The Man from Blackhawk
Robert Rockwell as Sam Logan
GenreWestern
Created byFrank Barron
StarringRobert Rockwell
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes37
Production
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time30 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseOctober 9, 1959 (1959-10-09) 
September 23, 1960 (1960-09-23)

The Man from Blackhawk is a Western television series about an insurance investigator starring Robert Rockwell that aired on ABC from October 9, 1959 until September 23, 1960.[1] It was also shown in Canada on CBC Television.[2]

Premise

Robert Rockwell ca. 1959

In The Man from Blackhawk, (set in the 1870s[3]), Rockwell plays Sam Logan, an insurance investigator from the Blackhawk Insurance Company,[1] which has headquarters in Chicago.[4] Logan scours the West investigating claims, verifying their accuracy, and seeking to root out fraud and dishonesty. He is also more inclined to use his fists than a gun.[5]

Much of Logan's work is done in disguise, and he has outfits for 34 professions,[3] including cotton speculator, cowhand, gentleman of leisure, professional gambler, and stage driver.[4]

Rockwell, who won the Logan role over 135 competing actors, said of his character: "He has strong principles, amazing integrity and is completely self sufficient. He's not particularly pleasant but he's always needling, always digging for evil."[6]

Characters and actors

Beverly Garland is cast as Sarah Marshall, with Richard Rust as George Blackburn, in "Logan's Policy", the series premiere (October 9, 1959). Ruta Lee portrays Ginnie Thompson, a young woman due to collect her murdered father's life insurance policy, in "The Legacy" (December 25, 1959). Chubby Johnson portrayed Jessie Turnbull in the episode titled "The Last Days of Jessie Turnbull." Not all episodes are set in the American West. Tommy Rettig and Amanda Randolph, for instance, are cast as Pierre and Auntie Cotton, respectively, in "The Ghost of Lafitte" (1960), set in New Orleans, Louisiana, with Robert Foulk as Hoag Lafitte. Gregg Palmer and Walter Burke are cast as Gil Harrison and Tom Abbott, respectively, in "The Harpoon Story" (1960), set in coastal New England. Nita Talbot appears in the episode "In His Steps" (1960), set in the Bowery district of New York City. Child actor Robert Eyer portrays Davey in "The Montreal Story" (1960).

Other guest stars include:

Production

The Man from Blackhawk was a Screen Gems production. The series was created by Frank Barron and produced by Herb Meadow.[1] Meadow left after 13 weeks to return to writing. Although he had been under contract for 26 episodes, he cited the demands of 18-hour work days that exhausted him mentally and left no time for his family or other activities.[7]

The show was broadcast from 8:30 to 9 p.m. Eastern Time on Fridays.[5] Competition in its time slot included Hotel de Paree on CBS and Wichita Town on NBC.[8]

Producers spent more than two years looking through insurance company records, old newspapers, and other documents to find material about 1870s-era insurance business operations and how swindles and frauds were committed.[4]

Episodes

No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
1"Logan's Policy"John PeyserHerb Meadow & Al C. WardOctober 9, 1959 (1959-10-09)
2"The Trouble with Tolliver"Walter GraumanStirling SilliphantOctober 16, 1959 (1959-10-16)
3"The New Semaria Story"Lamont JohnsonHerb MeadowOctober 23, 1959 (1959-10-23)
4"The Man Who Stole Happiness"John PeyserHerb MeadowOctober 30, 1959 (1959-10-30)
5"The Gypsy Story"David Lowell RichPaul SavageNovember 6, 1959 (1959-11-06)
6"Station Six"John BrahmCalvin ClementsNovember 13, 1959 (1959-11-13)
7"Vendetta for the Lovelorn"Richard WhorfTom GriesNovember 20, 1959 (1959-11-20)
8"The Winthrop Woman"David Lowell RichMichael MorrisNovember 27, 1959 (1959-11-27)
9"Contraband Cargo"John PeyserArthur Dales and Herb MeadowDecember 4, 1959 (1959-12-04)
10"A Matter of Conscience"John BrahmLee BergDecember 11, 1959 (1959-12-11)
11"Death is the Best Policy"Walter GraumanBernie GilerDecember 18, 1959 (1959-12-18)
12"The Legacy"UnknownUnknownDecember 25, 1959 (1959-12-25)
13"The Biggest Legend"Walter GraumanStirling SilliphantJanuary 1, 1960 (1960-01-01)
14"Death at Noon"Harmon JonesAl C. WardJanuary 8, 1960 (1960-01-08)
15"The Savage"Bernard L. KowalskiRaphael HayesJanuary 15, 1960 (1960-01-15)
16"The Hundred Thousand Dollar Policy"Robert AltmanPaul & Margaret SchneiderJanuary 22, 1960 (1960-01-22)
17"Portrait of Cynthia"UnknownUnknownJanuary 29, 1960 (1960-01-29)
18"El Patron"Anton LeaderAl C. WardFebruary 5, 1960 (1960-02-05)
19"Drawing Account"UnknownUnknownFebruary 12, 1960 (1960-02-12)
20"The Ghost of Lafitte"Harmon JonesAl C. WardFebruary 26, 1960 (1960-02-26)
21"Execution Day"Harmon JonesBob & Wanda DuncanMarch 4, 1960 (1960-03-04)
22"Destination Death"Harmon JonesJack LairdMarch 11, 1960 (1960-03-11)
23"Diamond Cut Diamond"John PeyserArthur E. OrloffMarch 18, 1960 (1960-03-18)
24"Death by Northwest"Harmon JonesBill S. BallingerMarch 25, 1960 (1960-03-25)
25"The Last Days of Jessie Turnbull"UnknownUnknownApril 1, 1960 (1960-04-01)
26"The Search for Cape Borden"Harmon JonesE. Jack NeumanApril 15, 1960 (1960-04-15)
27"The Sons of Don Antonio"Harmon JonesBob and Wanda Duncan, Raphael HayesApril 22, 1960 (1960-04-22)
28"Incident at Tupelo"UnknownUnknownApril 29, 1960 (1960-04-29)
29"The Harpoon Story"UnknownUnknownMay 6, 1960 (1960-05-06)
30"The Montreal Story"UnknownUnknownMay 13, 1960 (1960-05-13)
31"In His Steps"UnknownUnknownMay 20, 1960 (1960-05-20)
32"Trial by Combat"UnknownUnknownMay 27, 1960 (1960-05-27)
33"The Man Who Wanted Everything"UnknownUnknownJune 3, 1960 (1960-06-03)
34"The Money Machine"John PeyserDonn MullallyJune 10, 1960 (1960-06-10)
35"The Lady in Yellow"UnknownUnknownJune 17, 1960 (1960-06-17)
36"Gold is Where You Find It"UnknownUnknownJune 24, 1960 (1960-06-24)
37"Remember Me Not"UnknownUnknownSeptember 9, 1960 (1960-09-09)

References

  1. 1 2 3 Aaker, Everett (2017). Television Western Players, 1960-1975: A Biographical Dictionary. McFarland. p. 364. ISBN 9781476662503. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  2. "Canada to telecast U. S. programs first" (PDF). Broadcasting. August 3, 1959. p. 84. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Bob's Wardrobe Very Expensive". The Titusville Herald. July 9, 1960. p. 7. Retrieved March 12, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 3 Rowan, Robert (November 28, 1959). "Bob Rockwell Happy With New Role". Napa Register. Napa, California. p. 2-A. Retrieved March 12, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  5. 1 2 Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (June 24, 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 845. ISBN 978-0-307-48320-1. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  6. "He's a Happy Tough Guy Now" (PDF). CBC Times. November 13, 1959. p. 11. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  7. "Have Had-it, Will Travel" (PDF). Television Digest. October 12, 1959. p. 14. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  8. Hyatt, Wesley (October 6, 2015). Short-Lived Television Series, 1948-1978: Thirty Years of More Than 1,000 Flops. McFarland. pp. 99–100. ISBN 978-1-4766-0515-9. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
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