Classic TV Westerns- F Troop (1965–1967)

[ethanedwards]

F TROOP

WARNER BROTHERS TELEVISION

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Information From IMDb

Plot Summary
Becoming a hero by accidentally leading a cavalry charge the wrong way,
Lieutenant Wilton Parmenter is given command of Fort Courage.
The Fort's crafty Sgt. O'Rourke has a deal with the local Hekawi Indians
to market their wares to the tourists.
They must sometimes pretend to be enemies (and the Shugs really are enemies).
Jane is out to marry the innocent Parmenter.
Written by Ed Stephan

Series Cast
Forrest Tucker ... Sgt. Morgan O'Rourke / ... (65 episodes, 1965-1967)
Larry Storch ... Cpl. Randolph Agarn / ... (65 episodes, 1965-1967)
Ken Berry ... Capt. Wilton Parmenter / ... (65 episodes, 1965-1967)
Melody Patterson ... Wrangler Jane Angelica Thrift (65 episodes, 1965-1967)
James Hampton ... Hannibal Dobbs / ... (65 episodes, 1965-1967)
Frank DeKova ... Chief Wild Eagle / ... (63 episodes, 1965-1967)
Bob Steele ... Trooper Duffy (63 episodes, 1965-1967)
Ben Frommer ... Smokey Bear / ... (52 episodes, 1965-1967)
Don Diamond ... Crazy Cat / ... (50 episodes, 1965-1967)
Joe Brooks ... Trooper Vanderbilt / ... (48 episodes, 1965-1967)
Ivan Bell ... Trooper Duddleson / ... (45 episodes, 1965-1967)
John Mitchum ... Hoffenmueller / ... (11 episodes, 1965-1967)

Series Directed
Charles R. Rondeau (19 episodes, 1965-1966)
Seymour Robbie (12 episodes, 1966-1967)
and others...

Series Produced
Hy Averback .... producer / executive producer (64 episodes, 1965-1967)
Herman S. Saunders .... associate producer / producer (64 episodes, 1965-1967)
Phil Rawlins .... associate producer (31 episodes, 1966-1967)
William T. Orr .... executive producer (17 episodes, 1965-1966)

Series Writing Credits
Arthur Julian (30 episodes, 1965-1967)
Stan Dreben (10 episodes, 1965-1966)
Howard Merrill (10 episodes, 1965-1966)

Series Original Music
William Lava (60 episodes, 1965-1967)
Frank Comstock (3 episodes, 1965)
Richard LaSalle (3 episodes, 1966-1967)

Trivia
Melody Patterson was only 16 when she auditioned for the part, not really expecting to get it. When she found out that she did indeed get it, she and her mother put off telling the show's producers her real age until just before shooting started. By that time she had turned 17, still not of legal age. That's the main reason that, although you'll see Wrangler Jane pursue Wilton Parmenter at every conceivable opportunity, grabbing and kissing him whenever she gets the chance, he never kisses her first or even returns a kiss. In the second season - by which time Melody had turned 18 - Wilton is seen to be a bit more affectionate.

The names of Captain Parmenter's family all came from mythology. His first cousin was a major named Achilles (Greek), his second cousin was a lieutenant colonel named Hercules (Romanisation of Greek Herakles), his uncle was a colonel named Jupiter (Roman) and his father was a general named Thor (Scandinavian).

Many viewers have thought that because "Old Charlie" the town drunk would usually be thrown through the saloon doors (or window), bounce off a support post, fall face forward over the hitching rail, spin around and land on his face or back at least once an episode, he was actually a young stuntman in "old man" makeup. In reality "Charlie" was ace stuntman Harvey Parry, who at that time was 65 years old and had been a stuntman for almost 45 years.

The name of the tribe that Wild Eagle belonged to was the Hekawe. In one episode it was explained that the name came about by two Indians falling off a cliff and one asking "Where the heck are we?" The original name of the tribe, the Fugawe (As in, "Where the Fugawe?"), was rejected by network censors.

It is mentioned several times throughout the run of the series that Sergeant O'Rourke was a veteran of the Mexican War. However, it is not made clear as to whether or not he or Corporal Agarn fought in the Civil War.

Goofs
Anachronisms: Set in 1865-7, the series contains many references to the Battle of Little Big Horn (1876).

Anachronisms: In his backstory, told in all opening credits, Wilton Parmenter is receiving a Silver Star, an award created in 1918 that became a medal in 1932.

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Trooper Duffy claims to have been a Texas Independence fighter wounded at the Alamo. No white adult males from that army survived the battle. However, he is probably telling a tall tale.

Anachronisms: The show takes place from 1865 to 1867, yet the fort flag has 37 stars on it. But the 37th state (Nebraska) wasn't admitted to the Union until Friday, March 1, 1867, so the number is incorrect for most of the series.

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: James Hampton's character, Bugler Hannibal Dobbs, is a Texan serving in the United States Army immediately after the Civil War. Although white males from Reconstruction (formerly Confederate) states were under a blanket suspicion of treason at the time, many non-conformists proved loyalty by fighting for the Union during the War. It's possible that Dobbs was one of these.

Memorable Quotes

Filming Locations
Kanab Movie Ranch - 5001 Angel Canyon Road, Kanab, Utah, USA
Laramie Street, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA
Stage 28, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA
Stage 28A, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

[ethanedwards]

F Troop is a satirical American television sitcom that originally aired for two seasons
on ABC-TV. It debuted in the United States on September 14, 1965
and concluded its run on April 6, 1967 with a total of 65 episodes.
The first season of 34 episodes was filmed in black-and-white,
but the show switched to color for its second season.
Reruns premiered on the ITV network in the United Kingdom on October 29, 1968,
and were screened repeatedly until July 16, 1974.
The series was also broadcast nationally in Australia on ABC-TV
and in Ireland on Telefís Éireann.

User Review

30 January 2000 | by BrianG (California)

Although it only ran for two seasons, "F Troop" was a consistently hilarious western spoof that should have stayed on much longer. It didn't just stick to satirizing westerns--the show managed to throw in vampires (Vincent Price showed up in one episode), James Bond-ish secret agents (Pat Harrington as "Agent B. Wise"), rock bands (Agarn leaves the army to manage a group called The Bedbugs) and just about anything else they could think of. The show was crammed with memorable characters: Ken Berry's well intentioned but bumbling Capt. Parmenter, Forrest Tucker's scheming capitalist Sgt. O'Rourke, Larry Storch's loyal but not particularly bright Cpl. Agarn, Joe Brooks' sight-impaired lookout Cpl. Vanderbilt. The real find, though, was Frank DeKova as Chief Wild Eagle. DeKova parlayed his sinister, menacing appearance into a career of playing cold-hearted killers and various psychos. As conniving Chief Wild Eagle, though, he showed a flair for comed y that was wholly unexpected. Although he went over the top sometimes, he was consistently fun to watch, and you really looked forward to his appearances. There were some truly funny running gags (Parmenter's "Please Jane, not in front of the men" whenever Jane tried to put the moves on him; directions to Fort Courage that always went, "Make a left at the rock that looks like a bear, then a right at the bear that looks like a rock"), but the one that everyone remembers is when O'Rourke would say to Agan, "I don't know why everybody says you're so dumb", and then ten minutes later, in the middle of another scene, Agarn would turn to O'Rourke and say, "Who says I'm dumb?" A truly funny show that should have lasted longer than it did.

P.S. There's a blooper reel in circulation that has about 10 minutes of "F Troop" outtakes on it. If you ever come across it, snap it up. It's even funnier (and far dirtier!) than the stuff that made it into the show.

[WaynamoJim]

Used to watch this all the time. thought it was hilarious but, also watched just to see Melody Patterson. Thought she was a stone fox. And when I was in the Army, one day I got an issue of Stars & Stripes and they usually had cheescake photos of young starlets, and in one issue there was Melody Patterson in some nice lacy undergarments looking as fine as ever. Wonder what happened to her?

[ethanedwards]

Used to watch this all the time. thought it was hilarious but, also watched just to see Melody Patterson. Thought she was a stone fox. And when I was in the Army, one day I got an issue of Stars & Stripes and they usually had cheescake photos of young starlets, and in one issue there was Melody Patterson in some nice lacy undergarments looking as fine as ever. Wonder what happened to her?

..

Interesting question Jim, so thought I'd check for you.
Apparently her web-site has not been updated since 2005,
but this entry was in IMDb

Where Are They Now

She is continuing her education to acquire her teaching credentials as her goal is to instruct high school drama, and English. Melody is a published writer with her column "Wrapping with Wrangler" for "Wildest Westerns Magazine", and is currently creating an outline and gathering data to write a book.

[WaynamoJim]

Thanks, EE. Greatly appreciated. Of course now, she's about 60, but I bet she still looks pretty good.

[ethanedwards]

Thanks, EE. Greatly appreciated. Of course now, she's about 60, but I bet she still looks pretty good.

Jim,she still looks pretty good

[WaynamoJim]

Yes, she certainly does.