In 1976, Gunsmoke’s James Arness was about to take on the lead role in the series How the West Was Won. He had full cast approval. As he told the Television Academy Archives, “We watched four guys in scenes from other shows. Hands down, there was just one guy that [was] right for it.” When the lights went up, ABC President Michael Eisner said he liked the second one. “I knew that it was live or die at that moment, so I just said, ‘Well, I'm sorry, but I disagree with you. I want that third guy, Bruce Boxleitner.’ Bruce turned out to be a great choice for it; he was just right.”
Contemplating his career, Boxleitner says, “I attribute anything I did to Mr. James Arness. I probably would never have gotten to do anything, had he not made that one decision.” Although he achieved stardom in the romantic spy series The Scarecrow and Mrs. King, and has a huge following for his sci-fi career, with the Tron films and the Babylon 5 series, Boxleitner keeps coming back to Westerns.
Born in Elgin, Illinois, Bruce spent summers at his grandparents’ farm, where he played cowboy. “In high school, I wasn't the greatest student. I wanted to do something, and I walked in on an audition for the play, Agatha Christie's 10 Little Indians.” He was hooked.
Denne historien er fra February - March 2022-utgaven av True West.
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Denne historien er fra February - March 2022-utgaven av True West.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Where Did the Loot Go? - This is one of those find the money stories. And it's one that has attracted treasure hunters for more than 150 years.
Whatever happened to the $97,000 from the Reno Gang's last heist? Up to a dozen members of the Reno Gang stopped a Jeffersonville, Madison and Indianapolis train at a watering station in southern Indiana. The outlaws had prior intelligence about its main load: express car safes held about $97,000 in government bonds and notes. In the process of the job, one of the crew was killed and two others hurt. The gang made a clean getaway with the loot.
Hero of Horsepower - Los Angeles lawman William Hammel tamed one of the West's wildest towns with hard work and horseless carriages.
Los Angeles lawman William Hammel tamed one of the West's wildest towns with hard work and horseless carriages.
From the Basin to the Plains
Discover Wyoming on a road trip to Cody, Casper and Cheyenne.
COLLECTING AMERICAN OUTLAWS
Wilbur Zink has preserved the Younger Gang's history in more ways than one.
Spencer's West
After the Civil War, savvy frontiersmen chose the Spencer repeating carbine.
Firearms With a Storied Past
Rock Island gavels off high profits from historic firearms.
She Means Business!
An energetic and ambitious woman has come to Lincoln, New Mexico, to restore the town's legendary Ellis Store.
Ride that Train!
HERITAGE RAILROADS KEEP THE OLD WEST ALIVE ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
Saddle Up with a Western
Old West fiction and nonfiction are the perfect genres to fill your summer reading list.
RENEGADES OF THE RAILS
RAILROADS WERE OPEN SEASON FOR OKLAHOMA AND INDIAN TERRITORY OUTLAW GANGS.
