![]() The idea of shortening the barrel on a Winchester carbine wasn't new. (Most often three guns are built for any film or series to ensure a damaged or broken gun does not delay production). 44-40, the Model 1892 used for the show was an original working gun and the price of the Winchester and its modifications set the studio back a tidy $1,100 in 1958 and they had to build three. For McQueen's character, the writers and prooducer John Robinson decided upon something truly different, a sawed-off Winchester Model 1892 rifle with a big ring lever, similar to John Wayne's famed Winchester repeater.Ĭhambered in. In the 1950s and 1960s almost every western character had a gimmmick, whether it was their wardrobe, an unusual hat, or a fancy gun. The movie launched McQueen's film career just as Wanted Dead or Alive ended its run in March 1961. His brooding, softspoken character, Josh Randall, was so well received by audiences and critics alike, that he was cast in the 1960 film " The Magnificent Seven" playing opposite Yul Brynner and fellow television actors James Coburn, Charles Bronson, and Robert Vaughn. The series launched McQueen's career, making him one of the few television actors to make the transition to film star, and a legendary one at that. In almost every episode he spoke and walked softly, but like Theodore Roosevelt, believed In carrying a big stick! McQueen played Randall as a man of few words, more adept at using his gun than rattling off long dialogues. Wayne, Indiana.Ģ) McQueen practlced every day to perfect his fast draw with the Winchester until he was as quick as a sixgunner.ģ) Josh Randall was played as a very polite and respectful cowboy, not at all the type you would expect to make a living as a bounty hunter.Ĥ) Josh Randall was almost too kind to be in his profession, and often gave half or all of his reward money to good causes. Wanted Dead or Alive ran from 1958 to 1961, outlasting Trackdown, which aired from 1957 to 1959.ġ) Steve McQueen was 28 years old when he began his TV career as bounty hunter Josh Randall on "Wanted Dead or Alive." His signature gun was a sawed-off Winchester Model 1892 carbine, recreated here by J.B. Others like Bonanza (1959-1973), Wagon Train (1957-1965), The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1955-1961), and Gunsmoke (1955-1975), stayed on for years, and in Gunsmoke's case, two decades, plus several made-for-TV movies. ![]() Between the three major networks, CBS, ABC and NBC, there were nearly 60 westerns or western-themed shows during the 1950s and 1960s, many of which lasted only one or two seasons. That episode, titled "The Bounty Hunter," ( this episode has also been listed as "The Bounty Man" ) introduced Steve McQueen as Josh Randall and aired on March 1958, on CBS. The first episode was actually a spin-off from the hit western " Trackdown" starring Robert Culp as Texas Ranger Hoby Gilman. ![]() Steve McQueen's cut-down Winchester - TV Westerns' TOP GUN!īACK IN THE HEYDAY OF THE TELEVISION WESTERN, the 1950s and 1960s, there were more horse operas than any other type of show on the air, and many, like Wanted Dead or Alive, managed to tell a credible story in only 30 minutes, and do it in black and white with just a few commercial interruptions. ![]()
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