Bill Jordon appeared on a TV show, correct?

Andy Griffith · #1 08-28-2009, 07:29 PM

Well, why isn't there footage yet on the internet of this clip from that show?

I haven't seen any footage of him or Elmer Keith at all.
Surely there must be some footage...somewhere?!?!

handejector · #2 08-28-2009, 08:46 PM

"You Asked For It" with the new Combat Magnum.

MKT · #3 08-28-2009, 09:43 PM

I believe he also did a cameo spot on the TV Show "US Border Patrol", which aired for one season in 1959 I think.

gunsmith11 · #4 08-28-2009, 09:43 PM

don't know about the film clip, but I do have his Autographed book

feralmerril · #5 08-28-2009, 09:45 PM

He also played on one or two tv shows as a "sidekick" to some western series or kind of a modern day lawman western series that didnt take off in the late 50s I think.

sceva · #6 08-28-2009, 09:50 PM

I seem to recall that he was an an episode of "What's My Line" also.

Leonard · #7 08-28-2009, 09:53 PM

I vaguely remember seeing a film of him doing a fast draw and think he had something a coin or ping pong ball on the top of his hand that landed in his holster during the draw.

ohiobuckeye · #8 08-28-2009, 09:57 PM

Yup. You Asked For It", hosted by a white haired gentleman named Art Baker. I remember watching Jordan's shooting exhibition and wondering if it was rigged or if he could really do all that stuff. Found out much later he could do it without rigging anything. Best guess would be around 1956-57....I was a teenager at the time. The shows sponsor was Skippy peanut butter.

woodsltc · #9 08-28-2009, 09:57 PM

I don't recall if Bill Jordan was ever actually on a TV show, but he was a technical advisor for James Arness (Marshall Matt Dillon) of the TV show Gunsmoke. I believe he helped Arness perfect his fast draw.

Don

Firehouse · #10 08-28-2009, 09:58 PM

Silly me. I was thinking of the Realtree camo guy. Oops.

jkc · #11 08-28-2009, 10:04 PM

I think I recall seeing him in a film clip demonstrating his quick draw/point shooting skill, where the targets were Necco(sp?) Wafers, (little pastel colored candy discs a bit smaller than a quarter coin) glued on a board of some sort, and maybe toy balloons. In the clip he had a tarted up, bouffant-hairdo, girl as an "assistant". Anyone else recall this???

handejector · #12 08-28-2009, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woodsltc

I don't recall if Bill Jordan was ever actually on a TV show, but he was a technical advisor for James Arness (Marshall Matt Dillon) of the TV show Gunsmoke. I believe he helped Arness perfect his fast draw.

Don

I believe you are thinking of Arvo Ojala here. I know he coached Arness some.
Remember the gunfight in the street the series opened with for years?
Ojala was the loser, as I recall.

pluspea · #13 08-28-2009, 10:42 PM

I remember seeing him on some black and white tv program, maybe the ed sullivan show, introducing the model 19 as the perfect lawmans handgun. I wish I could remember where I had seen it.

woodsltc · #14 08-28-2009, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by handejector

I believe you are thinking of Arvo Ojala here. I know he coached Arness some.
Remember the gunfight in the street the series opened with for years?
Ojala was the loser, as I recall.

Lee, actually we are both right. Ojala did coach Arness along with Bill Jordan. And you are correct that it was Ojala in the opening scene being outdrawn by Marshall Dillon. Apparently, Bill Jordan also helped coach Arness on his fast draw.....check the following link about 6 or 7 paragraphs down.

Bill Jordan

Don

mm6mm6 · #15 08-28-2009, 10:56 PM

Handguns - FAST AND FANCY SHOOTERS

Interesting that you should mention this. I was just watching the Bill Jordan portion of my copy of this video this morning. I haven't watched it in about 10 years. Odd.

The video was produced by the NRA and is excellent. So are all the shooters on this video. Herb Parsons' portion is astounding and very entertaining.

michael thornton · #16 08-28-2009, 11:01 PM

bill was a great shot, wish there was more info and videos of him

Texas Star · #17 08-29-2009, 06:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woodsltc

I don't recall if Bill Jordan was ever actually on a TV show, but he was a technical advisor for James Arness (Marshall Matt Dillon) of the TV show Gunsmoke. I believe he helped Arness perfect his fast draw.

Don

I believe that you're confusing Bill with Arvo Ojala.
But I have seen Jordan do the things that he did on TV in person, and there was no trickery. He let me handle his guns after one performance, and I was surprised that I found the big grips to be pretty comfortable.
I met him on several occasions,and once talked for over an hour at a custom knife shop run by a mutual acquaintance. He was a pretty nice guy, and quite genuine.

T-Star
P.S. I just saw Lee's post about Ojala. Sorry. Guess I was repeating something already said.

handejector · #18 08-29-2009, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woodsltc

Lee, actually we are both right. Ojala did coach Arness along with Bill Jordan. And you are correct that it was Ojala in the opening scene being outdrawn by Marshall Dillon. Apparently, Bill Jordan also helped coach Arness on his fast draw.....check the following link about 6 or 7 paragraphs down.

Bill Jordan

Don

I see that. First mention I ever saw of it.

Danny Abernathy · #19 08-30-2009, 05:22 PM

Does anyone know if Skeeter Skelton was ever on any video? How about Elmer Keith or Charles Askins? It would be interesting to see some of the masters in their prime.