TALES OF WELLS FARGO "The Bounty" 1957
TALES OF WELLS FARGO was a western series than ran for a total of 200 episodes between 1957 and 1962. Dale Robertson plays the lead as Jim Hardee. Hardee is an agent for the stage and cargo hauling outfit. When something goes wrong he is the man they send to fix it.
This episode is the 4th of the series. Wells Fargo man Dale Robertson is called up to Canada to identify a bandit killed there. The man was wanted for robbery and murder and there is a $5,000 reward. The reward is being claimed by gold prospector, Gerald Milton. Milton claims that the bandit had tried to rob him and Milton had shot in self-defence.
Robertson hops several northbound trains and makes his way to Moose Creek, Saskatchewan. He is met there by the local law, Northwest Mounted Police Sgt, Richard Shannon. Shannon shows the Wells Fargo man to the local ice house where the stiff is being kept.
Establishing the corpse's identity turns out to trickier than expected. The man's face is gone. Milton had shot the bandit in the face with a double barrelled shotgun. The only other way to id the stiff is through a missing finger. Said stiff is indeed missing the required digit.
Complicating the issue is Jean Howell. Miss Howell claims that she believes that the body is that of her missing brother. Robertson really can't be sure one way or the other about the body. His gut tells him that the whole set up stinks.
Robertson agrees to pay Milton the reward and writes the man up a bank draft. Milton will need to wait till the next day to cash the draft. Robertson tells the Mountie that he is sure the body is not that of the bandit. He gave Milton the draft as a ploy to buy time to investigate further.
Needless to say Milton scurries off for a meeting with the not so dead bandit, Anthony George. George had killed the look alike in order to throw off the American Law. If he was reported dead, he could return to the States. Collecting the $5,000 was just an added bonus.
Throwing the old monkey wrench into the plan is Miss Howell. She is bound and determined to find out if the body is indeed her brother. She is caught going through Milton's rooms by killer, George. George was hiding in the same rooms. Robertson, who was following Miss Howell, enters the same rooms. George gets the drop on Robertson and disarms him.
Now they all wait for the bank to open. Milton returns from the bank with an evil look. It seems that Robertson had written in a later date on the draft. George grabs up Robertson and sticks a gun in Howell's back. They are all going to take a stroll over to the bank so Robertson can fix the draft.
The Mountie, Shannon, is there waiting for just this visit. A pistol is slipped to Robertson by the bank teller who is in on the deal. George is drilled in the shoulder before he can fire and Milton is disarmed by the Mountie. George is going to get his neck lengthened for the murder of Howell's brother.
This one is a pretty sharp looking episode with former big screen man, George Waggner directing. Waggner's film work includes, OPERATION PACIFIC, THE FIGHTING KENTUCKIAN, GUNFIGHTERS and THE WOLF MAN. One time Oscar nominated John F. Warren handled the director of photography duties. One really must get a laugh out of how Canada is portrayed in these productions. Everyone is wearing lumberjack jackets and fur hats while speaking in a French accent.
TALES OF WELLS FARGO was a western series than ran for a total of 200 episodes between 1957 and 1962. Dale Robertson plays the lead as Jim Hardee. Hardee is an agent for the stage and cargo hauling outfit. When something goes wrong he is the man they send to fix it.
This episode is the 4th of the series. Wells Fargo man Dale Robertson is called up to Canada to identify a bandit killed there. The man was wanted for robbery and murder and there is a $5,000 reward. The reward is being claimed by gold prospector, Gerald Milton. Milton claims that the bandit had tried to rob him and Milton had shot in self-defence.
Robertson hops several northbound trains and makes his way to Moose Creek, Saskatchewan. He is met there by the local law, Northwest Mounted Police Sgt, Richard Shannon. Shannon shows the Wells Fargo man to the local ice house where the stiff is being kept.
Establishing the corpse's identity turns out to trickier than expected. The man's face is gone. Milton had shot the bandit in the face with a double barrelled shotgun. The only other way to id the stiff is through a missing finger. Said stiff is indeed missing the required digit.
Complicating the issue is Jean Howell. Miss Howell claims that she believes that the body is that of her missing brother. Robertson really can't be sure one way or the other about the body. His gut tells him that the whole set up stinks.
Robertson agrees to pay Milton the reward and writes the man up a bank draft. Milton will need to wait till the next day to cash the draft. Robertson tells the Mountie that he is sure the body is not that of the bandit. He gave Milton the draft as a ploy to buy time to investigate further.
Needless to say Milton scurries off for a meeting with the not so dead bandit, Anthony George. George had killed the look alike in order to throw off the American Law. If he was reported dead, he could return to the States. Collecting the $5,000 was just an added bonus.
Throwing the old monkey wrench into the plan is Miss Howell. She is bound and determined to find out if the body is indeed her brother. She is caught going through Milton's rooms by killer, George. George was hiding in the same rooms. Robertson, who was following Miss Howell, enters the same rooms. George gets the drop on Robertson and disarms him.
Now they all wait for the bank to open. Milton returns from the bank with an evil look. It seems that Robertson had written in a later date on the draft. George grabs up Robertson and sticks a gun in Howell's back. They are all going to take a stroll over to the bank so Robertson can fix the draft.
The Mountie, Shannon, is there waiting for just this visit. A pistol is slipped to Robertson by the bank teller who is in on the deal. George is drilled in the shoulder before he can fire and Milton is disarmed by the Mountie. George is going to get his neck lengthened for the murder of Howell's brother.
This one is a pretty sharp looking episode with former big screen man, George Waggner directing. Waggner's film work includes, OPERATION PACIFIC, THE FIGHTING KENTUCKIAN, GUNFIGHTERS and THE WOLF MAN. One time Oscar nominated John F. Warren handled the director of photography duties. One really must get a laugh out of how Canada is portrayed in these productions. Everyone is wearing lumberjack jackets and fur hats while speaking in a French accent.
