Mackenzie's Raiders
| Mackenzie's Raiders | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Western |
| Written by |
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| Directed by |
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| Starring | Richard Carlson |
| Narrated by | Art Gilmore |
| Composer | David Rose |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 39 |
| Production | |
| Producers |
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| Cinematography |
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| Editors |
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| Running time | 30 mins. (approx) |
| Production company | Ziv Television Programs |
| Original release | |
| Network | Syndication |
| Release | October 1, 1958 – 1959 |
Mackenzie's Raiders is an American Western television series starring Richard Carlson that was broadcast in syndication and produced in 1958–1959.[1] The series is narrated by Art Gilmore, and was produced by Ziv Television Programs.
Synopsis[edit]
The basis for the program was Mackenzie's Raid, a book by Russell P. Reeder. It told about a 32-hour raid by Mackenzie and 550 cavalrymen to destroy a Mexican town that harbored kidnappers, rustlers, and arsonists.[2]
Set in the 1870s, Mackenzie's Raiders depicted activities of the Fourth Cavalry around the Rio Grande and the Mexican border.[3] Experiences of Union Army Col. Ranald S. Mackenzie formed the basis for episodes.[4]
Mackenzie, with orders from President Grant, operated out of Fort Clark, in Texas, "to rid the Southwest of Mexican marauders and renegade Indians, pursuing them across the Rio Grande if necessary."[5] If Mckenzie were to be caught in a foreign country, the United States would deny knowledge of his mission.[5]
Cast[edit]
- Richard Carlson as Colonel Ranald S. Mackenzie (39 episodes)
- Kenneth Alton as Raider (11 episodes)
- Morris Ankrum as Raider (12 episodes)
- Charles Boaz as Corporal Dixon (11 episodes)
- Jim Bridges as Private Lewis (11 episodes)
- Louis Jean Heydt as Raider (11 episodes)
- Brett King as Raider (11 episodes)
Guest stars[edit]
- John Archer
- Jim Bannon
- Jeanne Bates
- Rand Brooks (multiple appearances)
- Harry Carey, Jr.
- Iron Eyes Cody
- Walter Coy
- Ted de Corsia
- John Doucette
- Jack Elam
- Jack Ging (multiple appearances)
- Steve Gravers
- Virginia Gregg
- Robert Griffin
- Brett Halsey (as Lt. Summers)
- Robert Karnes
- DeForest Kelley
- Ray Kellogg
- Gail Kobe
- Bethel Leslie (as Lucinda Cabot)
- Forrest Lewis
- Judy Lewis
- Steve London
- Herbert Lytton
- Walter Maslow
- Robert McQueeney
- Dennis Moore (multiple appearances)
- Burt Mustin (as Mr. Devin)
- Anna Navarro
- Leonard Nimoy
- Vic Perrin
- Glenn Strange
- Joe Turkel
- John Vivyan
- H. M. Wynant
Critical response[edit]
John P. Shanley, writing in The New York Times, complimented the show's "realistic settings and good photography" and added, "It was a better-than-average adventure show."[3]
Episodes[edit]
| No. | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Night Raid" | October 10, 1958 |
| 2 | "The Long Day" | October 17, 1958 |
| 3 | "Death by the Numbers" | October 24, 1958 |
| 4 | "Indian Agent" | October 31, 1958 |
| 5 | "Deadly Mirror" | November 7, 1958 |
| 6 | "Attack" | November 14, 1958 |
| 7 | "Hostage" | November 21, 1958 |
| 8 | "Eastern Colonel" | November 28, 1958 |
| 9 | "The Renegade (aka Pistol Whipped)" | December 5, 1958 |
| 10 | "Dream of Empire" | December 13, 1958 |
| 11 | "The Plague (aka Cholera)" | December 20, 1958 |
| 12 | "Broken Treaty (aka Quanah Parker)" | December 27, 1958 |
| 13 | "The Imposter" | January 3, 1959 |
| 14 | "Apache Boy" | January 10, 1959 |
| 15 | "Blood on the Rio" | January 17, 1959 |
| 16 | "Murder is the Bid" | January 24, 1959 |
| 17 | "Thunder Stick" | January 31, 1959 |
| 18 | "Terror in Chuma Valley" | February 7, 1959 |
| 19 | "Raid on San Rodrigo" | February 14, 1959 |
| 20 | "Violent Sanctuary" | February 21, 1959 |
| 21 | "The Scalp Hunters" | February 28, 1959 |
| 22 | "Son of the Hawk" | March 7, 1959 |
| 23 | "The Pen and the Sword" | March 14, 1959 |
| 24 | "The Poisoners" | March 21, 1959 |
| 25 | "The Lost Raider" | March 28, 1959 |
| 26 | "The Fast Gun" | April 4, 1959 |
| 27 | "Mutiny" | April 11, 1959 |
| 28 | "The Court Martial of Trooper Davis" | April 18, 1959 |
| 29 | "Joe Ironhat" | April 25, 1959 |
| 30 | "Drought" | May 2, 1959 |
| 31 | "Uprising" | May 9, 1959 |
| 32 | "Desertion" | May 16, 1959 |
| 33 | "Deadlock" | May 23, 1959 |
| 34 | "Lucinda Cabot" | May 30, 1959 |
| 35 | "Missing--Presumed Dead (aka Captured in Mexico)" | June 6, 1959 |
| 36 | "Death Patrol (aka Long Ride Home)" | June 13, 1959 |
| 37 | "Ambush" | June 20, 1959 |
| 38 | "Death Road" | June 27, 1959 |
| 39 | "Devil Trap" | July 4, 1959 |
Production notes[edit]
Prior to Mackenzie's Raiders, Carlson had previously starred in another Ziv Productions series, I Led Three Lives.[5]
The series was produced by Lou Breslow and Elliott Lewis.[6] Carlson also served as a writer and director.[7] Jim Thompson was credited with writing four episodes of the show.[5]
Location shots were filmed along the Santa Ana River in California, an area that resembles that of the Rio Grande.[8]
The series is currently being shown on the over the air channel ThisTV.
DVD release[edit]
On October 8, 2013, Timeless Media Group released Mackenzie's Raiders- The TV Series on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time.[9]
References[edit]
- ^ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (June 24, 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 830. ISBN 978-0-307-48320-1. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
- ^ Irvin, Richard (October 28, 2022). Pioneers of "B" Television: Independent Producers, Series and Pilots of the 1950s. McFarland. pp. 113–114. ISBN 978-1-4766-8996-8. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
- ^ a b Shanley, John P. (October 16, 1958). "'Mackenzie's Raiders'". The New York Times. p. 74.
- ^ Adams, Val (August 15, 1958). "Ford Will Sponsor TV Concert Series By Philharmonic". The New York Times. p. 45. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Polito, Robert (October 1, 1996). Savage Art: A Biography of Jim Thompson. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. pp. 426–427. ISBN 978-0-679-73352-2. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
- ^ Erickson, Hal (1989). Syndicated Television: The First Forty Years, 1947-1987'. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 98. ISBN 0-7864-1198-8.
- ^ Page, Don (July 12, 1959). "Raider Gets Top Brains". Los Angeles Times. p. 143. Retrieved March 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Ziv 'On Location' 60& of the Time". Variety. July 1, 1959. p. 31. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
- ^ TMG's Package Art for 'The Television Series' on DVD Archived 2013-10-17 at the Wayback Machine
- Alex McNeil, Total Television, New York: Penguin Books, 1996, 4th ed., ISBN 0-14-024916-8
