Mackenzie's Raiders is an American Western television series starring Richard Carlson that was broadcast in syndication and produced in 1958–1959.[1] The series is narrated by Art Gilmore, and was produced by Ziv Television Programs.
| Mackenzie's Raiders | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Western |
| Written by |
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| Directed by |
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| Starring | Richard Carlson |
| Narrated by | Art Gilmore |
| Composer | David Rose |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 39 |
| Production | |
| Producers |
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| Cinematography |
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| Editors |
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| Running time | 30 mins. (approx) |
| Production company | Ziv Television Programs |
| Original release | |
| Network | Syndication |
| Release | October 1, 1958 (1958-10-01) – 1959 (1959) |
The basis for the program was Mackenzie's Raid, a book by Russell P. Reeder. It told about a 32-hour raid by Mackenzie and 550 cavalrymen to destroy a Mexican town that harbored kidnappers, rustlers, and arsonists.[2]
Set in the 1870s, Mackenzie's Raiders depicted activities of the Fourth Cavalry around the Rio Grande and the Mexican border.[3] Experiences of Union Army Col. Ranald S. Mackenzie formed the basis for episodes.[4]
Mackenzie, with orders from President Grant, operated out of Fort Clark, in Texas, "to rid the Southwest of Mexican marauders and renegade Indians, pursuing them across the Rio Grande if necessary."[5] If Mckenzie were to be caught in a foreign country, the United States would deny knowledge of his mission.[5]
John P. Shanley, writing in The New York Times, complimented the show's "realistic settings and good photography" and added, "It was a better-than-average adventure show."[3]
| No. | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Night Raid" | October 10, 1958 (1958-10-10) |
| 2 | "The Long Day" | October 17, 1958 (1958-10-17) |
| 3 | "Death by the Numbers" | October 24, 1958 (1958-10-24) |
| 4 | "Indian Agent" | October 31, 1958 (1958-10-31) |
| 5 | "Deadly Mirror" | November 7, 1958 (1958-11-07) |
| 6 | "Attack" | November 14, 1958 (1958-11-14) |
| 7 | "Hostage" | November 21, 1958 (1958-11-21) |
| 8 | "Eastern Colonel" | November 28, 1958 (1958-11-28) |
| 9 | "The Renegade (aka Pistol Whipped)" | December 5, 1958 (1958-12-05) |
| 10 | "Dream of Empire" | December 13, 1958 (1958-12-13) |
| 11 | "The Plague (aka Cholera)" | December 20, 1958 (1958-12-20) |
| 12 | "Broken Treaty (aka Quanah Parker)" | December 27, 1958 (1958-12-27) |
| 13 | "The Imposter" | January 3, 1959 (1959-01-03) |
| 14 | "Apache Boy" | January 10, 1959 (1959-01-10) |
| 15 | "Blood on the Rio" | January 17, 1959 (1959-01-17) |
| 16 | "Murder is the Bid" | January 24, 1959 (1959-01-24) |
| 17 | "Thunder Stick" | January 31, 1959 (1959-01-31) |
| 18 | "Terror in Chuma Valley" | February 7, 1959 (1959-02-07) |
| 19 | "Raid on San Rodrigo" | February 14, 1959 (1959-02-14) |
| 20 | "Violent Sanctuary" | February 21, 1959 (1959-02-21) |
| 21 | "The Scalp Hunters" | February 28, 1959 (1959-02-28) |
| 22 | "Son of the Hawk" | March 7, 1959 (1959-03-07) |
| 23 | "The Pen and the Sword" | March 14, 1959 (1959-03-14) |
| 24 | "The Poisoners" | March 21, 1959 (1959-03-21) |
| 25 | "The Lost Raider" | March 28, 1959 (1959-03-28) |
| 26 | "The Fast Gun" | April 4, 1959 (1959-04-04) |
| 27 | "Mutiny" | April 11, 1959 (1959-04-11) |
| 28 | "The Court Martial of Trooper Davis" | April 18, 1959 (1959-04-18) |
| 29 | "Joe Ironhat" | April 25, 1959 (1959-04-25) |
| 30 | "Drought" | May 2, 1959 (1959-05-02) |
| 31 | "Uprising" | May 9, 1959 (1959-05-09) |
| 32 | "Desertion" | May 16, 1959 (1959-05-16) |
| 33 | "Deadlock" | May 23, 1959 (1959-05-23) |
| 34 | "Lucinda Cabot" | May 30, 1959 (1959-05-30) |
| 35 | "Missing--Presumed Dead (aka Captured in Mexico)" | June 6, 1959 (1959-06-06) |
| 36 | "Death Patrol (aka Long Ride Home)" | June 13, 1959 (1959-06-13) |
| 37 | "Ambush" | June 20, 1959 (1959-06-20) |
| 38 | "Death Road" | June 27, 1959 (1959-06-27) |
| 39 | "Devil Trap" | July 4, 1959 (1959-07-04) |
Prior to Mackenzie's Raiders, Carlson had previously starred in another Ziv Productions series, I Led Three Lives.[5]
The series was produced by Lou Breslow and Elliott Lewis.[6] Carlson also served as a writer and director.[7] Jim Thompson was credited with writing four episodes of the show.[5]
Location shots were filmed along the Santa Ana River in California, an area that resembles that of the Rio Grande.[8]
The series is currently being shown on the over the air channel ThisTV.
On October 8, 2013, Timeless Media Group released Mackenzie's Raiders- The TV Series on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time.[9]
