What Could Have Been

 The last episode of the TV Western The Rebel aired on June 12, 1960. Titled "The Earl of Durango," it presents us with a murder mystery and two wonderfully realized characters helping Johnny Yuma investigate that murder. It's obvious that this episode was meant to be a backdoor pilot for a new series. It's a tragedy that the pilot wasn't picked up. Provided the writing remained sharp, it would have made a great mystery show. The Wild West setting would have made it all the more interesting.

Johnny Yuma arrives in a Western town to take a job as bodyguard. But the guy he's supposed to guard is murdered before Johnny can begin that job. Johnny wants to find out who did it, but everyone in town is happy the guy is dead.

But Johnny soon has a couple of allies in his investigation. C. Spencer Scott is an Englishman who gave up writing philosophy texts to make lots of money writing dime novels. He's become known as the Earl of Durango. Now, with the help of an ex-Texas Ranger named Otis Rumph, he solves murders. 

Scott is played with a suave wittiness by John Sutton and Otis is played by the great character actor L.Q. Jones. The mystery is a good one, with both Scott and Johnny Yuma contributing ideas to solving the murder. The guest cast playing the citizens of the town include more always-entertaining actors such as George Tobias and Victor Buono.

I love some of the dialogue, especially Otis' brief summary of why he partnered up with the Earl:

"Well, Reb, I'll tell yer. I misspent my youth getting saddle sores on somebody else's cattle drive. I spent two years on $20 a month as a Texas Ranger. And two years shooting people I wasn't mad at during the war. Now you put it all together and I figure I don't have such a bad break with the Earl. Besides that, I admire him. Besdies that, he saved my hide once."

It really is too bad this didn't become a series. Otis and the Earl were a unique crime-solving duo. 

Here's the entire episode on YouTube: