“OK, let’s dance.” – A quest through the modern West
The previous fine review by Don McGregor covers the excellence of this series in passionate detail, so there’s no need for me to duplicate his efforts there. But I will mention a couple of other points that occur to me while watching these episodes in all their black-&-white glory.First, the approach to violence. Not only is Stoney depicted as a man secure enough to avoid unnecessary fighting, he isn’t an angry or violent man. Yes, he’ll stand up if the situation requires it — but more often than not, it’s on behalf of someone else, not himself. He’s capable of understanding what might drive a man to fight with him, without feeling the need to even the score. As he says more than once, “In the end, they’re all people.”Even more importantly, this is one of the few times I’ve seen fighting depicted as having serious, even potentially fatal consequences. Nobody just gets up happily & shrugs off a punch; people are cut, bruised, and often in danger of concussions or worse. The first time we ever see Stoney throw a punch, we also see him rubbing his hand afterward & grimacing because it hurts. How many times have we seen people knocked out by a blow to the head, with not a second thought on anyone’s part? Here, such a blow could well be deadly, and the characters know it. Violence is ugly here, not entertainment.And beyond physical violence, there’s also emotional violence, which drives & damages many of the people Stoney encounters on his quest for the Golden Buckle. “They’re all people” — and quite a few people are wrestling with demons they can’t control, or even can’t see when they look in the mirror. The series reflects the exceptionally literate writing of early 1960s drama, as seen on other shows such as “Route 66”, “Naked City”, “The Defenders” — writing that draws on novels & the stage for its rich, sinewy style. No need for CGI or explosions or high tech here — the human heart in turmoil offers all the drama you’ll ever want.Then there’s Stoney himself. We don’t get to see this sort of essentially decent man in TV & films too much these days, and that’s a shame. He’s not too improbably good — he makes mistakes in judgment, he can be briefly tempted by the easy life at times — but on the whole, he’s doing his best to live an honest, meaningful life in a world that can too often be corrupt. And while he enjoys an evening with an attractive young woman, he’s unusual (especially for that era) in his ability to simply be good friends with women, to enjoy their company & empathize with them as fellow human beings, not merely as potential sex objects.Which brings us to another key point: the danger of power & money to distort & sometimes destroy human lives. This aspect of the series is frighteningly relevant, as Stoney encounters those who think everything in the world has a price tag — and if people won’t sell their souls to the wealthy & powerful, they’re in danger of being crushed for daring to stand up for themselves. If it was true then, it’s even more true today. This hollow, destructive urge for wealth & power is in opposition to Stoney’s quest for a personally meaningful goal achieved without harming others, or betraying his own integrity.The acting is both subtle & sharp, with Jack Lord turning in a multi-faceted performance, one that not only reveals plenty of personal strength, but a great capacity for empathy & compassion. The supporting cast & the guest stars are equally good, with special attention to Warren Oates as a trickster type who stands half in the shadows, but brings tremendous vitality & humor to every line he speaks.Sadly, this superb series only lasted one season, and we never get to see if Stoney finally wins the Golden Buckle or not … but that really doesn’t matter. He’s already proven himself a champion in a deeper sense, maintaining his dignity & self-respect while doing his best within the rules — both the rules of society & the rules of life he’s set for himself. I agree with all the previous reviewers who can’t praise the series highly enough. It really is a lost treasure, and I’m grateful that it’s been made available on DVD. Simply wonderful in every way & most urgently recommended!Edit 1/17/15 – While the entire series is consistently well-written, well-acted, and well-directed, I want to call special attention to the two final episodes, “The Test” & “The Journey”. In these stories, Stoney is pushed to the limit & beyond by both Fate & human evil, with Jack Lord giving performances of astounding subtlety & power. “The Journey” in particular is not only a mythic rite of passage, a descent to the very gates of Death & Damnation, but a poignant & heartfelt statement by creator Leslie Stevens on the network cancellation of this impressive series. The passion & integrity expressed here puts just about any contemporary TV show to shame. Not to be missed!
by Steve DeLuca
Top-Notch 1960’s B&W TV Drama
I just finished watching the 32nd and final episode of this recently released DVD set. I was curious about it from having been a fan of the Outer Limits and knowing that Leslie Stevens, Dominic Frontiere and Conrad Hall all worked on both series. I had never seen Stoney Burke before. I was too young when it was on ABC originally and it never made it to reruns in NYC.This series far exceeded my hopes or expectations. The formula is tried and true. Stoney Burke (Jack Lord) can be viewed as a knight on a quest to win the Gold Buckle (National Rodeo Championship), with Cody (Bob Dowdell), Red (Bill Hart) and E.J. (Bruce Dern) as squires. Burke can at other times be viewed as an almost Christ-like character with the others as his disciples. Either way, he is a man who is pure at heart and dedicated to winning the Gold Buckle. He is NOT however a man who will do ANYTHING to win that Gold Buckle. He is highly principled and honest. His high principles and morality are contrasted against another of his followers, Ves Painter (Warren Oates), who is one of the least moral or principled characters ever to play a regular role in a series.The series is much like other 1960s television, with the main characters traveling from town to town, meeting different people in each episode, and becoming embroiled in their dramatic life struggles. This gives the best character actors from the era lots of opportunities. The format enables the writers to examine every dramatic possibility. There is romance (of course) and corruption and greed and dilemmas of conflicting commitments and self-destruction and small-town prejudice and salvation. In one way, the earliest episodes are some the best.Leslie Stevens wrote all the earliest and he understood the characters the best. He obviously LOVED the Ves Painter character, and the episodes Stevens wrote are those that Ves is his most vivid and vile. Warren Oates steals many of those shows, spouting some of the best and most colorful dialogue and providing both comic relief and intense frustration. Stevens also made sure that Stoney’s followers/friends had a lot to do with the action. They get into many scrapes with- and on behalf of- Stoney. In the middle of the 32 episodes, when other writers took over, the followers move farther into the background and the series suffers a little for it. Still, that being said, I can’t say there’s a dog in the entire 32 episodes. Even the weakest shows are good, solid TV drama. I was hoping that the series would end strongly and I was not disappointed. Stevens wrote and directed the final episode, in which all the recurring cast members play an important part. Stoney takes a mythological journey during which his soul and faith are at stake and he is almost literally staring at the abyss. ‘Nuff said. You’ll have to watch it.You can’t talk about Stoney Burke without talking about the music and photography. Dominic Frontiere’s music is very lush and romantic and is employed judiciously throughout the series. Just as he did the following year with the Outer Limits, he provides just the right flavor to the emotion of each situation. Outer Limits fans will be shocked at how much of that series’ music was lifted directly from Stoney Burke. At times, it almost felt like I was watching an Outer Limits episode, but without the aliens.Conrad Hall took over all the photography after the first 6 or 7 episodes, when Ted McCord fell ill. Hall was McCord’s camera operator. I cannot possibly praise Hall’s B&W photography as much as it deserves. Under the least visually interesting directors, such as Tom Gries, he is perfectly competent and quite good. Under the more daring or innovative directors his work is sublime. He does things with camera movement, lighting and angles that gives me chills. His work makes good scenes great and great scenes unforgettable. His work here is some of his best B&W work- and that’s saying a lot.The sound and visual quality of the DVDs are perfect.I highly recommend the series to anyone who likes old B&W-era TV, and especially to fans of Jack Lord (you’ll see some of Steve McGarret’s stalwart integrity here), Warren Oates, Conrad Hall or 1963 Lincoln Continentals, Thunderbirds and pick-up trucks, for that matter.
by Bobbi
Jack Lord plays a character, Stoney Burke, who is doggedly decent. This series dates from about 60 years ago, yet the themes explored are timeless: friendship, the fear of aging, fathers and sons, fathers and daughters, husbands and wives, integrity, generosity, respect for people and for the welfare of animals, love, death and loss. The series is in black and white, but the production values are very high. I was concerned that I would be appalled by the rodeo, but really the rodeo is simply the setting within which the characters work through the story. These DVD’s are really good. Glad I bought them! If you buy these DVD’s, be sure to click on the yellow lines below the titles to select an episode. I clicked on the words, and thought the DVD was not working. The DVD’s are fine. Just click on the yellow lines to make your selection.
by Lucas Kraft
War alles prima
by Barbara Jones
The series was great had not seen it for years even though it was black and white I realy enjoyed seeing it again the picture and sound was very good.
by Looopy
Forgotten, well I’d never heard of it, but extremely well made and well acted rodeo drama. The rodeo theme allows us to see a different side of 1960’s America . This show is a cut above many programmes of the time. I’ve only watched a few episodes so far and I am not a horse fan and I think it’s great. Excellent stuff. Watch out for Bob Dowdell from Voyage to the Bottom of the SEA (Exec. Officer Chip Morton) as one of the suporting actors.
by Eleanor Sawyer
Bought the show because of the star, Jack Lord. But it also has a strong supporting castof Warren Oates and Bruce Dern, who are the good guys in this TV show.It’s a bit of nostalgia from a simpler time when issues of good and bad somehow seemedeasier to identify and were less complex. Lord as Stoney Burke begins to show thesigns of a future Steve McGarrett. Easy and entertaining series to watch.
by Tim Lukeman
“OK, let’s dance.” – A quest through the modern West
The previous fine review by Don McGregor covers the excellence of this series in passionate detail, so there’s no need for me to duplicate his efforts there. But I will mention a couple of other points that occur to me while watching these episodes in all their black-&-white glory.First, the approach to violence. Not only is Stoney depicted as a man secure enough to avoid unnecessary fighting, he isn’t an angry or violent man. Yes, he’ll stand up if the situation requires it — but more often than not, it’s on behalf of someone else, not himself. He’s capable of understanding what might drive a man to fight with him, without feeling the need to even the score. As he says more than once, “In the end, they’re all people.”Even more importantly, this is one of the few times I’ve seen fighting depicted as having serious, even potentially fatal consequences. Nobody just gets up happily & shrugs off a punch; people are cut, bruised, and often in danger of concussions or worse. The first time we ever see Stoney throw a punch, we also see him rubbing his hand afterward & grimacing because it hurts. How many times have we seen people knocked out by a blow to the head, with not a second thought on anyone’s part? Here, such a blow could well be deadly, and the characters know it. Violence is ugly here, not entertainment.And beyond physical violence, there’s also emotional violence, which drives & damages many of the people Stoney encounters on his quest for the Golden Buckle. “They’re all people” — and quite a few people are wrestling with demons they can’t control, or even can’t see when they look in the mirror. The series reflects the exceptionally literate writing of early 1960s drama, as seen on other shows such as “Route 66”, “Naked City”, “The Defenders” — writing that draws on novels & the stage for its rich, sinewy style. No need for CGI or explosions or high tech here — the human heart in turmoil offers all the drama you’ll ever want.Then there’s Stoney himself. We don’t get to see this sort of essentially decent man in TV & films too much these days, and that’s a shame. He’s not too improbably good — he makes mistakes in judgment, he can be briefly tempted by the easy life at times — but on the whole, he’s doing his best to live an honest, meaningful life in a world that can too often be corrupt. And while he enjoys an evening with an attractive young woman, he’s unusual (especially for that era) in his ability to simply be good friends with women, to enjoy their company & empathize with them as fellow human beings, not merely as potential sex objects.Which brings us to another key point: the danger of power & money to distort & sometimes destroy human lives. This aspect of the series is frighteningly relevant, as Stoney encounters those who think everything in the world has a price tag — and if people won’t sell their souls to the wealthy & powerful, they’re in danger of being crushed for daring to stand up for themselves. If it was true then, it’s even more true today. This hollow, destructive urge for wealth & power is in opposition to Stoney’s quest for a personally meaningful goal achieved without harming others, or betraying his own integrity.The acting is both subtle & sharp, with Jack Lord turning in a multi-faceted performance, one that not only reveals plenty of personal strength, but a great capacity for empathy & compassion. The supporting cast & the guest stars are equally good, with special attention to Warren Oates as a trickster type who stands half in the shadows, but brings tremendous vitality & humor to every line he speaks.Sadly, this superb series only lasted one season, and we never get to see if Stoney finally wins the Golden Buckle or not … but that really doesn’t matter. He’s already proven himself a champion in a deeper sense, maintaining his dignity & self-respect while doing his best within the rules — both the rules of society & the rules of life he’s set for himself. I agree with all the previous reviewers who can’t praise the series highly enough. It really is a lost treasure, and I’m grateful that it’s been made available on DVD. Simply wonderful in every way & most urgently recommended!Edit 1/17/15 – While the entire series is consistently well-written, well-acted, and well-directed, I want to call special attention to the two final episodes, “The Test” & “The Journey”. In these stories, Stoney is pushed to the limit & beyond by both Fate & human evil, with Jack Lord giving performances of astounding subtlety & power. “The Journey” in particular is not only a mythic rite of passage, a descent to the very gates of Death & Damnation, but a poignant & heartfelt statement by creator Leslie Stevens on the network cancellation of this impressive series. The passion & integrity expressed here puts just about any contemporary TV show to shame. Not to be missed!
by Steve DeLuca
Top-Notch 1960’s B&W TV Drama
I just finished watching the 32nd and final episode of this recently released DVD set. I was curious about it from having been a fan of the Outer Limits and knowing that Leslie Stevens, Dominic Frontiere and Conrad Hall all worked on both series. I had never seen Stoney Burke before. I was too young when it was on ABC originally and it never made it to reruns in NYC.This series far exceeded my hopes or expectations. The formula is tried and true. Stoney Burke (Jack Lord) can be viewed as a knight on a quest to win the Gold Buckle (National Rodeo Championship), with Cody (Bob Dowdell), Red (Bill Hart) and E.J. (Bruce Dern) as squires. Burke can at other times be viewed as an almost Christ-like character with the others as his disciples. Either way, he is a man who is pure at heart and dedicated to winning the Gold Buckle. He is NOT however a man who will do ANYTHING to win that Gold Buckle. He is highly principled and honest. His high principles and morality are contrasted against another of his followers, Ves Painter (Warren Oates), who is one of the least moral or principled characters ever to play a regular role in a series.The series is much like other 1960s television, with the main characters traveling from town to town, meeting different people in each episode, and becoming embroiled in their dramatic life struggles. This gives the best character actors from the era lots of opportunities. The format enables the writers to examine every dramatic possibility. There is romance (of course) and corruption and greed and dilemmas of conflicting commitments and self-destruction and small-town prejudice and salvation. In one way, the earliest episodes are some the best.Leslie Stevens wrote all the earliest and he understood the characters the best. He obviously LOVED the Ves Painter character, and the episodes Stevens wrote are those that Ves is his most vivid and vile. Warren Oates steals many of those shows, spouting some of the best and most colorful dialogue and providing both comic relief and intense frustration. Stevens also made sure that Stoney’s followers/friends had a lot to do with the action. They get into many scrapes with- and on behalf of- Stoney. In the middle of the 32 episodes, when other writers took over, the followers move farther into the background and the series suffers a little for it. Still, that being said, I can’t say there’s a dog in the entire 32 episodes. Even the weakest shows are good, solid TV drama. I was hoping that the series would end strongly and I was not disappointed. Stevens wrote and directed the final episode, in which all the recurring cast members play an important part. Stoney takes a mythological journey during which his soul and faith are at stake and he is almost literally staring at the abyss. ‘Nuff said. You’ll have to watch it.You can’t talk about Stoney Burke without talking about the music and photography. Dominic Frontiere’s music is very lush and romantic and is employed judiciously throughout the series. Just as he did the following year with the Outer Limits, he provides just the right flavor to the emotion of each situation. Outer Limits fans will be shocked at how much of that series’ music was lifted directly from Stoney Burke. At times, it almost felt like I was watching an Outer Limits episode, but without the aliens.Conrad Hall took over all the photography after the first 6 or 7 episodes, when Ted McCord fell ill. Hall was McCord’s camera operator. I cannot possibly praise Hall’s B&W photography as much as it deserves. Under the least visually interesting directors, such as Tom Gries, he is perfectly competent and quite good. Under the more daring or innovative directors his work is sublime. He does things with camera movement, lighting and angles that gives me chills. His work makes good scenes great and great scenes unforgettable. His work here is some of his best B&W work- and that’s saying a lot.The sound and visual quality of the DVDs are perfect.I highly recommend the series to anyone who likes old B&W-era TV, and especially to fans of Jack Lord (you’ll see some of Steve McGarret’s stalwart integrity here), Warren Oates, Conrad Hall or 1963 Lincoln Continentals, Thunderbirds and pick-up trucks, for that matter.
by Bobbi
Jack Lord plays a character, Stoney Burke, who is doggedly decent. This series dates from about 60 years ago, yet the themes explored are timeless: friendship, the fear of aging, fathers and sons, fathers and daughters, husbands and wives, integrity, generosity, respect for people and for the welfare of animals, love, death and loss. The series is in black and white, but the production values are very high. I was concerned that I would be appalled by the rodeo, but really the rodeo is simply the setting within which the characters work through the story. These DVD’s are really good. Glad I bought them! If you buy these DVD’s, be sure to click on the yellow lines below the titles to select an episode. I clicked on the words, and thought the DVD was not working. The DVD’s are fine. Just click on the yellow lines to make your selection.
by Lucas Kraft
War alles prima
by Barbara Jones
The series was great had not seen it for years even though it was black and white I realy enjoyed seeing it again the picture and sound was very good.
by Looopy
Forgotten, well I’d never heard of it, but extremely well made and well acted rodeo drama. The rodeo theme allows us to see a different side of 1960’s America . This show is a cut above many programmes of the time. I’ve only watched a few episodes so far and I am not a horse fan and I think it’s great. Excellent stuff. Watch out for Bob Dowdell from Voyage to the Bottom of the SEA (Exec. Officer Chip Morton) as one of the suporting actors.
by Eleanor Sawyer
Bought the show because of the star, Jack Lord. But it also has a strong supporting castof Warren Oates and Bruce Dern, who are the good guys in this TV show.It’s a bit of nostalgia from a simpler time when issues of good and bad somehow seemedeasier to identify and were less complex. Lord as Stoney Burke begins to show thesigns of a future Steve McGarrett. Easy and entertaining series to watch.