The Restless Gun (1957)
The Restless Gun is an American western television series that appeared on NBC between 1957 and 1959, with John Payne in the role of Vint Bonner, a wandering cowboy in the era after the American Civil War. A skilled gunfighter, Bonner is an idealistic person who prefers peaceful resolutions of conflict wherever possible. He is gregarious, intelligent, and public-spirited. The half-hour black-and-white program aired seventy-eight episodes. Jeanne Bates appeared in varying roles with Payne in five episodes of The Restless Gun. The Restless Gun theme song begins: "I ride with the wind, my eyes on the sun, and my hand on my restless gun..." The song composer is probably Paul Dunlap, credited as the primary series composer, but could have been contributed to by either of the two other series composers, Dave Kahn and Stanley Wilson, also. Two versions are currently posted on YouTube, but neither posting lists any composer or performance credits.
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Episode 1 - The Hill of Death
Release Date: 1959-06-22Vint and the boy Robby are fishing by the riverbank. Vint tells the boy that the gun is a tool and goes on to tell the story of his grandfather, Jebediah Bonner. Vint's parents have been killed and he is brought up by Dr. Ken Ludlow and his wife. Jebediah, a retired marshall, arrives on the stagecoach to visit with his grandson and is confronted in the saloon by Jim Kenyon who holds a grudge from 20 years ago when he believes that Jedediah had not given his father a fair chance when he had killed him. Joe is consumed by hatred and is determined to exact revenge. Young Vint sees and hears of his grandfather being bullied and doing nothing. Jebediah decides that he must gain respect in young Vint's eyes and an exciting conclusion is played out.
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Episode 2 - Dragon for a Day
Release Date: 1958-09-29 -
Episode 3 - Mercyday
Release Date: 1958-10-06 -
Episode 4 - Thunder Valley
Release Date: 1958-10-13 -
Episode 5 - The Nowhere Kid
Release Date: 1958-10-20 -
Episode 6 - Bonner's Squaw
Release Date: 1958-11-03Bonner persuades Chief Tashuka to honour the treaty with the white man by handing over two braves who are suspected of robbery. Unfortunately for Bonner, the chief's daughter Running Fawn takes a shine to Bonner and follows him to town. By Indian law Bonner is to marry the girl and reluctantly agrees to prevent a war. However when Bonner sees how beautiful Running Fawn is he uses an Indian custom to lose her to a brave.
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Episode 7 - Tomboy
Release Date: 1958-11-10 -
Episode 8 - Remember the Dead
Release Date: 1958-11-17 -
Episode 9 - No Way to Kill
Release Date: 1958-11-24 -
Episode 10 - Take Me Home
Release Date: -
Episode 11 - Multiply One Boy
Release Date: 1958-12-08 -
Episode 12 - Peligroso
Release Date: 1958-12-15 -
Episode 13 - A Bell for Santo Domingo
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Episode 14 - The Way Back
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Episode 15 - The Painted Beauty
Release Date: 1959-01-05 -
Episode 16 - Shadow of a Gunfighter
Release Date: 1959-01-12 -
Episode 17 - The Lady and the Gun
Release Date: 1959-01-19 -
Episode 18 - Blood of Courage
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Episode 19 - Better Than A Cannon
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Episode 20 - The Dead Ringer
Release Date: 1959-02-16 -
Episode 21 - The Last Grey Man
Release Date: 1959-02-23 -
Episode 22 - Melany
Release Date: 1959-03-02 -
Episode 23 - Ricochet
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Episode 24 - Dead Man's Hand
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Episode 25 - The Sweet Sisters
Release Date: 1959-03-23 -
Episode 26 - Incident at Bluefield
Release Date: 1959-03-30 -
Episode 27 - The Pawn
Release Date: 1959-04-06 -
Episode 28 - Four Lives
Release Date: 1959-04-13 -
Episode 29 - One on the House
Release Date: 1959-04-20 -
Episode 30 - Code for a Killer
Release Date: 1959-04-27Vint Bonner arrives in the town of Toredo to be best man at his friend, Dave Regan's wedding. Vint soon discovers that Dave has been shot in the back and that the town, led by the new sheriff Ben Webster, are looking for his supposed killer, Vance Carter. It is left to Vint to find the truth and lay a trap for the real killer.
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Episode 31 - Mme. Brimstone
Release Date: 1959-05-04 -
Episode 32 - Lady by Law
Release Date: 1959-05-11 -
Episode 33 - Ride with the Devil
Release Date: 1959-05-18Bonner is sent for by Don Tomas Verdes, a Mexican ranch owner, to help him convince his son to stop riding with an outlaw gang. Bonner joins the outlaws to try and bring the boy to his senses.
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Episode 34 - A Trial for Jenny May
Release Date: 1959-05-25After Jenny May McElroy's husband was killed in a gunfight, no one in town would give her a job to support her children, except for the saloon owner, who hired her as a bookkeeper. Because of this some of the "proper" townspeople want to take her children and make them wards of the state.
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Episode 35 - The Cavis Boy
Release Date: 1959-06-01 -
Episode 36 - The Englishman
Release Date: 1959-06-08 -
Episode 37 - A Very Special Investigator
Release Date: 1959-06-15