Rawhide - The Complete First Season (DVD, 2006, 7-Disc Set)

I rate the 1st season of this non typical western series excellent; but I am over fifty. No special effects that's for sure,and all episodes were shot in black & white.The series ran for eight years starting in 1959. I vaguely remember the series back then when I was kid,and liked it somewhat. I actually like it better now fifty years later. The premiss of the series is a never ending cattle drive,and incidents that occured as they moved across the western plains. The stars of the show seem believeable right off,and the sets also seem very true to life,and simple.

The name we all recognize now from this series is of course Clint Eastwood, who stared as the chief assistant Rowdy Yates,or 2nd hand, to the trail boss Gil Favor.The show was extremely well cast,with characters already seasoned in the western movie format.The episodes are non western series typical in that they seem to me more like mini movies than the predictable same plot regurgitated over,and over that the tv western format was so commonly guilty of. Surprisingly not a lot of violence really,or at least that was seldom the central guiding element to a show. Little blood & guts here;no Sam Peckinpah slow motion style shoot ups thats for sure. If you're looking for the gun happy cowboy without a name type material that Clint Eastwood was known for after this series ended,forget it. These episodes are little morality plays; but with interesting twists,and odd turns to the plots.

The guest stars are never given any credits,but you will no doubt recognize many. From Lon Chaney jr. to Bones from the original Star Trek series. One thing you'll notice is that each one hour episode of a show from this era lasted longer than a so called one hour episode from the present. Although I haven't counted the time, I am sure there was was more SHOW in each show back then. Some of these Rawhide episodes remind me of the unexpected plots we saw in the original twilight zone,but without any science fiction twists of course.I belive the director was the same as Gunsmoke; which I enjoyed as well back then, but Rawhide so far I like a lot better due to the non-predictability factor.

A lot of good looking female camios in the role of the fallen woman; but no long running roles for an actress in Rawhide. So... this series Rawhide is recommneded if you are not expecting a load of gun play,and are not looking for the special effects that dominate the action movies, tv shows to the detriment of the character development today.In other words the characters seem real in this series. Not a lot of sex,and violence; but more the suggestion,and darkish moody undertones. That's my opinion ,and I'm sticking to it!