1958 TV great moment, "Cheyenne" show fully embraces "content of character"

[EMH]

We all know the first interracial kiss on TV was Star Trek in the late 1960s, Kirk and Uhura.

A decade earlier in 1958, there was another stand for racial equality, courtesy of the "Cheyenne" show starring the late Clint Walker. "Cheyenne," a very well produced action western TV show about cowboy Cheyenne Bodie roaming from Texas to California to Montana and everywhere in between in the 1870s, started in 1955. For the first two seasons as far as I can tell, the show had Mexicans and Native Americans, but no blacks. Truth be told, at that time in those parts of the US, there were very few blacks. Alas, in 1957, one black was given a small role as "gravedigger" while also demonstrating an outstanding baritone singing voice. His name, Roy Glenn...

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Roy Glenn obviously made a good impression with Clint Walker and the production team. They invited him back in 1958 with a substantially larger role....

Cheyenne - S3 • E19 - Noose at Noon

When Cheyenne visits Jim O'Neil in Texas, he learns he is to hang the next day. Jim refuses to give Cheyenne any details nor did he defend himself at his trial. Against Jim's wishes, Cheyenne investigates the situation to save his friend.

watch.plex.tv

There are a lot of gunfights on Cheyenne. In this episode, a good guy saves Cheyenne from a bad guy. So what. Correct. But in 1958 with segregation and Senator LBJ in Texas, this was quite a bold step, at a time when TV was black and white rabbit ears, and there were three channels. If you wanted to watch action, you didn't have a lot of options. This time the good guy was black and the bad guy was white, perhaps the first time on TV. You cheered when the black guy shot the white guy to save Cheyenne. The statement was quite clear. Content of character matters, skin color does not.

Thank you Roy Glenn, Clint Walker, and everyone behind Cheyenne show.

 

[sealybobo]

We all know the first interracial kiss on TV was Star Trek in the late 1960s, Kirk and Uhura.

A decade earlier in 1958, there was another stand for racial equality, courtesy of the "Cheyenne" show starring the late Clint Walker. "Cheyenne," a very well produced action western TV show about cowboy Cheyenne Bodie roaming from Texas to California to Montana and everywhere in between in the 1870s, started in 1955. For the first two seasons as far as I can tell, the show had Mexicans and Native Americans, but no blacks. Truth be told, at that time in those parts of the US, there were very few blacks. Alas, in 1957, one black was given a small role as "gravedigger" while also demonstrating an outstanding baritone singing voice. His name, Roy Glenn...

Google Search

www.google.com

Roy Glenn obviously made a good impression with Clint Walker and the production team. They invited him back in 1958 with a substantially larger role....

Cheyenne - S3 • E19 - Noose at Noon

When Cheyenne visits Jim O'Neil in Texas, he learns he is to hang the next day. Jim refuses to give Cheyenne any details nor did he defend himself at his trial. Against Jim's wishes, Cheyenne investigates the situation to save his friend.

watch.plex.tv

There are a lot of gunfights on Cheyenne. In this episode, a good guy saves Cheyenne from a bad guy. So what. Correct. But in 1958 with segregation and Senator LBJ in Texas, this was quite a bold step, at a time when TV was black and white rabbit ears, and there were three channels. If you wanted to watch action, you didn't have a lot of options. This time the good guy was black and the bad guy was white, perhaps the first time on TV. You cheered when the black guy shot the white guy to save Cheyenne. The statement was quite clear. Content of character matters, skin color does not.

Thank you Roy Glenn, Clint Walker, and everyone behind Cheyenne show.

I remember Sammy

 

[Eman623]

And here i thought Trump taking us back to the 1950's was a bad thing.

 

[EMH]

I remember Sammy
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What years were those?

 

[EMH]

And here i thought Trump taking us back to the 1950's was a bad thing.

More precisely, the show linked in the OP refutes the narrative of the homO supporters and Chris Rock. The "Cheyenne" show was not racist, not at all. The lead character did not care what you looked like. He cared about the "content of character."

 

[sealybobo]

What years were those?

The rifleman 1962

Blazing Saddles isn't old.

I don't know about the 3rd one. These were just 3 blacks I remember being in westerns. Blacks will tell you there were a lot more black cowboys than people think. It would make sense. If I escaped slavery or were just freed I'd probably want to try going west too. Where I can shoot back.

 

[EMH]

The rifleman 1962

Blazing Saddles isn't old.

I don't know about the 3rd one. These were just 3 blacks I remember being in westerns. Blacks will tell you there were a lot more black cowboys than people think. It would make sense. If I escaped slavery or were just freed I'd probably want to try going west too. Where I can shoot back.

Cool. 1958 still stands as the first one until we uncover an earlier one...


Being a "black cowboy" doesn't necessarily put you west of Dallas, which is where Cheyenne "roamed."