| Alias Smith and Jones | |
|---|---|
| Format | Western |
| Created by | Glen A. Larson |
| Starring | Pete Duel Ben Murphy Roger Davis |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 50 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | approx. 50 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ABC |
| Original run | January 5, 1971 – January 13, 1973 |
| External links | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
Alias Smith and Jones was a Western television series on ABC between 1971 to 1973. It starred Pete Duel as Hannibal Heyes and Ben Murphy as Kid Curry, a pair of Western outlaws trying to reform. When Duel died suddenly on December 31, 1971 (reportedly of a self-inflicted gunshot), an attempt was made to continue the series with another actor, Roger Davis, in the role of Heyes. The series continued for another seventeen episodes, but never regained its popularity after the loss of Duel. Davis first voiced the intro theme, which explained the storyline. When he was hired to play Heyes/Smith, Ralph Story assumed the intro narration. In the final season the intro referred to Heyes and Curry as "Kansas cousins". Two episodes that season also made reference to them as cousins.
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Inspiration
Alias Smith and Jones was made in the same spirit as many other American TV series, from The Fugitive to Renegade, about men on the run crisscrossing America and getting involved in the personal lives of the people they meet. One major difference was that Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry WERE GUILTY of the crimes that they were accused of committing, but were trying to turn a new leaf. The series was inspired by the success of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid starring Robert Redford and Paul Newman. There were a number of connecting themes: one of the heroes was named Kid Curry which was also the nickname of Harvey Logan, an associate of the real Butch Cassidy (unlike the TV version however, the real Kid Curry was a cold-blooded killer). The series also featured a group of outlaws called the Devil's Hole Gang which was based on the Hole in the Wall Gang from where Cassidy recruited most of his outlaws. However, in order to give them an element of sympathy, Heyes and Curry were presented as men who avoided bloodshed (though Curry did once kill in self-defence) and trying to reform.
Premise
Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry are the two most successful outlaws in the history of the west. However, the west is starting to catch up with the modern world: safes are becoming harder to crack and posses are becoming quicker at tracking them down. Heyes, the leader of the Devil's Hole Gang, falls out with the other members and he and Curry decide to "get out of this business". Since they have never killed anyone, they qualify for pardons. Through an old acquaintance, Sheriff Lom Trevors (Mike Road), they manage to contact the State Governor. He agrees to grant them amnesty, but cannot do so openly without angering the public. He therefore makes a deal with them: if they can stay out of trouble for a year and not tell anyone about their arrangement, they will be cleared of all charges. However, the straight and narrow path is not easily traveled. Heyes and Curry (now calling themselves Joshua Smith and Thaddeus Jones) often find themselves tangling with lawmen, bounty hunters and Bannerman detectives, not to mention other outlaws. To get out of these sticky situations, they must rely on Heyes' silver tongue, Curry's fast draw, and occasionally a little help from their friends from both sides of the law.
Characters
The series' stars are Hannibal Heyes (originally Duel, later Davis) and Kid Curry (Murphy), two reformed bank and train robbers who, in an effort to win amnesty, adopt the aliases of Joshua Smith and Thaddeus Jones . Heyes was deemed "cunning", and Curry was "gunning". Heyes/Smith was considered the brains of the duo, and a card shark. Curry/Jones was the master marksman, and the brawn. Usually, Heyes figured out ways to make money and save the twosome from precarious situations. Recurring characters include:
- Kyle Murtry (Dennis Fimple) and Wheat Carlson (Earl Holliman), members of the Devil's Hole Gang, formerly led by Heyes and Curry;
- Harry Briscoe (J.D. Cannon), a Bannerman detective who occasionally finds himself on the wrong side of the law;
- Patrick McCreedy (Burl Ives) and Señor Armendariz (Cesar Romero), two ranchers waging a feud over a valuable bust and in which Heyes and Curry get stuck in the middle;
- Clementine Hale (Sally Field), an old friend who has no problem with blackmailing the reformed outlaws when necessary;
- Soapy Saunders (Sam Jaffe) and Silky O'Sullivan (Walter Brennan), both retired confidence men that the boys call on when in need of a large sum of cash and a good con to get them out of trouble.
Episode guide
Production notes
- Filming was not halted immediately following the news of Pete Duel's death. Instead, the crew was ordered to film around his role until a decision was made as to the future of the series.
References in other works
- The title was parodied in the 1980s British comedy series Alas Smith and Jones.
- The title was also parodied in Smith and Jones, a 2007 episode of Doctor Who
DVD releases
The complete first season was released on region 1 DVD on February 20 2007.
Memorable quotes
- Narrator: " Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry: the two most successful outlaws in the history of the West. And in all the trains and banks they robbed they never shot anyone. This made our two-latter day Robin Hoods very popular with everyone but the railroads and the banks".
- Narrator: "Into the west came many men. Some were good men and some were bad men. Some were good men that had some bad in them, and some were bad men that had some good in them. This is the story of two pretty good bad men."
- Kid Curry: "There's one thing we got to get Heyes"; Heyes: "What's that ?"; Kid Curry: "Outta this business!"
- Wheat Carlson: "If it don't involve dynamite, it ain't gonna work."
- Hannibal Heyes: "You know ever since you became a dancer you've been some prima donna!"
- Kyle Murtry: "That's the dirtiest trick I've ever heard of... but I like it."
- Harry Briscoe: "Remember! A Bannerman man never forgets!"
- Kid Curry: "I'd say 'tender' but then you'd feel called upon to say something clever and I'd have to kill ya."
- Sister Julia: "By any chance are you two gentlemen Catholics?"
Kid Curry: "No, uh, Kansans, ma'am." - Hannibal Heyes: "Alright? I'm better'n alright. I'm brilliant."
Trivia
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Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones. |
- Duel's sister Pamela appeared on a 1983 episode of The 700 Club discussing Duel's depression. The actor did mention suicide to her saying, "I've been watching you, your stability. I think you can endure it".
- Today, Roger Davis is a successful California real estate developer.
- Ben Murphy continues to act and is very popular in Great Britain, having made "meet and greet" appearances in England in summer of 2006.
- Gene Roddenberry, of Star Trek fame, wrote the story for the episode "The Girl in Boxcar #3."
Further reading
- Sagala, Sandra K. & Bagwell, JoAnne M. (2005). Alias Smith & Jones - The Story of Two Pretty Bad Men. Albany: BearManor Media ISBN 1-59393-031-3
