Classic TV Westerns- Maverick (1957-1962)

[ethanedwards]

MAVERICK

WARNER BROTHERS TELEVISION

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Information From IMDb

Plot Summary
Brett and Bart Maverick (and in later seasons, their English cousin, Bo) are well dressed gamblers who migrate from town to town always looking for a good game. Poker (5 card draw) is their favorite but they've been known to play such odd card games as Three-toed Sloth on occasion. The show would occasionally feature both or all three Mavericks, but usually would rotate the central character from week to week. Cross-over appearances from the other Warner Brothers western programs were an occasional feature. First seen as a drama, the show began to develop a sense of humor in the first season that carried it through it's run. Written by John Vogel

Brothers Bret and Bart Maverick (usually separately, but sometimes together) travel across the West trying to stay out of trouble and make a lot of money. The Mavericks preferred playing cards rather than engaging in any sort of manual labor, and, if in trouble, would prefer to leave town than stay and fight. Always conceived as a satire of Westerns, the series later featured the exploits of younger brother Brent and cousin Beau after the departure of actor James Garner. Written by Marty McKee

Series Cast
Jack Kelly ... Bart Maverick / ... (46 episodes, 1957-1962)
James Garner ... Bret Maverick / ... (39 episodes, 1957-1960)
Edwin Reimers ... Announcer (12 episodes, 1957-1961)
Kathleen Crowley ... Marla / ... (8 episodes, 1957-1962)
Chubby Johnson ... Andy Gish, Stagedriver / ... (8 episodes, 1957-1961)
Tol Avery ... Cyrus Murdock / ... (7 episodes, 1957-1962)
Gerald Mohr ... Doc Holliday / ... (7 episodes, 1957-1961)
Gage Clarke ... Bradshaw / ... (7 episodes, 1958-1962)
Diane Brewster ... Samantha Crawford / ... (6 episodes, 1957-1959)
Roger Moore ... Beauregarde Maverick / ... (6 episodes, 1959-1961)

Series Directed
Leslie H. Martinson (18 episodes, 1957-1961)
Douglas Heyes (13 episodes, 1957-1959)
Richard L. Bare (11 episodes, 1957-1959)
Arthur Lubin (11 episodes, 1959-1960)
Budd Boetticher (3 episodes, 1957)
George Waggner (3 episodes, 1959-1961)

Series Writing Credits
Douglas Heyes (11 episodes, 1957-1959)
Howard Browne (10 episodes, 1957-1961)
and many more...

Trivia
* James Garner claimed that during filming one day they had less than an hour until overtime would have to be paid, but they still needed to shoot a complicated fight scene. Spying a group of tall weeds, he suggested that he throw his opponent into the weeds and have the fight proceed with much shaking of the weeds, and people being ejected from the weeds, only to immediately run back in. The results were extremely funny, and thus the cast and crew began to look for "funny" ways to cut corners, turning the show into a semi-comedy.

* Series creator Roy Huggins never received on-screen credit for this show. In the 1950s Warner Bros. wanted to avoid paying royalties to creators and wanted all television projects to be based on properties held by the studio. The "pilot" episode was based on a Warners-held book, "War of the Copper Kings"; Huggins' script became episode 1.2. Huggins wouldn't get credit until Maverick (1994), the film version with Mel Gibson.

* In 1960, James Garner sued the Warner Brothers studio for breach of contract, arising from his suspension during the writers' strike of that year. Warner claimed that there were no scripts available during the strike, and were, therefore justified in suspending Garner without pay. However, it was learned during court testimony that the studio had secretly obtained approximately 100 television scripts during the strike. Eventually, the Los Angeles Superior Court ruled in favor of Garner, and he was released from his contract with the series.

Memorable quotes
General Eakins: Did your Pappy have something funny to say about money?
Bret: No, he spoke very highly of it.
Bret: I admit I'm not too good with a gun, but I like to think the next man is worse.
Bret Maverick: As my old pappy used to say, work is fine for killin' time, but it's a shaky way to make a living.
Bret Maverick: As my old pappy used to say, a man does what he has to do - if he can't get out of it.
Bret: A man who shouts brave and loud, then runs when he gets answered, makes me sick.
Bret: Waco, I've never seen a man do so many things wrong. Have you ever been in a gulf hurricane?
Waco Williams: Nope.
Bret: Well, it's the big pine trees and the thick oak trees that get uprooted first. The palm trees are smart - they give with the wind.
Waco Williams: That sounds like pretty good advice for trees.
Bret: They live a long time.
Bret: My Pappy always said, "A coward dies a thousand deaths, a hero dies but one." A thousand to one is pretty good odds.
Bret Maverick: As my old pappy used to say, if at first you don't succeed, try something else.
Pappy Maverick: A man does what he has to do - if he can't get out of it.
Bret Maverick: Never cry over spilt milk. It could've been whiskey.
Bret Maverick: As my old pappy used to say, "Son, stay clear of weddings because one of them is liable to be your own."
Pappy Maverick: Son, hard work never hurt anyone - who didn't do it.
Bret Maverick: As my old pappy used to say, it would be a pitiful thing if you had to work for a living. Son, use your wits; the Good Lord didn't give you brains.
Bret Maverick: Jed, only one man in a hundred plays poker by the odds. Luck's only important when you sit down with men who play as tight as you do. When I find that out I quit. It's *gambling*.
Bret Maverick: Cole, as my old pappy always taught me, the only time you ever quit when you're winnin' is after you've won it all.
Bart Maverick: As my pappy used to say, "Son, the best time to get lucky is when the other man's dealin'."
Beauregard 'Pappy' Maverick: Son, as my old pappy used to say, if you're ever served a rare steak that is intended for someone else, don't bother with ethical details - eat as much as you can before the mistake is discovered.
Bret Maverick: As my old pappy used to say, a fox isn't sly; he just can't think any slower.
Bret Maverick: As my old pappy used to say, you can be a gentleman and still not forget all you know about self-defense.

Filming Locations
Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park - 10700 W. Escondido Canyon Rd., Agua Dulce, California, USA
Western Street, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA