Cheyenne Meets Coop

Boot Hill-1969

Bud Spencer and Terence Hill starred as Hutch Bessy and Cat Stevens in a trio of late-60s westerns. Hill was cast and given his new name due to his strong resemblance to spaghetti western star Franco Nero. When it looked like Nero was going Hollywood with Camelot, Italian cinema was pleased to find a replacement.

This third movie in the loose trilogy is unique in that it features a bit of an all-star cast. US film veterans Woody Strode, Lionel Stander (a longtime expatriate due to his problems with the House Un-American Activities Committee) and Eduardo Cianelli and relative newcomer Victor Buono (BATMAN's King Tut) holds his own.

Hill and Spencer would redefine their roles into lighthearted versions soon afterwards in THEY CALL ME TRINITY. The pair would go on to make 18 films together covering just about every genre.

Hill would later take his lighthearted cowboy to International TV with LUCKY LUKE.

Billy West Comics

No relation to the famous voiceover actor.

Gunsmoke

In the long run, it's hard to deny that GUNSMOKE--radio's greatest western drama--was also TV's greatest. Running for more than 20 years and later restricted by new television guidelines against violence, it nonetheless featured moving stories of unforgettable characters headed by James Arness as Matt Dillon. Always publicity-shy, the late TV GUIDE appearance seen here shows that Arness couldn't even bring himself to show up for photo ops!

DC Westerns

The DC comics westerns, some of the last in mainstream comics, continued until the early 1980s.

Rocky Lane For Carnation Malted Milk

Roy Rogers Bookmark

Tex Ritter Comics

John Ritter's dad, Tex Ritter, had retired from acting by the time his old films reappeared on TV in the 1950s, choosing instead to continue on as a country and western recording artist. This didn't stop his Fawcett comic books from cashing in on his newfound popularity and when Fawcett got out of the comics business, Charlton picked up the title!

A Selection of B Western Posters

The art of the B Western poster, although logically dominated by sixguns, ten gallon hats and horses, was unique in the field, as witness these few colorful examples.

Red River

On anybody's short list of the best Westerns ever made!

TV Goes Wild Over Westerns--From LIFE

Who Is the Lone Ranger-1956

Wild West Picture Library

This UK ad gives a mild indication of just how popular stories of the American West had become in Great Britain.

Alias Zorro

Here's a nice, long vintage article on Guy Williams' now classic Disney ZORRO series!

Rare Lone Ranger

Here's the cover to a 1939 Lone Ranger book. It's too thin to be a pulp but it's similar with lots of illustrations highlighting a basically text story. 

The Marketing of Hopalong Cassidy