ENTER
THE CIMARRON STRIP
With
the many westerns that spanned across the zone of prime-time television
during the 1960's, very few could match the content and quality
of the epic western series Cimarron Strip. Premiering on the CBS
Television Network in the Fall of 1967, this larger-than-life
90-minute western dramatized the encounters of U.S. Marshal Jim
Crown - portrayed by the outstanding veteran actor Stuart Whitman. Each episode depicted the majority
of Marshal Crown's efforts towards settling the many problems
that plagued the border region between The Kansas Territory and
Indian Territory during the violent period of the 1880's. Such
situations commonly involved confrontations with outlaws, settlers,
cattleman, Indians, and at times the army. Solving problems and
keeping law and order were by no means a simple endeavor, even
for this tough-as-nails Marshal.
Stationed in Cimarron City
and having to patrol the vast 10-million acre expanse of the Cimarron
Strip, Marshal Crown, much of the time, had to deal with problems
single-handed. On occasion and in certain situations, he would
get assistance from the army, but for the most part when Crown
needed immediate help, or when he had to leave Cimarron in the
hands of another dependable individual, he would call on the assistance
of two fellow townsman; an iron-willed and excitable Scotsman
by the name of MacGregor (Percy Herbert) and a young photographer/writer
named Francis Wilde (Randy
Boone).
Though much
of Marshal Crown's time involved patrolling the long and rugged
terrain of the Outlet and the entire Cimarron Strip, time was
also directed towards keeping the peace in Cimarron. Those who
dared to break 
the law were usually
thrown in the Cimarron jail, a structure that also contained the
town's premiere tavern, eating establishment, and boarding house,
and was commonly known as the Wayfarers Inn. The time consuming
challenge of running the inn was in the hands of young Dulcey
Coopersmith (Jill
Townsend),
a compassionate and caring woman who originally came from the
East with her father. Tragically, as a result of an accident,
Dulcey's father was killed and she was left as the inn's inherent
owner. Rather than returning to the East from where she came,
Dulcey remained in Cimarron to run the Wayfarers Inn.
Each
Thursday night starting at 7:30, Cimarron Strip would begin with
a powerful introduction. An opening zoom shot of a U.S. Marshals
badge would merge and fade into scenic aerial footage (filmed
at Bishop, Ca) of Stuart
Whitman
on horseback,
riding in heroic style onto the massive and rugged terrain of
the Cimarron Strip. Adding to this was musical composer Maurice Jarre's magnificent and memorable theme
score. The combination of these two marvelously designed components
gave the program the look and feel of a major motion picture.
Such an approach was rarely ever (if at all) seen in a television
program.
In regards
to it's overall development, Cimarron Strip took no short-cuts.
This television series spelled quality from every angle, right
down to the custom made Arvo Ojala gun rig that holstered Marshal Crown's nickel
plated Colt revolver. Along with superior casting in the lead
roles, Cimarron Strip featured an array of top quality guest star
performances too numerous to list here. In fact, in an area that
is often unrecognized, even the performances of those who portrayed
the roles of various villians and heavys were of the highest caliber.
In addition to casting, Cimarron Strip utilized some of the best
scripts, producers, directors, story consultants, location sites,
and outdoor photographers that ever came out of the television
industry.
Unfortunately,
Cimarron Strip ran for only one season of 23 episodes. It debuted
on Sept. 7, 1967 to Sept. 19, 1968 on the CBS Television Network.
The series also reran from July 20th 1971 to Sept. 7th 1971, but
was discontinued thereafter. Because westerns were beginning to
be phased out in the late 1960's, Cimarron Strip never got the
respect that it truly deserved.
Cimarron
Strip was a special kind of western. Loaded with action, suspense,
drama, and adventure, it was television at it's very best. Aside
from unfortunate timing, it exceeded all of the requirements for
being a very successful series. It is my sincerest hope to accomplish
two things in designing this Web-page: (1) To preserve and provide
fans with a place to visit and learn something about this great
western series, and (2) To dedicate this Web-site to a true American
legend, great western hero, and good friend; Stuart Whitman.