Stoney Burke (TV series)

*Stoney Burke*
Stoney Burke
	Jack Lord as Stoney Burke
Genre	Western
Starring	Jack Lord; Warren Oates; Robert Dowdell; Bruce Dern;
Theme music composer	Dominic Frontiere
Composer	Dominic Frontiere
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	32
Production
Producer	Leslie Stevens
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	44 mins.
Production company	Daystar Productions
Original release
Network	ABC
Release	October 1, 1962 –; May 20, 1963

Stoney Burke is an American contemporary Western television series broadcast on ABC from October 1, 1962, until May 20, 1963. Jack Lord starred in the title role. Burke is a professional rodeo cowboy who specializes in saddle bronc riding and competes for the Golden Buckle, presented annually to the rodeo world champion in each rodeo event.

Overview

During his quest for the Golden Buckle, Stoney becomes entangled in the lives of numerous people and is accompanied on the rodeo circuit by friends Ves Painter (Warren Oates), Cody Bristol (Robert Dowdell), and E. J. Stocker (Bruce Dern).

Lord said that he wanted Stoney Burke to move beyond rodeos "into good thematically solid stories."^[1] He added, "What we're trying to do is say something to gently lift the moral tone of society. We have a responsibility to ennoble and enlighten as well as entertain."^[1]

Production

Leslie Stevens was the producer. Daystar Productions partnered with United Artists to produce the series.^[2] Dominic Frontiere scored the episodes.^[3] The Stoney Burk Theme was recorded by Maureen Bayand (released by United Artists)^[4] and by Nelson Riddle (released by Capitol).^[5]

Stoney Burke was broadcast on Mondays from 9 to 10 p. m. Eastern Time.^[6]

By May 1963, plans were underway for syndication of the show. A representative of Economee Television Programs (a subsidiary of United Artists Television) said that stations in 14 major markets had bought the series. Those markets included Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles.^[7]

Reception

The same year that Stoney Burke premiered, NBC aired its own drama about rodeo performers, Wide Country. Both series were Westerns that debuted at the end of the time when Western programs—a fixture of 1950s and early 1960s television—had been a number one draw on the medium. By the mid-1960s, market saturation had begun to take its toll; while established series such as Bonanza and Gunsmoke continued to thrive, new shows with less than robust ratings struggled to survive. Both rodeo series were cancelled after one season.^[8]

William W. Savage, in his book The Cowboy Hero: His Image in American History & Culture, commented, ". . . while the rodeo format afforded the sorts of dramatic possibilities (weekly changes of locale and population, for example) that had ensured the success of dozens of western programs, it seems clear that rodeo performers paled in comparison to the 'genuine' television cowboy heroes . . .".^[9]

Guest stars

Dick Clark of American Bandstand was cast as Sgt. Andy Kincaid in the 1963 episode "Kincaid" (one of several backdoor pilots),^[10] which also featured real-life rodeo cowboy Casey Tibbs playing himself. James Coburn was cast as Jamison in the 1963 episode "The Test"; J. Pat O'Malley, Richard Eyer, and Ivan Dixon were also featured in this episode.

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	"The Contender"	Leslie Stevens	Leslie Stevens	October 1, 1962 (1962-10-01)
CO–STARRING Kate Manx SPECIAL GUEST STAR Philip Abbott as Royce Hamilton CAST Carl Benton Reid Bartlett Robinson Cleo Ann as Ruby Lee Bill Hart Notes: Episode title does not appear on-screen. Kate Manx was married to series producer, director and writer Leslie Stevens from 1958 until shortly before her death in 1964.
2	"Fight Night"	Leslie Stevens	Leslie Stevens	October 8, 1962 (1962-10-08)
CAST Edgar Buchanan Alan Bunce George Mitchell Bill Hart Claudia Bryar Leonard Nimoy Bill Zuckert Paul Birch Note: Episode title does not appear on-screen.
3	"Child of Luxury"	Leslie Stevens	Leslie Stevens	October 15, 1962 (1962-10-15)
GUEST STARS Ina Balin Eduard Franz CAST Judson Laire George Mitchell Charles Carlson Bill Hart Dee J. Thompson and Stan Berman Uncredited Shep Houghton Note: Episode includes a teaser and preview of next week's episode.
4	"Point of Honor"	Leslie Stevens	Leslie Stevens	October 22, 1962 (1962-10-22)
GUEST STAR Scott Marlowe CAST Patricia Breslin Ben Johnson Ian Wolfe Bill Hart Bill Mullikin Lew Brown Casey Tibbs and Dean Stanton as Dell Tindall Uncredited Bill Walker Note: Episode includes a teaser.
5	"The Mob Riders"	Leslie Stevens	Leslie Stevens	October 29, 1962 (1962-10-29)
CAST Gene Lyons Denise Alexander Bill Gunn Curt Conway Ford Rainey John Duke Kim Hamilton Bill Hart and Michael Parks as Tack Reynolds Uncredited Buck Taylor Note: Episode starts with cold open and ends with preview of next week's episode.
6	"A Matter of Pride"	Leslie Stevens	Leslie Stevens	November 5, 1962 (1962-11-05)
GUEST STARS Ben Piazza William Windom Conrad Janis CAST Jena Engstrom Virginia Christine Edith Atwater George Mitchell Bill Hart Robert Brubaker Henry Scott Note: Episode includes a teaser and preview of next week's episode.
7	"Sidewinder"	Leslie Stevens	Leslie Stevens	November 12, 1962 (1962-11-12)
GUEST STARS Edward Binns Mark Miller CAST David White Gail Kobe George Mitchell Bill Hart Shirley O'Hara Helen Gurley Brown and Strother Martin Uncredited Bill Walker Note: Episode includes a teaser.
8	"The Scavenger"	Leslie Stevens	Leslie Stevens	November 19, 1962 (1962-11-19)
CAST John Kellogg Paul Comi Shirley Ballard Bill Hart Roy Glenn and Enoch Gates as The Derelict Note: Episode starts with cold open and ends with preview of next week's episode.
9	"Spin a Golden Web"	Robert Butler	Philip Saltzman	November 26, 1962 (1962-11-26)
GUEST STARS Robert Webber Salome Jens CAST John Anderson Ken Lynch Mary Munday James Callahan Bill Hart Uncredited Bill Walker, Carol Henry Note: Episode starts with cold open and ends with preview of next week's episode.
10	"The Wanderer"	Leonard Horn	Milton Geiger	December 3, 1962 (1962-12-03)
GUEST STARS Albert Salmi Jacqueline Scott Milton Selzer CAST Bill Hart Nora Marlowe Roy Engel Betty Harford Lex Connelly Bill Erwin John Graham Wes Liston Uncredited Mark Russell Note: Episode starts with cold open.
11	"Five by Eight by Eight"	Tom Gries	Palmer Thompson	December 10, 1962 (1962-12-10)
12	"Bandwagon"	Laslo Benedek	Meyer Dolinsky	December 17, 1962 (1962-12-17)
13	"Cousin Eunice"	Tom Gries	Bob Barbash	December 24, 1962 (1962-12-24)
14	"Gold-Plated Maverick"	William A. Graham	S.S. Schweitzer	January 7, 1963 (1963-01-07)
15	"Death Rides a Pale Horse"	Tom Gries	Frank L. Moss	January 14, 1963 (1963-01-14)
16	"The King of the Hill"	Tom Gries	John Falvo	January 21, 1963 (1963-01-21)
17	"A Matter of Percentage"	William A. Graham	Richard Levinson & William Link	January 28, 1963 (1963-01-28)
18	"Image of Glory"	John Erman	Bob Barbash	February 4, 1963 (1963-02-04)
19	"Cat's Eyes"	Laslo Benedek	Philip Saltzman	February 11, 1963 (1963-02-11)
20	"Web of Fear"	Laszlo Benedek	Ed Adamson	February 18, 1963 (1963-02-18)
21	"Point of Entry"	Leonard Horn	Leslie Stevens	March 4, 1963 (1963-03-04)
22	"To Catch the Kaiser"	Tom Gries	Philip Saltzman	March 11, 1963 (1963-03-11)
23	"Joby"	John Erman	Philip Saltzman	March 18, 1963 (1963-03-18)
24	"Forget Me More"	Robert Butler	Peter Packer	March 25, 1963 (1963-03-25)
25	"Color Him Lucky"	Laslo Benedek	Donn Mullally	April 1, 1963 (1963-04-01)
26	"The Weapons Man"	Leslie Stevens	Leslie Stevens	April 8, 1963 (1963-04-08)
27	"Kelly's Place"	Tom Gries	Stephen Lord	April 15, 1963 (1963-04-15)
28	"Kincaid"	Leonard J. Horn	Bob Barbash	April 22, 1963 (1963-04-22)
29	"A Girl Named Amy"	Lalso Benedek	Bob Barbash & S.S.Schweitzer	April 29, 1963 (1963-04-29)
30	"Tigress by the Tail"	Tom Gries	Barry Trivers	May 6, 1963 (1963-05-06)
31	"The Test"	Leonard J. Horn	Bob Barbash	May 13, 1963 (1963-05-13)
32	"The Journey"	Leslie Stevens	Leslie Stevens	May 20, 1963 (1963-05-20)

DVD release

On April 16, 2013, Timeless Media Group released Stoney Burke - The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1.^[11] The six disc set includes all 32 episodes of the series.

References

^ ^a ^b Lynch, Sylvia D. (March 22, 2018). Jack Lord: An Acting Life. McFarland. p. 115. ISBN 978-1-4766-6627-3. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
^ Morreale, Joanne (April 5, 2022). The Outer Limits. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 978-0-8143-4746-1. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
^ Burlingame, Jon (March 3, 2023). Music for Prime Time: A History of American Television Themes and Scoring. Oxford University Press. p. 125. ISBN 978-0-19-061830-8. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
^ "Singles Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. January 19, 1963. p. 46. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
^ "Today's Top Record Talent" (PDF). Billboard. April 6, 1963. p. 62. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
^ Aaker, Everett (June 8, 2017). Television Western Players, 1960-1975: A Biographical Dictionary. McFarland. p. 465. ISBN 978-1-4766-6250-3. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
^ "'Stoney Burke' bought in 14 markets for fall" (PDF). Broadcasting. April 29, 1963. p. 64. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
^ Wooden, Wayne S.; Ehringer, Gavin (1996). Rodeo in America: Wranglers, Roughstock & Paydirt. University Press of Kansas. p. 270. ISBN 978-0-7006-0813-3. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
^ Savage, William W. (1979). The Cowboy Hero: His Image in American History & Culture. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 131. ISBN 978-0-8061-1920-5. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
^ Jackson, John (June 3, 1999). American Bandstand: Dick Clark and the Making of a Rock 'n' Roll Empire. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-028490-9. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
^ Stoney Burke - Box Art Arrives for 'The Complete Series' Starring Jack Lord Archived 2013-02-11 at the Wayback Machine

Sources

McNeil, Alex. Total Television (1996). New York: Penguin Books ISBN 0-14-024916-8
Brooks, Tim and Marsh, Earle, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows (1999). New York: Ballantine Books ISBN 0-345-42923-0

External links

Stoney Burke at IMDb

[jl-1] Lynch, Sylvia D. (March 22, 2018). Jack Lord: An Acting Life. McFarland. p. 115. ISBN 978-1-4766-6627-3. Retrieved March 28, 2023.

[2] Morreale, Joanne (April 5, 2022). The Outer Limits. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 978-0-8143-4746-1. Retrieved March 28, 2023.

[3] Burlingame, Jon (March 3, 2023). Music for Prime Time: A History of American Television Themes and Scoring. Oxford University Press. p. 125. ISBN 978-0-19-061830-8. Retrieved March 28, 2023.

[bb-4] "Singles Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. January 19, 1963. p. 46. Retrieved March 29, 2023.

[5] "Today's Top Record Talent" (PDF). Billboard. April 6, 1963. p. 62. Retrieved March 29, 2023.

[6] Aaker, Everett (June 8, 2017). Television Western Players, 1960-1975: A Biographical Dictionary. McFarland. p. 465. ISBN 978-1-4766-6250-3. Retrieved March 28, 2023.

[7] "'Stoney Burke' bought in 14 markets for fall" (PDF). Broadcasting. April 29, 1963. p. 64. Retrieved March 29, 2023.

[ra-8] Wooden, Wayne S.; Ehringer, Gavin (1996). Rodeo in America: Wranglers, Roughstock & Paydirt. University Press of Kansas. p. 270. ISBN 978-0-7006-0813-3. Retrieved March 28, 2023.

[9] Savage, William W. (1979). The Cowboy Hero: His Image in American History & Culture. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 131. ISBN 978-0-8061-1920-5. Retrieved March 28, 2023.

[10] Jackson, John (June 3, 1999). American Bandstand: Dick Clark and the Making of a Rock 'n' Roll Empire. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-028490-9. Retrieved March 28, 2023.

[11] Stoney Burke - Box Art Arrives for 'The Complete Series' Starring Jack Lord Archived 2013-02-11 at the Wayback Machine

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v t e Leslie Stevens
Films directed	Private Property (1960) Hero's Island (1962) Fanfare for a Death Scene (1964) Incubus (1966) Three Kinds of Heat (1987)
TV series created	Stoney Burke (1962) The Outer Limits (1963) Search (1972)
Other works	The Marriage-Go-Round (1958 play) est: The Steersman Handbook (1970 book)