''Annie Oakley'' 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 ...

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 be ...

that fictionalizes the life of the famous

Annie Oakley Annie Oakley (born Phoebe Ann Mosey; August 13, 1860 – November 3, 1926) was an American sharpshooter who starred in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. Oakley developed hunting skills as a child to provide for her impoverished family in western ...

. (Except for depicting the protagonist as a phenomenal

sharpshooter A sharpshooter is one who is highly proficient at firing firearms or other projectile weapons accurately. Military units composed of sharpshooters were important factors in 19th-century combat. Along with " marksman" and "expert", "sharpshooter" ...

of the period, the program entirely ignores the facts of the historical Oakley's life.) Featuring actress

Gail Davis Gail Davis (born Betty Jeanne Grayson; October 5, 1925 – March 15, 1997) was an American actress and singer, best known for her starring role as Annie Oakley in the 1950s television series ''Annie Oakley''. Life and career Early years The d ...

in the title role, the weekly program ran from January 1954 to February 1957 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, ...

. A total of 81 black-and-white episodes were produced, with each installment running 25 minutes in length. ABC aired daytime

rerun A rerun or repeat is a rebroadcast of an episode of a radio or television program. There are two types of reruns – those that occur during a hiatus, and those that occur when a program is syndicated. Variations In the United Kingdom, the word ...

s of the series on Saturdays and Sundays from 1959 to 1960 and then again from 1964 to 1965.

Synopsis

The series starred

as Annie Oakley, with Brad Johnson as Deputy Sheriff Lofty Craig and Jimmy Hawkins as Annie's little brother, Tagg Oakley; Hawkins appeared in 80 of the series' 81 episodes. In the

pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...

episode, "Bull's Eye", Tagg is played by Billy Gray (better known for his role as James "Bud" Anderson, Jr. on the TV version of ''

Father Knows Best ''Father Knows Best'' is an American sitcom starring Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray and Lauren Chapin. The series, which began on radio in 1949, aired as a television show for six seasons and 203 episodes. Created by ...

'').Terrace, Vincent (2011). ''Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 49. After playing Tagg in the ''Annie Oakley'' pilot, Gray joined the cast of ''Father Knows Best'' (which premiered in October 1954, nine months after the initial broadcast of ''Annie Oakley''). In the series, Annie Oakley rides a horse named Target: Tagg's horse is Pixie, and Lofty's mount is Forest. Annie and Tagg live in the fictional town of Diablo,

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

with their uncle, Sheriff Luke MacTavish, who is frequently away when trouble starts; it is then up to straight-shooting Annie and her "silent suitor", Lofty Craig, to rescue law-abiding neighbors and arrest outlaws. Tagg is often told to stay in town and out of the way. When the need arises to relay important new information or capture by outlaws, he usually ends up in the middle of each episode's adventure. Annie always wears the same fringed cowgirl outfit, of which 15 (or more) copies were made during the show's production. She wears her hair in braided

pigtail A woman with long pigtails and braids. In the context of hairstyles, the usage of the term pigtail (or twin tail or twintail) shows considerable variation. The term may refer to a single braid, but is more frequently used in the plural ("pi ...

s. Additional episodes were considered, but Hawkins had a growth spurt and outgrew his role as Annie's little brother. ''Annie Oakley'' was one of Gene Autry's Flying A Productions.

Guest stars

Dick Tufeld Richard Norton Tufeld (December 11, 1926 – January 22, 2012) was an American actor, announcer, narrator and voice actor from the late 1940s until the early 21st century. He was a well-known presence on television as an announcer, but his ...

appeared fifteen times in assorted roles during the course of the series;

Harry Lauter Herman Arthur "Harry" Lauter (June 19, 1914 – October 30, 1990) was an American character actor. Early years Lauter was born in White Plains, New York. He worked as a model for a professional photographer and was a rodeo rider before m ...

, twelve times;

Stanley Andrews Stanley Andrews (born Stanley Martin Andrzejewski; August 28, 1891 – June 23, 1969) was an American actor perhaps best known as the voice of Daddy Warbucks on the radio program ''Little Orphan Annie'' and later as "The Old Ranger", the first ...

and

Gregg Barton Gregg Barton (Born Harold Wilson Barker, June 5, 1912 – November 28, 2000) was an American actor, who played various roles in feature films and television series. Career Born in Oswego, New York, Barton is possibly best remembered for having ...

, eleven times each;

Myron Healey Myron Daniel Healey (June 8, 1923 – December 21, 2005) was an American actor. He began his career in Hollywood, California during the early 1940s and eventually made hundreds of appearances in movies and on television during a career spa ...

, ten times;

Roy Barcroft Roy Barcroft (born Howard Harold Ravenscroft; September 7, 1902 – November 28, 1969) was an American character actor famous for playing villains in B-Westerns and other genres. From 1937 to 1957, he appeared in more than 300 films for Re ...

, eight times;

William Fawcett William or Bill Fawcett or ''variation'', may refer to: People * William Fawcett (actor) (1894–1974), American actor who was awarded the ''Légion d'honneur'' * William Fawcett (author) (1902–1941), English journalist and writer on horses, hun ...

, prior to his role as Pete Wilkey in '' Fury'', seven times;

William Tannen William Tannen (November 17, 1911 – December 2, 1976) was an American actor originally from New York City, who was best known for his role of Deputy Hal Norton in fifty-six episodes from 1956 to 1958 of the ABC/Desilu western television ser ...

, six times, and Don C. Harvey, five times. * Richard Alexander as George Todd in "Annie and the Lacemaker" (1956) *

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 Paul Dodson in "Annie and the Brass Collar", as Vic in "The Cinder Trail", and as Duke Jaegar in "Outlaw Mesa" (all 1954) *

Roscoe Ates Roscoe Blevel Ates (January 20, 1895 – March 1, 1962) was an American vaudeville performer, actor of stage and screen, comedian and musician who primarily featured in western films and television. He was best known as western character S ...

, as Curley Dawes in "Showdown at Diablo" (1956) and as Walsh in "Annie and the Miser" (1957) *

Jim Bannon James Shorttel Bannon (April 9, 1911 – July 28, 1984) was an American actor and radio announcer known for his work on the ''I Love a Mystery'' and ''Red Ryder'' series during the 1940s and 1950s. Early life Born in 1911 in Kansas City, Misso ...

, as Frank Jessup in "Flint and Steel" and as Ben Porter in "Tagg Oakley, Sheriff" (both 1956). *

John Beradino John Beradino (born Giovanni Berardino, May 1, 1917 – May 19, 1996) was an American infielder in Major League Baseball and an actor. Known as Johnny Berardino during his baseball career, he was also credited during his acting career as John Ber ...

, professional baseball player-turned-actor, as Gorman in "Annie Rides the Navajo Trail" and as Roscoe Barnes in "Amateur Outlaw" (both 1956) *

James Best Jewel Franklin Guy (July 26, 1926 – April 6, 2015), known professionally as James Best, was an American television, film, stage, and voice actor, as well as a writer, director, acting coach, artist, college professor, and musician. Duri ...

, as Scott Warren in "Outlaw Mesa" and as Jess Dugan in "Annie and the Outlaw's Son" (both 1954) * Monte Blue, as Tom Wheeler in "Flint and Steel" and as Mr. Peabody in "Tagg Oakley, Sheriff" (both 1956) * X Brands, as Randy in "Annie and the First Phone", as Tenanda in "Indian Justice", and as Peter Maher in "Annie Rings the Bell" (all 1956) *

Eve Brent Jean Ann Ewers (September 11, 1929 – August 27, 2011), known professionally as Eve Brent and Jean Lewis, was an American actress known for her role as Jane in '' Tarzan's Fight for Life''. Biography Early years Born as Jean Ann Ewers in Hou ...

, under the name of Jean Lewis, played Clara Bickel, girlfriend of Banker's employee in "Sure Shot Annie" in 1955 *

Lane Chandler Lane Chandler (born Robert Clinton Oakes, June 4, 1899 – September 14, 1972) was an American actor specializing mainly in Westerns. Biography Early life Chandler was raised on a ranch near Culbertson, Montana, the son of a horse ra ...

, appeared in the 1955 episode "Annie Breaks an Alibi" as a lawman *

Harry Cheshire Harry V. Cheshire (August 16, 1891 – June 16, 1968), originally from Emporia, Kansas, was an American character actor who appeared in over 100 films, mostly playing small roles. He was also a stage actor and performed on a St. Louis radio ...

, as Windy Smith in "Annie Breaks an Alibi" and as Judge Everard Bowen in "Annie and the Higher Court" (both 1955) *

Virginia Dale Virginia Dale (born Virginia Paxton; July 1, 1917 – October 3, 1994) was an American actress and dancer. Biography Dale was born in North Carolina. She was the daughter of Lula Helms Paxton, and she graduated from Central High School in Ch ...

, appeared as Mrs Wiggins in "Flint and Steel" in 1956 *

John Doucette John Arthur Doucette (January 21, 1921 – August 16, 1994) was an American character actor who performed in more than 280 film and television productions between 1941 and 1987. A man of stocky build who possessed a deep, rich voice, he p ...

, as Hugo Barrett in "Escape from Diablo" (1954) and as Duke Bailey in "Trouble Shooter" (1955) *

Lisa Gaye Leslie Gaye Griffin (March 6, 1935 – July 14, 2016), better known as Lisa Gaye, was an American actress, and dancer. Early years Gaye was born in Denver, Colorado to Frank Henry Griffin, a painter, and Margaret Allen Griffin (née Gibson) ...

, appeared as the phony daughter in "Annie and the Lacemaker" * Gary Gray as Bucky Donavan in "Annie and the Six o' Spades" (1954) *

James Griffith James Jeffrey Griffith (February 13, 1916 – September 17, 1993) was an American character actor, musician and screenwriter. Education Griffith attended Santa Monica High School, where he was a classmate with Glenn Ford. Both were active in s ...

, as George Martin in "Annie Takes a Chance" and as Mark Banning in "Powder Rock Stampede" (both 1955) *

Ron Hagerthy Ronald F. Hagerthy (born March 9, 1932) is an American actor on television and in films. Early years Hagerthy was born in Aberdeen, South Dakota, but moved to Glendale, California, before he started school. He attended Glendale City College and ...

, as Chuck Hutchins in the title role "The Waco Kid" and as Billy Stryker in "Annie Rings the Bell" (both 1956) * I. Stanford Jolley as Walt, with

Darryl Hickman Darryl Gerard Hickman (born July 28, 1931) is an American former actor, screenwriter, television executive, and acting coach. He started his career as a child actor in the Golden Age of Hollywood and appeared in numerous TV serials as an adult. ...

as Chet Sterling, in "Annie Gets Her Man" (1954) * Alan Hale, Jr., as Eli Gorham in "Annie Calls Her Shots" and as Moose Bosco in "Annie and the Silver Ace" (both 1954) * Dick Jones, as Corporal Sam in "Annie Joins the Cavalry", as Bob Neil in "Annie Helps a Drifter", and as Steve Donavan in "Annie and the Six o'Spades" (all 1954) and as Clell Morgan in "Annie and the Junior Pioneers" (1955) * L. Q. Jones portrayed Cal Upton in "The Robin Hood Kid" and Ned Blane in "Dilemma at Diablo" (both 1956) * Douglas Kennedy appeared as Jim Hayward in "Annie Takes a Chance" and as Ralph Putnam in "Powder Rock Stampede" (both 1955). *

played Will Davis in "The Reckless Press" (1956). A saddle tramp who is jailed for suspected murder. *

Nan Leslie Nanette June Leslie (June 4, 1926 – July 30, 2000) was an American actress. She was known for playing Martha McGivern in the American western television series '' The Californians''. Life and career Leslie was born in Los Angeles, Cali ...

played Alias Annie in "Alias Annie Oakley" (1954). The episode also stars

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 predomina ...

as Malcolm and

and Johnson. *

Keye Luke Keye Luke (, Cantonese: Luk Shek Kee; June 18, 1904 – January 12, 1991) was a Chinese-born American film and television actor, technical advisor and artist and a founding member of the Screen Actors Guild. He was known for playing Lee Chan, t ...

appeared as Li Wong, a Chinese laundryman and landowner, in the 1955 episode "Annie and the Chinese Puzzle", which touches on racial discrimination. *

Tyler MacDuff Tyler Glenn Duff Jr. (September 12, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was an American film and television actor. Life and career MacDuff was born in Hollywood, California. He attended Woodrow Wilson Junior High. MacDuff joined the U.S. Navy in 194 ...

appeared in four episodes in 1956, including the title guest-starring role in "The Saga of Clement O'Toole" and as Don "Doc" Briggs in "Dilemma at Diablo". *

Tyler McVey William Tyler McVey (February 14, 1912 – July 4, 2003) was an American character actor of film and television. Early years McVey was born Bay City, Michigan, to William David McVey and his wife, the former Jessie Arvilla Tyler. His moth ...

appeared in the 1956 episode "Showdown at Diablo" in the role of Senator Ridgeway. *

Eve Miller Eve Miller (born Marilyn Miller; August 8, 1923 – August 17, 1973) was an American actress who appeared in 41 films between 1945 and 1961. She was born in Los Angeles, California, and died in Van Nuys, California. She died by suicide at ...

appeared in the 1955 episode "Sure Shot Annie" in the role of Jane Lester. She appears to play a somewhat dubious Southern belle.She also appeared in the 1956 episode "The Reckless Press" as Kathy Stokes. Kathy marries a newspaper editor, but only after a tragedy and a near- tragedy. *

Ewing Mitchell Ewing Young Mitchell (December 29, 1910 – September 3, 1988) was an American character actor of film and television best known for his role as Sheriff Mitch Hargrove in 26 episodes between 1956 and 1959 of the aviation adventure series wit ...

, as Ab Forsyth in "Annie and the Twisted Trails" and Major Paley in "Santa Claus Wears a Gun" (both 1956) and Colonel Granger in "Dude's Decision" (1957) *

Fess Parker Fess Elisha Parker Jr. (born F. E. Parker Jr.;Weaver, Tom.Sci-Fi Swarm and Horror Horde: Interviews with 62 Filmmakers p. 148 (McFarland 2012). August 16, 1924 – March 18, 2010),(March 18, 2010Daniel Boone Actor Fess Parker Dies at 85" ''CBS ...

, as newspaper publisher Tom Conrad in "Annie and the Mystery Woman" and as Les Clinton in "Annie and the Texas Sandman" (both 1954) * George Pembroke, played The Welshman in "Sharpshooting Annie" in 1954 * William Phipps, as George Wessel in "Sure Shot Annie (1955), as Dan Carter in "Annie and the Twisted Trails" (1956), and as Earl Wallace in "Dude's Decision (1957) *

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 and ...

, as Sundown in "Annie and the Leprechauns", as Slim in "The Waco Kid", as Ed Morgan in "Annie Rings the Bell", and as Garner in "Grubstake Bank" (all 1956) * Denver Pyle, as Dr. Barnes in "Valley of the Shadows" and as Tom Malloy in "Annie's Desert Adventure" (both 1954) *

Mike Ragan Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum * Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off * Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and document ...

, four episodes, "The Runaways" (1954), "Thunder Hill" as henchman Walt Newman (1955), "Annie Rides the Navajo Trail" as Sgt. Yorkton (1956), and "Amateur Outlaw" (1956) *

Arthur Space Charles Arthur Space (October 12, 1908 – January 13, 1983) was an American film, television and stage actor. He was best known as Doc Weaver, the veterinarian, in thirty-nine episodes of the CBS television series '' Lassie''. Early years Bor ...

, as Carl Bishop in "Valley of the Shadows" and as The Warden in "Annie's Desert Adventure" (both 1954) * Glenn Strange, as Idaho in "Outlaw Brand" and as Ernie Barker in "Treasure Map" (both 1956) *

Lyle Talbot Lyle Florenz Talbot (born Lisle Henderson, also credited Lysle Talbot; February 8, 1902 – March 2, 1996) was an American stage, screen and television actor. His career in films spanned three decades, from 1931 to 1960, and he performed on ...

, as Pa Wiggins in "Flint and Steel" and as Colonel Dawson in "Tagg Oakley, Sheriff" (both 1956) *

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 ...

appeared as Tim Brennan in "Annie Breaks an Alibi" and as Amos Belcher in "Annie and the Higher Court" (both 1955). *

John War Eagle John Henry St Pierre, a.k.a. John War Eagle (8 June 1901 – 7 February 1991) was a Yankton Sioux film and television actor. He was born September 24, 1901, in Wagner, Charles Mix, South Dakota. He is Dakota of the Sioux people and was rais ...

played Thunder Cloud in the 1956 episode "Indian Justice". * Pierre Watkin, as Henry Lormier in "Dean Man's Bluff" (1955) and as the Reverend Mills in "The Reckless Press" (1956) * Carleton G. Young, as the Sheriff in "Sundown Stage" (1956) and as Colonel Jackson in "The Dutch Gunmaker" (1957)

Episodes

Season 1 (1954-1955)

Season 2 (1954-1955)

Season 3 (1956-1957)

Release

Home media

Approximately two thousand episodes lapsed into the public domain and are currently available on DVD in North America (including several releases issued through Davis's estate) and elsewhere. On March 31, 2009, Mill Creek Entertainment released ''Gun Justice Featuring The Lone Ranger'', with other television Westerns such as ''Annie Oakley''.

VCI Entertainment VCI may refer to: Organisations * Vaccination Credential Initiative, Digital Vaccine Record coalition * Veterinary Council of India * Video Collection International, a UK company * Volatile corrosion inhibitor * Volunteer Centres Ireland School ...

released the complete series on DVD in Region 1 for the first time on October 21, 2014.Package Art, Bonus Materials for 'The Complete Series'

Media

Comics

A number of American comics were based on the TV series: *''Annie Oakley and Tagg'' 4-18 (1953–1959) by

Dell Comics Dell Comics was the comic book publishing arm of Dell Publishing, which got its start in pulp magazines. It published comics from 1929 to 1974. At its peak, it was the most prominent and successful American company in the medium.Evanier, Mark" ...

*''Annie Oakley and Tagg'' 1 (1965) by

Gold Key Comics Gold Key Comics was originally an imprint of American company Western Publishing, created for comic books distributed to newsstands. Also known as Whitman Comics, Gold Key operated this way from 1962 to 1984. Currently, Gold Key Comics is owned b ...

Many of these issues were later reprinted in black and white by L. Miller and World Distributors Ltd.

Books

At least three "Authorized TV Adventures" were published by Whitman Publishing Company. *''Annie Oakley in Danger at Diablo'', by Doris Schroeder, 1955 *''Annie Oakley in Double Trouble'', by Doris Schroeder, 1958 *''Annie Oakley in Ghost Town Secret'', by Doris Schroeder, 1957

References

External links

* *
Behind-the-scenes production photos
Collection of Stephen Lodge, nephew of the script supervisor and future costumer on other TV series. {{DEFAULTSORT:Annie Oakley (TV series) 1954 American television series debuts 1957 American television series endings 1950s Western (genre) television series Black-and-white American television shows English-language television shows Cultural depictions of Annie Oakley First-run syndicated television programs in the United States Television shows adapted into comics Television shows set in Arizona