Steve McQueen Western
Back in the 1950s a young man guest starred on the Western Series Trackdown as a bounty hunter.
The episode proved so popular that the young man, Steve McQueen, soon had his own weekly TV Western series: Wanted Dead or Alive.
When the series first began Steve was teamed with a ‘sidekick’. While still a good show it became evident after awhile that Steve could carry the show on his own.
As the series progressed he demonstrated he was an actor with a wide range acting skills from humorous to dramatic.
Ninety-four episodes make up the series that ran for three seasons. Over the course of its run a number of actors guest starred that would later go on to have stellar careers of their own in the movies. They included James Coburn, Warren Oates, Lee Van Cleef and Dyan Cannon.
Other would make a name for themselves in TV series. DeForest Kelley (Star Trek), Martin Landau (Mission: Impossible) and Mary Tyler Moore to name just a few.
Several directors also got their start on the show and other Westerns-Richard Donner (Superman, Lethal Weapon, The Goonies) being just one of them.
As Jose Randall Steve McQueen personified a man’s man, yet he was gentle, courteous and a man of few words. He preferred to let his actions speak for themselves.
For a fascinating look at his career before he became a movie ‘Superstar’ be sure to checkout this landmark series on DVD from Mill Creek Entertainment.
"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of
you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with
your God?" — Micah 6:8
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