Overland Trail (1960– )

Overland Trail premiered in 1960 which was the height of an era when westerns were just dominating prime time viewing. It was an entertaining sort and it starred William Bendix who was never bad in anything as a gruff and hearty supervisor of the Overland Stage Lines and his young sidekick Doug McClure. Bendix was a troubleshooter and usually had to shoot some trouble that McClure got in. McClure was an orphan kid who Bendix raised and taught the business. Apparently McClure learned the facts of life on his own because he was constantly getting involved with one female or another. With those California surfer boy looks, McClure was to guarantee a young audience.

Which sadly never materialized. Bendix who made radio and television history as the ever put upon Chester A. Riley in The Life Of Riley just went back to feature films. As for McClure he found television immortality in The Virginian and any number of action/adventure films in his life.

Overland Trail never found its audience. I remember it being on Sunday night and Sunday nights had Steve Allen, Ed Sullivan, Maverick and Lassie on so it was a tough field.

Bendix always hawked the virtues of the Concord stages that Overland Stage used. I can still hear him saying the title quote in one of the episodes.