“Alias Smith & Jones”

[Wyatt Burp]

This “Butch & Sundance” knock off is on TV pretty often now. I was 14 when it aired in ‘71. I thought Peter Duell was excellent as the “Butch”, but the other guy was very weak as the super fast gun “Kid Curry”. There was no sense of danger about him and it never showed him draw. They just lazily edited it with him all of a sudden holding his gun on someone as they all looked on in awe. And it was almost void of action. this was the “anti violence” era where G.I. Joe toys were changed, toy guns were frowned upon, and The High Chaparral was canceled, partly for having to cut down on all the fun, I mean violence.
Roger Davis, former narrator of the show with a Henry Fonda-esque voice and once killed by Kid Curry in an earlier episode replaced Duell after his suicide and I think he was pretty good. Pete Duell carried a 5” Schofield which I thought was a great touch, as a kid and especially today.

 

[kmyers]

I remember that show well from when I was a kid. My favorite episodes were with Burl Ives as the wealthy McCreedy(spelling?). I love the episode where him and Heyes are playing stud poker and Heyes didn't know you had to call straights and flushes were good in the hand and lost to a pair. Then he got his revenge by pulling the 25 cards out of a deck to draw 5 pat hands and then McCreedy returned the favor by cutting the ace out of a deck of cards by stabbing it clean through with a knife. Good fun from younger days.

 

[Wyatt Burp]

I remember that show well from when I was a kid. My favorite episodes were with Burl Ives as the wealthy McCreedy(spelling?). I love the episode where him and Heyes are playing stud poker and Heyes didn't know you had to call straights and flushes were good in the hand and lost to a pair. Then he got his revenge by pulling the 25 cards out of a deck to draw 5 pat hands and then McCreedy returned the favor by cutting the ace out of a deck of cards by stabbing it clean through with a knife. Good fun from younger days.

I think Burl Ives played that guy in two episodes. One of those was my favorite because Lee Majors played this real jerk gunfighter constantly humiliated “Kid Curry” who had to keep from shooting people to get amnesty. Until the end, of course. Lee Majors wears a rare one piece Ojala rig in that one which is the stuff I always focus on.

 

[kmyers]

I think many lost interest after Pete Duel's death but the studio insisted on continuing the show and brought in Roger Davis as Heyes. Davis from Smiler With a Gun who was the only person Curry ever killed during the series, but the guy did have it coming.

 

[Rustyt1953]

Twern't hard to watch a'tall.

 

[Wyatt Burp]

I think many lost interest after Pete Duel's death but the studio insisted on continuing the show and brought in Roger Davis as Heyes. Davis from Smiler With a Gun who was the only person Curry ever killed during the series, but the guy did have it coming.

Yeah, that was good episode. It had a fast draw contest at the beginning that Roger Davis won. It was surprising that he got killed instead of just shot in the arm like with Lee Majors.

 

[DWalt]

I watched Alias S&J back then and liked it. Haven't seen anything about re-runs currently. Another series I really liked at about the same time was called "Bearcats!" with Rod Taylor and Dennis Cole, sort of like Route 66 but they drove a Stutz Bearcat, set in Texas before WWI. I'd like to see that one again. Bearcats! (TV Series 1971) - IMDb

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

I used to watch the show, but remember very little except they did not really need their guns and talked and rode their way out of everything. As mentioned above, history was starting to be rewritten to make it look like all conflicts were, and should be, settled with ballet.

 

[jrm53]

I remember the Saturday after noon when I heard he had passed I was flying some Civil Air Patrol cadets around the field and when we quit and I got home it was on the news. This had to be 72 or 73, I always liked the show. Jeff

 

[Kiwi cop]

I watched Alias S&J back then and liked it. Haven't seen anything about re-runs currently. Another series I really liked at about the same time was called "Bearcats!" with Rod Taylor and Dennis Cole, sort of like Route 66 but they drove a Stutz Bearcat, set in Texas before WWI. I'd like to see that one again. Bearcats! (TV Series 1971) - IMDb

I actually watched several Bearcats episodes recently on YouTube.

Ben Murphy who played Kid Curry was a big star here in ‘74 for our first telethon. Someone offered $100 (very big money in those days. Incidentally the 24 telethon raised about $1,000,000 from a population of about 2.25 million) if he performed his “fast draw” on live TV.

Someone got hold of a single buscadero holster and a CO2 powered Crossman “peacemaker” and Murphy tried a fast draw. Unfortunately the belt was too large for him and as he reached for the gun the whole rig slid to the floor.

 

[Wyatt Burp]

I watched Alias S&J back then and liked it. Haven't seen anythingn about re-runs currently. Another series I really liked at about the same time was called "Bearcats!" with Rod Taylor and Dennis Cole, sort of like Route 66 but they drove a Stutz Bearcat, set in Texas before WWI. I'd like to see that one again. Bearcats! (TV Series 1971) - IMDb

I can’t link it on my IPad, but on You Tube they show the opening of this show and also an entire TV movie called “Powderkeg” which is the same show in movie length but a different name. The old tanks, cars, planes, and machineguns look great. I’ll have to watch it.