Tales of the Texas Rangers

This is one series that was definitely "must see TV" in our house, although it did not appear on NBC. We see that, as remembered, it was over the "Tiffany Network", CBS that we first viewed TALES OF THE Texas RANGERS (Screen Gems Television, 1955-59).

The series boasted of the commanding presence of Jace Pearson (Willard Parker) and Clay Morgan (Harry Lauter). (No, Schultz; it's not Sir Harry Lauder, the Scottish Born British Music Hall Comedian!) The pair were inseparable as they traversed time and space in patrolling the vast Texas terrain, rendering it peaceful for the law-abiding. "Time" and "Space", what does that mean?

The special feature of TALES OF THE Texas RANGERS was that it featured stories on the wanted, the cold-blooded killers and any and all manner of wrong doers in any era in the History of the Lone Star State. That is, these two main characters would be depicted one week going after "Black Bart" or some such desperado of the Old West; only the very next week driving their truck with horse trailer in tow, working on some present day pattern of Bank Robberies.

That was the series' gimmick, and a good one at that. We never questioned it; just accepted it as a unique dramatic device. The series was aimed at juveniles; hence it was slotted on Saturday Mornings, somewhere between THE MIGHTY MOUSE PLAYHOUSE and a local RECORD HOP-type Teenagers' Show. We all knew it was something special to be displacing any animated antics.

There are certain details of the show that were most memorable to us and our impressionable little kids minds, that they persist, right up to the present moment.* Take for example, the theme song used at the opening and closing. The words (most of 'em, anyway!), the tune and the manner in which it was delivered seem as vivid now as ever, even though we're talking over 50 years now!

It would start with a quiet street in a "typical Western town." Ranger Jace Pearson (Mr. Willard Parker) looking very serious, was seen in close-up. The sounding of one single trumpet resonates the chords of the first line of the theme song all around the town. The music begins to pick up intensity, volume and speed as one by one, then in twos more and more Texas Rangers join in with Jace and Clay Morgan (Mr. Harry Lauter) in a highly energetic and even symbolic march down this main street. The theme song/march, while being done to the tune as "The Eyes of Texas" and/or "I've been working on the Railroad, had a set of original lyrics designed for the show. In part they wenta soma thinga lika thisa:

"Here's A Stalwart Man of Texas, Jace Pearson is his name' His Partner Clay is right beside him, Blank,blank blank, blank, blank, blank!…..

(And it finishes up something lika,) "They'll fight for Right, for Right and Justice, To Enforce the Law for You!"

It is only in recent years that we found out that there had been a TALES OF THE Texas RANGERS Radio Show on the NBC Radio Network from 1950-52. It starred Mr. Joel McCrae as lone-wolf type Jace Pearson, having no partner on the Radio version.

Like so many television shows of its day, TALES OF Texas RANGERS provided a clue to the young folks about right living, fair play,cultivating a law abiding attitude and behaviour pattern. All this was done in a suggestive, soft sell manner. Even the last line of its Theme/Signature song planted a small seed that could reap big results. Remember: "They'll fight for Right, for Right and Justice, to Enforce the Law for You!"

'Nuff said!

If anyone has the following episodes I would like to hear from you. Double Edge, Buckaroo from Powder River, Last Days of Boot Hill, Bandits of El Dorado, Panhandle, Key Witness, Quarter Horse, Whirlwind Raiders, Both Barrels Blazing, Traitor's Gold, Warpath, Midway Kewpie, Fifth Plague, Ambush. I have the remaining stories. Willard Parker was a good actor who played on Broadway and various B westerns in the fifties. I suspect his obvious resemblance to Randolph Scott hurt him. The show had three excellent supporting players. Moonlighting from his role as the Old Ranger on Death Valley Days, Stanley Andrews was in the Shooting of Sam Bass, The Hobo, Shorty Sees the Light, and The Black Eyes of Texas. Morris Ankram played Colonel Bryson in Trail Herd. Ken Christy was Windy Norton in Singing on the Trail.

Like some other reviewers, I too have been influenced greatly in my life by watching Willard Parker play Jace Pearson in this series between ages 4-8 and after. Things ranging from my career choice to my respect for courtesy and civility and friendliness were shaped by the way this actor fleshed out this character for young people to watch. His introductions of each episode provided my earliest and most vivid image of the concept of authority--the crisp uniform appearance, his athletic build, his somewhat older age, and especially his voice. For me, his were the voice and words of an authoritative, trusted guy. Like others whose reviews I am just now appreciating for the first time, I played "Jace and Clay" with my brother. I am older, so I got to be Jace. Tons of memories in that, and I still think of the character of Jace Pearson, as portrayed by the actor I agree is woefully underrated, Willard Parker. For that matter, Harry Lauter is way underrated as well, and did a great job of being a Texas Ranger and Jace's partner and friend.

I liked many, many westerns in the 50's and 60's, but this one has a uniquely special place in my mind to this minute. Whatever factors cause people to develop very strong affinities for particular others sure worked hard on me with respect to Willard Parker. I wish I had been smart enough to track him down and thank him for his gifts to my life, although I suppose it might have seemed odd to him that a stranger could be so influenced. Such is the power of the acting profession in combination with the human imagination. Anyway, I thank the 10 people who preceded me in reviewing this show respectfully and appreciatively.

Every Saturday morning I loved the lineup of live action and animated shows on the air. "The Tales of Texas Rangers" started just before I entered kintergarten and continued until about the third grade. Many times my friends and I played cowboys and sometimes used story lines from these shows. When I was in the early grades I wanted to be a cowboy, which would be a big move for a city slicker from Pittsburgh. Cowboy, fireman, and pilot were the top three career goals of the boys in my classes. Westerns and Science Fiction were big both in the movies and TV.

"Tales of Texas Rangers" was one of the better Westerns I remember. One week they would be in the Old West and the other week they would be in modern times. We loved the deserts, the mountains, and the praries of the West, and of course the horses. It was encouraging to see even that in the age of Satellites, they still had big ranches in Texas and were still troubled by cattle rustlers and mine claim-jumpers. The good guys always won, and we admired their bravery and quick-thinking. One encouraging sign for our future employment was that at least the original Texas Rangers only hired men who were not from Texas, on the theory that Texans would sooner or later would be forced to arrest an old friend.

One of the details that strikes you at that age is that in the modern episodes they always got brand new Fords every September. Seeing the new crop of cars every years was very exciting and every year the auto stores on Homestead's "Auto Row" would hold big open houses to show off the latest models.

When my own children grew up in the 1980s I watched many wonderful new kids' shows, but they just didn't match up to the classics like "Texas Rangers." Ah, the memories!

SONY has the rights to the 13 unreleased episodes of the Tales of the Texas Rangers. They indicated that if enough people and/or dealers show interest, they will sell them on the market. In other words, it is up to us to contact SONY; or SONY may find it more convenient to just sell the entire 52 stories as one package. Suggest we fans move to request it. Unreleased: Both Barrels Blazing, Bandits of El Dorado, Last Days of Boot Hill, Whirlwind Raiders, Ambush, Warpath, Double Edge, Midway Kewpie, Quarter Horse, Jail Bird, Buckaroo from Powder River, Panhandle, Key Witness, Traitor's Gold. This was a very good series for its time and Willard Parker was an underrated actor