zardoz-13 When "Chisum" writer & producer Andrew J. Fenady developed Louis L'Amour's vintage western novel "Hondo" for television, he changed a few things. None of his changes, however, constituted literary heresy. Anybody who knows anything about "Hondo" knows that John Wayne starred in the 1953 movie for Batjac, his own production company, with "Wake Island" director John Farrow at the helm. If you scrutinize the television series' closing credits, you'll see Batjac is listed as the production company and John Wayne's younger brother Robert Morrison received credit as an associate producer. Fenady based the series not only on L'Amour's novel but also scenarist James Edward Grant's screenplay. For the record, the film was drawn from a L'Amour short story entitled ""The Gift of Cochise," and afterward the author expanded it into a novel. The changes involve a slight shift in setting, a change of occupation for the original villain, and Hondo's decision to serve as an U.S. Army Scout. Some names were altered, too. Primarily, Mrs. Angie Low (Geraldine Page in the original) became Angie Dow. Hondo saved Mrs. Lowe from the Indians in the original movie and encountered Apache chieftain Vittorio (Michael Pate) who felt that the abandoned Ms. Low should have a father to help raise her impressionable adolescent son Johnny. Meantime, in the television series, Hondo Lane (Ralph Taeger of "The Carpetbaggers") rides to the rescue of Angie Dow (Kathie Browne of "The Brass Bottle") as three armed and howling Indians are riding in circles around her and her terrified nine-year old son Johnny Dow (Buddy Foster of "Angel in My Pocket") in the middle of desert. It seems Mrs. Dow was driving a wagon load of supplies to a nearby relay station when the savages struck. Although the character that he plays died in the original movie, Michael Pate returns as Vittorio, but he has little to do with Mrs. Dow than Mrs. Lowe. He spends more time with Hondo as the latter struggles to maintain peace between the settlers and the savages. Instead of working a ranch while her worthless husband goes off on binges with liquor and gambling, Angie operates a general store at the cavalry fort. Hondo killed her husband in the movie without knowing who he was, and Hondo kills Mrs. Dow's husband when another man and he tried to dry-gulch him at the gravesite of his late wife in the desert. Like the movie, Mrs. Dow prefers to explain the complicated circumstances surrounding her husband's demise to her son. Indeed, shifting the female lead from an isolated ranch to the general store in the town at the fort centralizes the action. This way she can appear as a series regular, and Hondo doesn't have to ride away from the fort to visit her.Initially, former Confederate officer Hondo Lane is a wanted man with an inevitable reputation as a fighter. He married an Apache woman and lived with her tribe until she was slaughtered during a massacre; Hondo's wife was the daughter of Vittorio. Vittorio still considers Hondo like a son. General Phil Sheridan (Gary Merrill of "Ride Beyond Vengeance") summons Hondo to his train in the middle of nowhere for a conference. Basically, Sheridan admires Hondo and requests that he serve as a go-between the Army and Vittorio, and Hondo accepts this peace-keeping assignment. Hondo works out of Fort Lowell, and his immediate superior is Captain Richards (Gary Clarke of "The Virginian"). Sheridan and his subordinate, Colonel George Crook (William Bryant of "McQ"), have removed a $1000 bounty from Hondo Lane's head. Nevertheless, these out-of-date dodgers with Hondo's name on them litter the territory. Angie Dow's antagonistic husband, Ed Dow (John Smith of "Laramie"), does his best to shoot Hondo in the back because Hondo interrupted a poke game. Hondo sought words with another long-time friend and Army Scout, Buffalo Baker (Noah Beery Jr. of "The Rockford Files"), who also wanted to leave the game. The drunken Dow tried to assault Hondo, and Hondo decked him easily with a blow to the face. Afterward, the vindictive Dow plotted to kill Hondo. Further, once he knew who Hondo was, Ed Dow refused to allow Hondo to go anywhere near his son and wife. Moreover, he insinuated that during the night that Hondo and Mrs. Dow with Johnny spent in the desert together after the Indian attack that his wife wanted to sleep with the Army Scout."Hondo" qualifies as an above-average western, but it didn't last an entire season. The series appeared during the 1967 season, and it didn't stand a chance against "Star Trek" on NBC-TV and "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C" on CBS-TV. The show ran for 17 episodes on ABC-TV, and the network canceled it. Nevertheless, the series is available on DVD now, and I've enjoyed reliving it because I grew up watching it when it was originally broadcast. Furthermore, I wrote to the local ABC-TV affiliate in Birmingham to protest the cancellation of the series.

Cheyenne-Bodie John Wayne played Hondo in the 1953 movie. Wayne's production company Batjac produced this series. Wayne and company may have been hoping for another "Gunsmoke".James Arness had once been under contract to John Wayne, and he even had a role in the movie "Hondo". Arness became a legend as Matt Dillon. Peter Graves, brother of James Arness, was first offered the lead in "Hondo". But Graves turned it down. Graves had already starred in "Fury", "Whiplash" and "Court Martial". Instead of taking the role of Hondo, Graves signed on to replace Steven Hill in "Mission Impossible". Graves started "Mission Impossible" in 1967, the year "Hondo" was on.Ralph Taeger had starred with James Coburn in "Klondike" in 1960. "Klondike" didn't catch on, but NBC liked the two stars well enough to immediately give them a new show called "Acapulco". Telly Savalas also starred in "Acapulco". The show lasted only eight episodes, despite three marvelous leads and a glamorous setting.Ralph Taeger got one final chance at series stardom six year later. Taeger made a fine Hondo Lane. Gary Clarke ("Michael Shayne", "The Virginian") was also good as a calvary officer. Delightful Kathie Browne ("Slattery's People") played Hondo's love interest. Movie great Robert Taylor ("The Detectives") guest starred in the pilot.The producer of this series was Andrew Fenady, who had done a fine job with "The Rebel". Peter Graves had previously played a private detective in an unsold pilot for Fenady called "Las Vegas Beat"."Hondo" was a big budget, ambitious effort. Like the TV version of "Shane" with David Carradine, "Hondo" was a near miss that had considerable charm.Many years later, the seventeen episodes of "Hondo" were played over and over on cable. It was such a cult phenomenon that the Wall Street Journal did an article about "Hondo" and Ralph Taeger.