Roy Rogers, Lone Ranger, Hopalong Cassidy

[RobertEarl]

Some of the earliest broadcast heroes!!

They beat the bad guys every time.

And they did it by shooting them.

Yep, America was raised on the pistol being the savior.

No wonder we luvs our guns, and if you're a cop, well.....

[jwirr]

1. I seem to remember that the bad guys were always shooting back also. And seldom was it about

color. That may be one of the reasons we have this love of guns but not all of us followed that lead. My preacher had a fit when I told him that I thought that those heroes helped to teach us morality. He seemed to think it was the church that was doing that.

[Action_Patrol]

2. It was nearly always good/white and bad/black. Blame our b&w tvs but it was true

[jwirr]

3. There is the key. I listened to these programs on the radio. My parents did not own a tv until the

60s.

[House of Roberts]

4. I got more morality out of Have Gun, Will Travel

than I ever did from any church.

[jwirr]

5. Well as a kid so did I - I recented being told how I was supposed to live.

[Jetboy]

6. The Lone Ranger didn't have tazers and when he shot at the bad guy

he only shot to wound. Roy Rogers did a lot more singing than gun toting.

One thing about those old Westerns is that if ever an unarmed man was shot and killed, you can be damn sure the killer had a necktie party before the credits rolled.

[Boudica the Lyoness]

7. The first thing I ever remember watching on TV was Hopalong Cassidy.

It was in the mid 1950's in England. We watched them all - Long Ranger, Bronco Bill, Champion The Wonder Horse, The Virginian, Wells Fargo. Can't recall watching Roy Rogers though.

We watched a lot of Cowboy and Indian movies back then and loved them. If there wasn't any gun fights in the movie my grandfather, who always came over Saturday night to watch a movie, would say, "Tired old movie this" and fall asleep.

I can't recall anyone in my family wanting to own or shoot a gun. I decided as child I wanted to ride horses and own a cattle ranch in the American west - which I do......oh and I own a pistol.

[Major Hogwash]

8. Roy Rogers never shot anyone! He shot the gun out of their hand!

So, I guess we all know now who is a Roy Rogers fan, and who isn't!!
So there!

[DeSwiss]

9. Yeah but they mostly ''winged'' the bad guys.

- Until around 8pm.

[Downwinder]

10. Most of the villains were bankers or paid by bankers.

Often they wore a star.

[Jetboy]

11. TV Westerns were about righting wrongs and often bankers and or the law

were in the wrong.

Even rich folks like the Barkleys (Big Valley) and the Cartwrights (Bonanza) fought for what's fair and right and helping down on their luck folks. Poor cowhands like the characters in Rawhide would blow half a years' pay at the drop of a hat in order to right a wrong or help someone in need. Rawhide was also one of the first tv shows to feature a black actor as one of the leads.

And the Cisco Kid and Pancho are still 2 of the greatest Mexican heroes in the history of tv. There was a lot of good in those old shows IMO.

[jaysunb]

12. There's much truth to your post. n/t

[Sherman A1]

13. Have Gun, Will Travel

as I recall often used other methods to solve the issue of the episode. Yes, guns were prominent, but Paladin mostly tried to outthink his opponents and used guns as a last resort. I also recall Sky King being one without a great deal of gun play. I am watching many of the episodes of older westerns on MeTV and find that guns while certainly present were not the end all to every situation.