User reviews

In the Hollywood west those trail hands were a rough bunch who when they came to town, partied pretty hardy. After all trail driving was a lonely business back in the day before railroads got to all parts of the USA.

The drovers who worked for trail boss Gil Favor as played by Eric Fleming were no different. But Fleming was a man of all business, he had a job to do and hired a top crew to do it.

With the long run of Rawhide and the fact that the regulars stayed with it for the most part, we got to know all the drovers at some point. A some point story lines were focused around all of them, though the bulk were with Fleming and Clint Eastwood's character Rowdy Yates, the number 2 guy with the herd.

Clint Eastwood's western image was molded by Rawhide, it's a shame that these are not shown more often. Probably because they were done in black and white. Had this been an NBC show, this would have been done in color like Bonanza and be running as often as those shows are. We'd get to see a lot more of a man who became a move legend.

Ironically enough it was Eric Fleming who left the show before it closed to do films. He did a few them and was hoping the show would give him a bankable movie name. Sadly he was killed on a movie location doing an action film, drowned in a river. Had he lived he might have become a name like Eastwood's.

Clint took over as trail boss in the last season and then the show completed its run. And he of course became the icon he is today and not just in the western genre.

Rawhide was a tough western who had some tough guys in it. No frills in this one, these were working cowboys just doing a job and battling the elements and whatever situations they were thrown into every year.

They really don't make television series like these any more. What a pity.

TCM have just started showing Rawhide every night recently here in the UK and i've never seen it before, even though i'm a big Clint Eastwood fan, so i thought i'd give it a watch.

What can i say, i'm totally hooked on it now, i think i held some unfounded prejudices about shows from that era being a bit slowly plotted or not hardhitting or dramatic enough, well i was well off the mark there. The plots are really involving, the way Gil and Rowdy get drawn into these situations is really believable.

The moral issues and even social ones that are addressed are always at the forefront of the plots and many are still relevant today. I can see why its been so popular over the years.

I'd recommend this to anyone who likes westerns, beyond that i'd say anyone who appreciates moral dramas, thats twice i've used that word now and thats because the central characters have very admirable morals, particularly Gil Favor.

I hate to sound corny, but i think its a good point, its re-assuring in a way to see that kind of attitude, in amongst the more "morally questionable" entertainment (that i do enjoy as well) of todays TV.

"Head 'em up, move 'em out" awesome.

Currently on METOO's new schedule at 4 pm on weekdays, right after "Maverick" and right before "Wild, Wild West" (followed by "Star Trek").

Don't know if I ever actually saw an episode of it when it was originally on, but I'm really captivated by it. Offbeat, unusual, surreal stories set in a mythical West. Kind of the "Naked City" of Westerns.

And the guest stars are there: Dan Duryea, Lyle Bettger, Brian Donlevy, MacDonald Carey, Rick Jason (as a treacherous Mexican), a young Dick Van Patten, Jack Lord, Noah Berry, Jr. (as a colorful Mexican), Martha Hyer, Marguerite Chapman, even Ann Robinson ("War of the Worlds"), Gloria Talbott ("I Married a Monster from Outer Space")

It ran for EIGHT SEASONS, over 200 episodes, from January, 1959, to December, 1965.

Eric Fleming is quite remarkable as trail boss Gil Favor, the most stolid man that's ever lived, with the code of honor of a Samurai, and just the right balance between toughness and open-handedness. I would vote for him for President any day. (P.S. He had a very interesting biography: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0281661/ )

And a young Clint Eastwood is quite striking as his impulsive right hand, "Rowdy" Yates. Also, veteran Western actor and country music figure (the immortal "One-eyed, One-horned, Flying Purple People Eater") Sheb Wooley is there as seasoned scout Pete Nolan. And Paul Brinegar makes the most cantankerous character of a cook you could ask for as "Wishbone".

And then there's that great theme song, performed by the immortal Frankie Laine. (Between that and the "Maverick" theme, I've got Western theme songs running through my head all day.)

I look forward to every episode; I'm collecting the whole set. A good time (not to mention a moo-ving experience) is always guaranteed, as one waits to see if the boys will get their difficulties straightened out before the commercial.

"Rollin', rollin', rollin' . . . "

Rawhide was a wonderful TV western series. Focusing on a band of trail drovers lead by the trail boss Gil Favor. Most episodes - especially from the first 3 seasons were really character studies of Favor and his men. Guest stars came and went but unlike Wagon Train they seldom dominated the episodes they appeared in. Rawhide was a true, gritty western and Gil Favor stood out as a memorable character never to be forgotten. Thanks to Eric Fleming's performance the show became a massive hit. Of course he was ably supported by a wonderful cast of good actors - Clint Eastwood, Sheb Wooley, Paul Brinegar, Steve Raines, James Murdoch, Rocky Shahan, Robert Cabal. All of these actors left their mark in a piece of television history. Rawhide captured the flavour of that time of the west that no other series has for me, as yet anyhow, managed to do so. Later seasons tended to split the leads and give them individual story lines. For me some of the time this didn't work - the cattle drive and the regulars provided the best stories. However there were still some classic stories and Rawhide remained top drawer affair. The black and white photography added to a bleak, realistic feel that other western series seldom managed to capture. Rustlers, Indians,Commancheroes, beautiful damsels in distress, serial killers, they all showed up to give our heroes problems. The end came for the series quietly when the final season was axed less than half way through. The reason - Eric Fleming had departed and Rawhide was now a head without a body - the gritty realism was gone, Gil Favor commanded respect and exuded authority - he was never infallible and this made him all the more interesting. We shall not see his like again. Watch an episode whenever you can, they seldom disappoint.

"Rawhide" was one of the grandest westerns to ever grace the tube from the golden age of the television genre. From its premiere episode on January 9th,1959-to the last and final episode of the series on January 4th,1966,ran on the CBS network for eight seasons and from there producing an astounding 217 episodes,all filmed and broadcast in black and white. The year 1959,the peak year for the genre,the networks were producing over 23 shows,mostly Westerns and most of them were in the top ten of the Nielsen ratings,and despite what the critics said about this series and whatever else,the show stood shoulder to shoulder behind some of the best Westerns of their day. During its premiere episode,it reached the top 20 in the Nielsen ratings,where CBS guaranteed the family audience it needed,but still it was simply an "adult" TV Western aimed at mature audiences. During its run it rosed steadily in popularity until toward the end of the series' run,it was one of America's top ten shows. It was destined to become the fourth longest-running TV western,beaten only by nine years of "The Virginian",fourteen years of "Bonanza",and twenty years of "Gunsmoke".

The typical "Rawhide" story involved ther drovers coming upon people on the trail and getting drawn into solving whatever problem they presented or were confronting. Sometimes one of the members of the cattle drive or some of the others would venture into a nearby town and encounter some trouble or other from which they needed to be rescued. Some of the stories were obviously easier in production terms but the peak form of the show was convincing and naturalistic,and sometimes brutal. Its situations could be from the apocalyptic-parched plains,anthrax,ghostly riders,wolves,cattle rustlers,bandits,murderers, and so forth. Some of this were just simple,friendly in some aspects stories about the same Old West you read as a kid,but lets face it,during those times,especially if you're a drover in charge of a cattle drive in the Old West,you had to deal with some tough issues and face tough challenges--which is something the contestants on these reality shows like "Survivor" or "Fear Factor"-wouldn't have a clue about,especially with the conditions that those cattle drovers had to go through....for instance....What do you do when the local townsfolk are set to hang a cattle rustler who is guilty of taking their livestock,but you know he is innocent? What do you do when a disease comes between the livestock and threatens not only the herd,but one of your own? How do you cope with a slaughter of innocent people during an Indian raid and the only thing that is there is the only survivor--a child who is frighten to death and does not know that the identity of the parents? How do you cope with a proud boss when you need his best judgment whose wife has ran off with another man? What do you do when the local Sheriff is set to hang your man who is found guilty of murder,but do know he did not commit the crime?

These were stories that were powerful,and sometimes emotional drama,since this is a Western. The stories relied on an attention of plot and character by the viewer as necessary to the variety of presentation of morality that nowadays are a memory of the past,and those types of plays you don't see anymore. Since "Rawhide" was very realistic in its time,it was more on the endless cattle drive and it placed more emphasis on character study development and less emphasis on the degree of violence,since it was more rugged and more like another Western of its time:Wagon Train. The men on those drives encounter drought,plague,sickness,poison water,fatigue,strain of command,temperatures(heat and dust,not to mention the cold),and a host of characters. For eight seasons Trail Boss Gil Favor(Eric Fleming),and his assistant foreman,Rowdy Yates(Clint Eastwood)encounter a host of characters;a horse opera of guest stars that would appear which include:Barbara Stanwyck,Buddy Ebsen,Lon Chaney,Jr.,Frankie Avalon, Claude Akins,Robert Culp,Mary Astor,Earl Holleman,Alan Hale,Jr.,and Duane Hickman,along with regulars Sheb Wooley,Paul Brinegar,John Ireland,and during its run others including Raymond St. Jacques.

It was from this show that "Rawhide" launched the career of Clint Eastwood,whom when on the star in several features films and also become a Oscar-winning director and producer(for 1992's Unforgiven) and as a jazz musician as well. Yes,Clint Eastwood was the man! Currently,after years out of circulation,and the last time that "Rawhide" was seen was back in the early 1970's in syndication,cable's The Hallmark Channel is rerunning this legendary series every Saturday Afternoon during its Western Theatre Hour,so check local listings.

Rawhide is my absolut favourite series. I began to watch it, when I was thirteen (one year ago😉). I was fascinated by many things in this series. Especially Eric Fleming as the tough as nails trail boss Gil Favor. It was the first movie/series I ever saw with Clint Eastwood. Since then I am a great fan of him, though I don't like his acting apearance in Rawhide so much. Well, later he became better and better but in the first seasons of Rawhide he is definetly overshadowed by Eric Fleming. (Actualky, in the later seasons too...)

In general the series was kept alive by the different roles and actors but especially by Eric Fleming. When he and five other actors, including Sheb Wooley and James Murdock, the series was dropped after 13 more episodes. Well, they could have known that before fireing the heart and soul of the series.

Rawhide is much better than the most other western series I've seen. Though it's black and white. The storys are very exiting and realistic. It is never boring to watch it, especially when you know Clint Eastwood from his later movies. It's a different as night and day.

Still Eric Fleming is my favourite in this series.

Please watch this series. It's very nice. And try to convey your children, black-and-white-western-series can be more interesting than Spongebob and other s**t.;-) Thanks for reading

These were simple, friendly stories about the same Old West you may have read about as a kid. Did it really exist? Who cares? The time and place these video plays were set in is made of the same clay and light as the one where "The Twilight Zone" was set. Both relied on a degree of attention to plot and character by the viewer as necessary to the presentation of morality plays you don't see anymore. What do you do when the local sherriff threatens to hang your man when his townfolk are desperate to find the rustler taking their livestock, but you know he's not guilty? How do you cope with a proud boss when you need his best judgment, but only you know his wife has run off with another man? This is where the stories that, for a while, we thought of as "cliche'" originally came from. That was before we thought of anything not based on jiggle or teen angst as too much trouble to think about. (Though, lately, "reality" shows have relieved us of having to think at all.)

If you want to be reminded of just what a great storytelling medium TV can be, watch this show (currently on the Hallmark Channel, c. 2003). Be warned, though: you'll be spoiled for such fare as "Fear Factor" and "Dawson's Creek," thereafter. Maybe even for "Buffy," though I know you don't believe that.

Rawhide was without a doubt the best TV western. Even though it didn't run for as long as say Gunsmoke, it had everything that most of the others didn't have. The most obvious thing that made it stand out from the rest was the fact that it was mostly shot on location and looked for the most part like a cinema feature film, not a TV show. Unfortunately, the scenes shot on a sound stage looked like they had been (the lighting always gives it away), but in the main, they only made up a fraction of the show, unlike Bonanza (a 50 year old dad with three 35 year old sons) which looked like most of it was shot 'indoors'. Another thing in Rawhides favour was that it was an hour long, unlike a lot of the other popular TV westerns that only ran for 30 minutes. Apart from a good solid regular cast, the list of 'guest' appearances reads like a who's who of Hollywood greats...an episode I saw only last week on TCM had Claude Akins, Myron Healey, John Dehner and Robert Wilke as guests...amazing! Last, but by no means least, the show had the best theme tune by far, sung by Frankie Laine, a big star vocalist of the time, who was responsible for many feature film themes including Blazing Saddles and the original 3.10 to Yuma. All in all, Rawhide beat the rest of 'em outa sight in my view...long may it be shown on TV.

Keep rollin', rollin', rollin'.... Keep those doggies movin'....

If you're looking for a really enjoyable Western show, then, TV's "Rawhide" (1959-1965) is a series that I think is well-worth checking out.

Get into the saddle with trail boss, Gil Favor, his right-hand man, Rowdy Yates, and a whole herd of legendary guest stars.

This Old West series features villains who will rob you blind and heroes who will steal your heart.

Believe me - "Rawhide" is a show that's sure to please any fan of the Western genre.

Am I the only one that thinks the character Rowdy Yates was a horrible disrespectful jackass. He thinks he knows better than favor and often times he is as wrong as rain, he hit Favor in a few episodes and is always getting smart with him, no way any Trail Boss would keep him around. I know I can't stomach the last season without Favor. I don't know how this character made Clint a Star, because I seriously hate his character, I have to keep reminding myself it's just a script.

In watching this old Western on the Hallmark Channel, I've come to enjoy it. A favorite of my mother's when she was a girl, who, like many others, thought Gil Favor was the handsome one. I sat down and watched them on this cattle drive and have come to enjoy the show.

And of course, Clint Eastwood, co-stars as Rowdy Yates. I was told that back in the day, critics said he wouldn't amount to anything. Guess he showed them.

Rawhide is my absolut favourite series. I began to watch it one year ago and I was completely fascinated by many things. The one, that most fascinated me was Eric Fleming, the tough-as-nails trail-boss Gil Favor! He is my favourite actor by now, and I guess he will stay that for many years.

Rawhide is more realistic than many other western-series like Bonanza or Little House in the Prairie. It features the long cattle drive from San Antone to Sedalia. All the adventures, or in this case incidents, you have to persist. All the upcoming trouble you can get into.

But what made Rawhide immortal was, of course, the title song, sung by Frankie Laine, and Eric Fleming/Gil Favors' iconic lines, yelled at the end of each episode: 'Head'em up! Move'em out!'

I find it disconcerting that after all these years that the star face shown for this series is clint eastwood rather than eric flemming ... eastwood was just a pup and learning from flemming each episode until he became trusted as flemming's aide but never as trail boss ... i watched this show for eric flemming NOT the rest of the cast

Awesome series definitely worth binge watching. One of the best Western series of ALL TIME

It ran 8 seasons, but it's first, in early 1959, and it's last, in the autumn of 1965, were shorter than seasons 2-7. CBS chief William Paley canceled Rawhide's production after watching the 1st show of season 8, in September, 1965, because he disliked the series without Eric Fleming as Gil Favor, who had departed after season 7. The last new episode aired on December 7, 1965. The lone 1966 CBS broadcast, on January 4, 1966, was a rerun.

I have often wondered why Rawhide didn't switch to color filming for it's last season? Most of the big westerns of the 1960s had gone over to color by 1965. CBS was broadcasting in color that autumn, for many of their sitcoms, but westerns like Gunsmoke and Rawhide remained in black and white. Gunsmoke was the last western (and last prime time network series to switch to color) on September 17, 1966, for the episode Snap Decision.

I had a chance to watch this series... I couldn't remember too much about it as a kid.... I what has shocked by how and nasty everyone was in Favor and Wishbone. And Wishbone is the nastiest meanest guy I've ever seen on TV, no humor, just mean and nasty... Clint Eastwood is a horn dog the stories are OK, but not the characters.

Gil Favor is the trail boss of a cattle drive. His and his drovers' job is to drive cattle to market. This involves several hundred kilometres and several months of hard toil. Along the way they encounter all manner of trials, tribulations and adventures.

One of the greatest western TV series produced. It is largely remembered as where Clint Eastwood got his big break but is far, far better than just that. Great stories, all very plausible, all grittily told. No gung ho theatrics.

Moreover, it's not a straightforward shoot-'em-up drama. In fact, gunfights are kept to a minimum, a last resort and most things are sorted out in other ways (sometimes to my irritation!).

No, it's more about life on a cattle drive, the characters involved and the adventures they have. We also occasionally get to see what happens between drives, the preparations and aftermaths of drives and the drovers' home lives. The episodes midway through Season 3 where Gill Favor visits his daughters in Philadelphia are the best of the lot, showing another aspect to his work, especially the sacrifices he must make and how this affects him.

Consistent with the less bellicose approach to a western drama, many of the stories involve potentially controversial subject, sensitively told. Native Americans are not necessarily the villains, this, long before it became fashionable to show a more balanced view on the subject. Other subjects, e.g. Drug abuse, women's rights, racism, injustice, are also handled in a sensitive and balanced manner.

The show was absolutely brilliant for 3½ seasons. When Sheb Wooley left halfway through Season 4 more than his character, Pete Nolan, was lost. The series revolved around the four main characters - Favor (played by Eric Fleming), Rowdy Yates (Clint Eastwood), Wishbone (Paul Brinegar) and Nolan (Wooley). The four characters complemented each other well and the chemistry between the four was great, giving the series a character-based as well as plot-based feel to it. With Wooley leaving the stories became more plot- and less character-orientated.

Even worse, Pete Nolan was initially replaced by Clay Forrester (played by Charles H Gray), a generally irritating sort of character. The producers quickly saw the error of their ways and reduced Forrester/Gray's screentime (and eventually phased him out altogether) while increasing the weight towards other characters like Mushy (James Murdock), Quince (Steve Raines) and Hey Soos (Robert Cabal) but the vibe of the Favor-Yates-Wisbone-Nolan partnership was never recaptured.

Towards the end, the writers also resorted to making some of the characters one-dimensional, e.g. Mushy the klutz, Wishbone the curmudgeon, Favor the hard-nosed, single-minded boss. This allowed the writers to essentially recycle the same scenes and dialogue over and over again, e.g. Wishbone overreacting and yelling at Mushy for something he's done wrong, Favor yelling at his drovers for slowing up the drive. The character side of the writing became quite lazy.

The plots also became rather formulaic. There were essentially about five or so broad plots that got recycled with some adjustments and character changes. The nice little touches of Season 3 - the non-trail stuff - are nowhere to be seen.

The final few seasons were still decent viewing but the brilliance of the first 4 seasons was gone. The series should probably have ended after about six seasons but the show kept going until the producers decided to get rid of Favor/Fleming and make Yates (Eastwood) the main character. Several other long-serving characters were also removed making for a new look but empty-feeling Season 8. The CEO of CBS, the network that owned the show, was so appalled at the thought of Rawhide without Eric Fleming that he pulled the plug only 13 episodes into Season 8.

Season ratings: S1-2 9/10, S3 10/10, S4 9/10, S5-6 8/10, S7-8 7/10.

"Rawhide" is the best Western television series out of all of them - with only "Maverick" and "Wagon Train" rivalling "Rawhide" in terms of popularity. The general public were introduced to Clint Eastwood, after his career had largely consisted of a few bits parts in films. This series would launch him on his way to eventual stardom. In all honesty, Eastwood is the most remembered regular cast member, even though he is billed second after Eric Fleming. That all changed after Fleming left "Rawhide" just before the shows last season. During the making of the series, Clint Eastwood travelled to Italy to make two of his Spaghetti Western trilogy. When those films became box office sensations, his fan mail for "Rawhide" suddenly increased. Lasting over 200 episodes and several years, the overall story concerned a group of herders and drovers who are transporting a huge herd of cattle from one part of America to another. Along the way, they encounter adventures and dangers of all kinds. As a result, their task was frequently interrupted. In some episodes, only a few of the regular cast made an appearance. One example, was when Clint Eastwood is sent to a Mexican village to acquire fresh water for the herders but unwittingly is engulfed in a warm between two waring Mexican families (shades of "A Fistful of Dollars"). He was the only regular cast member and Eastwood carried the episode well. "Rawhide" isn't without a sense of humour by any means. This is supplied by the cook Wishbone and his rather dimwitted assistant Mushy. It is very funny in light hearted moments as Wishbone is usually chastising his assistant for some mistake or other. The series was usually filmed on location throughout and this is very important, otherwise the 50 minute running time would feel heavy- going and laborious. I can highly recommend this show.

The TV episodes from the 1960s of Rawhide are nothing short of the shiniest gems of the Golden Age of television. These were mostly shot on location, so it seems like you are watching a mini-Clint Eastwood movie! The writing and scripts are superb. The acting is outstanding. The guest stars are stellar: Leonard Nimoy, Burgess Meredith, Cesar Romero, Dan Duryea, Barara Eden, Lola Albright, James Whitmore, Leslie Nielsen, Vera Miles, Kim Hunter, Brian Keith, Agnes Moorehead, Mary Astor, E. G. Marshall, Elizabeth Montgomery, Keenan Wynn, Walter Pidgeon, Claude Rains, Mickey Rooney, Efrem Zimbalist, Julie Harris, Troy Donahue, James Coburn, Forrest Tucker, Patrick Macnee, and the list goes on and on.

And the cast: Of course, the great Clint Eastwood, and the versatile and likable Paul Brinegar, and the talented Sheb Wooley. But the real star of the series is Eric Fleming. With each episode I watch, I am so impressed with his ability and command of his performances. It is sad that he died so young, as he was off to a solo career that may have equaled Eastwood's.

I love the show real cowboys on the range. With real cows im guessing they needed real cowboys to movem on out.

....it was every bit as good if not better. The hour long episodes made for better character development over the earlier half hour Gunsmoke episodes. In my book, Rawhide ranks in the top 3 best TV shows ever made.