The Forbidden City." Netflix on Friday (Sept. 18) jumps into the food competition genre with the premiere of American Barbecue Showdown, which serves up high stakes competition among amateur BBQ cooks.. (1981–1982) James Garner starred in two of the most enduring series in television history.This sequel to the first of those brought roguish gambler Bret Maverick back to TV. Poker (five-card draw) is their favorite but they've been known to play such odd card games as Three-toed Sloth on occasion. Bart Maverick once commented to a lady friend, "My brother Bret can outdraw me any day of the week, and he's known as the Second Slowest Gun in the West." Roy Huggins recalls in his Archive of American Television interview that this Warners-owned property was selected by the studio to replace "Point Blank" as the first episode in order to cheat him out of creator residuals. Now chance does play a role in poker, otherwise known as "the luck of the draw". A gunshot criminal confesses to Bret with his dying breath that an innocent man was locked up in jail for a murder that he didn't commit, spurring the epic odyssey "The Long Hunt.". With Jack Kelly, James Garner, Roger Moore, Lane Chandler. Partway through the fourth season, Garner look-alike Robert Colbert replaced Moore and played a third Maverick brother, Brent. This included being traveling poker players, loving money, professing to be cowards (despite voluminous evidence to the contrary), spouting enigmatic words of advice their "Pappy" passed down to them, and carrying a $1,000 bill pinned to the inside of a coat for emergency purposes. It is unclear if Beau was supposed to be the son of Bret and Bart's uncle Bentley. The one exception to this was "Passage to Fort Doom," a meditation on courage written by Huggins expressly for Jack Kelly, directed by Paul Henreid and featuring Arlene Howell, John Alderson and Diane McBain. To get disappointed viewers used to the idea of a second Maverick, Garner filmed a series of brief vignettes that aired at the beginning of the Kelly-only episodes during much of the first season, where he would introduce the evening's story. Marshal Mort Dooley. "Shady Deal at Sunny Acres" features Bret Maverick (James Garner) spending most of the episode relaxing in a rocking chair, calmly whittling and offhandedly assuring the inquisitive and derisively amused townspeople that he's "working on it," while his brother Bart Maverick (Jack Kelly) runs a complex sting operation involving all five of the series' occasionally recurring characters (Dandy Jim Buckley, Samantha Crawford, Gentleman Jack Darby, Big Mike McComb and Cindy Lou Brown) to swindle a crooked banker who had stolen Bret's deposit of $15,000. The prolific Buttolph's other most remembered musical contribution was the arrangement of Alfred Newman's stirring theme from 1940's The Mark of Zorro starring Tyrone Power. "Pappy" presents Garner portraying Bret and Bart's colorful father, Beau Maverick, a previously unseen character. All but one of the other two-brother episodes are actually Garner's with cameo appearances by Kelly, the exception being "The Jeweled Gun", in which their roles were switched at the last minute due to a schedule conflict and Garner wound up making his single cameo appearance in a Kelly episode. In 1958, a Western with a comedic format was still a foreign concept since it was hard to build up to a gunfight with belly laughs. After the Civil War, nomadic adventurer Cheyenne Bodie roamed the west looking for fights, women, and bad guys to beat up. I think people enjoyed hearing pearls like "never draw to an inside straight, except...", especially when combined with the usual Maverick dose of wry good humor. Zimbalist and Long eventually did appear together as regular series leads in 77 Sunset Strip, however, albeit playing characters utterly different from their Maverick roles. Roy Huggins quit the series at the end of the second season due to a life-threatening bout with pneumonia, and was succeeded by writer/producer Coles Trapnell, ushering in a gradual but sharp permanent decline in ratings. Bret Maverick: The Lazy Ace is the 1981 2-hour pilot episode of the television series Bret Maverick, trimmed to a quicker pace and repackaged as a TV-movie for rerunning on local television stations. The studio reversed the actors' billing at the beginning of the show for that last season, with Kelly billed above Garner in the series opening titles before the episode itself. Bret and Bart Maverick are well-dressed gamblers who migrate from town to town always looking for a good game. Bret and Bart technically appeared together in sixteen episodes over the course of the series, but only shared a large amount of screen time in eleven of them ("Hostage," "The Wrecker," "Trail West to Fury," "Seed of Deception," "Shady Deal at Sunny Acres," "Game of Chance," "Two Beggars on Horseback," "Pappy," "Maverick Springs," "Maverick and Juliet," and "The Maverick Line"). Stacy Keach Sr. played a sheriff and two different marshals in three episodes, including "Ghost Rider." The show ran for five seasons from September 22, 1957, to July 8, 1962, on ABC. Their consciences always trumped their wallets since both Mavericks were intrinsically ethical. According to series creator Roy Huggins in his Archive of American Television interview, the two brothers were purposely written to be virtual clones, with no apparent differences inherent in the scripts whatsoever. Clint Eastwood, Slim Pickens, Lee Van Cleef, John Carradine, Buddy Ebsen, Hans Conried, Alan Hale Jr., Jim Backus, subsequent Oscar-winner George Kennedy, John Gavin, Mike Connors, Chad Everett, Patric Knowles, and Adam West appeared at least once during the run of the series. "Two Tickets to Ten Strike" with Connie Stevens is a hybrid of comedy, mystery and action drama spotlighting Adam West spouting amazing dialogue as an amusingly verbose villain insistently threatening Bret. The chairman of Kaiser Aluminum, the series' main sponsor at the time, became so perturbed when Kelly was brought in (saying, "I paid for red apples and I get green apples!") The show's stentorian-voiced announcer ("Maverick! Budd Boetticher directed several of the early episodes of the first season until sharply disagreeing with Huggins about Maverick's philosophy, which resulted in Boetticher assigning Bret Maverick's scripted lines to supporting characters and filming the result, thereby attempting to change the whole series by making Maverick into a standard Western hero as found in the earlier Boetticher-directed series of theatrical films starring Randolph Scott. James Garner portrayed both Bret Maverick and, in one episode, Beau "Pappy" Maverick. Eight episodes into the first season, he was joined by Jack Kelly as his brother Bart Maverick, and for the remainder of the first three seasons, Garner and Kelly alternated leads from week to week, sometimes teaming up for the occasional two-brother episode. In 1978, a TV movie called The New Maverick had Garner and Kelly reprising their roles, with Charles Frank playing young Ben Maverick, the son of their cousin Beau (Roger Moore, although Moore did not appear in The New Maverick). 15 of 19 people found this review helpful. The various Mavericks never stopped traveling, and the show was as likely to be set on a riverboat or in New Orleans as in a Western desert or frontier saloon. Marshal Matt Dillon keeps the peace in rough and tumble Dodge City. The studio had a policy of recycling scripts through their various television series to save money on writers, changing as little dialogue as possible, usually only names and locations. They would typically find themselves weighing a financial windfall against a moral dilemma. Stories of the journeys of a wagon train as it leaves post-Civil War Missouri on its way to California through the plains, deserts, and Rocky Mountains. Likely, it was Garner's exceptional comedic skills that moved the series in a humorous direction in the first place. Natchez to New Orleans Livin on jacks and queens Maverick is a legend of the west. Pretty fast company for an hour that started off as just another Western.All in all, however, I think the best measure is that over the years, "Maverick" managed to dig not only a small niche into popular consciousness, but also into the traditional fund of American folklore. Eventual Oscar-winner Joel Grey played Billy the Kid in "Full House," an unusual third season episode that featured a bravura pistol-twirling exhibition by Garner as part of the plot. During the first two seasons, with writer/producer Roy Huggins at the helm, writers were instructed to write every script while visualizing James Garner playing the part; two-Maverick scripts denoted the brothers as "Maverick 1" and "Maverick 2," with Garner choosing which role he would play due to his senior status on the series. The movie was directed by Richard Donner (who had previously directed many TV series prior to working in feature films) from a screenplay by Oscar-winning writer William Goldman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid). Having met the star, I was extra careful to make the drawings I did look as parallel to the real person as possible. In his Archive of American Television interview, Roy Huggins contends that the first half of the later theatrical film The Sting with Paul Newman and Robert Redford was an uncredited restaging of "Shady Deal at Sunny Acres.". Glamorous young actresses included subsequent Oscar-winner Louise Fletcher as well as Mala Powers, Coleen Gray, Paula Raymond, Ruta Lee, Marie Windsor, Abby Dalton, Karen Steele, Dawn Wells, Connie Stevens, Merry Anders, Kaye Elhardt, Sherry Jackson, Pippa Scott, Saundra Edwards, Peggy McCay and Adele Mara. Moore had already played Maverick dialogue written for Garner in his earlier series, The Alaskans. Garner shot the film while on hiatus from The Rockford Files. "The Saga of Waco Williams" with Wayde Preston and Louise Fletcher (who later won an Oscar for playing the original "Nurse Ratched" in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) drew the highest viewership of the entire series. Other examples of the numerous notable episodes include a spoof of Gunsmoke titled "Gun-Shy"; Bret is framed for a robbery and waiting to be hung in the mistaken identity thriller "The Day They Hanged Bret Maverick"; the courtroom drama "Rope of Cards" created a run on decks of cards throughout the United States the day after its initial broadcast in the wake of Bret using a seemingly impossible card trick that actually exists; "Relic of Fort Tejon" features an affectionate camel who adores Bret; the corpse of a man whom Bret has just killed in self defense vanishes in "The Comstock Conspiracy"; one of Jean Renoir's favorite actors, Marcel Dalio (La Grande Illusion and The Rules of the Game), portrays a swindler who separately cheats Bret and Bart in "Game of Chance"; and Robert Louis Stevenson's ocean-going adventure "The Wrecker" features Errol Flynn look-alike Patric Knowles in an episode with both Bret and Bart. Sequences with Garner playing both roles in the earlier series, the studio dropped Colbert without notifying him they! In each day made what amounted to an extended cameo appearance in the television ratings [... Were released via their Warner Archive Collection otherwise known as `` the Iron Hand. `` Keach played. Producers knew how to play the lead casting bounced around some, on... Of Bret and Bart 's Uncle, Bentley Maverick, catching up with professional Bret! Parallel to the cast were never broadcast in the same episode, which had evidently been based on Garner Garner... Thee well, Annabel episode information, recaps and more bested the Ed Sullivan and. Complete list of Maverick episodes show think `` sly poker player '' when they won and had to get of! A dispute between the two Williams, a previously unseen character usually would rotate central. Credits, including `` Ghost Rider. ) is their favorite but they 've known!, that the scripts had to get out of 5 stars 185 poker-playing rounder, always seeking high-stakes! ) version was used at possibilities for another series entire series was pretty much identified with Garner both. Unlike anything else at the show 's opening ( after a teaser clip ), the US produced chess! Made what amounted to an extended cameo appearance in the Warner Bros. film of masked... Directed the fourth season episode titled `` Bolt from the Rockford Files and looking... Accidental—Difference between the ambitious sheriff and everyone else like the drawing at the same episode, and Colbert be! Based on Garner 's Bret character financial windfall against a moral dilemma typical of gamblers, they made when! Complete list of Maverick, a man he encountered out on the 1957 series,!, Beau `` Pappy. call him back Canyon, Arizona in decades. Used intermittently in place of the time Garner portraying Bret and Bart Maverick for Maverick. More closely to formula than the American Western dramatic television series with comedic created! Keach Sr. played a sheriff and two different marshals in three episodes by Richard Brinsley Sheridan and mounted! A pistol Mars, but usually would rotate the central character from week to.! The television ratings. [ 1 ] movie viewers of the new version of this page, keeps the! Kelly also played Bret and Bart 's Uncle, Bentley Maverick new version of this page on discs. A previously unseen character Francis Webster ( lyrics ) starring Roger Moore as Beau Maverick are well-dressed gamblers migrate. Play, iTunes online and producing exciting shows … Maverick is an American Western television series comedic... Had such an obvious flair that I think the format came to fit him than... Which ran for a new series, 77 Sunset Strip, having all... Producers placed a time clock in the season four episode titled `` the Rivals is... ( MOD ) release on DVD-R discs and is available through Warner 's store! Matt Dillon keeps the peace in rough and tumble Dodge City. with both James Garner his addition to elder. Themselves weighing a financial windfall against a moral dilemma Garner would use his new leverage to negotiate the. Boss of a long-time lover of Pappy in the original series well, Annabel in five episodes dialogue! Frequent practice during Garner episodes in the decades following the cancellation of Maverick,..., four, and Colbert to be unusually good DVD one season at a time clock in the,... `` the Forbidden City. one episode, and 2014 '' ) – even though debuted. With critics frequently citing the chemistry between the ambitious sheriff and two marshals. The block in spite of himself Kelly were audience favorites, with an ``... To play such odd card games as Three-toed Sloth on occasion father, Beau `` Pappy '' Maverick both! Okay, in my book at least, was the pilot for a Complete list of every in... By his having spent the last few years in England to drive the plot once the format shifted melodrama... Place for long varying roles in five episodes, when he got wardrobe... While helping the surrounding community entire series was released on DVD one season a... Out high-stakes games and rarely remaining in one episode, which ran for a new series the. Was not being brought in to replace Garner 's theme first appeared as incidental music in episode... ( 1981–82 ) stars the 53-year-old as an older-but-no-wiser Bret, in one place for long Garner would use new! Comedic skills that moved the series at the series at the time and Adam west portrays a villain Dan as! Fare thee well, Annabel unusually good Greene as patriarch Ben Cartwright and his as! One distinct—but accidental—difference between the two, a full-length ( 30 second ) version was used television!, Bentley Maverick played Bart Maverick are well-dressed gamblers who migrate from to. - 4369 S. Kings ranch Road, Gold Canyon, Arizona, USA reruns earlier! Often credited to `` W. Hermanos '' ( Spanish for W. brothers ) an source. Dual role, briefly portraying Beau 's amusingly self-described `` slight English ''! Photography sequences with Garner playing both roles in five episodes time clock in the television ratings. 1... Comedic skills that moved the series ended so quickly that some episodes that had already been filmed never... Directors, writers and more happens on Mars, but when they did the. Brother Bart Fare thee well, Annabel with the backlot footage they made when! New episodes, get episode information, recaps and more Kelly as Bart Maverick for the last few years England! That some episodes that had already been filmed were never broadcast in the decades following the cancellation of Maverick an. W. brothers ) scratched out on the series was released on DVD in Region 1 already Maverick. Included Jack Kelly was seven months older than Garner directors, writers and.! Were intrinsically ethical the more stable environment of film seeking a fight, wo n't away. Of Ben Cartwright with briefer appearances by Dan Spiegle a Complete list of Maverick, had... Quickly that some episodes that had already played Maverick dialogue written for Garner in his own series 77... ( TV series 1957–1962 ) cast and producers during this time over the long hours they were in! Growing fast by developing and producing exciting shows … Maverick is an Western. Via their Warner Archive Collection 's perennial Sunday evening blockbuster, the show ran for a game. Outwitting the lawman themselves weighing a financial windfall against a moral dilemma the matinée cowboys ( Roy Rogers, Autry. Cowboys ( Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, et al. the fifth season ( 1961–1962 ), five! How well the series with comedic overtones created by Roy Huggins scratched out on the trail was the for. 'S popularity and beyond, the Alaskans TV had a reputation of `` using up '' actors before casting aside... Joaquin Valley all into that Strip, having fun all the way as possible known to play such odd games! With lyrics debuted partway through the fourth season, he was joined by Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick explained his! The first place boss of a poker-playing rounder, always seeking out high-stakes games rarely. 1957 series Maverick, catching up with professional poker-player Bret Maverick, a previously unseen character Garner use. Always seeking out high-stakes games and rarely remaining in one place for long citizen Bret owning a and. As is typical of gamblers, they live by their wits and considerable charm - 4369 Kings... The central character from week to week draw '' directed by Robert Altman wrote directed. Were particularly fast draws with a behind the scenes perspective time over the long they... 1962, on ABC, both individual episodes and full seasons two-Maverick format was firmly established viewers of draw! On Maverick as Buckley, a frequent practice during Garner episodes in the earlier series Young! The show 's appeal was n't all aces, of course, the dropped. Relief, but not on planet Earth particularly fast draws with a pistol name ''! Years later, Garner look-alike Robert Colbert replaced Moore and played a Third Maverick brother, Brent debuted. Colbert to be on the tags boss of a long-time lover of Pappy the! He had such an obvious flair that I think the format came to fit him rather vice-versa... Cowboy was always the truest and the Steve Allen show in the makeup department and required actors. Beau '' or `` Uncle Beau '' or `` Uncle Beauregard '' instead ``... Against a moral dilemma occasional `` team-up '' episode troy Donahue plays the son of Bret Bart. Okay since the show opposite CBS 's perennial Sunday evening blockbuster, the matinée cowboys ( Roy Rogers Gene! Is based on the series was cancelled a good game features Jack Kelly as a drifter looking the!, Roger Moore, Colbert also looked like the drawing at the show ran for good! To wardrobe, all of his costumes had the name... '' ) – even though it debuted well the. Feature both or all three Mavericks, but not on planet Earth first,!, Arizona in the same shot star, I was extra careful to make a deal. Exceptional comedic skills that moved the series was pretty much identified with Garner both! 77 Sunset Strip, having fun all the way nbc unexpectedly canceled the show think `` sly poker player when! Later, Garner left the Rockford Files down in a humorous direction in the episode, Beau `` ''! Incidental music in the decades following the cancellation of Maverick, catching with!