My Friend Flicka is an American children's Western television series. The series is based on the novel of the same name by Mary O'Hara and the 1943 film My Friend Flicka by 20th Century Fox.[1] It was one of the first television series produced by TCF Television Productions (later 20th Century Fox Television and 20th Television). Though filmed in color, it was originally shown on CBS in black-and-white from February 10, 1956 until May 18, 1958. Only one season was produced, but was broadcast in syndicated reruns for many years, starting in September 1957 on NBC.[2]
| My Friend Flicka | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Western/Children's |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 39 |
| Production | |
| Production locations | Fox Movie Ranch, now part of Malibu Creek State Park |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company | TCF Television Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | February 10 – November 2, 1956 |
Synopsis
editThe series takes place around 1900 on the fictional Goose Bar Ranch near Coulee Springs, Wyoming.[1] Gene Evans played horse rancher Rob McLaughlin, Anita Louise was his wife Nell McLaughlin, and Johnny Washbrook played their son Ken. Frank Ferguson was their ranch hand Gus Broeberg, and Pamela Beaird had a recurring role as Hildy Broeberg, the niece of Gus. Stories dealt with the struggles of earning a living as a rancher, and problems that neighbors and friends encountered. Each adventure centered around young Ken and his horse Flicka.[2] Sometimes Ken's wrong choices caused problems, but the series taught the importance of learning from your mistakes. Rob would tell the youngster: "You did what you thought was right son, and that's the important thing".[3]
Production
editInterior shots were filmed on the old William Fox Motion Pictures Studio, and exterior locations were at the 20th Century Fox Movie Ranch, which is now part of Malibu Creek State Park.[4]
The series had higher-than-average production costs, with the finest camera work and other technical attributes.[3] At a time when most viewers owned black-and-white televisions My Friend Flicka was filmed in color, though it was originally broadcast in black-and-white.[1]
During the 1950s it was common practice to have one advertiser sponsor an entire season of a television series. CBS was asking an advertising fee of $37,500 for each episode, and at least one advertiser chose to sponsor a different series, which was $10,000 less expensive per episode.[5] Colgate-Palmolive signed on as the series sponsor.[1]
High production costs is believed to be the reason why the popular series did not have a second season. Instead, 20th Century-Fox chose My Friend Flicka as one of the first two series that they offered as rerun syndication packages.[6]
Broadcast history
editFrom February 10, 1956 to February 1957 CBS broadcast My Friend Flicka on Fridays from 7:30 to 8:00 p.m., and in March it was shown on Saturdays from 7:00 to 7:30 p.m. From April to May it was on Sundays from 6:00 to 6:30 p.m., and from June to August it was shown on Wednesdays from 7:30 to 8:00 p.m. The series moved to NBC, where it aired in color for the first time. From September to December it was broadcast on Sundays from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m., and from January to May 1958 it was shown on Sundays from 7:00 to 7:30 p.m.[2]
During the 1959 - 1960 television season ABC broadcast the series weekdays during the late afternoon. My Friend Flicka then moved to Saturday afternoons. During the 1961 - 1962 season it was broadcast on CBS, it was on ABC from September 1962 to December 1963, and it returned to CBS from September 1964 to September 1966.[2]
Episodes
edit| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "One Man's Horse" | Nathan Juran | Peter Packer, DeVallon Scott | February 10, 1956 | |
|
Flicka is stolen by an outlaw, who threatens to kill the horse if Ken tells anyone. Hugh Beaumont is a guest star. | |||||
| 2 | "Blind Faith" | Robert Gordon | Nat Tanchuck, Art Browne, Jr., Curtis Kenyon | February 17, 1956 | |
|
Flicka is blinded in an accident, but Ken believes she will regain her sight. | |||||
| 3 | "A Case of Honor" | Nathan Juran | Jerry Sackheim | February 24, 1956 | |
|
Ranchers & sheepherders fight over grazing land & Rob is accused of poisoning a water hole. | |||||
| 4 | "A Good Deed" | Frederick Stephani | Mary Lacey, Kay Lenard | March 2, 1956 | |
|
Ken and Flicka help a disabled child conquer his fear of horses. | |||||
| 5 | "Cavalry Horse" | Frederick Stephani | DeVallon Scott, Jerry Sackheim | March 9, 1956 | |
|
The McLaughlins try to save a soldier's old horse from being put down. | |||||
| 6 | "The Accident" | Frederick Stephani | Kay Lenard | March 16, 1956 | |
|
Ken is stalked by a cougar after he is thrown from Flicka and can't walk. | |||||
| 7 | "The Stranger" | Robert Gordon | Peter Paker, DeVallon Scott | March 23, 1956 | |
|
Ken is kidnapped by an escaped convict. | |||||
| 8 | "The Wild Horse" | Robert Gordon | George Slavin, George W. George | March 30, 1956 | |
|
Soon after Ken refuses to sell Flicka the horse is missing from her stall. | |||||
| 9 | "The Rogue Stallion" | Nathan Juran | Kay Lenard | April 6, 1956 | |
|
Both Rob and a rival rancher want to capture a beautiful wild horse. Claude Akins is a guest star. | |||||
| 10 | "The Little Secret" | Nathan Juran | Jerry Sackheim | April 13, 1956 | |
|
A Native American mother wants Ken to take her sick baby to a doctor. | |||||
| 11 | "Act of Loyalty" | Nathan Juran | Malvin Wald, Jack Jacobs | April 20, 1956 | |
|
Flicka helps a fugitive escape from jail, and townspeople suspect Ken was involved with the escape. | |||||
| 12 | "The Silver Saddle" | John English | Malvin Wald, Jack Jacobs, Curtis Kenyon | April 27, 1956 | |
|
Ken is accused of letting a horse escape so Flicka can win a horse show. | |||||
| 13 | "The Phantom Herd" | James B. Clark | Peter Packer | May 4, 1956 | |
|
Rob decides to sell the ranch after his entire herd of horses run off. | |||||
| 14 | "The Little Visitor" | Frederick Stephani | Nat Tanchuck, Art Browne, Jr. | May 11, 1956 | |
|
Ken and a headstrong visiting boy are trapped in a mine. | |||||
| 15 | "The Golden Promise" | John English | Kay Lenard | May 18, 1956 | |
|
Ken and Gus neglect ranch work to hunt for gold. Rob tries to do all the chores by himself and breaks his leg. | |||||
| 16 | "Black Dust" | John English | Kay Lenard | May 25, 1956 | |
|
The construction crew working to reopen a mine are contaminating the water. | |||||
| 17 | "The Night Rider" | Ted Thomas, Jan Leman | Robert Gordon | June 1, 1956 | |
|
An old murder mystery is solved after Ken and Flicka trail a ghostly rider. | |||||
| 18 | "The Settler" | Robert Gordon | David Lang | June 8, 1956 | |
|
Ken and Flicka try to find a runaway horse. | |||||
| 19 | "Wind From Heaven" | Robert Gordon | George Asness | June 15, 1956 | |
|
While ranchers are feuding with homesteaders Ken befriends a homesteader’s child. | |||||
| 20 | "The Whip" | James Clark | Rik Vollaerts | June 22, 1956 | |
|
When an experienced horse trainer sees Ken calm a stallion with kindness he learns he knows less than he thought he did. | |||||
| 21 | "The Runaways" | John English | Kay Lenard | June 29, 1956 | |
|
Flicka runs away from the ranch to join a wild horse that Rob is trying to tame. | |||||
| 22 | "The Cameraman" | John English | Jan Leman, Ted Thomas, Lowell Hawley | July 6, 1956 | |
|
Rob saves a photographer from stampeding horses, then suspects him of being a thief. John Carradine is a guest star. | |||||
| 23 | "Old Danny" | John English | Kay Lenard | July 13, 1956 | |
|
Ken and Flicka help a little girl whose dog is endangered by coyotes. | |||||
| 24 | "Rough and Ready" | John English | Curtis Enyon | July 20, 1956 | |
|
Theodore Roosevelt tries to settle a war between ranch owners and a cattle baron. | |||||
| 25 | "The Royal Carriage" | John English | Curtis Kenyon | July 27, 1956 | |
|
Ken helps his mother prepare a royal reception for a visiting countess. | |||||
| 26 | "Mister Goblin" | John English | Kay Lenard | August 3, 1956 | |
|
Ken brings home a stray white colt. Jane Darwell is a guest star. | |||||
| 27 | "Rebels in Hiding" | Donald McDougal | Lowell S. Hawley | August 10, 1956 | |
|
A former Native American chief runs away from the reservation with his grandson, to keep the boy out a white school. | |||||
| 28 | "Lock, Stock and Barrel" | John English | Warren Wilson | August 17, 1956 | |
|
Ken hides Flicka in an abandoned barn so he won't have to turn her out on the range. He doesn't know the barn has just been sold. Claude Akins guest stars. | |||||
| 29 | "The Unmasking" | Albert S. Rogell | David Lane | August 24, 1956 | |
|
Ken and a husband-hunting woman befriend a thief. Sheb Wooley guest stars. | |||||
| 30 | "Refuge for the Night" | Robert Gordon | Jerry Sackheim | August 31, 1956 | |
|
Ken and his mother, Nell, are alone at the ranch when an escaped criminal takes it over as a hide-out. | |||||
| 31 | "Against All Odds" | John English | J. Benton Cheney, Lowell S. Hawley | September 7, 1956 | |
|
A puppy, found in Ken's rabbit snare, disrupts the McLaughlin's household. | |||||
| 32 | "The Old Champ" | John English | Lowell S. Hawley, Jerry Sackheim | September 14, 1956 | |
|
Rob competes as a wrestler at a medicine show, and Ken bets Flicka on the outcome. | |||||
| 33 | "The Medicine Man" | John English | George Asness, Curtis Kenyon | September 21, 1956 | |
|
Neighbors try to prevent a Native American doctor from treating Nell. | |||||
| 34 | "When Bugles Blow" | John English | Warren Wilson | September 28, 1956 | |
|
Gus tries to talk Rob out of his desire to re-enlist in the cavalry. | |||||
| 35 | "The Recluse" | John English | Jerry Sackheim | October 5, 1956 | |
|
Ken mets an eccentric elderly woman, and thinks she may be a witch. | |||||
| 36 | "The Foundlings" | John English | Muriel Roy Bolton | October 12, 1956 | |
|
Ken runs away from home and meets up with two unhappy orphans who long for a family of their own. | |||||
| 37 | "Growing Pains" | Albert S. Rogell | Wanda Tuchock | October 19, 1956 | |
|
Ken welcomes a little girl and a prize bull to the ranch and learns that both can be unpredictable. | |||||
| 38 | "The Lost River" | Robert Gordon | Jerry Sackheim | October 26, 1956 | |
|
Rob buys a stallion with a Chinese brand which means "Evil comes to him who owns me". Mishaps take place while digging for water. | |||||
| 39 | "Big Red" | John English | Curtis Kenyon | November 2, 1956 | |
|
Rob and Ken trail an escaped show horse and are menaced by a gun-wielding cowhand. Denver Pyle is a guest star. | |||||
Additional boy and his horse TV westerns
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d Marill, Alvin H. (June 1, 2011). Television Westerns: Six Decades of Sagebrush Sheriffs, Scalawags, and Sidewinders. Scarecrow Press. p. 40. ISBN 978-0-8108-8133-4.
- ^ a b c d Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. New York: Ballantine Books. p. 940. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
- ^ a b Reviews - My Friend Flicka, TV Guide, April 14, 1956
- ^ Jerry L. Schneider, Lord of the Jungle Filming Locations of California, page 29, Corriganville Press, 2014
- ^ "'Fu' Optioned By Red Heart" (PDF). Billboard. September 24, 1955. p. 2. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
- ^ "Fox Syndication Due Thru Subsid" (PDF). Billboard. March 24, 1956. p. 4. Retrieved May 27, 2021.