I became WYATT EARP! Hugh O’Brian! R.I.P. Our 1st AWOW Guest in 2013 plus 1st TV episode in 1955!

TV’s 1st adult western was THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF WYATT EARP starring a young unknown, Hugh O’Brian. The ABC series debuted September 6, 1955, beating GUNSMOKE by 5 days. Both became hits and helped usher in the guns-a-blazing cowboy craze that dominated TV and the ratings for over a decade.

Hugh (April 19, 1925-Sept 5, 2016) became forever identified with the legendary lawman and reprised his role several times, for Bob Hope in ALIAS JESSE JAMES (1959), in the “Gathering of Guns” 2-part episode of PARADISE (1989), in THE GAMBLER RETURNS: THE LUCK OF THE DRAW (1990) and in WYATT EARP: RETURN TO TOMBSTONE (1994), his last appearance as Earp.

In the Fall of 2013, we began an experimental interview series set up inside the Autry Museum’s Sagebrush Café. It was a test to see if we’d be able to have a Cowboy Lunch followed by celebrity interviews about westerns with performers and filmmakers who had contributed to the genre. Hugh was one of our first “victims” and he sort of turned the tables on me by refusing to leave the table where he’d had lunch in the packed room. We had an audience of fans, friends, and kitchen help.

What you are about to see in this A WORD ON WESTERNS episode is footage of Hugh from Nov 20, 2013 in the cafe, with me trying to keep things moving and coherent. I was never really sure any of it was usable. But with Hugh being TV’s quintessential Wyatt Earp, and the icon that he is, I thought it should be edited and posted on our YouTube channel to share with his fans. As a bonus, the very first episode of THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF WYATT EARP, “Wyatt Earp Becomes a Marshal,” follows the interview.

Thanks for watching this special episode of our series. Don’t forget to Subscribe and Share this episode of A WORD ON WESTERNS. If you’re one of our Patreon Members, you are helping deliver quality programs and, as a member, can watch them with no commercials. We appreciate your support.
  / awow  

#wyattearp #classics #western #actor #hero #famouspeople #interview #tv #tvclassics #tvwestern
#awordonwesterns #tvwesternepisode #free #awordonwesterns #robword #hughobrian #burceboxleitner #goldenboot #hollywood #classictv #geneautry #talkshow #interview #interviewer #marshall #lawman #characteractor #marine #top10 #batmasterson