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The Six Shooter |
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"The man in the saddle is angular and
long-legged. His skin is sun-dyed brown. The gun in his holster is gray steel and
rainbow mother-of-pearl, its handle, unmarked. People called them both: The Six Shooter" So opened The Six Shooter, James Stewart's only regular radio series. Stewart played Britt
Ponset, a man with a reputation for
having a fast gun but nonetheless a slow-talking, thinking man who didn't
reach for his gun first and ask questions later. Although ready with his gun, he first looked for
alternatives to violence. A pilot for the show
entitled simply "The Six Shooter" was broadcast April 13, 1952 as an episode of Hollywood
Star Playhouse on NBC. This story
which was also used for the Audition episode on 15th July 1953. Interestingly that episode also included
a personal message from James Stewart - in the middle and at the end, he is
heard encouraging would-be sponsors to sign up. The series proper began on
20th September with an episode simply entitled "Jenny". The story used for the Hollywood Star
Playhouse and Audition programs was to heard again albeit with a slightly
different opening in the seventh episode of the series tiled "Ben
Scofield" Jack Johnstone was the producer and director. The writer for the entire series was Frank
Burt. The haunting theme music
was "Highland Lament"
by series composer Basil Adlam. The series lasted for only
one season and 39 episodes. One
of the reasons for this was that the only companies that offered to sponsor
the series were tobacco companies.
Jimmy Stewart was against the advertising of cigarettes and repeatedly
turned them down. The final broadcast "Myra
Barker" provided a satisfying
(if melancholy) finale to the series: Ponsett falls in love but
eventually breaks the engagement, realizing that he could never settle down
and would be placing her in perpetual dread of the day when his gun finally
proves too slow. With sadness he rides off (on his faithful horse, Scar) after telling Myra farewell and resumes his
wanderings. James Stewart also appeared on The Lux Radio Theater in an excellent dramatization of his 1950 western Winchester
73 in which he was joined at the
microphone by the film's co-star: Stephen McNally. Interestingly the Lola Manners role (played by
Shelley Winters in the film) is here played by Julia Adams who went on to become the female lead in James
Stewart's follow-up western with Anthony Mann: Bend in the River (1952) - and mention is made of this fact at the end of
the 52 minute broadcast. Want to check out an
episode of THE SIX SHOOTER? Why not download the 30
minute pilot episode from HOLLYWOOD STAR PLAYHOUSE? It can be freely
downloaded to your computer -
just right button click
on any link below and chose "Download Linked File" (or words to that effect). The file is on an
average about 17Mb - download time will depend on your (broadband) speed. HSP_1952-04-13
The Six Shooter.mp3 These
two MP3 CDs consist of all 39 episodes of The Six Shooter Also
included is the pilot episode from Hollywood Star Playhouse and the Audition
episode. A
further bonus is the 52 minute Lux Radio Theatre dramatization of Winchester
73 starring James Stewart, Stephen McNally & Julia Adams. All
elements of this collection have been carefully restored - beautiful sound
with no hiss! A.
The Six Shooter 1.
SS_1953-09-20
Jenny.mp3 2.
SS_1953-09-27 The
Coward.mp3 3.
SS_1953-10-04 The
Stampede.mp3 4.
SS_1953-10-11 Silver
Annie.mp3 5.
SS_1953-10-18 Rink
Larkin.mp3 6.
SS_1953-10-25 Red
Lawsons Revenge.mp3 7.
SS_1953-11-01 Ben
Scofield.mp3 8.
SS_1953-11-08 The
Capture of Stacy Gault.mp3 9.
SS_1953-11-15 Escape
from Smoke Falls.mp3 10.
SS_1953-11-22 Gabriel
Starbuck.mp3 11.
SS_1953-11-29 Sheriff
Billy.mp3 12.
SS_1953-12-06 A
Pressing Engagement.mp3 13.
SS_1953-12-13 More
Than Kin.mp3 14.
SS_1953-12-20 Britt
Ponsets Christmas Carol.mp3 15.
SS_1953-12-27 Cora
Plummer Quincy.mp3 16.
SS_1954-01-03 A Friend
in Need.mp3 17.
SS_1954-01-10 Hirams
Goldstrike.mp3 18.
SS_1954-01-17 The
Silver Buckle.mp3 19.
SS_1954-01-24 Helen
Bricker.mp3 20.
SS_1954-01-31 Trail to
Sunset.mp3 21.
SS_1954-02-07 Apron
Faced Sorrel.mp3 22.
SS_1954-02-14 Quiet
City.mp3 23.
SS_1954-02-21 Battle
at Tower Rock.mp3 24.
SS_1954-03-07 Cheyenne
Express.mp3 25.
SS_1954-03-14 Thicker
Than Water.mp3 26.
SS_1954-03-21 Duel at
Lockwood.mp3 27.
SS_1954-04-01 Aunt
Ema.mp3 28.
SS_1954-04-08 General
Gillfords Widow.mp3 29.
SS_1954-04-15 Crisis
at Easter Creek.mp3 30.
SS_1954-04-22 Johnny
Springer.mp3 31.
SS_1954-04-29 Revenge
at Harness Creek.mp3 32.
SS_1954-05-06 Anna
Norquest.mp3 33.
SS_1954-05-13 The
Double Seven.mp3 34.
SS_1954-05-20 The
Shooting of Wyatt King.mp3 35.
SS_1954-05-27 Blood
Relations.mp3 36.
SS_1954-06-03 Silver
Threads.mp3 37.
SS_1954-06-10 The New
Sheriff.mp3 38.
SS_1954-06-17 When the
Shoe Doesnt Fit.mp3 39.
SS_1954-06-24 Myra
Barker.mp3 B.
Miscellaneous
Episodes 1.
HSP_1952-04-13 The Six
Shooter.mp3 2.
SS_1953-07-15 The Six
Shooter Audition Show.mp3 C.
Lux Radio
Theatre Episode 1. LT_1951-11-12 Winchester 73.mp3 |