Lawman

Lawman

1958
Lawman
Lawman

Lawman

8.1 | TV-PG | en | Western

Lawman is an American western television series originally telecast on ABC from 1958 to 1962 starring John Russell as Marshal Dan Troop and featuring Peter Brown as Deputy Marshal Johnny McKay. The series was set in Laramie, Wyoming during 1879 and the 1880s. Warner Bros. already had several western series on the air at the time, having launched Cheyenne with Clint Walker as early as 1955. The studio continued the trend in 1957 with the additions of Maverick with James Garner and Jack Kelly, Colt .45 with Wayde Preston, and Sugarfoot with Will Hutchins. One year later, Warner Bros. added Lawman and Bronco with Ty Hardin. Prior to the beginning of production, Russell and Brown and producer Jules Schermer made a pact to maintain the quality of the series so that it would not be seen as "just another western." At the start of season two, Russell and Brown were joined by Peggie Castle as Lily Merrill, the owner of the Birdcage Saloon, and a love interest for Dan.

View More
AD

WATCH FREEFOR 30 DAYS

All Prime Video
Cancel anytime

Watch Now

Seasons & Episodes

4
3
2
1
EP41  The Witness
Jun. 24,1962
The Witness

Murder suspect Jim Martin (John Agar) is in double jeopardy: if the jury doesn't convict him, the victim's husband will carry out the punishment. Anna: Sarah Selby. Troop: John Russell. McKay: Peter Brown.

EP40  The Unmasked
Jun. 17,1962
The Unmasked

Troop (John Russell) stands between two bloodthirsty bounty hunters and their quarry: the man who shot John Wilkes Booth. Banks: Barry Atwater. Davidson: Charles Maxwell. McKay: Peter Brown. Marion: Angela Greene. Lily: Peggie Castle.

EP39  Jailbreak
Jun. 10,1962
Jailbreak

McKay (Peter Brown) is hoodwinked by a reckless---but naive---young lady determined to spring her sinister fiance from jail. Bole: Peter Breck. Little Britches: Pamela Austin. Troop: John Russell. Snead: James Griffith. Callaghan: Frank Ferguson.

EP38  Explosion
Jun. 03,1962
Explosion

The lawmen put their lives on the line to shield an emotionally disturbed youth from a lynch mob. Billings: Gary Vinson. Shay: John Qualen. Troop: John Russell. McKay: Peter Brown. Bobbie: Miranda Jones. Lily: Peggie Castle.

EP37  The Actor
May. 27,1962
The Actor

Troop tries to save a fading Shakespearean actor from the bottle and a scorned woman's vengeance. Troop: John Russell. Hendon: John Carradine. Martha: Mary Anderson. McKay: Peter Brown. Lily: Peggie Castle. Jake: Dan Sheridan. Wilson: Harry Harvey Sr. Carson: Warren Kemmerling.

EP36  Get Out of Town
May. 20,1962
Get Out of Town

Troop (John Russell) is helplessly caught in the middle of a steadily escalating battle between bitter enemies Jim Bushrod and Amos Hall. Bushrod: Bill Williams. Hall: Tim Graham. McKay: Peter Brown. Lily: Peggie Castle. Slauson: Vinton Hayworth.

EP35  Man Behind the News
May. 13,1962
Man Behind the News

Luther Boardman is the new owner of the Laramie Free Press, and he is in love with the outlaw persona. Feeling the outlaws are the real story in the wild west, he begins a smear campaign against Dan. He accuses him of police brutality because Dan knocked out a man who was rowdy and drunk and threatening to shoot people in the Bird Cage, even though Boardman wasn't in the saloon at the time. He soon has the drunk convinced he needs a public apology from Dan.

EP34  The Doctor
May. 06,1962
The Doctor

Troop (John Russell) is forced to rely on a booze-soaked doctor when a plague threatens to engulf Laramie. Evans: Sherwood Price. McKay: Peter Brown. Cissy: Eloise Hardt. Weeks: Charles Lane. Burrell: Whit Bissell. Sims: I. Stanford Jolley.

EP33  Cort
Apr. 29,1962
Cort

A stranger rides into town and collapses. After the doctor's examination, Troop tries to question him, but gets nowhere. All the stranger will say is that there's going to be a lot of trouble around sundown.

EP32  The Youngest
Apr. 22,1962
The Youngest

A sinister matriarch brings her brood to Laramie to wreak vengeance on Troop (John Russell) for killing her outlaw husband. Ma Martin: Olive Carey. Jim: Evan McCord. Sam: Tom Gilson. Darrell: Charles Briggs. McKay: Peter Brown. Lily: Peggie Castle.

EP31  Sunday
Apr. 15,1962
Sunday

A lynch mob and a reformed outlaw have their own reasons for wanting to take custody of Troop's prisoner. Boone: Andrew Duggan. Deal: Richard Evans. Troop: John Russell. McKay: Peter Brown. Lily: Peggie Castle. Young: Greg Benedict.

EP30  The Wanted Man
Apr. 08,1962
The Wanted Man

Troop's efforts to reunite an outlaw with his seriously ill pregnant wife are hampered by a treacherous bounty hunter. Anne: Marie Windsor. Frank: Dick Foran. Ben: Jan Stine. Troop: John Russell. McKay: Peter Brown.

EP29  The Bride
Apr. 01,1962
The Bride

A wealthy rancher refuses to believe Troop's warnings that his beautiful fiancee is a swindler. Melanie: Jo Morrow. Troop: John Russell. Ollie: L.Q. Jones. McKay: Peter Brown. Farnum: William Mims. Lily: Peggie Castle. Jake: Dan Sheridan. Toomey: Grady Sutton.

EP28  Mountain Man
Mar. 25,1962
Mountain Man

Lex Buckman, a mountain man - huge, dirty, and unshaven - gives the men in Laramie a lot to talk about-and admire- by his shows of strength and prowess. However, once he sees Lily, he tells her he needs a wife and ""You're it!"". Nothing she can say can dissuade him, until she wheedles Dan into telling him they're engaged. Instead of running Lex off, he decides to eliminate the competition. Lily and Johnny spend the rest of the show trying to protect Dan from Lex, some with comic results.

EP27  Heritage of Hate
Mar. 18,1962
Heritage of Hate

Laurie Kemper (Kathie Browne), who was convicted of killing her husband, returns from prison to face her unforgiving father-in-law. Kemper: Roy Roberts. Troop: John Russell. McKay: Peter Brown. Billy: Frank Albertson. Fells: William Joyce. Judge: Harry Cheshire.

EP26  Clootey Hutter
Mar. 11,1962
Clootey Hutter

Clootey is a female gunslinger who lives up in the hills and has just come into Laramie for supplies. In a pouring rainstorm at night, after spurning his advances in the Bird Cage, she is called in the street by a drunken Earl and shoots him down in a fair fight. Dan is forced to try to arrest her, but she tells him she knows she can outdraw him. Earl's cooler headed brother, Paul, suggests instead she try to 'take him' in a gunfight to prove she really could outdraw the dead man.

EP25  The Long Gun
Mar. 04,1962
The Long Gun

We don't have an overview of this episode, please check back later.

EP24  The Barber
Feb. 25,1962
The Barber

An outlaw gang engineers a bold plot to rob the Laramie bank. McKay: Peter Brown. Troop: John Russell. O'Toole: Pitt Herbert. Jake: Dan Sheridan. Lily: Peggie Castle. Slauson: Vinton Hayworth.

EP23  The Hold-Out
Feb. 18,1962
The Hold-Out

We don't have an overview of this episode, please check back later.

EP22  Change of Venue
Feb. 11,1962
Change of Venue

Troop (John Russell) tries to keep an accused murderer from the lynch mob trying to hang him---and the gang members bent on freeing him. Shaw: Philip Carey. McKay: Peter Brown. Madelyn: Jan Shepard. Lily: Peggie Castle. Tennant: Roy Barcroft. Clay: Jack C. Williams.

EP21  No Contest
Feb. 04,1962
No Contest

McKay's Boston cousin (Richard Rogers) finds the West wilder than he expected. He's mistaken for an outlaw, seduced by a pretty flirt and clobbered by a jealous cowboy. McKay: Peter Brown. Troop: John Russell. Lily: Peggie Castle. Elly: Dawn Wells.

EP20  The Tarnished Badge
Jan. 28,1962
The Tarnished Badge

Lon Chaney is cast as an ex-lawman who returns to Laramie---wearing a stolen badge---to rob the stage. Troop: John Russell. McKay: Peter Brown. Lily: Peggie Castle. Slick: Jack Searl. Jake: Marshall Reed.

EP19  The Vintage
Jan. 21,1962
The Vintage

Mr. Lazarino is an Italian immigrant who has a wagon full of transported grapevines to plant in his new home, hoping to become a wine maker. After two men destroy most of them in a brawl in the street, his son, Tonio, opens fire and is killed by one of the men. The older man is devastated by the destruction that has occurred, and one of the two men feels strong pangs of conscience.

EP18  Friend of the Family
Jan. 14,1962
Friend of the Family

McKay is stunned to learn that the bank robber he arrested was his father's best friend. Henny: Frank Ferguson. McKay: Peter Brown. Lily: Peggie Castle. Troop: John Russell. Slauson: Vinton Hayworth. Lowell: Don O'Kelly. Selma: Gertrude Flynn.

EP17  The Locket
Jan. 07,1962
The Locket

When a friend of Lily's comes in on the stagecoach - unconscious and the only one aboard - a worried Lily nurses her, while her husband waits for her to regain consciousness so he can talk to her. Lily is suspicious of him, and finds the secret to his identity is hidden in her friend's locket.

EP16  The Trojan Horse
Dec. 31,1961
The Trojan Horse

Armed with a wagonload of nitroglycerin, a Scottish engineer demands the bank's money. Clooney: Kenneth Tobey. Troop: John Russell. McKay: Peter Brown. Lily: Peggie Castle. Falk: Charles Briggs.

EP15  By the Book
Dec. 24,1961
By the Book

Troop (John Russell) faces the loss of his badge when a Government inspector objects to his "flexible" method of law enforcement. Luster: Lyle Talbot. McKay: Peter Brown. Teakwood: Sheldon Allman. Ernie: Walter Burke. Lily: Peggie Castle.

EP14  The Prodigal Mother
Dec. 17,1961
The Prodigal Mother

Dave and Ella McCallan seek Troop's help when the mother of their foster child returns---after nine years---to take custody of her son. Tad: Billy Booth. Margaret: Catherine Mc Leod. Troop: John Russell. Ella: Mina Brown. Dave: King Calder. McKay: Peter Brown.

EP13  Tarot
Dec. 10,1961
Tarot

An amateur fortuneteller tries to conceal his own future from the lawmen: he's planning a robbery. Wyatt: Robert McQueeney. Troop: John Russell. McKay: Peter Brown. Lily: Peggie Castle. Luther: William Zuckert. Jess: K.L. Smith. Jake: Dan Sheridan.

EP12  The Lords of Darkness
Dec. 03,1961
The Lords of Darkness

Troop finds himself without allies in the town of Darkness. His mission: arrest the town boss's sons for murder. Troop: John Russell. Robert: Jim De Closs. William: Corey Allen. Lord: Arch Johnson. McKay: Peter Brown. Lily: Peggie Castle. Caroline: Elen Willard.

EP11  The Appointment
Nov. 26,1961
The Appointment

Dan's old friend, Major Jason Leeds, has come to Laramie to offer Johnny an appointment to West Point. Johnny has never considered a military career, and wants Dan to tell him to stay. Dan can't and won't make the decision for him. We can tell he really cares about Johnny and doesn't want him to go, but he knows it's a very good opportunity for him and doesn't want to stand in his way. Johnny must make a hard decision, made easier by his saving the major's life.

EP10  Porphyria's Lover
Nov. 19,1961
Porphyria's Lover

During a terrible, windy storm, Lily is suddenly terrified by the sight of a book of poetry. She explains that the poem, ""Porphyria's Lover"", by Robert Browning reminds her of a man she helped put in prison. Dan tries to convince her that it's only the storm. The next day her bartender is sent by Dan to go help the men work on rebuilding the schoolhouse, with Lily's blessing. Then while she is alone, the escaped prisoner shows up and carries her off, and Dan must piece together clues from the poem to locate her before she is killed by the madman.

EP9  The Cold One
Nov. 12,1961
The Cold One

An escaped convict blazes a trail of vengeance leading to the woman who betrayed him---his wife. Harris: Michael Pate. Barbara: Joyce Meadows. Troop: John Russell. McKay: Peter Brown. Lily: Peggie Castle. Rio: Tom Bilson.

EP8  The Catalog Woman
Nov. 05,1961
The Catalog Woman

When one of Laramie's citizens disappears the day after his wedding to a woman he met through a marriage catalog, Dan does some investigating. Learning that several other men have also disappeared after marrying someone from that agency, he decides to try to flush her out by posing as an eligible bachelor, Arthur Daniels. Lily at first thinks it's funny, but gets serious (and jealous) once Johnny points out that this could be for real - or even fatal.

EP7  The Stalker
Oct. 29,1961
The Stalker

We don't have an overview of this episode, please check back later.

EP6  The Substitute
Oct. 22,1961
The Substitute

In another rather light-hearted episode, the school teacher leaves to get married in a fit of what is deemed 'spring fever'. A search for a substitute teacher until the new one can arrive turns up a man who is very educated, but is now a drunk. Lily volunteers over Dan's objections - he's worried about what the women in town will do to her. His suspicions are proved right, but Lily once again wins over hearts by her kindness.

EP5  Owny O'Reilly, Esq.
Oct. 15,1961
Owny O'Reilly, Esq.

Millie Cotton, the governor's daughter, has run away from home and landed in Laramie. Desperate for money, she robs Owny in an alley with her hairbrush in his back. Both are scared. Owny later describes the robber as a huge, vicious man. Dan, told to be on the lookout for the governor's daughter, recognizes Millie, who sings for Lily and is told honestly that she has a lovely voice. Owny is struck by her, not knowing that she is his assailant. When he finds out, his hurt feelings take over. Later, an escaped convict, Millie, Owny, his horse, and his dog all combine for a scene of pandemonium before everything is sorted out.

EP4  The Son
Oct. 08,1961
The Son

Troop's only witness to a brutal murder is a blind youngster---who heard the killer's voice. Cole: Chad Everett. Troop: John Russell. McKay: Peter Brown. Herod: James Westerfield. Mengis: Tom Reese. Lily: Peggie Castle.

EP3  The Four
Oct. 01,1961
The Four

Four men ride into Laramie, all carrying rifles, and station themselves around town. After one of them is shot and killed, the leader tells Dan they are searching for a young, innocent looking young man who was reported to them as being in the area. He was a cold-blooded killer they had been tracking. Dan deputizes the three remaining men since Johnny was out of town, and together they track the boy down.

EP2  The Juror
Sep. 24,1961
The Juror

One member of the Cauley gang is captured and brought to Laramie for trial, because the town where he was caught couldn't find anyone willing to serve on a jury. The other 5 Cauleys have threatened to kill anyone who served. Dan is sure Laramie will rally to the cause, but finds that fear is contagious. Finally, learning that it only takes one juror, under extreme circumstances, to try a case, Dan pulls one name out of the tax register list at random to be that juror. To his shock, it's Lily's name. She accepts, and then he must worry about her safety until the trial.

EP1  Trapped
Sep. 17,1961
Trapped

Outlaw leader Hale Connors arrives in Laramie to notify Troop that the stage won't be arriving.

SEE MORE
SEE MORE
SEE MORE
SEE MORE
8.1 | TV-PG | en | Western | More Info
Released: 1958-10-05 | Released Producted By: , Country: United States of America Budget: 0 Revenue: 0 Official Website:
Synopsis

Lawman is an American western television series originally telecast on ABC from 1958 to 1962 starring John Russell as Marshal Dan Troop and featuring Peter Brown as Deputy Marshal Johnny McKay. The series was set in Laramie, Wyoming during 1879 and the 1880s. Warner Bros. already had several western series on the air at the time, having launched Cheyenne with Clint Walker as early as 1955. The studio continued the trend in 1957 with the additions of Maverick with James Garner and Jack Kelly, Colt .45 with Wayde Preston, and Sugarfoot with Will Hutchins. One year later, Warner Bros. added Lawman and Bronco with Ty Hardin. Prior to the beginning of production, Russell and Brown and producer Jules Schermer made a pact to maintain the quality of the series so that it would not be seen as "just another western." At the start of season two, Russell and Brown were joined by Peggie Castle as Lily Merrill, the owner of the Birdcage Saloon, and a love interest for Dan.

...... View More
Stream Online

The tv show is currently not available onine

Cast

John Russell , Peter Brown , Peggie Castle

Director

William T. Orr

Producted By

,

AD

Watch Free for 30 Days

All Prime Video Movies and TV Shows. Cancel anytime.

Watch Now

Reviews

Brownsbros3 I really want to thank the Encore Westerns Channel for bringing this series back to television. I am getting a chance to see this series for the first time, and so far I am loving it. I was somewhat familiar with John Russell and Peter Brown due to their guest spots on Maverick and Cheyenne. With a lot of the garbage shows that are on TV nowadays, it is nice to see a series that was built on telling good stories, and not how many uses of the F-Word you can squeeze into 30-60 minutes. Most of the westerns I've watched in the past were 60 minutes, but this is a rare one that is only 30 minutes. I think the shorter time actually works for them, because it allowed for them to film more episodes, and also the episodes themselves move at a faster, more exciting pace. It has been interesting to watch the series evolve. It seems like at first they weren't to confident in Peter Brown, so most of the early episodes they had John Russell as Dan Troop tell him to keep an eye on things and he did the action by himself. However, in the latter half of season one and now as I write this we are in season two, Johnny McKay has become more involved, and Peter Brown has been allowed to show more personality. They became kind of like the Batman and Robin of the Old West. I also like the addition of Peggie Castle as Lily. She and John Russell had some great chemistry, and to be honest, I'm a little more into them than Matt Dillon and Kitty Russell. I've also noticed since season two started showing on Encore Westerns, that they added more humor into their scripts, which is something I like. If you get a chance to check this series out, I definitely encourage you to do so. It is definitely worth a look. Now if they can find Sugarfoot in their vault, I'll be an even bigger happy camper.
bkoganbing At the same time John Russell was playing ranch owner Nathan Burdette, trying to free his no good brother Claude Akins from sheriff John Wayne in Rio Bravo he was working the other side of the law on television. These years were probably the high point of Russell's career, his most noted screen role and his most famous television role, Marshal Dan Troop of Laramie in Lawman.Russell kept law and order in Laramie the same way that James Arness did it in Dodge City on Gunsmoke. Unlike Gunsmoke, Laramie never developed the all the minor characters that gave you the feel of Dodge City at the time. Instead it concentrated on Russell taking care of business and learning the business of law to his eager young deputy Peter Brown.Brown played deputy Johnny McKay who was a most respectful young man, constantly referring to his boss as Mr. Troop. He was pretty handy with a shooting iron, but was inclined to be impulsive. Good thing Marshal Troop was around.The other series regular was the Kitty Russell of Laramie, Lily played by Peggie Castle. This is where Lawman most resembled Gunsmoke. There was an unspoken understanding between Russell and Castle that even the smallest of children couldn't have missed. And I wasn't the smallest of children when Lawman was in first run.Sadly Peggie Castle developed substance abuse problems after Lawman's run ended. I remember a small obituary marked her passing in the first half of the Seventies. She was one beautiful woman.Lawman was good no nonsense western from that golden era of the adult television western. It was one of the best.
jonesy74-1 John Russel was excellently cast in this Western about protecting Laramie from the badder elements of society.Russell, a former Marine, was straight and tall and worked wonderfully as the wise lawman who used his six-gun with deadly accuracy and regularity. Peter Brown as Deputy Johnny McKay was also fast in the leather slappin' dept.Brown brought the young ladies in to view the weekly adventures while Russell, I'm sure, caught the attention of both women viewers and men.This was a smart Western with a great theme song composed of male voices singing the praises of the "Lawman." Russell's steely eyes made the part of tough-guy Marshall believable. The epitome of what you would expect a real Marshall in the old west to be. Brown's good looks and athletic prowess made for some great action during the series.I was sad to see Russell cast as a villain in the 1985 Clint Eastwood film, Pale Rider. Russell will forever remain one of the ultimate lawmen in the Old West in my mind as a result of this wonderful old Western series.
gl.nan I couldn't agree more, this 50s western series was superbly done and John Russell was perfect for the part, although he played Indians and also many other parts in western's especially, I feel the part of Dan Troop was tailor made for him and in my opinion was probably his best part, although I agree completely that it didn't run as long or received the accolades it should have done!