Television Westerns: "The Restless Gun" Quiz

Answer: John Payne

John Payne starred or appeared in over 50, mainly 20th Century Fox, features. He went on to appear on the smallscreen from the mid fifties onward. His best remembered role is as the attorney, Fred Gailey, in the perennial Christmas classic "Miracle on 34th Street", made in 1948.

Answer: Britt Ponset

This pilot episode is included on the DVD box set. Also appearing in this teleplay were William Hopper, who went on to achieve fame as Paul Drake in the long running "Perry Mason", and Michael Landon, the future star of "Bonanza" and "Little House On The Prairie". Vint Bonner was the character name for the run of the series. William Bonney was the outlaw Billy The Kid, and Bill Ponsford was an Australian test cricketer.

Answer: The Six Shooter

Because of his prowess supposedly gained during and after the Civil War, he was given the sobriquet "The Six Shooter".

Answer: Scar

Although rarely mentioned during the TV series, it was used prominently during the run on radio. On the radio series, the lead was played by James Stewart.

Answer: James Coburn

James Coburn won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1997. He memorably played a corrupt deputy sheriff in the episode "The Pawn" and equally scene stealing as a gunslinger "The Way Back" which incidentally, co-starred Dan Blocker. James Coburn won his Academy Award for playing the disaffected father of Nick Nolte in the movie "Affliction".

Interestingly his fellow nominees were all stellar performers: Robert Duvall, Geoffrey Rush, Billy Bob Thornton and Ed Harris.

Answer: Dan Blocker

He played the middle son, Hoss Cartwright, for 13 years in "Bonanza". Dan appeared in many western series before "Bonanza", including in "The Restless Gun" In the episode "The Child" he played a giant mute called El Bruto.

Answer: Edgar Buchanan

Edgar Buchanan claimed he was lazy, although his body of work belies that fact. Between 1950 and 1970 he appeared in over 70 television many of them more than once. He appeared in the early '50s as Hoppalong Cassidy's sidekick Red Connors (30+ episodes), in "Judge Roy Bean" in the title role, one season of 39 episodes and famously as Uncle Joe Carson on "Petticoat Junction"/"Green Acres" and "The Beverly Hillbillies", in more than 240 episodes. All this coupled with over 70 feature film appearances and much radio work. I don't think he was too lazy.

Answer: Don Grady

Don Grady played Robbie Douglas, the middle son. He appeared during the second season in the episodes: "No Way To Kill", "Mme Brimstone" and "The Cavis Boy". Tim Considine played Mike, Stanley Livingston played Chip and his brother Barry joined the show as the adopted son, Ernie. Tim Considine was later famous for playing the 'slapped' soldier in the movie "Patton".

Answer: Two

He was shot twice in the episode "Aunt Emma". He was shot at in more than half the episodes but they only got him in that episode.

Answer: Angie Dickinson

Angie Dickinson guest starred in many of the '50s TV shows. Her breakthrough movie role was alongside John Wayne in "Rio Bravo". She later became famous for playing Sgt Pepper Anderson in "Police Woman".