Wagon Train - The Complete First Season - Special Limited Edition - 39 episodes!

This has been a glorious month for classic TV westerns fans. First comes the announcement that season one (in two sets) of NBC's "The Virginian" will be released by Timeless Media in the spring of 2010. Then CBS/Paramount confirms that season four, set one of CBS' "Have Gun Will Travel" is set for retail release next spring. Finally, saints be praised, season one (all 39 episodes) of "Wagon Train" hit the streets 12/15 to starving sodbuster viewers like me. I got mine recently in the mail (certified set #09811, no less) and I am thrilled with the picture and audio quality (a solid "8"). Yes it is pricey, but, trust me, it is worth the cost to see Major Adams and company again. The set comes in a collectable tin and holds 10 discs in a handsome heavy-duty, fan-type jacket. The jacket contains pictures of the primary characters and a rundown of each episode. All of my top six all-time TV westerns ("Gunsmoke," "HGWT," "The Virginian," "Wagon Train," "Bonanza," and "Cheyenne") have now been (or will soon be) at least partially released on retail. So, I guess I can now go to "Cowboy Heaven." (However, it is doubtful if Warners will EVER release more than season one of the "Big Fellas" program. Which leaves little hope for "The Lawman," "Maverick," "Bronco," "Colt 45," or "Sugarfoot.") Thank you for taking the time to read my review. What follows is the breakdown of guest stars (a "Who's Who" of 50's luminaries) to be found in season one of "WT." "WAGON'S HO............"

#1 Willy Moran Story -- Ernest Borgnine, Andrew Duggan, Richard Devon
#2 Jean LeBec Story -- Ricardo Montalban, Grant Withers
#3 John Cameron Story -- Michael Rennie, Claude Akins, Jack Elam
#4 Ruth Owens Story -- Shelley Winters, Kent Smith
#5 Les Rand Story -- Sterling Hayden, Sallie Brophy
#6 Nels Stack Story -- Joanne Dru, Mark Stevens
#7 Emily Rossiter Story -- Mercedes McCambridge, John Dehner
#8 John Darro Story -- Eddie Albert, Edgar Buchanan, Margo
#9 Charles Avery Story -- Chuck Connors, Farley Granger
#10 Mary Halstead Story -- Agnes Morehead, Walter Coy
#11 Zeke Thomas Story -- Gary Merrill, Janice Rule
#12 Riley Gratton Story -- Guy Madison, James Westerfield, Karen Steele
#13 Clara Beauchamp Story -- Nina Foch
#14 Julie Gage Story -- Robert Sterling, Anne Jeffreys
#15 Cliff Grundy Story -- Dan Duryea, Russell Johnson
#16 Luke O'Malley Story -- Keenan Wynn
#17 Jesse Cowan Story -- George Montgomery, Lee Van Cleef
#18 Gabe Carswell Story -- James Whitmore, Scott Marlowe
#19 Don Charlie Story -- Cesar Romero, Virginia Grey
#20 Dora Gray Story -- Mike Connors, Linda Darnell, John Carradine
#21 Annie MacGregor Story -- Richard Long, Jeannie Carson
#22 Bill Tawnee Story -- Morgan Woodward, MacDonald Carey
#23 Mark Hanford Story -- Tom Tryon, Kathleen Crowley
#24 Bernal Sierra Story -- Gilbert Roland, Dorothy Adams
#25 Marie Dupree Story -- Nick Adams, Debra Paget
#26 Man Called Horse -- Ralph Meeker, Michael Pate
#27 Sarah Drummond Story -- June Lockhart, Wm. Talman, Gene Evans
#28 Sally Potter Story -- Marty Milner, Johnny Crawford
#29 Daniel Barrister Story -- Roger Smith, Charles Bickford
#30 Major Adams Part 1 -- Virginia Grey
#31 Major Adams Part 2
#32 Charles Maury Story -- Charles Drake, Wanda Hendrix
#33 Dan Hogan Story -- Jock Mahoney, John Larch, Rachel Ames
#34 Ruttledge Munroe Story -- John Barrymore Jr., Mala Powers
#35 Rex Montana Story -- Forrest Tucker, Myron Healey
#36 Cassie Tanner Story -- Majorie Main
#37 John Wilbot Story -- Robert Vaughn, Audrey Dalton
#38 Monty Britton Story -- Claude Akins, Mona Freeman, Ray Danton
#39 Sacramento Story -- Dan Duryea, Linda Darnell, Margaret O'Brien

This is going to be an "uncut" first season of Wagon Train. The 39 episodes have be remastered and reside on 10 dual layer DVD's. The series was inspired by the western, "The Wagonmaster", which is one of those few classic films that is getting a pressed DVD release this year, so you can examine both and compare. There is some confusion about this set, for I've seen reports that it was going to be exclusive to Sam's Club, yet it shows up here for sale. This particular edition is supposed to be a limited run in a collector's tin shaped like a covered wagon, so if it is re-released, it will probably be in a plain case.

This first season began airing in September of 1957 and stars Ward Bond, recreating his role from John Ford's "The Wagonmaster" as Major Seth Adams. Also starring is Robert Horton as Head Scout Flint McCullough, Frank McGrath as the cook Charlie Wooster, and Terry Wilson as Assistant Wagon master Bill Hawks. The big picture of the series is that it takes place a few years after the Civil War and involves the forementioned characters taking a wagon train of settlers from Missouri to California.

Each episode is pretty much self-contained as it focuses on the stories of the passengers on the wagon train and is framed by the fine performances of the main cast. Guest stars in this first season include Ernest Borgnine (The Willy Moran Story), Sterling Hayden (The Les Rand Story), Agnes Moorehead (The Mary Halstead Story), Keenan Wynn (The Luke O'Malley Story), June Lockhart ( The Sarah Drummond Story), and Debra Paget and Nick Adams (The Marie Dupree Story).

It is interesting to note that when Gene Roddenberry was making his pitch to the networks for Star Trek he described it as a "Wagon Train to the Stars".

I was anxious to get this DVD set. However the packaging inside the Collector's tin is terrible. My set came with at least three discs scratched because of overly tight cardboard sleeve which are difficult to remove the discs from . There are no plastic trays- the discs are jammed into cardboard pages. I will now have to return the set and decide if I want to try another or get a refund. I hope the set will be re re-released by Timelesss in conventional packaging. I hate to say anything bad about this company , because they've released some great shows including a lot of old TV western . They were ill advised to release this show in this type of package .

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 42 reviews  4.3 out of 5 stars