User Reviews

In "Trail West To Fury," the Maverick brothers and Dandy Jim Buckley wait out a flood. We learn why the brothers cannot return to their home town in Texas. They were framed for murders they did not commit. Bret and Bart became Indian fighters after the Civil War to stay out of prison. They are trail bosses on a cattle drive in this episode. I think the nature of the brothers' characters precluded the series from running longer than five seasons when Gunsmoke ran 20 and Bonanza 14. Bret and Bart were gamblers and while they were more interesting and more human than Matt Dillon, the Puritan TV audience would tolerate them only to a point. Roy Huggins' situational ethics ran its course.

While trapped in a rising flood with Dandy Jim Buckley the Maverick Brothers tell the story of why they can't return to the state they are from.

This is an odd one because you don't think of James Garner and Jack Kelly as traditional cowboys doing cowboy business which is herding cattle. But the two come back from the Civil War wanting $1650.00 they left with merchant Charles Frederick on deposit. Frederick tries to stiff them, but they do eventually get their money back.

Frederick has been trying to put together one big Ponderosa like spread and it's the Maverick spread among others he wants. Which forces Garner and Kelly to ally themselves with smaller ranchers like Aline Towne and Gene Nelson to get their cattle to market and quick.

The parallels between Red River and the classic Randolph Scott western The Texans are too obvious to belabor. But one thing Frederick has done is framed Bret and Bart for two murders and they have to clear themselves.

Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. as Dandy Jim Buckley is as elegant and refined as ever. Next year he'd be in modern dress as hip private Stuart Bailey in 77 Sunset Strip.

At least he's good company for the brothers.