Bat Masterson is an American Western television series which was a fictionalized account of the life of real-life marshal, gambler, and journalist Bat Masterson. The title character was played by Gene Barry, and the half-hour black-and-white series ran on NBC from 1958 to 1961. The show was produced by Ziv Television Productions. "Bat" is a nickname for Masterson's first name, Bartholemew, although in both the 1958 pilot "Double Showdown" and 1961 episode "No Amnesty For Death", he says his name is William Barkley Masterson.
Although the series was fiction, it was based on the biography Bat Masterson, by Richard O'Connor, as noted by the closing credits.
Overview
Barry's Masterson often dressed in expensive Eastern clothing and preferred to use his cane rather than a gun to get himself out of trouble. Masterson was also portrayed as a ladies' man who traveled the West looking for women and adventure. He also came to the aid of innocents wrongly accused of crimes.
Masterson, like other heroes of television Westerns, had a gimmick weapon. His cane contained a hidden sword.
The black derby, fancy decorative vest, black jacket, and elegant gold-topped cane were his trademarks. When dressed more casually in episodes centered on outdoor action, Masterson would sometimes wear a gray derby with a slightly broader brim in place of the black one.
Cast
Main cast
Gene Barry as Bat Masterson (108 episodes) Allison Hayes as Ellie Winters (7 episodes) Allen Jaffe as belligerent drunk (7 episodes) Ken Drake as Burdette (6 episodes) Troy Melton as government agent (6 episodes)
Guest cast
Bat Masterson guest stars included the character actor Robert F. Simon, who appeared as Harrison Whitney in the episode "Death by Decree", and Richard Eastham, who appeared in the 1961 episode "A Lesson in Violence". Stefanie Powers appeared in the 1961 episode named "Dead Man's Claim" (using the name Taffy Paul) as Ann, the niece of the boarding house owner. George Macready appeared as Clyde Richards in the 1961 episode "Tempest at Tioga Pass". Quentin Sondergaard appeared in various roles on the series five times between 1958 and 1961. Dan Sheridan was cast as Joe Rankin in the 1959 episode "Election Day". Allison Hayes had a recurring role as card dealer Ellie Winters in 7 episodes.
Yvonne Lime Fedderson was cast as Lola White in the 1960 episode "The Snare". Ron Hayes appeared four times in the role of Wyatt Earp. Gary Vinson appeared as Billy Thompson in the 1958 episode "A Noose Fits Anybody". Tyler McVey appeared from 1958 to 1961 in different roles in three episodes ("Dynamite Blows Two Ways", "Incident at Fort Bowie", and "Dead Man's Claim"). Ron Foster (1960) appeared twice as Toby Dawson in "Six Feet of Gold" and as Sheriff Buck Simpson in "Jeopardy at Jackson Hole" (1961). James Coburn also appeared in "Six Feet of Gold". Tom Greenway guest starred twice, as Charlie in "Buffalo Kill" (1959) and as Ben Pick in "Dagger Dance" (1961). Brett King appeared four times, beginning with the role of Hub Elliott in "License to Cheat" (1959); Douglas Kennedy was cast as Sheriff Jeb Crater in that same episode. William Tannen was cast in four episodes of Bat Masterson.
Diane Brewster played the role of Miss Lynn Harrison in the 2-part episode "The Conspiracy" (1959). Kevin Hagen appeared as Ace Williams in "The Fourth Man" (1961). Lon Chaney Jr. played the role of Rance Fletcher in "Bat Trap" (1961). Patrick Waltz, Ray Kellogg and Marie Windsor had guest-starred in the episode "The Fighter". Donald Murphy made one appearance in 1960. Anna Navarro and George Sawaya both made one appearance in 1961.
Episodes
Production
Development
The series is a fictionalized account of the life of real-life Bat Masterson, who had been an Army scout, Indian fighter, lawman, and a deputy of Wyatt Earp. It was produced by Ziv Television Productions, and is loosely based on Richard O'Connor's 1957 biography of Masterson. This was highlighted by the book's front cover being shown at the end of the closing credits with an onscreen notation "based on". A 1959 TV Guide article quoted the producer as stating they wanted the show to be as accurate as possible. The series was sponsored by Kraft.