Lawman

by Guy Belleranti

A number of Warner Brothers produced westerns ran on television during the 1950s and early 1960’s. Among the more famous were Maverick and Cheyenne. One not as remembered, but still good, was Lawman.

The ABC TV series starred John Russell as Marshal Dan Troop and Peter Brown as Troop’s deputy Johnny McKay.

Russell was actually only in his latter thirties when the series began in 1958, however his Marshall Dan Troop character was made to look older so as to contrast more with Brown’s young, and handsome Deputy McKay.

Troop came off as an honest and no-nonsense fellow. A steely-eyed man of few words he could handle a gun with the best of them. McKay, also was no slouch with a six-gun, and together the two enforced law and order in Laramie, Wyoming week after week for 4 television seasons and 156 thirty minute black and white episodes.

In 1960 the two lawmen characters made a crossover appearance of on an episode of Maverick.

Another Lawman regular for a time was Peggy Castle. Castle played Lilly Merrill owner of the local Birdcage Saloon.

Guest stars on Lawman included a number of actors who specialized in westerns in the 1950’s and 1960’s including James Coburn, Lee Van Cleef, Robert Fuller and Jack Elam.

After the series ended Russell guest starred in other television series and in a number of movies. Brown, also had an active career, with perhaps one of his best known roles being that of Texas Ranger Chad Cooper in the mid-1960’s western TV series Laredo.