User Reviews

So this episode finds Hoby half way between Porter and Jacksboro. At the end, we learn he's still stationed in Porter...Hoby is camping one night, planning to ride into town for Mal Cody the next day, when he's held at gun point. The culprit steals Hoby's gun, badge, identification, and money then poses as Hoby and breaks Mal out of jail.

It's really no secret, but Mal has a twin brother named Wes, and it's actually WES who breaks his brother out of jail. Of course, Hoby learns later that there were twins...

In spite of the fact that the Sheriff ends up 'bad,' I scratch my head wondering what the point of all this was? They were identical twins (both parts played by McQueen himself) so what was gained by posing as Hoby? Obviously Hoby would not look like Mal...I don't know, but it was still a good episode.

As a huge Steve McQueen fan, I love this episode. Steve is great; cast as identical twins Wes and Mal Cody. However, Richard Devon steals some of their thunder cast as Fenn, the Irish stable owner. Devon was typically cast as an antagonist. Not so here! He's sick of the crooked sheriff, and actually helps Sheriff Hobie Gilman (Robert Culp). They use some trick photography to show the "Cody twins" together in the same room. This was not very common in those early days of television.

TRACKDOWN "The Brothers" 1957

This is the sixth episode of the 1957 to 1959 western series, TRACKDOWN. Robert Culp stars a Texas Ranger who wanders the State putting the grab on the wanted. The series ran for a total of 70 episodes.

Culp is bedding down for the night when he is held up and relieved of his gun, badge, papers and horse. He then gets a gun barrel across the back of the head and put to sleep.

The next day, he carries his saddle the 10 miles to the next town. He stashes his saddle and bedroll at the local stable. He finds his horse tied up inside and asks the stable owner, Richard Devon about it. Devon says the horse was there when he arrived in the morning.

Culp as it so happens was on his way to this very town to pick up a prisoner. Culp pays the Sheriff, Ian MacDonald a call. MacDonald tells Culp he does not believe his story of being robbed. A Texas Ranger with all the proper papers has already showed and taken the prisoner. The Sheriff strongly suggests Culp leave town.

Culp of is not about to do this. He has a look in the saloon and sees his man, Steve McQueen. It turns out though that the wanted man is really McQueen's twin brother. A girl, Rebecca Welles, is now introduced to the tale in order let the viewer in on the gag.

There is of course one good brother, and one bad brother. The good one had relieved Culp of his papers etc in order to get his brother out of jail. He does not believe that the brother is a killer. Needless to say the nasty sibling is exactly that. After a bit of confusion, Culp, with the help of the stable owner, has a showdown with the proper brother. He is forced to deposit some lead in his carcass when he fails to come along quietly.

There are a couple of minor bumps in the story, but the quick pace covers these up nicely. Veteran television man, Don McDougall sits in the director's chair.

Veteran writer, D.D. Beauchamp could turn out stuff like this in his sleep. Beauchamp is best known for the story or screenplays for the big screen dusters, RAILS INTO LARAMIE, GUNSMOKE, RIDE CLEAR OF DIABLO, THE MAN FROM THE ALAMO and LAW AND ORDER.

The episode itself is quite sharp looking, with another big screen vet, Guy Roe handling the cinematography. Roe is well known to film noir fans for his work on, RAILROADED, WHISPERING CITY, TRAPPED, ARMORED CAR ROBBERY and THE SOUND OF FURY.

Steve McQueen would do another guest spot on the series as bounty hunter, Josh Randall. This episode would be spun off as the pilot for the popular western series, WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE, which ran for 94 episodes between 1958 and 1961. It was interesting to see Richard Devon in a non-villain role for a change.

I did not know this TV show at all. I just discover it and am amazed. I won't repeat the scheme again, but I hope all the other episodes of this series are as interesting as this one. But the only thing that I will point out is that this twins brothers and one of them in jail scheme has been used one year earlier for the big screen with Russell Rouse's HOUSE OF NUMBERS, starring Jack Palance. A terrific film noir which I highly recommend to every one.

Steve McQueen is outstanding here as the twins characters, a true gem, in fact. More interesting than the Josh Randall's one, for my own taste.

Episode directed by Ranald McDougall, a prolific TV director.