Friday, February 21, 2014

Maverick: Complete Season One

Maverick: Complete Season One
[DVD Maverick]

Nearly 20 years before his iconic role as Jim Rockford, James Garner first graced television screens in the equally iconic role of Bret Maverick in the 1957-1962 western series Maverick. Created and executive-produced by legendary producer Roy Huggins, Maverick was not your typical western -- the "hero", Bret Maverick (and later Bart Maverick, played by Jack Kelly, and British cousin Beau Maverick, played by Roger Moore) is a gambler and con man, and roams from town to town throughout the American west, scamming and hustling for a living. Though proficient with a six-shooter, Maverick would rather talk his way out of a confrontation and avoid violence if at all possible. And each of the Mavericks fell for the prettiest girl in every town they visited. All three leads (Beau doesn't appear until season 4) rotated, only occasionally appearing with each other in the same episode. The writing in this series was top-notch -- with hilariously convoluted plots and plenty of snappy dialog. Guest stars in this season one boxed set included a who's who of 1950s and 1960s character actors. Set and location work was terrific, and the series had a rousing musical score. Garner's performance as Bret is among the best in his career, and sets the course for many, if not most, of TV's charming con men to follow in subsequent decades. [Note: Four of the five seasons have been released to DVD, but seasons 3 and 4 are "manufacture-on-demand".]. -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try James Garner in The Rockford Files.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ Maverick episode guide at epguides.com ]


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