Boxcars711 Overnight Western - Tales Of The Texas Rangers "Death In The Cards" (2-14-51)

Boxcars711 Overnight Western - Tales Of The Texas Rangers "Death In The Cards" (Aired February 14, 1951)


Tales of the Texas Rangers, a western adventure old-time radio drama, premiered on July 8, 1950, on the US NBC radio network and remained on the air through September 14, 1952. Movie star Joel McCrea starred as Texas Ranger Jayce Pearson, who used the latest scientific techniques to identify the criminals and his faithful horse, Charcoal, to track them down. The shows were reenactments of actual Texas Ranger cases. The series was produced and directed by Stacy Keach, Sr., and was sponsored for part of its run by Wheaties. Captain Manuel T. "Lone Wolf" Gonzaullas, a Ranger for 30 years and who was said to have killed 31 men during his career, served as consultant for the series. The series was adapted for television from 1955 to 1957. During the opening and closing credits of the TV show, the actors would march toward the camera and sing the theme song, "We are the Texas Rangers", to the tune of "The Eyes of Texas Are Upon You", which is also the tune of "I've Been Working on the Railroad". The radio series used contemporary cases and modern detective methods to solve crimes. It was a procedural drama, in many ways Dragnet with a Western flavor. The TV series did both modern cases and cases set in the "Old West." With new cases using a car with horse float to get the rangers to their destinations it always made sure that the use of horses was only a step away. With older themes they would always ride into town on the horses to mete out their justice, they wore differing ranger attire for new and old scenes, also their weaponry was totally different. The TV show was aimed at kids (and aired on Saturday mornings) and was more of a traditional Western (with chases and shoot-outs).

THIS EPISODE:

February 14, 1951. NBC network. "Death In The Cards". Sustaining. Based on events of January 26, 1947. A double murder is blamed on a gambler with red hair, but hoofprints in the frost give Jace Pearson an important clue. Byron Kane, Ernest Newton, Hal Gibney (announcer), Jeanette Nolan, Joel McCrea, Michael Ann Barrett, Parley Baer, Stacy Keach (producer, director), Tony Barrett, William Johnstone (doubles), Bob Wright (writer), M. T. Lone Wolf Gonzaullas (technical advisor). 29:34.

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