Johnny Ringo (TV Series) The Arrival (1959) User Reviews

Good First Episode

[gordonl56 · 7/10 · 8 August 2016]

JOHNNY RINGO "The Arrival" 1959

JOHNNY RINGO was a western series that ran for 38 episodes during 1959-60. The series starred Don Durant as the title character with Karen Sharpe, Mark Goddard and Terence De Marney as series regulars. The series follows Durant, (Ringo) a former gunfighter who decides to go straight. He becomes the Sheriff in the small town of Velardi in the Arizona Territory. The series was one of several (Rifleman, Wanted Dead or Alive, Shotgun Slade) with a "gimmick gun". Durant carries a special LeMat revolver equipped with a shotgun barrel under the six gun barrel. This episode is the 1st episode of the series.

Former gunfighter, Don Durant is hired by the small town of Velardi to be the new Sheriff. The town is having trouble with the local saloon and gambling hall owner. The man, James Coburn, runs crooked games and sells rot-gut whisky. He also keeps a group of hired guns to stop anyone from complaining.

It takes all of 15 minutes for Durant to have a run in with the swine, Coburn. Durant is lucky to get out of Coburn's place with his breathing arrangements still in working order.

Coburn needs help and hires a local, Terence De Marney. De Marney has shall we say an over fondness for the bottle. The man swears to stop drinking and straighten up. Also in the mix is De Marney's pretty daughter, Karen Sharpe. She is happy that Durant is giving her father a chance to sober up.

After another man is killed in Coburn's saloon, Durant gives Coburn 24 hours to clear out of town. Coburn of course gets a laugh out of this, and tells Durant he will be waiting at the end of the 24 hours.

Durant straps on a special gun that De Marney gives him. The gun is a honking big Le Mat revolver with a shotgun barrel under the revolver. He hits Coburn's place and is met by Coburn and 5 hired guns. Iron is pulled and lead flies. Durant puts down all the hired guns, then walks up to Coburn. Coburn laughs and says that he has counted Durant fire all six rounds. He takes aim at Durant to finish him off. Durant though still has the extra round in the shotgun barrel. Coburn is soon splattered all over the wall behind him.

The following year Coburn would have his star making turn in, THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN.

Man with a Seven-Shooter

[zardoz-13 · 7/10 · 28 November 2014]

Aaron Spelling's first television series "Johnny Ringo" was a far cry from what he produced later in life like "Charlie's Angels," "7TH Heaven," "Charmed," and "The Love Boat." Mind you, Spelling dabbled in oaters, with "The Guns of Will Sonnett," two "Over the Hill Gang" westerns, and the short-lived "Rango." In the premier episode, gunslinger Johnny Ringo (Don Durant of "She Gods of the Shark Reef") cleans up the lawless town of Velardi, Arizona, where saloon owner Mort Taylor (James Coburn of "The Magnificent Seven") manages a crooked gambling table and dispenses rotgut liquor. Mayor Hartford (Willis Bouchey of "Last of the Badmen") signs Ringo on for $200 to wear a badge. Ringo keeps the town drunk, Case Thomas (Terence de Marney of "Confessions of an Opium Eater?), who was put in the position by Taylor. After a shooting occurs in Taylor's bar and nobody comes forward to testify about it, Ringo orders Taylor to get out of town the next day. Ringo learns from Case's beautiful daughter, Laura Thomas (TV actress Karen Sharpe), that her father turned to the bottle because his wife died. Later, Case creates a special revolver for Ringo. Basically, Case has taken a six-shooter and put an extra barrel under the original barrel. The second barrel houses a .410 shotgun shell. Taylor and his henchmen rough up Case, and Ringo shoots it out with Taylor in his bar. Taylor counts down the number of bullets that Ringo has fired and then they approach him thinking that our protagonist is fresh out of ammunition. Ringo surprises them and knocks both of them down. Just about every western featured a hero with an unusual firearm. Don Durant is fine as the eponymous character, and Coburn is brash as the lead villain. The first episode ties in with the second episode about a trick-shot in a carnival.

The Arrival

[Prismark10 · 5/10 · 12 December 2020]

In this series, the real life outlaw Johnny Ringo has been fictionalised and made more palatable for a television audience.

Johnny Ringo (Don Durant) is now a former gunfighter made sheriff in a small frontier town in Arizona.

They are having trouble with bigwig saloon and crooked gambling hall owner Mort Taylor (James Coburn) and his goons.

The town drunk, Case Thomas is hired by Ringo as his deputy in the hope that will sober him up. Case creates a special 7 shooter gun for Ringo. There must have been a by-law that you cannot carry two or more guns.

Inevitably the confrontation with Taylor and his goons means that Taylor erroneously believes that Ringo has fired 6 shots and no more bullets left. It was an unfair fight, everyone knows that Coburn was more of a knife man.

The casting of Coburn elevates the first episode of this routine western. Ringo somehow takes out two men with his final bullet.