Death Valley Days (1952)
Death Valley Days is an American radio and television anthology series featuring true stories of the old American West, particularly the Death Valley area. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program was broadcast on radio until 1945 and continued from 1952 to 1970 as a syndicated television series, with reruns continuing through August 1, 1975. The series was sponsored by the Pacific Coast Borax Company and hosted by Stanley Andrews, Ronald Reagan, Robert Taylor, and Dale Robertson. With the passing of Dale Robertson in 2013, all the former Death Valley Days hosts are now deceased.
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Episode 1 - The Saint's Portrait
Release Date: 1954-09-24A drought in Pueblo Indian country has bypassed a branch headed by Miguel due to a painting of St. Joseph. The Laguna tribe headed by Felipe borrows it but then refuses to return it after receiving rain, causing conflict.
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Episode 2 - 11,000 Miners Can't Be Wrong
Release Date: 1954-09-25Jim Hardwicke's act of self defense becomes a murder charge because of an ambitious politician Pike. An effort to make Columbia, California the new capital involves 11,000 signatures and lawyer Barrett uses that to his advantage.
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Episode 3 - Halfway Girl
Release Date: 1954-10-22Gordon McLean and Ginny Cluett meet then fall in love even though they belong to feuding families. They intend to marry until Gordon makes a deathbed promise to his father starting the animosity in the next generation.
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Episode 4 - Black Bart The PO8
Release Date: 1954-10-26Wells Fargo is plagued by a series of stagecoach robberies by Black Bart who taunts their agents with his poetry. A retired teacher Bolton offers the detectives advice while he courts his landlady Miss Webb.
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Episode 5 - The Light on the Mountain
Release Date: 1954-11-12Nevada's road to statehood becomes entwined in a trial concerning mining claims and Civil War allegiances. Lawyers Corey and Stewart must prove that the judge and jury have been bribed to rid the courts of corruption.
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Episode 6 - To Big Charlie from Little Charlie
Release Date: 1954-12-06Two partner prospectors, two Charlies, sell out to wealthy Spencer Gates and their lives take different paths. Big Charlie marries Consuelo Gates and becomes rich while his friend is a storekeeper just barely getting by.
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Episode 7 - Sequoia
Release Date: 1954-12-31The life of Cherokee tribesman Sequoia from his birth to his later years. His time spent on developing the Cherokee written language is portrayed in detail and it's importance to it's people.
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Episode 8 - Lola Montez
Release Date: 1955-01-04The tumultuous life of Lola Montez, born Eliza Gilbert, is portrayed. The dancer and adventuress becomes the toast of two continents, brings down Bavaria's King, owns a bear and goes through several fortunes.
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Episode 9 - The Big Team Rolls
Release Date: 1955-01-27A young tenderfoot goes to Death Valley to work at his fiancée's borax mine. He is assigned to work as a swamper on the huge mule train that ships the product out of the desert to a train station ten days away. On the return trip, a disgruntled former employee steals the mine's payroll and shoots the lead driver, forcing the tenderfoot to prove his mettle by taking the train back to safety and tracking down the thief to retrieve the stolen money.
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Episode 10 - Death and Taxes
Release Date: 1955-02-03Innocent Bud Payson arrives in wild mining town of Limbo and is hired to collect back taxes by the sheriff. Bud enlists Curly Bill, the area's toughest man to help, not realizing a robbery is planned when he has gathered all the money.
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Episode 11 - Riggs and Riggs
Release Date: 1955-02-24Elvira Riggs does the hard work on their mining claim while her husband Henry takes it easy. When they sell their stake for $70,000 Henry takes off with a shady sea captain, squandering the hard earned money.
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Episode 12 - Million Dollar Wedding
Release Date: 1955-03-01Though women are scarce in the mining camp plain Aggie lacks any suitors. But George and Russ bribe their friend Tiny with worthless mine stock to marry her. Tiny confesses to Aggie, then manager Mr. Loomis delivers a surprise.
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Episode 13 - Love 'Em and Leave 'Em
Release Date: 1955-03-29Nina pledges to wait for Terry when he leaves to make his fortune. But after not hearing from him Nina marries John. Terry, although friendly with saloon girl Vera, is surprised when a sick Nina arrives leading him to make a huge sacrifice.
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Episode 14 - The Seventh Day
Release Date: 1955-04-21Tom Powell is elected wagon train captain on way to the California. His refusal to travel on the Sabbath leads Frank to lead a breakaway group, taking Tom's girl Mary Ann with him. The two groups have very different incidents on the trail.
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Episode 15 - The Mormon's Grindstone
Release Date: 1955-04-28When assayer Murphy evaluations vary greatly the miners decide to play a prank to prove a point. They break up a grindstone to take to Murph but are stunned when it contains silver but where it came from is a mystery.
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Episode 16 - Death Valley Scotty
Release Date: 1955-04-29This episode re-creates the record-breaking run of the "Scott Special," a passenger train of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway commissioned by Walter E. Scott in 1905. Santa Fe #1010, one of the original steam locomotives used on the special, was reconditioned especially for filming.
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Episode 17 - The Crystal Gazer
Release Date: 1955-06-04Eilley Orrum believes she can see the future and gives advice based on the ability. She tells Sandy Bowers where to mine his fortune, marrying him and spending their wealth freely. But she doesn't foresee that the money might run out.
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Episode 18 - I Am Joaquin
Release Date: 1955-06-07The outlaw career of California's notorious Joaquin Murieta is portrayed. It's seen through the experience of Ann Dix whose husband is murdered and her child disappears, leading her to spend years searching for her daughter.