Alias Smith and Jones

I'll always wonder: had he lived, could Pete Duel have rescued the TV Western from oblivion? Gunsmoke and Bonanza, the hoary old legends of the genre, already were teetering on their ancient last legs, with but a few more seasons to be squeezed out of them, when, out of the blue, as I remember it, came Alias Smith and Jones, whose fresh and jokey episodes became pretty wildly popular, especially with young people (that would be the likes of *me*, as I was 16 at the time). Alas, as others have already noted, Pete Duel committed suicide just as the series was hitting its stride. (The story of Duel's death made headlines across the country in a way contemporary viewers of TV dramas cannot imagine.) Roger Davis came in as a replacement and the series slid right downhill immediately thereafter--although I did like the episodes with Michele Lee. At any rate, about the only TV Western afterward to generate anything similar to Alias Smith and Jones' excitement was Kung Fu. Sidenote: James Garner's marvelous, and utterly forgotten series, Nichols, should have been the next great Western after Alias . . .

What made Alias Smith and Jones tick? I always thought it was a sleek updating of what had already been a semi-comic TV Western success a few years earlier, Maverick. In fact, you can spot touches of the Bret Maverick characterization in both Heyes and Curry, along with some similar story lines and plot developments. Not to mention the lifting of the "five pat hands" trick, which Bret Maverick employed more than once. All of which should not be too much of a surprise, however, as Roy Huggins was instrumental to both series.

Otherwise, watch out for the handful of episodes with Slim Pickens. "Exit from Wickenburg", the one where Slim works as the crooked bartender of a saloon/casino, is a masterpiece. It just wouldn't be a proper 1960s Western without Slim popping up every now and then.

What a pity that Pete Duel succumbed to his demons. What a loss for network TV, the Western, and the many fans of Alias Smith and Jones. Who knows what could have been . . . .

In the world of "Smith and Jones" nothing and no one can be trusted. Heyes and the Kid are wanted outlaws, but compared to the respectable citizens - lawyer, sheriff, banker, nun - who swindle, lie, betray and try to kill them, they are new-born innocents. No matter how brilliant Heyes' latest scheme, it's bound to end in disaster, and even if they DO make a little money, someone will steal it. Not that WE are any better at knowing what will happen next:

"Everything's under CONTROL!" cries the harassed deputy, and the Bank explodes.

Heyes and the Kid are not great romantic rebels like Butch Cassidy and Sundance; they are just, like the rest of us, trying to earn an honest living in a treacherous world. But they ARE inspiring nonetheless in the depth of their friendship - at a crisis, they never have to confer -and in their empathy with other outcasts:

"We like to think there's a little bad in everyone," says Heyes, enjoying the joke.

While earlier Western series may have tended to sermonize, "Smith and Jones" never takes itself too seriously, but charms us with its modesty into acceptance of the values it recommends.

I agree with the other review. I was devastated when Peter Duel died. I did not like the replacement, Roger Davis in 1971. I watched it recently and boy was I wrong. I miss Peter Duel, and wish he had not committed suicide, but the show with Roger Davis was as good as with Peter. I wonder why they did not use Roger Davis in the first place. I will watch the series again and again, all 50 episodes, wishing they tried a fourth season. This could have been the longest running show on TV had it not been for the damage of the stars death. A transition of stars is what killed the show at the time. But both stars were as good as the other, even though at the time I was devastated by Peter Duel's death. I will always wonder why a 31 year old, rising star, on his third series, with all his success would kill himself.

I'm watching reruns on the Western E&W digital channels. The story lines were very good and interesting, as well as the great color and scenery. It seemed that the popularity began to fade when Pete Duel died (I heard it was suicide around the Christmas Holidays). Roger Davis was not as well accepted as the replacement of Hayes, but I think it was only because he had appeared in the series a few times before as a baddie. I just saw one this evening "The smiling man with a gun". Since they are not shown in any sequence each evening, you never know which will be Hannibal Hayes. Since the show first aired, I have retired and visited different areas of the west each summer for the past six years. I've tried to figure where that beautiful scenery was. My guess would have to be Moab UT and the Arches NP. That is how the rock formations looked out there, and also Sedona, AZ. No tall cactus so it was not in southern Arizona. Thanks.

I was 11 when I found out Pete Duel had shot himself and I was heartbroken like so many others. I watched the show from the pilot on and looked forward to Alias Smith and Jones every week. I really loved the show. Pete Duel and Ben Murphy just went so well together. I find it interesting that Pete has been gone for 36 years at this time and so many people still miss him. Little did he know that past the days of black and white TV there would be an internet someday and people commenting about him. I thought I was the only one devastated by his death. I am almost 48 now and have a 6 year old son who has watched the Alias Smith and Jones DVD with me. I was so happy to see it was released. When I watched it fond memories came back to me. I realized that ASAJ was as good as I remembered it. It was timeless. Even though ASAJ was not on very long, it had made a big impression on people. I still feel bad about Pete's death and believe that he was a great actor and had so much to offer. I don't think he had a clue how many people would be affected by his death. I hope he is resting in peace.