THE WESTERNER "Treasure"1960
This is the seventh episode of the short run western series, THE WESTERNER. The series starred Brian Keith as a wandering cow-hand travelling the southwest United States. Of note here is the creator and producer, Sam Peckinpah. Peckinpah is of course known as the writer and director of, THE WILD BUNCH. This series only ran for 13 episodes in the fall of 1960.
Keith and his dog, Brown, have returned to the small town of Dos Pinos. He checks in with the Sheriff, Malcolm Atterbury. The two have become friends since Keith helped him out with some gunmen several months before. Keith tells Atterbury that he has a job at a town about 90 miles away. He plans on taking a short cut across a wide stretch of desert. Atterbury and a few locals tell him to stock up on water. Many men have died after becoming lost in the area.
Keith sees no problem and heads off the next day. Half way across the patch, a big sandstorm blows up. Keith and the dog manage to find a hollow in some rocks and hole up. After the storm blows itself out, Keith finds a small cave. Inside said cave he finds a U.S Army payroll bag.
Just then, the dog, Brown, starts barking like crazy, Keith has a look and out of the desert sun walks a man leading a mule. The man, Arthur Hunnicutt, is an old prospector who has spent the last 30 years looking for gold. Keith quickly covers up the found loot and lays back.
The two men say hello and Hunnicutt sets up camp and starts cooking some beans. Hunnicutt tells Keith a tale about a lost Army payroll with 30,000 in gold double eagles. Keith is not sure if the prospector knows about the just found gold, or is just passing time with a story.
Night rolls around and Keith falls asleep. He wakes just as Hunnicutt jumps him with a drawn blade. Keith collects a cut in the shoulder but manages to pull iron and drill his attacker. Hunnicutt, just before he dies, says that he could tell Keith was hiding something.
Keith binds his wound up, digs out the 30,000 and heads off the next morning. His horse only makes it about 20 miles and collapses from lack of water. Keith grabs the saddlebags of gold, his rifle and his half full canteen. He staggers off back towards Dos Pinos.
Also out in the desert is Sheriff Atterbury and one of the men from town. They got worried for Keith after the big storm hit. They have a buckboard with plenty of water. They find Hunnicutt and the blood covered knife. They then come up on Keith's dead mount and the exhausted dog. No Keith however. They give the dog water, load him up on the buckboard and head back to town.
They find that Keith had stumbled in the night before. He has been drinking water and eating some grub since. Atterbury asks Keith about the dead man and is told it was self defence. Keith shows him the gold that he brought in. Sheriff Atterbury tells Keith he might get 100 dollars reward for the return of the gold.
Keith is not at all amused with this. He quickly decides to keep the gold. He disarms the Sheriff and grabs the gold up. He has decided to head to Mexico and a life of milk and honey. He does not get far before he returns and hands the money back to Atterbury. He will take the 100 bucks.
This is an interesting little episode with good work from all involved. The director this time was, Ted Post. A long time television director, Post became friends with Clint Eastwood while helming 24 episodes of the Eastwood series, RAWHIDE. Eastwood would later give the directing chores to Post on the feature films, HANG 'EM HIGH and MAGNUM FORCE.
Character actor Hunnicutt of course is known to a whole generation of western fans. He appeared in over 100 different films and television episodes between 1942 and 1975.These include EL DORADO, TICKET TO TOMAHAWK, BROKEN ARROW, CAT BALLOU, THE SPIKES GANG, THE LAST COMMAND. He even garnered an Oscar nomination for his work in THE BIG SKY.
This is the seventh episode of the short run western series, THE WESTERNER. The series starred Brian Keith as a wandering cow-hand travelling the southwest United States. Of note here is the creator and producer, Sam Peckinpah. Peckinpah is of course known as the writer and director of, THE WILD BUNCH. This series only ran for 13 episodes in the fall of 1960.
Keith and his dog, Brown, have returned to the small town of Dos Pinos. He checks in with the Sheriff, Malcolm Atterbury. The two have become friends since Keith helped him out with some gunmen several months before. Keith tells Atterbury that he has a job at a town about 90 miles away. He plans on taking a short cut across a wide stretch of desert. Atterbury and a few locals tell him to stock up on water. Many men have died after becoming lost in the area.
Keith sees no problem and heads off the next day. Half way across the patch, a big sandstorm blows up. Keith and the dog manage to find a hollow in some rocks and hole up. After the storm blows itself out, Keith finds a small cave. Inside said cave he finds a U.S Army payroll bag.
Just then, the dog, Brown, starts barking like crazy, Keith has a look and out of the desert sun walks a man leading a mule. The man, Arthur Hunnicutt, is an old prospector who has spent the last 30 years looking for gold. Keith quickly covers up the found loot and lays back.
The two men say hello and Hunnicutt sets up camp and starts cooking some beans. Hunnicutt tells Keith a tale about a lost Army payroll with 30,000 in gold double eagles. Keith is not sure if the prospector knows about the just found gold, or is just passing time with a story.
Night rolls around and Keith falls asleep. He wakes just as Hunnicutt jumps him with a drawn blade. Keith collects a cut in the shoulder but manages to pull iron and drill his attacker. Hunnicutt, just before he dies, says that he could tell Keith was hiding something.
Keith binds his wound up, digs out the 30,000 and heads off the next morning. His horse only makes it about 20 miles and collapses from lack of water. Keith grabs the saddlebags of gold, his rifle and his half full canteen. He staggers off back towards Dos Pinos.
Also out in the desert is Sheriff Atterbury and one of the men from town. They got worried for Keith after the big storm hit. They have a buckboard with plenty of water. They find Hunnicutt and the blood covered knife. They then come up on Keith's dead mount and the exhausted dog. No Keith however. They give the dog water, load him up on the buckboard and head back to town.
They find that Keith had stumbled in the night before. He has been drinking water and eating some grub since. Atterbury asks Keith about the dead man and is told it was self defence. Keith shows him the gold that he brought in. Sheriff Atterbury tells Keith he might get 100 dollars reward for the return of the gold.
Keith is not at all amused with this. He quickly decides to keep the gold. He disarms the Sheriff and grabs the gold up. He has decided to head to Mexico and a life of milk and honey. He does not get far before he returns and hands the money back to Atterbury. He will take the 100 bucks.
This is an interesting little episode with good work from all involved. The director this time was, Ted Post. A long time television director, Post became friends with Clint Eastwood while helming 24 episodes of the Eastwood series, RAWHIDE. Eastwood would later give the directing chores to Post on the feature films, HANG 'EM HIGH and MAGNUM FORCE.
Character actor Hunnicutt of course is known to a whole generation of western fans. He appeared in over 100 different films and television episodes between 1942 and 1975.These include EL DORADO, TICKET TO TOMAHAWK, BROKEN ARROW, CAT BALLOU, THE SPIKES GANG, THE LAST COMMAND. He even garnered an Oscar nomination for his work in THE BIG SKY.
