Customer Reviews

Rawhide - Season Three, Vol. 2

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

CBS Television and Paramount Pictures presents "RAWHIDE: SEASON THREE VOL. TWO" (24 February 1961 - 16 June 1961) (779 mins/In Glorious Black & White) (digitally remastered in Dolby) -- Rawhide was a television western series that aired on the U.S. network CBS from 1959 to 1966. The show starred Eric Fleming and launched the career of Clint Eastwood --- The series ran for eight seasons on the CBS network on Friday nights, from January 9, 1959 to January 4, 1966, with a total of 217 episodes, all filmed and broadcast in black and white --- It was produced and sometimes directed by Charles Marquis Warren who also produced early episodes of Gunsmoke --- Warren based Rawhide on the movie Cattle Empire that he directed in 1958 and for which Endre Bohem was a screenwriter and Paul Brinegar, Steve Raines and Rocky Shahan were actors; all also worked in Rawhide --- Its premiere episode reached the top 20 in the Nielsen Ratings. It rose steadily in popularity until, towards the end of the series run, it was one of America's top ten shows --- Rawhide was the fourth longest-running American TV western, beaten only by nine years of The Virginian and Wagon Train, fourteen years of Bonanza, and twenty years of Gunsmoke.

The episode would be introduced, usually by some words from Gil Favor but sometimes by others --- The typical Rawhide story involved drovers, portrayed by Eric Fleming (Trail Boss Gil Favor) and Clint Eastwood (ramrod Rowdy Yates), coming upon people on the trail and getting drawn into solving whatever problem they presented or were confronting --- Some of the stories were obviously easier in production terms but the peak form of the show was convincing and naturalistic, and sometimes brutal. Its situations could range from parched plains to anthrax, ghostly riders to wolves, cattle raiding, bandits, murderers, and so forth --- A problem on such drives was the constant need for water, and the scout spent much of his time looking for it, sometimes finding water holes, even rivers had dried up - In some ways it was similar to the TV series Wagon Train that debuted in 1957.

Of all the western characters on TV, these were the only real cowboys, because they drove cows. There were also sheep boys who drove sheep, pig boys who looked after pigs, etc. The name cowboys became a generic name in western films and TV series --- The theme song's lyrics were written by Ned Washington in 1958. It was composed by Dimitri Tiomkin and sung by pop singer Frankie Laine. The theme song became very popular --- It was covered several times and parts of the song also appear in more recent movies like The Blues Brothers and Shrek.-- (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

List of Season, Episode, Title and Original Air Date:

1. Season 3, Episode 16: Incident on the Road Back (guest star Brian G. Hutton)
Original Air Date--24 February 1961

2. Season 3, Episode 17: Incident of the New Start (guest star John Dehner)
Original Air Date--3 March 1961

3. Season 3, Episode 18: Incident of the Running Iron (guest stars William Schallet & dwayne Hickman)
Original Air Date--10 March 1961

4. Season 3, Episode 19: Incident near Gloomy River (guest stars John Cassavetes, Leif Erickson & Rosemary De Camp)
Original Air Date--17 March 1961

5. Season 3, Episode 20: Incident of the Boomerang (guest stars Woody Strode & Patricia Medina)
Original Air Date--24 March 1961

6. Season 3, Episode 21: Incident of His Brother's Keeper (guest stars Jack Lord & Susan Oliver)
Original Air Date--31 March 1961

7. Season 3, Episode 22: Incident in the Middle of Nowhere (guest stars Cecil Kellaway & Elisha Cook Jr.)
Original Air Date--7 April 1961
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8. Season 3, Episode 23: Incident of the Phantom Bugler (guest star Jock Mahoney)
Original Air Date--14 April 1961

9. Season 3, Episode 24: Incident of the Lost Idol (guest star Claude Akins)
Original Air Date--28 April 1961

10. Season 3, Episode 25: Incident of the Running Man
Original Air Date--5 May 1961

11. Season 3, Episode 26: Incident of the Painted Lady (guest star Marie Windsor)
Original Air Date--12 May 1961

12. Season 3, Episode 27: Incident before Black Pass (Leonard Nimoy, Zachary Scott & Robert Armstrong)
Original Air Date--19 May 1961

13. Season 3, Episode 28: Incident of the Blackstorms
Original Air Date--26 May 1961

14. Season 3, Episode 29: Incident of the Night on the Town (Dan Hagerty & Grady Sutton)
Original Air Date--2 June 1961

15. Season 3, Episode 30: Incident of the Wager on Payday
Original Air Date--16 June 1961

BIOS:
1. Eric Fleming (aka: Edward Heddy)
Date of Birth:: 4 July 1925 - Santa Paula, California
Date of Death: 28 September 1966 - Tingo Maria area, Peru (drowned)

2. Clint Eastwood
Date of Birth: 31 May 1930 - San Francisco, California
Date of Death: Still Living

Great job by Paramount Pictures and their staff for releasing this long awaited edition with collectible Seasons with unforgettable episodes --- looking forward to more of the same from the rousing CBS Television vintage era --- order your copy now from Amazon their Western Classics -- all my heroes have been cowboys!

Total Time: 779 mins on 4 DVD's ~ Paramount Pictures ~ (12/09/2008)

Thanks to Paramount for releasing another season -- and this is arguably the best. Season 3 contains "Incident of the Fish out of Water" "Incident on the Road Back" and "Incident of the New Start" which all lend more humanity and backstory to the characters. This season also contains "Incident of the Boomerang" one of the best in all 8 seasons. Enjoy!

I am overjoyed that we have another volume of Rawhide to enjoy. Pristine quality prints at a good price. A flick of a switch and I can enjoy my favorite ever show again.Wonderful! I , of course would love full season releases, more frequent releases, however I will gratefully accept this latest 1. Split seasons are here to stay, at least Rawhide seems to be selling, let's keep buying, I want the entire series.These are the last episodes with creator/ producer Charles Marquis Warren at the helm.There are a diverse lot of episodes here with something for every fan.Eric Fleming is really getting under the skin of Gil Favor's character now and every scene he is in is dominated by his superb screen presence.Of course Clint Eastwood has some good episodes as well. Let's hope we will roll into the fourth season soon, there were changes and some even grimmer stories, but Rawhide continued to shine and remained a superior tv western, grab this volume, feet up and enjoy.

THIS IS CLASSIC 1961 RAWHIDE AT ITS BEST!!! YOU GET 15 GREAT EPISODES!!!
THE THIRD SEASON VOLUMES 1 AND 2 ARE BETTER THAN THE EARLIER ONES BECAUSE THEY ARE MORE "REFINED", MORE "POLISHED" AND MOST OF ALL THEY CONTAIN PETE NOLAN.
SO YOU GET GIL FAVOR, ROWDY YATES, WISHBONE AND THE TRAIL SCOUT - PETE NOLAN.

THESE EPISODES ARE GOOD AND CLEAN, THESE ARE GOOD COWBOYS!!! EVERY EPISODE IS GREAT!!!

IF YOU LIKE WESTERNS, YOU SHOULD REALLY LIKE THIS 15 EPISODE SERIES OF RAWHIDE, AND IN THAT CONTEXT, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!!!

I now have all of the first three seasons of this series. This series was well written and acted in and always had a good guest star to support the regular cast of characters. Clint Eastwood showed his super star potential in the series. Even though Eric Fleming was the star of this series Eastwood had a great character (Rowdy Yates) in support of Gil Favor. I would rate this as a classic series and will be around for years as reruns.

This another great volume and Season of Rawhide hope more seasons will be release soon i want them all !!!!

This is a must have series that's great for the whole family!
Columbia House had only made it to the start of Season 2 and then stopped abruptly in 2004(CH refusing to admit or discuss their unforgivable crime). They had previously made 50 episodes available on VHS and then stopped previously. So after cancelling production twice and leaving us twice betrayed, Paramount has come to the rescue! Thank you Paramount!

Here are some editorial reviews regarding the series.

Move 'em on. Head 'em up.

So where the words of the trail boss before the credits rolled during each episode of the 1959 CBS television show "Rawhide." Running for eight seasons between the years of 1959 and 1966, this television western is most notable for helping launch the career of a very young Clint Eastwood. After working on the series for six years, Eastwood would agree to star in Sergio Leone's "A Fistful of Dollars" between filming seasons in 1964. However, before one of the show's primary stars went on to box office fame, "Rawhide" was one of the most popular shows on television and held a top ten position during its inaugural year. Also featuring Eric Fleming, James Murdoch, Joseph Scarlett, Steven Raines and Rocky Shahan, "Rawhide" and its cast brought the Wild West to the small screen for an hour a week during the first half of the Sixties.

Running for over nineteen hours, the twenty three episodes from the first season of "Rawhide" provides a long and entertaining viewing experience. Prior to writing this review for "Rawhide," I had watched another lengthy television series from the era, "Perry Mason." I had remarked at how that show felt like a series of Saturday movies that I remembered watching as I grew up. It did not have a television show feel to it. To an extent, "Rawhide" as a more epic feeling to each of its fifty minute episodes. The Wild West is detailed in glorious black and white and features a wide range of sets from old towns to the wide open range. There are plenty of horses and cattle and other Western critters. Overall, "Rawhide" has a very authentic look and feel to the series.

Eric Fleming is the series lead, Gil Favor. He is the trail boss for the cattle march that has left Texas with its precious herd. One of the hands, the young and inexperienced Rowdy Yates (Clint Eastwood) must learn the ways of cattle driving and become more experienced in the ways of life under the guidance of Favor. The cowboys' cook, Wishbone (Paul Brinegar) and cook's assistant Harkness "Mushy" Mushgrove (James Murdoch) provide lighthearted relief to the gun hands. The rest of the crew includes Sheb Wooley (Pete Nolan), Wishbone (Paul Brinegar), Jim Quince (Steve Raines), Rocky Shahan (Joe Scarlett) among others. A large number of familiar faces appeared during the first season as guest stars. Lon Chaney Jr. appears in the episode "Incident on the Edge of Madness." Dick Van Patten guest stars in "Incident of the Power and the Plow." Star Trek's DeForest Kelley has a part in "Incident at Barker Springs" and Martin Landau and Leslie Nielsen both appear in "Incident Below the Brazos."

Each episode in this first season begins its title with "Incident At." The primary formula for the series finds the band of cowboys moving their herd and running into some sort of trouble that they must resolve. Many times these incidents involve a lovely and voluptuous damsel in distress. The women of the Old West were all so pretty and clean. Other times, the posse would find themselves being watched or pursued by nonfriendly folk. Land disputes, racial and other social stigmata and dirty scoundrels were among the problems faced by Gil, Rowdy, Mushy and the boys. Sometimes, the show bordered on tackling real social issues that were a sign of the times. "Incident of the Power and the Plow" deals in racist themes. "Incident With An Executioner" dealt with the question of whether or not capital punishment was wrong. Though they were not direct lessons in life, "Rawhide" tried to put something meaningful in each resolution of each incident.

The episodic nature of "Rawhide" allowed for enough character development and story continuity to keep the series entertaining. However, by not directly tying each individual story together, "Rawhide" is a show where you can watch the episodes in a different sequence that presented on the DVD set or you can even miss an episode and you never feel as if you were left behind in the last town visited by Rowdy and Gil. This also allowed Rowdy and others to move haphazardly between romantic interests without the viewer wondering if cowboys had a heart to break. The show felt like there was some semblance of continuity, but in the grand scheme of things, there really was not. Having never watched "Rawhide" before this DVD set (aside from a handful of episodes since I was a boy), I don't know if they ever got to their destination and there were various cattle drives, or if this was one long drive with eight years of incidents. The cowboys continually found themselves facing diversity in this first season and where one would think a cattle drive could be long and boring, this was certainly not the case for Gil Favor and his boys.

"Rawhide" is an entertaining series. Some of the incidents that befall upon the riders are certainly more interesting than others. Having watched one complete season, I can see why this show was among the top ten during 1959. This was far more realistic and eventful than "The Lone Ranger." There is considerable amounts of death and misfortune during each episodes running times and "Rawhide" does not stoop to the level of having its heroes only shoot pistols out of the hands of the bad guys or other means of silliness to water down the show. I would imagine that back in 1959, "Rawhide" was considered programming for adults and not exactly a Saturday morning Western for the kids. I wouldn't call "Rawhide" brutal, but the show wasn't afraid of a little violence.

and here's another review

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'
Move 'em on, head 'em up,
Head 'em up, move 'em out,
Move 'em on, head 'em out,
Facts of the Case
Rawhide is the story of a trail drive led by trail boss Gil Favor (Eric Fleming). Savvy and hard-working but fair, Favor has a mixed bag of experienced men and wannabes working under him. There's Wishbone (Paul Brinegar) the cook (the real key to any successful drive); Mushy (James Murdock), his young assistant; old hands Quince and Nolan (Steve Raines and Sheb Wooley); and who's that young kid playing newcomer Rowdy Yates? Why, that's Clint Eastwood (Dirty Harry), in his first major role.

it climbed to the Top 20 within three weeks and stayed that way for four years.

Each episode title begins with the word "Incident" and that says a lot about the style of storytelling. "Incident of the Tumbleweed Wagon," where they meet up with a lawman transporting a wagon full of prisoners, one of whom is a lovely young woman. "Incident of the Power and the Plow," where the boys meet up with a land baron who thinks nothing of starting an Indian uprising for his own gain. "Incident of the Chubasco," where the men agree to aid a young bride's attempt to escape her tyrant husband. Some episodes deal with the natural dangers of the Old West, from lack of water to injuries on the trail to diseases that can wipe out the cattle--or the people.

This mixed bag of stories allowed the series to take full advantage of the fabulous famous character actors of the era. You won't know most of their names, but I'll bet you'll recognize dozens of guest stars in these twenty-three episodes. There's Patty Duke's father (William Shallert), Sheriff Lobo (Claude Akins), even the voice of Linda Blair's demons (Mercedes McCambridge).

The other thing that sells it is its movie-like quality. The opening scenes are as expansive as the West. The music, which I have to think was done with a full studio orchestra, is right out of any feature-length western from the fifties.

Paramount did a nice job putting together this classic box set. I was concerned when I saw the grainy opening credits, but beyond a few additional pops and crackles the majority of the transfer is sharp and clean; amazing quality for a show that is over forty-five years old. Frankly, I'm surprised when shows of this age turn up at all.. I'm sure they didn't anticipate the technology to deliver these shows on discs that anyone could watch day or night. Kudos to the archivists that kept these prints safe so we could watch them today.

There are action sequences, gunfights and brawls, raging rivers and cattle stampedes, but mostly the show is about the characters.

There are no real extras include in the set, just the short production notes for each episode, which personally, I found fascinating.
Closing Statement
For a show whose theme is known the world over, Rawhide is actually a rare gem. Out of syndication since the seventies, this box set is likely to be the first time many people have seen the show. If you're a fan of Westerns or even of early TV, this is a must have. Clint Eastwood fans will also want to add this to their collection. [There is some] truly excellent storytelling.

HAS ANYONE HEARD IF SEASON 4 WILL EVER BE RELEASED? IT HAS BEEN A YEAR NOW SINCE SEASON 3 AND I HAVE NOT HEARD OR READ ANYTHING ABOUT SEASON 4.

I enjoy seeing Rawhide being released. I like seeing Eric Fleming playing the trail boss. I have had no problems with the DVDs.

Fans of Westerns wont be disappointed by this latest entry in the Rawhide collection. Wonderful story lines, characters settling in to their roles, some nice outdoor locations (plus my all-time favorite opening and ending scenes,in the Road Back). Please Paramount, give us the remaining seasons!