Customer Reviews

Wagon Train, The Complete Color Season

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
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There was a time back in the 1950s and '60s when primetime network programming relied so much on Westerns that nearly every night of the week featured at least one. While some rode off into the sunset without much ado, one of the best, and longest-running, "Wagon Train," set the bar for style and authenticity that few other Western series ever achieved.

This DVD set, all 3,900 minutes of it, presents the 1963 season -- all 32 90-minute episodes filmed in color, as well as 16 classic episodes (black and white) from the series' other seven seasons. The show, based on the legendary John Ford Western feature film "Wagon Master," starred Ward Bond (who reprised his role from the Ford film), John McIntire, Robert Horton, Robert Fuller, Frank McGrath, Terry Wilson, Denny Scott Miller and Michael Burns. Each week the show told the stories of a wagon train heading west from Missouri to California in the days following the Civil War.

What set the series apart from many of its contemporaries was the show's impeccable attention to details: Most of the actors were trained horsemen or cowboys; set dressings and wardrobe were as authentic as possible, and nearly every minute of it was filmed on location across California and surrounding states, which took the West out of the backlot and into, well, the West.

"The Western on television was so successful because it appealed to the entire family," said Fuller, who joined the cast in 1963 as the wagon train's scout Cooper Smith (he replaced Robert Horton), fresh from his starring role in another Western series, "Laramie." "At the end of a hard day of work and school, the family could all watch the show together and escape from the worries of the day. I know it sounds corny, but it was true."

It took seven days to film each 90-minute episode, Fuller said, and almost all of it was location work. "We shot a lot in Lone Pine [California] up north and Thousand Oaks, which back then actually had 1,000 oaks [trees]," he said, laughing.

"There's no way a Western series could be filmed the way we did 'Wagon Train,'" Fuller added. "No way. First of all, there are no picture horses left. Back in the day, there were two large horse ranches in Hollywood that had 1,000 picture horses apiece. These horses were trained to stand still in front of a camera, do falls, tricks, move to a mark on cue. And many of the guys who did these shows were real cowboys. They were all Western riders. They're all gone now."

That attention to detail and realism it was set "Wagon Train" apart from its contemporaries, including "Bonanza" and "Gunsmoke."

"No other series attempted a full season of 90-minute episodes in color because the budget was outrageous for the day," Fuller said. "And look at the wardrobe on 'Bonanza.' All those tailored, made-to-fit clothes. Look at those great-looking pants that Michael Landon wore (laughs) -- and they never got dirty. 'Gunsmoke' was shot entirely on a soundstage. Those shows were good, but we were worlds apart."

Fuller would go on to star in numerous television series and guest star on countless others, most notably "Emergency!" in which he starred as Dr. Kelly Brackett for seven years in the 1970s. He now makes his home on a sprawling ranch in Texas with his wife, actress Jennifer Savidge ("St. Elsewhere").

"I think this DVD set is really going to make a lot of folks very happy, folks who remember the show from their youth," Fuller said. "But I also think it's gonna make a whole new generation see what television could do very well, and what an important, exciting series 'Wagon Train' was"

Beautifully remasters and the interviews were wonderful. So many fond days came back of all those great old tv westerns of yesteryear. The old time belief that they were too violent, geez, they are mild compared with the stuff they show on tv. These were tame, taught good lessons and it's a shame more of them are not available to show to our children and grandchildren. The days of the westerns seem to be over, what a loss and shame, but thank goodness to such people as those at Timeless to bring back those gold old westerns. I wish I could list a bunch more I'd love to see to share with my family. I'm glad I lived through that magical period, tv was worth watching back then.

Gotta tell ya, I am sooooooo glad I purchased this set! Video and audio quality are great, but it's the shows that are worth their weight in gold. Where on TV today could you find something like this: Barbara Stanwyck turning a young woman toward a church to "find" her Father there, after being disappointed in her earthly parent? I'm not a Bible-beater, but I hate most of the crap on TV nowadays. I loved this show as a kid, and now, as soon as the theme song comes on, I'm catapulted back to that much more simple time, with no swearing or nudity or lewd behavior - just good old fashioned morals and a happy ending. That's what entertainment is - to me, anyway. I HIGHLY recommend this set!

Thought this would be helpfull as I wanted to know myself BEFORE I spent my money:

Disc #1 -- Wagon Tran: The Complete Color Season
The Molly Kincaid Story
The Fort Pierce Story
The Gus Morgan Story
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Disc #2 -- Wagon Tran: The Complete Color Season
The Widow O'Rourke Story
Robert Harrison Clarke Story
The Myra Marshall Story
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Disc #3 -- Wagon Tran: The Complete Color Season
The Sam Spicer Story
The Sam Pulaski Story
The Eli Bancroft Story
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Disc #4 -- Wagon Tran: The Complete Color Season
The Kitty Pryer Story
The Sandra Cummings Story
The Bleecker Story
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Disc #5 -- Wagon Tran: The Complete Color Season
The Story of Cain
The Cassie Vance Story
The Fenton Canaby Story
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Disc #6 -- Wagon Tran: The Complete Color Season
The Michael Malone Story
The Jed Whitmore Story
The Geneva Balfour Story
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Disc #7 -- Wagon Tran: The Complete Color Season
The Kate Crawley Story
The Grover Allen Story
The Andrew Elliott Story
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Disc #8 -- Wagon Tran: The Complete Color Season
The Melanie Craig Story
The Pearlie Grant Story
The Trace McCloud Story
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Disc #9 -- Wagon Tran: The Complete Color Season
The Duncan McIvor Story
The Ben Engel Story
The Whipping
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Disc #10 -- Wagon Tran: The Complete Color Season
The Santiago Quesada Story
The Stark Bluff Story
The Link Cheney Story
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Disc #11 -- Wagon Tran: The Complete Color Season
The Zebedee Titus Story
The Last Circle Up
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Disc #12 -- Wagon Tran: The Complete Color Season
The Clara Beauchamp Story
The Zeke Thomas Story
The Cliff Grundy Story
A Man Called Horse
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Disc #13 -- Wagon Tran: The Complete Color Season
The Old Man Charvanaugh Story
The Kitty Angel Story
Chuck Wooster, Wagonmaster
The Jess Macabee Story
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Disc #14 -- Wagon Tran: The Complete Color Season
The Larry Hanify Story
The Patience Miller Story
The Duke Shannon Story
Clyde
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Disc #15 -- Wagon Tran: The Complete Color Season
The Mavis Grant Story
The Sam Darland Story
Little Girl Lost
The Katy Piper Story
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Disc #16 -- Wagon Tran: The Complete Color Season
Denny Miller Interview
Robert Fuller Interview

This is a fantastic collection from the Wagon Train TV series. It is a 16 disc set and is well worth the money. The picture and sound quality are excellent. These are classic TV westerns and I only hope they will put ALL of the Wagon Train episodes out on DVD.

At the new sales price this is a great value for an excellent western series. All the extended 90 minute color episodes from the '63 season plus 16 classic black & white episodes from prior seasons. The DVD picture and sound quality is good. It's a real pleasure to watch the fine acting, excellent guest stars, and innovative plots from TV's golden years.

Well, this was so much fun! SO many discs! The quality's great and the shows are so much fun to watch. I've only watched three of the MANY discs so far, and every show has a big name star from that era in the movie. I guess I'd forgotten that when I read the discription.
It's almost as much fun waiting to see who the guest star is going to be on each episode as it is to watch the guys who were the regulars on the show. (It was good to see all of them again.) The thing I like the best and had forgotten is that a lot of the shows don't really happen around the wagon train. Someone's always "venturing off" the trail" and the show takes place in a new place. I've ordered lots of westerns from that time period and I've enjoyed them all too, but watching W.T., you can see that it was way ahead of it's time as for quality and entertainment. You won't be sorry if you order this and love westerns or ANY of the MANY actors of that time. It sure takes you back to a gentler time.

I bought this last night at Sams Club for $49.88. I wonder if it was mis-marked. Seems kind of cheap.

Also, if you bought the previous set of Wagon Train Going West that contained 12 episodes, none of those episodes are repeated in the bonus black and white episodes of the color season.

I haven't had a chance to watch any of the color shows yet.

pk

I just bought this at Sams Club for $44 and it was around that on here a couple weeks ago. What happened? Its a great set, the equivalent of 35-42 or so Western 50's movies, so it may still be a great value at this price but you can probably find it cheaper elsewhere.

The all color Wagon Train is wonderful,and I recommend it to all western lovers.The interviews are great.I liked seeing what Robert Fuller looks like after so many years.He was soooo good looking and is still a handsome man.Even though they aren't in color I will order more of this wonderful series.