''The Adventures of Kit Carson'' 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 id ...
that aired from 1951 to 1955. The show ran for four seasons and consisted of 104 episodes over four years. The original air date was Saturday, August 11, 1951. It concluded on January 22, 1955. While airing, the show was shown in over 130 markets and was sold to the
Coca-Cola Bottling Company
Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc., headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is the largest independent Coca-Cola bottler in the United States.
The company makes, sells and distributes Coca-Cola products along with other beverages, distributing to ...
by
MCA-TV.
After airing, MCA-TV acquired
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, ...
rights to the show. In New York, the show aired on Tuesday evenings on
WNBT (TV) and ran for thirty-minutes.
The show starred
Bill Williams in the title role as frontier scout
Christopher "Kit" Carson
Christopher Houston Carson (December 24, 1809 – May 23, 1868) was an American frontiersman. He was a fur trapper, wilderness guide, Indian agent, and U.S. Army officer. He became a frontier legend in his own lifetime by biographies and n ...
, and
Don Diamond
Donald Alan Diamond (June 4, 1921 – June 19, 2011) was an American radio, film, and television actor who portrayed "Crazy Cat", the sidekick and heir apparent to Chief Wild Eagle on the popular 1960s television sitcom, ''F Troop'' (1965–19 ...
co-starred as El Toro, Carson's Mexican companion. Though the show may have been inspired by the historic Kit Carson, it is not historically accurate.
The show was primarily targeted to children. In
Omaha
Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...
, there was a horse drawing competition to promote the show. The winner received a real
Shetland pony
The Shetland pony is a Scottish breed of pony originating in the Shetland Isles in the north of Scotland. It may stand up to at the withers. It has a heavy coat and short legs, is strong for its size, and is used for riding, driving, and pa ...
.
During the shows airtime, it received fair reviews from a variety of publications. Many critiques critiqued the direction of the show but generally liked the acting of Bill Williams and Don Diamond. However, for a children's show, it was well liked.
Premise
The show is set in the
Wild West
The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...
in the late 19th century. Frontiersman, Kit Carson, and his Mexican friend, El Toro, explore the vast expanse the
American frontier
The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of United States territorial acquisitions, American expansion in mainland North Amer ...
. They capture outlaws and right wrongs.
Cast
*
Bill Williams as
Kit Carson
Christopher Houston Carson (December 24, 1809 – May 23, 1868) was an American frontiersman. He was a fur trapper, wilderness guide, Indian agent, and U.S. Army officer. He became a frontier legend in his own lifetime by biographies and n ...
(105 Episodes)
*
Don Diamond
Donald Alan Diamond (June 4, 1921 – June 19, 2011) was an American radio, film, and television actor who portrayed "Crazy Cat", the sidekick and heir apparent to Chief Wild Eagle on the popular 1960s television sitcom, ''F Troop'' (1965–19 ...
as El Toro (105 Episodes)
*
John Cason as Carl Rigby, Deputy, Drayson's Henchman, Henchman Ben, Henchman Carson, Henchman Trig, Lead Henchman, Marshal Trent, Morgan, Porter, Stage Driver, Trigger Dawson, Wagon driver Morris (12 Episodes)
*
Peter Mamakos
Peter Mamakos (December 14, 1918 – April 27, 2008) was an American film and television actor.
Early life
Mamakos was of Greek descent. Mamakos' father owned Pilgrim restaurants in New England. Mamakos was sent to California to scout lo ...
as El Broho, Benito Morales aka El Morosco, Henchman Spence, Hernandez, Marco Mesconti, Padre Diego, Ricardo (11 Episodes)
*
Boyd Stockman
Ira D. Boyd Stockman (February 12, 1916 – March 10, 1998) was an American actor and stuntman. He was best known for his appearances in the American western television series '' The Adventures of Kit Carson'', and for playing the role of Spud O ...
as Henchman, Henchman Joe, Henchman Pete, Last Stage Driver, Murdock (9 Episodes)
*
Carol Henry as Henchman, Deputy, Garth, Hadley Man, Hank, Ned, Outlaw (7 Episodes)
*
Tristam Coffin as Col. Culver, Maj. John Phelps, Malee, Mark Stacey, Padre, Taggart, The Baron (9 Episodes)
*
Richard Avonden as Don Felope, Barker, Captured Henchman, Henchman Wolf (9 Episodes)
*
Terry Frost
Sir Terence Ernest Manitou Frost RA (13 October 1915 – 1 September 2003) was a British abstract artist, who worked in Newlyn, Cornwall. Frost was renowned for his use of the Cornish light, colour and shape to start a new art movement in ...
as Commandant, Henchman, Langley, Sheriff (9 Episodes)
Seasons
Episodes
Production
Crew
* Directors:
John English,
Lew Landers
Lew Landers (born Louis Friedlander, January 2, 1901 – December 16, 1962) was an American independent film and television director.
Biography
Born as Louis Friedlander in New York City, Lew Landers began his movie career as an actor. In 1914, ...
,
Paul Landres
Paul Landres (1912–2001) was an American film and television film editor, editor and director. He directed episodes of ''The Lone Ranger (TV series), The Lone Ranger'', ''Maverick (TV series), Maverick'' and ''Flipper (1964 TV series), Flipp ...
,
Philip Ford, Charles S. Gould,
Derwin Abrahams
Derwin Abrahams (1903–1974) was an American film director. He directed four serials in the 1940s for Columbia Pictures, including ''Hop Harrigan'', ''Chick Carter, Detective'', ''Tex Granger'', and ''Son of the Guardsman'', followed by ''The Gr ...
,
Will Sheldon,
Norman Lloyd
Norman Nathan Lloyd (' Perlmutter; November 8, 1914 – May 11, 2021) was an American actor, producer, director, and centenarian with a career in entertainment spanning nearly a century. He worked in every major facet of the industry, including ...
* Producers:
Leon Fromkess
Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to:
Places
Europe
* León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León
* Province of León, Spain
* Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fro ...
, Richard Irving
* Cinematography:
Clark Ramsey, Joe Novack,
John Macburnie
John MacBurnie (December 18, 1892 – September 24, 1956) was an American cinematographer.Phillips p.104 He worked on more than a hundred films during his career.
Selected filmography
* ''Unaccustomed As We Are'' (1929)
* ''Heart of Virginia'' (1 ...
* Editors: Richard G. Wray,
Dwight Caldwell
Dwight Caldwell (1902–1981) was an American film editor.Pitts p.237 He worked on more than a hundred productions, including several serials, mainly at Majestic Pictures and Columbia Pictures.
Selected filmography
* '' Sea Devils'' (1931)
* '' ...
,
Edward A. Biery
Production Companies
*
Revue Productions
*
MCA - TV
Technical Aspects
* Run Time: 30 minutes
* Sound Mix: Mono
* Color: Black and White
*
Aspect Ratio: 1.33 : 1
Early Promotion
KETV - Omaha
*
KETV
KETV (channel 7) is a television station in Omaha, Nebraska, United States, affiliated with ABC. The station is owned by Hearst Television, and has studios on 10th Street in the historic Burlington Station, which carries the address of 7 Burling ...
held a pony drawing contest for children to promote ''The Adventures of Kit Carson.'' The promotion was targeted at children to determine who could draw the best horse. The winner of the competition received a real Shetland pony.
Reviews and Reception
During ''The Adventures of Kit Carson's'' original air time, the show was generally well-received. The show saw several good reviews in trade press publications at the time.
Variety
* ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' said that the show "fit like a glove into the groove for which it's patterned; and should keep the juves (and Coca-Cola) happy." ''Variety'' also said that Bill Williams and Don Diamond were "just okay."
S.S. Picturegoer
* Called the show "energetic and likeable" but also critiqued the direction of the show. Additionally, they stated the plot was "well-constructed" and applauded the acting of Bill Williams and Don Diamond.
Streaming
Amazon Prime Video
Limited episodes of ''The Adventures of Kit Carson'' are available to watch on
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming and Renting, rental service of Amazon (c ...
.
* 40 episodes included with Amazon Prime subscription.
Roku Channel
* 49 Episodes of ''The Adventures of Kit Carson'' are available to watch for free on the
Roku Channel. The available episodes are from the first and second season.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adventures of Kit Carson
1951 American television series debuts
1955 American television series endings
1950s Western (genre) television series
Cultural depictions of Kit Carson
NBC original programming
Television series set in the 19th century