''My Friend Flicka'' is a western television series about a boy and his horse Flicka – a Swedish name meaning "little girl." The series is based on the novels by
Mary O'Hara
Mary O'Hara (born 12 May 1935) is an Irish soprano and harpist from County Sligo. She gained attention on both sides of the Atlantic in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Her recordings of that period influenced a generation of Irish female singer ...
and the 1943 film ''
My Friend Flicka''.
[Alvin H. Marill, Television Westerns: Six Decades of Sagebrush Sheriffs, Scalawags, and Sidewinders, page 40, Scarecrow Press, 2011] Though filmed in color, it was originally shown on CBS in black-and-white from February 10, 1956 until August 1957. Only one season of the popular series was filmed, but it was broadcast in syndicated reruns for many years, starting in September 1957 on NBC.
[Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, ''The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946 – Present, 7th Edition'', page 700, Ballantine Books, 1999]
Synopsis
The series takes place around 1900 on the fictional Goose Bar Ranch near Coulee Springs, Wyoming.
played horse rancher Rob McLaughlin,
Anita Louise
Anita Louise (born Anita Louise Fremault; January 9, 1915 – April 25, 1970) was an American film and television actress best known for her performances in ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (1935), ''The Story of Louis Pasteur'' (1935), ''Anthony ...
was his wife Nell McLaughlin, and Johnny Washbrook played their son Ken.
Frank Ferguson
Frank S. Ferguson (December 25, 1906 – September 12, 1978) was an American character actor with hundreds of appearances in both film and television.
Background
Ferguson was the younger of two children of W. Thomas Ferguson, a native Scottish ...
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.
[Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, ''The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946 – Present, 1st Edition'', page 426, Ballantine Books, 1979] 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."
[Reviews - My Friend Flicka, TV Guide, April 14, 1956]
Production
Interior 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.
The series had higher-than-average production costs, with the finest camera work and other technical attributes.
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.
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 .
Colgate-Palmolive
Colgate-Palmolive Company is an American multinational consumer products company headquartered on Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The company specializes in the production, distribution, and provision of household, health car ...
signed on as the series sponsor.
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.
Broadcast history
From February 10, 1956 to February 1957 CBS broadcast ''My Friend Flicka'' on Fridays from 7:30 to 8:00 p.m., and in March 1957 it was shown on Saturdays from 7:00 to 7:30 p.m. From April to May 1957 it was on Sundays from 6:00 to 6:30 p.m., and from June to August 1957 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 1957 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.
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.
Episodes
Additional boy and his horse TV westerns
*''
The Adventures of Champion
''The Adventures of Champion'' is an American adventure serial radio drama directed by William Burch about screen cowboy Gene Autry's horse Champion. Each 15-minute episode was broadcast weekday afternoons on the Mutual Broadcasting System in 194 ...
''
*''
Fury''
References
External links
My Friend Flicka fan site
{{DEFAULTSORT:My Friend Flicka (TV Series)
Television series about horses
1950s Western (genre) television series
1950s American children's television series
1956 American television series debuts
1958 American television series endings
English-language television shows