''Frontier Doctor'' is an American

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US * Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that i ...

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed ...

starring

Rex Allen Rex Elvie Allen (December 31, 1920 – December 17, 1999), known as "the Arizona Cowboy", was an American film and television actor, singer and songwriter; he was also the narrator of many Disney nature and Western productions. For his contribu ...

that aired in

syndication Syndication may refer to: * Broadcast syndication, where individual stations buy programs outside the network system * Print syndication, where individual newspapers or magazines license news articles, columns, or comic strips * Web syndication, ...

from September 26, 1958, until June 20, 1959. The series was also known as ''Unarmed'' and ''Man of the West''.TV Guide Guide to TV. Barnes & Noble. 2004. p. 238 . Outdoor action sequences for most episodes of ''Frontier Doctor'' were filmed on the Republic Pictures backlot in Studio City and on the

Iverson Movie Ranch Iverson may refer to: Computing * Iverson Award, an ACM honour for APL contributions * Iverson bracket, a mathematical notation * Iverson Notation, the syntactic basis of APL (programming language) Other uses * Iverson Movie Ranch, Chatsworth, Ca ...

Chatsworth, California Chatsworth is a suburban neighborhood in the City of Los Angeles, California, in the San Fernando Valley. The area was home to Native Americans, some of whom left caves containing rock art. Chatsworth was explored and colonized by the Spanis ...

, known for its huge

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...

boulders and widely recognized as the most heavily filmed outdoor shooting location in the history of Hollywood.

Synopsis

''Frontier Doctor'' follows the exploits of a physician, Dr. Bill Baxter, who is based in Rising Springs in the Arizona Territory during the early 20th century. He rides in a buggy with his black bag and encounters more than his share of trouble as he aids many who cross his path. Baxter often finds difficulty with his patients, such as the outlaw

Butch Cassidy Robert LeRoy Parker (April 13, 1866 – November 7, 1908), better known as Butch Cassidy, was an American train and bank robber and the leader of a gang of criminal outlaws known as the " Wild Bunch" in the Old West. Parker engaged in crimin ...

Stafford Repp Stafford Alois Repp (April 26, 1918November 5, 1974) was an American actor best known for his role as Police Chief Miles Clancy O'Hara on ABC's ''Batman'' television series. Career Soon after the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, he ser ...

occasionally appeared as Sheriff Brawley.

Selected episodes

In the 1958 episode "The Outlaw Legion", Dr. Baxter discovers that the men he is treating in a remote cabin are Butch Cassidy and members of the Hole in the Wall Gang.

Joe Sawyer Joe Sawyer (born Joseph Sauers, August 29, 1906 – April 21, 1982) was a Canadian film actor. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1927 and 1962, and was sometimes billed under his birth name. Early life Sawyer was born August 29, 1 ...

portrayed a boorish Cassidy. Doris Singleton, appeared as Laura, Cassidy's unhappy girlfriend who saves Dr. Baxter's life and tries to put her shady past behind her.

Michael Ansara Michael George Ansara (April 15, 1922 – July 31, 2013) was an American actor. He portrayed Cochise in the television series '' Broken Arrow'', Kane in the 1979–1981 series '' Buck Rogers in the 25th Century'', Commander Kang in '' Star Tre ...

of '' Law of the Plainsman'', appeared as Will Carver, a Cassidy henchman. In "Queen of the Cimarron" (1958),

Jean Willes Jean Willes (born Jean Donahue; April 15, 1923 – January 3, 1989) was an American film and television actress. She appeared in approximately 65 films in her 38-year career. Early years Willes was born Jean Donahue In Los Angeles. She spent pa ...

portrays Fancy Varden, the owner of the Golden Slipper saloon, who starts her own cattle ranch with animals infected with

anthrax Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Bacillus anthracis''. It can occur in four forms: skin, lungs, intestinal, and injection. Symptom onset occurs between one day and more than two months after the infection is contracted. The s ...

. The disease soon spread from the cattle to the cowhands.

Glenn Strange George Glenn Strange (August 16, 1899 – September 20, 1973) was an American actor who mostly appeared in Western (genre), Western films and was billed as Glenn Strange. He is best remembered for playing Frankenstein's monster in three ...

played the rancher Pat Cafferty. Also appearing in this episode are Robert Karnes as Marshal Dunham, Gregory Walcott as Red Redmond, and Harry Harvey, Jr., as Sam, one of the ill cowboys. In "The Twisted Road" (1959), two young women are strangled to death shortly after a brother and sister, Stan and Hester Gray, played by

Robert Vaughn Robert Francis Vaughn (November 22, 1932 – November 11, 2016) was an American actor noted for his stage, film and television work. His television roles include the spy Napoleon Solo in the 1960s series '' The Man from U.N.C.L.E.''; the ...

and

Virginia Christine Virginia Christine (born Virginia Christine Ricketts; March 5, 1920 – July 24, 1996) was an American stage, radio, film, television, and voice actress. Though Christine had a long career as a character actress in film and television, she ...

, arrive in Rising Springs. Stan is soon suspected in the slayings, but there is a surprise ending.

Chubby Johnson Charles Randolph "Chubby" Johnson (August 13, 1903 – October 31, 1974) was an American film and television supporting character actor with a genial demeanor and warm, country-accented voice. Early years Johnson was the son of entertaine ...

was cast as Sheriff Ed Wilson, with

Malcolm Atterbury Malcolm MacLeod Atterbury (February 20, 1907 – August 16, 1992) was an American stage, film, and television actor, and vaudevillian. Early years A native of Philadelphia, Atterbury was the son of Malcolm MacLeod, Sr. and Arminia Clara (Rosenga ...

as the father of one of the victims, Mary Ross.

Alan Dinehart, III Alan may refer to: People *Alan (surname), an English and Turkish surname *Alan (given name), an English given name ** List of people with given name Alan ''Following are people commonly referred to solely by "Alan" or by a homonymous name.'' * ...

was cast in this episode as Miller. In "Gringo Pete" (1959), Don Oreck portrayed the lead as an outlaw who pledges to surrender his gang to law enforcement officers in exchange for parole. Instead "Gringo Pete" resumes his life of lawlessness and dares the authorities. Ted de Corsia appears in this episode as Charlie Breen. John Ashley was cast in the 1959 episode, "Elkton Lake Feud", the story of a lingering dispute between two families over the ownership of the lake and the unwillingness of the losing side in court to accept the legal finding. In the series finale, "Flaming Gold", Dr. Baxter while returning from a medical convention stops off in Richville to visit a former patient and friend, a lawyer. As it develops, the lawyer while arguing a case against an oil company, died under mysterious circumstances. Baxter suspects that the company is responsible for the lawyer's death so that the junior partner, Hamilton ( Mark Dana), who lacks experience in such matters, will take over the case. Gloria Winters made her next-to-the-last career television appearance in this episode as a waitress in Richville.

Other guest stars

Jack Albertson Harold Albertson (June 16, 1907 – November 25, 1981), known professionally as Jack Albertson, was an American actor, comedian, dancer and singer who also performed in variety. Albertson was a Tony, Oscar, and Emmy winning actor. For his perfo ...

as J. B. Drummond,

Lee Van Cleef Clarence LeRoy Van Cleef Jr. (January 9, 1925 – December 16, 1989) was an American actor. He appeared in over 170 film and television roles in a career spanning nearly 40 years, but is best known as a star of Italian Spaghetti Westerns, parti ...

as Deputy Sid Carver, aka Bill Dalton, and Tyler McVey as Sheriff Ed Wilson, in "The Great Stagecoach Robbery" (1958) *

Chris Alcaide John Thomas Berger (October 22, 1923 – June 30, 2004) was an American film and television actor. He mostly appeared on western television shows including, ''Gunsmoke'', ''Bonanza'', '' Rawhide'', '' Wanted: Dead or Alive'', '' Trackdown'' ...

as Ed Slater in "Broken Barrier" (1959) *

Diane Brewster Diane Brewster (March 11, 1931 – November 12, 1991) was an American television actress most noted for playing three distinctively different roles in television series of the 1950s and 1960s: confidence trickster Samantha Crawford in the Weste ...

as Marian Dell in "Law of the Badlands" (1959) * Jean Carson as Flo Warren in "The Big Frame Up" (1959) * Mary Castle, formerly of ''

Stories of the Century ''Stories of the Century'' is a 39-episode Western historical fiction television series starring Jim Davis that ran in syndication through Republic Pictures between 1954 and 1955. Synopsis Jim Davis, who became famous decades later as the ...

,'' appeared, along with Carleton G. Young, in "The Big Gamblers" and "The Confidence Gang" (both 1959). *

Mason Alan Dinehart Mason Alan Dinehart (born 1936) is an American business consultant and retired actor best known for his role as a youthful Bat Masterson in 34 episodes between 1955 and 1959 of the ABC/Desilu television series ''The Life and Legend of Wyatt Ea ...

as Lonnie Davis in "The Homesteaders" and as Miller in "The Twisted Road" (both 1959) *

Ann Doran Ann Lee Doran (July 28, 1911 – September 19, 2000) was an American character actress, possibly best known as the mother of Jim Stark (James Dean) in '' Rebel Without a Cause'' (1955). She was an early member of the Screen Actors Guild and s ...

as Ma 'Dallas' Bell in "Drifting Sands" (1959) *

Francis De Sales Francis de Sales (french: François de Sales; it, Francesco di Sales; 21 August 156728 December 1622) was a Bishop of Geneva and is revered as a saint in the Catholic Church. He became noted for his deep faith and his gentle approach t ...

as Tom Lynch in "Double Boomerang" (1958) *

Leo Gordon Leo Vincent Gordon (December 2, 1922 – December 26, 2000) was an American character actor and screenwriter. During more than 40 years in film and television he was most frequently cast as a supporting actor playing brutish bad guys but o ...

as Zip Wyatt in "Three Wanted Men" (1958) * Ron Hagerthy, another cast member of ''Sky King'', portrays Pa Helbrog, with Alan Dinehart, III, as Lonny Davis, in "The Homesteaders" (1959). * Stacy Harris as Ed Miller in "Mystery of the Black Stallion" (1958) * Don C. Harvey as Sam Peterson,

Gregg Palmer Palmer Edwin Lee (January 25, 1927 – October 31, 2015), known by his stage name Gregg Palmer, was an American film and television actor. Born in San Francisco, California, Palmer served in the United States Army Air Corps as a cryptographer i ...

as Charlie Pierce, and Jackie Loughery, formerly of ''

Judge Roy Bean Phantly Roy Bean Jr. (c. 1825 – March 16, 1903) was an American saloon-keeper and Justice of the Peace in Val Verde County, Texas, who called himself "The Only Law West of the Pecos". According to legend, he held court in his saloon along the ...

'', as Savannah Merrick, in "Crooked Circle" (1958) *

John Hoyt John Hoyt (born John McArthur Hoysradt; October 5, 1905 – September 15, 1991) was an American actor. He began his acting career on Broadway, later appearing in numerous films and television series. He is perhaps best known for his film and TV ...

as the rancher Clete Barron in "Trouble in Paradise Valley" (1958) * Michael Landon as Jim Mason, with

Frank Gorshin Frank John Gorshin Jr. (April 5, 1933 – May 17, 2005) was an American actor, comedian and impressionist. He made many guest appearances on ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' and ''Tonight Starring Steve Allen''. As an actor, he played the Riddler on the ...

as Hank Butts, in "Shadow of Belle Starr" (1959) * Eve Miller as Paula Mason in "Shadow of Belle Starr" (1959) * Dennis Moore as Walker in "Three Wanted Men" (1958) *

Slim Pickens Louis Burton Lindley Jr. (June 29, 1919 – December 8, 1983), better known by his stage name Slim Pickens, was an American actor and rodeo performer. Starting off in the rodeo, Pickens transitioned to acting and appeared in dozens of movies an ...

in "Bittercreek Gang" (1959) * Rhodes Reason as Black Jack in "The Homesteaders" (1959) *

Gloria Saunders Gloria Ella Saunders (September 29, 1927 – June 4, 1980) was an American actress of film and television, primarily from the late 1940s to 1960. Background Career Saunders acting career began on stage. She was discovered when she performed ...

in "Iron Trail Ambush" (1958) *

Joe Turkel Joseph Turkel (July 15, 1927 – June 27, 2022) was an American character actor who starred in film and television during the Golden Age Era in the 1950s and 1960s. He is known for his roles in Stanley Kubrick's films '' The Killing'', '' Pat ...

as Sear Middleton in "The Big Gamblers" (1959) *

Pierre Watkin Pierre Frank Watkin (December 29, 1887 – February 3, 1960) was an American character actor best known for playing distinguished authority figures throughout the Golden Age of Hollywood. He is best remembered for his roles of Mr. Skinner the ...

as Dr. Breen of Samaritan Hospital and

Lane Bradford Lane Bradford (born John Myrtland Le Varre, Jr., August 29, 1922 – June 6, 1973) was an American actor, who appeared in more than 250 films and television series between 1940 and 1973, specializing in supporting "tough-guy" roles predomin ...

as Gino in "San Francisco Story" (1958) *

Frank Wilcox Frank Reppy Wilcox (March 13, 1907 – March 3, 1974) was an American actor. He appeared in numerous films and television series, as well as Broadway plays. Background Wilcox was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Roger V. Wilcox. He was born in De Soto ...

as Colonel Dodge in "Man to Man" (1959) *

Morgan Woodward Thomas Morgan Woodward (September 16, 1925 – February 22, 2019) was an American actor who is best known for his recurring role as Marvin "Punk" Anderson on the television soap opera ''Dallas'' and for his portrayal of Boss Godfrey, the sungla ...

appeared in "Strange Cargo" (1959).

References

External links

* * Frontier Doctor (The German TV-Title is: "Dr. Bill Baxter, Arzt in Arizona")
Iverson Movie Ranch: History, vintage photos.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Frontier Doctor 1950s Western (genre) television series 1958 American television series debuts 1959 American television series endings 1950s American medical television series Television series set in the 20th century First-run syndicated television programs in the United States Television series by CBS Studios Black-and-white American television shows Television shows set in Arizona Television shows filmed in California Works about physicians Cultural depictions of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid