Frontier Gentleman

Format

Frontier Gentleman was one of several "adult westerns," along with Gunsmoke (1952–1961), Luke Slaughter of Tombstone and others, that appeared on radio and television in the early 1950s. The genre was described as "grittier, more realistic, and clearly intended for an older audience. Adult westerns were less the descendants of their juvenile predecessors than they were cousins of western feature films such as Shane (1953), with Alan Ladd and High Noon (1952), starring Gary Cooper"

The program was set in the post-Civil War United States.

Opening

The program opened with a trumpet theme by Jerry Goldsmith and this introduction: :Herewith, an Englishman's account of life and death in The West. As a reporter for The Times of London, he writes his colorful and unusual accounts. But as a man with a gun, he lives and becomes a part of the violent years in the new territories. Now, starring John Dehner, this is the story of J. B. Kendall, Frontier Gentleman...

Main character

The character's full name is Jeremy Brian Kendall. This was revealed in the episode "The Lost Mine." Kendall was described as an "elegant and icily effective ... veteran of the British Army in India."

Personnel

Written, produced and directed by Antony Ellis, it followed the adventures of journalist Kendall as he roamed the Western United States in search of stories for the Times. Along the way, he encountered various fictional drifters and outlaws in addition to well-known historical figures, such as Jesse James, Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok.

Music for the series was by Wilbur Hatch and Jerry Goldsmith, who also supplied the opening trumpet theme. The announcers were Dan Cubberly, Johnny Jacobs, Bud Sewell and John Wald.

Supporting cast: Harry Bartell, Lawrence Dobkin, Virginia Gregg, Stacy Harris, Johnny Jacobs, Joseph Kearns, Jack Kruschen, Jack Moyles, Jeanette Nolan (later also on television), Vic Perrin and Barney Phillips.

References

Listen

• All episodes of Frontier Gentleman for free download at the Internet Archive

References

1. Dunning, John. (1998). "On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio". Oxford University Press.
2. Sterling, Christopher H. (ed.) (2004). ''Encyclopedia of Radio''. Fitzroy Dearborn. {{ISBN. 1-57958-249-4. P. 1500
3. (February 10, 1958). "KNX Airs 'Frontier Gentleman'". Broadcasting.
4. Terrace, Vincent (1999). ''Radio Programs, 1924–1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows''. McFarland & Company, Inc. {{ISBN. 978-0-7864-4513-4. pp. 125–126.
5. (February 16, 1958). "Dehner In New Series". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
6. Sies, Luther F. (2014). ''Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920–1960, 2nd Edition''. McFarland & Company, Inc. {{ISBN. 978-0-7864-5149-4. p. 245.