Trackdown – An Adult Television Western in the 1950’s

by Guy Belleranti

One of the many television westerns of the 1950’s was Trackdown. It is largely forgotten today, but it was one of the better ones of the period. 

Running from 1957 to 1959 on CBS this ½ hour black and western was aimed at the adult audience, kind of like Have Gun Will Travel. Robert Culp of later I Spy fame was the star, playing Texas Ranger fast gun Hoby Gilman. 

Gilman tracked down bank robbers, killers and other outlaws, displaying a hip coolness new to the western. In fact, it might even be said that it was his character that introduced the cool exhibited by future western heroes played by such stars as Steve McQueen and Clint Eastwood. Indeed, McQueen’s own Josh Randall character on the series Wanted: Dead or Alive got his start on an episode of Trackdown. 

Many Trackdown’s episodes were directed by western directing legend Sam Peckinpah. Culp also wrote and directed a few episodes. 

The program received the endorsement of the state of Texas and the Texas Rangers, and a number of the episodes apparently came from actual Ranger cases.

While Culp’s Gilman was the primary character of interest on the series there were several other recurring characters. They included Tenner Smith (played by Peter Leeds), Henrietta Porter (played by Ellen Corby of The Waltons’ fame) and Ralph (played by Norman Leavitt). 

Trackdown guest stars in addition to McQueen included James Coburn, Lee Van Cleef, Beverly Garland and a number of actors who became famous in later TV series. These actors included Vic Morrow (Combat), Johnny Crawford (The Rifleman), DeForest Kelley (Star Trek) and Michael Landon (Bonanza).

more articles by Guy Belleranti