tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post8492694194311008239..comments2024-03-27T22:27:16.556-04:00Comments on It's About TV: The Rebel: a portrait of America's existential crisisMitchell Hadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08695771505209080030noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post-46079021372447451882022-01-31T19:58:29.644-05:002022-01-31T19:58:29.644-05:00Nevertheless, that slavery may have been the overw...Nevertheless, that slavery may have been the overwhelming reason does not deny that it was not the <i>only</i> reason.Mitchell Hadleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08695771505209080030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post-50742116748825112912022-01-31T12:29:26.322-05:002022-01-31T12:29:26.322-05:00For you to say the Civil War wasn't just about...For you to say the Civil War wasn't just about slavery is to minimize the overwhelming reason, the right to own and keep slaves. Every Confederate State's Secessionist Document specifically stated just that.Reesehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09554653947435818361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post-12809161657615666972016-09-13T01:35:44.658-04:002016-09-13T01:35:44.658-04:00Insanely Belated Followup:
Recently I acquired a ...Insanely Belated Followup:<br /><br />Recently I acquired a complete DVD set of <i>The Rebel</i>: all the episodes, with the original Johnny Cash theme restored, and a lengthy interview with the creator, Andrew J. Fenady (worth the price of the whole set).<br /><br />Many years after the show's run, Fenady turned some of his scripts for <i>The Rebel</i> into a novel, titled (surprise) <i>Johnny Yuma: The Rebel</i>, something he'd always wanted to do.<br /><br />I've checked both the episodes and the novel, and here's the thing:<br />Johnny Yuma was from <i>Texas</i>.<br />He didn't betray the North at all.<br />And there goes your whole "existentialist" nonsense.<br /><br /> ... sorry about that ...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05527404061764217504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post-25294633176296343062016-06-26T12:48:08.123-04:002016-06-26T12:48:08.123-04:00Yesterday, I took delivery on Wild Wild Westerners...Yesterday, I took delivery on <i>Wild Wild Westerners</i>, the latest collection of interviews by Tom Weaver, who's moved away for the moment from SF/fantasy to westerns.<br /><br />Among Weaver's intreviewees is Andrew J. Fenady, and his section is concerned with <i>The Rebel</i>, and in particular his long friendship with Nick Adams.<br />According to Fenady, this is how <i>The Rebel</i> came about:<br /><br /> - Fenady wanted to create and produce his own series.<br /><br /> - His friend Irvin Kershner wanted to direct and be a partner.<br /><br /> - Nick Adams wanted to star in his own series.<br /><br /> - Goodson and Todman wanted to expand beyond game shows.<br /><br /> - ABC had a half-hour open on Sunday nights.<br /><br /> - ... and really, that's it.<br /><br />Anything "existential" ... I get the feeling that if you ran that past any of the above-named people, they'd smile politely and say "Sure, Mitch - whatever you like ...".<br /><br />A couple of points from Fenady:<br /><br /> - Dick Powell and Four Star had the first crack at <i>The Rebel</i>, which would have piloted off <i>Zane Grey Theater</i>; but that show was booked solid for the season, so Adams and Fenady would have had to wait a year.<br />Meanwhile, director Kershner had an in with Goodson-Todman, and they were able to kick it off right away.<br />Dick Powell stepped aside, and <i>The Rebel</i> was on its way ...<br /><br /> - ... but Mark Goodson had two little suggestions:<br /><br /> (1) He wanted John Derek to play Johnny Yuma (or basically anyone other than Nick Adams).<br /><br /> (2) He wanted the theme song sung by the Ames Brothers (or basically anyone other than Johnny Cash).<br /><br />It's a more complicated story than I'm putting here, but the important part is that Andrew Fenady was able to talk Goodson out of these "suggestions".<br /><br /> - In the wake of <i>The Rebel</i>'s success, Fenady almost sold a sort-of companion series to ABC - <i>The Yank</i>.<br />Almost.<br />Fenady made two pilots, both starring James Drury (pre-<i>Virginian</i>, obviously), and ABC was on the verge of buying -<br /> - but Bill Todman had a blowup with ABC over how big the deal would be, and in a fit of pique he went to NBC, and ABC threatened to cancel <i>The Rebel</i>, and ...<br /> ... and this is another of those complicated stories, and Fenady tells it far better than I am, and the hell with it, <b>get Weaver's book</b> already (BearManor Media, or get it from Amazon like I did).<br /><br />Any Questions?<br /><br />Mike Dorannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post-83871361555831467852016-06-25T11:37:25.974-04:002016-06-25T11:37:25.974-04:00Which was, of course, another Goodson-Todman produ...Which was, of course, another Goodson-Todman productionRays profilehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13375762252351537791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post-55423442634941169212016-06-23T07:41:28.573-04:002016-06-23T07:41:28.573-04:00Just to note that the third series Fenady produced...Just to note that the third series Fenady produced during the 1960's, which dealt with the aftermath for a Union soldier, was of course Branded.Halhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09291930694234773688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post-90231772103889335482016-06-23T07:39:39.712-04:002016-06-23T07:39:39.712-04:00Andrew J. Fenady produced three series and all dea...Andrew J. Fenady produced three series and all dealt with the aftermath of the war between the states. I need to brush up on The Rebel, which I have not seen in many years, but I do recall that the title implied a double meaning, that he was a rebel against his father in addition to being a literal Rebel soldier. <br /><br />Hondo, which I'm doing an episode guide for, was also about a northerner who fought for the South for one very personal reason: his Apache wife was killed in an Army raid. No mention of slavery in Hondo either, and certainly no indication that Hondo had any loyalty to the South's cause--he simply wanted revenge for his dead wife AND child--we learned in the fourth episode, had been pregnant with his unborn child at the time she was killed by the U.S. Army forces. Hondo had a similar line to the one in "The Hope Chest" above once: "Nobody owns anybody."<br /><br />Great piece. I like the New Frontier blog but also felt he missed the mark a number of times in his writeup on this series.Halhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09291930694234773688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post-52513607039132531572016-06-23T04:23:33.351-04:002016-06-23T04:23:33.351-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Halhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09291930694234773688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post-15733020168684483482016-06-23T04:16:52.969-04:002016-06-23T04:16:52.969-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Halhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09291930694234773688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post-45508838720400690692016-06-22T12:42:18.902-04:002016-06-22T12:42:18.902-04:00By Johnny Cash!By Johnny Cash!Mitchell Hadleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08695771505209080030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post-3969126260315286032016-06-22T10:27:09.202-04:002016-06-22T10:27:09.202-04:00I can just barely remember watching this show, but...I can just barely remember watching this show, but the theme song is still firmly lodged in my head: "Johnny Yuma, was a rebel........"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com