TV and Movies

[Oznell]

And if you get "FETV",  as well as "MeTV",  you're really in luck.  FETV is currently showing 2 episodes per day weekdays, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern.  (On my DirecTV system, FETV is channel 323.)

Request to experienced Rawhide "hands"--  if you know of other retro channels airing the show, please report!  Not everyone gets "ME" and "FE".

Not sure why, but I love "Rawhide"!   I'll take a stab at it-- it's a very soulful Western, with fascinating characters in extremely picturesque circumstances.

They're cattle 'drovers' in the post-Civil War West, bringing cattle a thousand miles to market.   As an animal lover, I have to not think of what happens to the cattle when they do get to market, but till then, they have a vastly interesting life roaming the wild rivers and plains.

You'd think that Clint, as "Rowdy Yates" would dominate the show, and the young Clint Eastwood is terrific, but for me the signal character is the trail boss, "Gil Favor",  powerfully underplayed by Eric Fleming.

He's very tough and fair with the men, and his responsibilities for the cattle drive weigh heavily on him.

The producer modeled "Gil Favor" on a well known trail boss of the period, George C. Duffield, whose published diary provided much inspiration for the show. 

Eric Fleming invests "Favor" with a kind of enigmatic "cool"--  you're often guessing at what he's thinking, until his actions tell you.  Fleming is fabulous.

Fleming and Eastwood work seamlessly together on screen, and reportedly, had a friendly and fun-filled relationship on set, unlike some other shows of the time, which had more combative co-stars...

There's an adorable, fussy cook, and other memorable scouts, wranglers and drovers.  The crew is always running into renegade cattle thieves, aristocratic women venturing in the Old West, morphine addicts (Robert Culp), etc.   The list of famous guest stars is staggering, in the same way that "Perry Mason"'s was, or "The Fugitive".

And there's that scenic prairie they roam, rolling away to the horizon every week.  

The unforgettable "Rawhide" theme song is justly celebrated-- it is snapped out with vigor, and also a kind of pathos, by Frankie Lane...

They don't let Eric Fleming smile enough in the series. He wasn't there for the last season, and ratings understandably plunged.  He tragically died in his forties, not long after leaving the show-- it's very fortunate that there are years of his excellent performances in "Rawhide" to savor. 

 

Oh, forgot to mention that the MeTV airings are still fairly early in Season 1, so you can get in almost from the beginning.  FETV is farther along, I think.  The show ran for about 7 1/2 years.

Even the often patrician Nina Foch showed up on the prairie....

[Kachina624]

I'm not much interested in watching the program as I saw them all first time around, but I always loved the song that opened the show....head 'em up, move 'em out.

[Effie54]

I love old westerns....they have a certain charm

[vsm]

Even as a little girl, when I watched Rawhide (and Cheyenne) with my Dad, I was drawn to Eric Fleming -- a manly (gentle)man.

That photo, @Oznell , made me laugh -- looks like their heads were photoshopped (and not in a good way...).

ETA:  GET TV might also air these programs -- not sure, though.

[dancingwoman]

DH watches these in his garage man cave...Wagon Train..Rawhide..the Rifle Man..Wanted Dead or Alive...Gunsmoke...etc..he calls them Rope Operas...funny man...DW

[Judaline]

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@Kachina624 wrote:

I'm not much interested in watching the program as I saw them all first time around, but I always loved the song that opened the show....head 'em up, move 'em out.

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And Frankie Laine singing it. Ya can't beat that!

[kitcat51]

My friends & I would sing Rawhide riding our bikes & at the park on the swings, it's simple, fun & everyone knew the words...happy memories. 

[Jeanne from VA]

I loved Rawhide which exemplified ensemble acting at its very best. Even though there were eight seasons, I somehow wish there had been more. 

[twinsister]

I remember watching Rawhide as a child with my parents.  Love the theme song.   Occasionally, I will catch it on Saturdays on ME TV. So sad about Eric Fleming.

[drizzellla]

@Oznell - I have never watched "Rawhide". But after reading your opinion, I am going to give it a try. There seem to be so few TV shows that appeal to me. I want to see "Rawhide".