| The Rebel | |
|---|---|
| Format | Western |
| Created by | Andrew J. Fenady Nick Adams |
| Starring | Nick Adams |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| No. of episodes | 76 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes (per episode) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ABC |
| Original run | October 4, 1959 – June 18, 1961 |
| External links | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
The Rebel was an American Western television series that ran originally on the ABC network from 1959 to 1961.
Contents |
Synopsis
The series is about the adventures of young Confederate Army veteran Johnny Yuma (played by Nick Adams). Haunted by his memories of the war, Yuma roams the American West in search of inner peace. Yuma keeps a journal of his adventures and fights injustice where he finds it with the help of a double-barreled shotgun having a sawed-off stock and barrel.
Cast
Nick Adams was the star and sole regular actor of this series. He was also involved in the show's design, inception, and writing, along with producer Andrew J. Fenady. The only other recurring character was Elmer Dodson (played by John Carradine), the newspaper editor in Johnny Yuma's hometown.
Series Highlights
The first episode, "Johnny Yuma", is set in early 1867. It shows Johnny Yuma returning to his hometown, the fictional Mason City, Texas, two years after the war ended. His father Ned Yuma was the town sheriff. The town editor, Elmer Dodson, encourages Johnny to keep up his journal as he travels. The episode "Yellowhair" has Yuma captured by the historical Kiowa chief Santanta, whose fictional adopted white daughter is played by Carol Nugent, the wife of actor Nick Adams. In "Vicious Circle", Yuma identifies the Confederate unit he served with as the 3rd Texas, but doesn't indicate the branch of service. Other episodes show him with saddlebags stenciled with CSA and an old uniform jacket with yellow collar and cuffs, indicating his regiment was likely the 3rd Texas Cavalry. After the show's original broadcast run on ABC finished in June 1961, it was picked up by NBC and rerun as a summer replacement series from June to September of 1962.
Theme song
The show’s theme song, The Ballad of Johnny Yuma, was composed by Richard Markowitz, with lyrics by Andrew J. Fenady. It was recorded for the original broadcasts by Johnny Cash, but wasn't released as a single until after the show went off the air in June 1961. Sometime during the show's run in syndication, the theme song was replaced by instrumental music, also by Richard Markowitz.
Popular Culture
Two episodes of the sitcom Seinfeld referenced the first line of the Johnny Yuma theme song.
