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The High Chaparral
The High Chaparral was one of the most successful westerns ever created. It was created by David Dortort and premiered on television on 10 September 1967 running right through the sixties to its last telecast on 12 March 1971.
The series was named after the ranch in Arizona where the Cannon family lived and worked during the 1870’s. The series was set around John Cannon (played by Leif Erickson) and his struggle to establish a cattle empire in the rugged, Apache-infested land. He was aided and abetted by his younger brother Buck, who could out-drink, outshoot, outfight, and when motivated, outwork any man alive. Big John's son Billy Blue was a young man in his early 20's, whose mother was killed in the very first episode. After his first wife's death, John married an aristocratic Spanish beauty, Victoria Montoya, daughter of Don Sebastian Montoya. Although this was an arranged marriage, it soon turns to be one of substance and trust. Manolito (Victoria’s brother) also moves to the Cannon ranch and becomes a permanent part of the household.
The series was created and produced by David Dortort, the same man who brought us Bonanza. The High Chaparral moved away from the slightly soapier feel of Bonanza and instead gave us more action and biting dialogue. Effort was made that everything would be as real as possible... the sweat, the dirt, the desert...even the Apaches who worked on the set as extras – and that was very unusual for the time.While it aired, The High Chaparral consistently remained in the Top 20 of the Neilson Ratings, despite gaining a reputation for being too violent. It was a Number One programme in Europe, and is still a popular favourite due to almost continuous repeats worldwide.
The series was filmed on location in the old movie town of Old Tucson, built as an authentic replica of 1870 Tucson for the 1939 movie, Arizona. (The Old town still stands and was more recently used as the backdrop for other series such as the Young Riders) Several of the local area ranches served as backdrop for most of the off-set locations. The series strove for a realism that was not often encountered at the time. Its attention to detail is probably one of the reason why it is still so fondly remembered today.
For further information you can visit the excellent website at http://www.thehighchaparral.com/.
Episodes and air dates
Season One
| The High Chaparral | 10 September 1967 |
| The Arrangement | 10 September 1967 |
| The Ghost of Chaparral | 17 September 1967 |
| Best Man for the Job | 24 September 1967 |
| A Quiet Day in Tucson | 1 October 1967 |
| Young Blood | 8 October 1967 |
| Shadows on the Land | 15 October 1967 |
| The Filibusteros | 22 October 1967 |
| The Doctor from Dodge | 29 October 1967 |
| Sudden Country | 5 November 1967 |
| A Hanging Offense | 12 November 1967 |
| The Price of Revenge | 19 November 1967 |
| Widow from Red Rock | 26 November 1967 |
| Mark of the Turtle | 10 December 1967 |
| The Terrorist | 17 Deember 1967 |
| The Firing Wall | 31 December 1967 |
| The Assassins | 7 January 1968 |
| Survival | 14 January 1968 |
| Gold Is Where You Leave It | 21 January 1968 |
| The Kinsman | 28 January 1968 |
| Champion of the Western World | 4 February 1968 |
| Ride the Savage Land | 11 February 1968 |
| Bad Day for a Thirst | 18 February 1968 |
| Tiger by the Tail | 25 February 1968 |
| The Peacemaker | 3 March 1968 |
| The Hair Hunters | 10 March 1968 |
| A Joyful Noise | 24 March 1968 |
| Threshold of Courage | 31 March 1968 |
Season Two
| The Stallion | 20 September 1968 |
| Ten Little Indians | 27 September 1968 |
| Follow Your Heart | 4 October 1968 |
| Tornado Frances | 11 October 1968 |
| The Covey | 18 October 1968 |
| The Promised Land | 25 October 1968 |
| Ebenezer | 1 November 1968 |
| North to Tucson | 8 November 1968 |
| The Deceivers | 15 November 1968 |
| The Buffalo Soldiers | 22 November 1968 |
| For What We Are About to Receive | 29 November 1968 |
| A Way of Justice | 13 December 1968 |
| Our Lady of Guadalupe | 20 December 1968 |
| Sea of Enemies | 3 January 1969 |
| Shadow of the Wind | 10 January 1969 |
| No Irish Need Apply | 17 January 1969 |
| The Last Hundred Miles | 24 January 1969 |
| The Glory Soldiers | 31 January 1969 |
| Feather of an Eagle | 7 February 1969 |
| Once on a Day in Spring | 14 February 1969 |
| Stinky Flanagan | 21 February 1969 |
| Surtee | 28 February 1969 |
| A Fella Named Kilroy | 7 March 1969 |
| No Bugles, No Drums | 14 March 1969 |
| The Lion Sleeps | 28 March 1969 |
| For the Love of Carlos | 4 April 1969 |
Season Three
| Time of Your Life | 19 September 1969 |
| A Time to Laugh, A Time to Cry | 26 September 1969 |
| The Brothers Cannon | 3 October 1969 |
| A Piece of Land | 10 October 1969 |
| Bad Day for a Bad Man | 17 October 1969 |
| To Stand for Something More | 24 October 1969 |
| Trail to Nevermore | 31 October 1969 |
| Apache Trust | 7 November 1969 |
| Lady Fair | 14 November 1969 |
| The Lost Ones | 21 November 1969 |
| The Legacy | 28 November 1969 |
| Alliance | 12 December 1969 |
| The Little Thieves | 26 December 1969 |
| The Long Shadow | 2 January 1970 |
| The Journal of Death | 9 January 1970 |
| Friends and Partners | 16 January 1970 |
| Jelks | 23 January 1970 |
| Guns of Johnny Rondo | 6 February 1970 |
| Mi Casa, Su Casa | 20 February 1970 |
| The Lieutenant | 27 February 1970 |
| The Reluctant Deputy | 6 March 1970 |
| New Hostess in Town | 20 March 1970 |
| Too Many Chiefs | 27 March 1970 |
| Auld Lang Syne | 20 April 1970 |
| Generation | 17 April 1970 |
| No Trouble at All | 5 May 1970 |
Season Four
| An Anger Greater than Mine | 18 September 1970 |
| Spokes | 25 September 1970 |
| Only the Bad Come to Sonora | 2 October 1970 |
| Wind | 9 October 1970 |
| A Matter of Survival | 16 October 1970 |
| It Takes a Smart Man | 23 October 1970 |
| A Good, Sound Profit | 30 October 1970 |
| Too Late the Epitaph | 6 November 1970 |
| The Forge of Hate | 13 November 1970 |
| Fiesta | 20 November 1970 |
| A Matter of Vengeance | 27 November 1970 |
| Pale Warrior | 11 December 1970 |
| The Badge | 18 December 1970 |
| The New Lion of Sonora | 19 February 1971 |
| Sangre | 26 February 1971 |
| The Hostage | 5 March 1971 |
| A Man to Match the Land | 12 March 1971 |
Karon Hollis
Page Last Updated Sunday, February 13, 2005 at 12:30:11