Old Time Radio: Fort Laramie (1956)

As Westerns were plentiful on television in the 50's, it surprises no one that there would be one last radio Western on the air by 1956.

Fort Laramie, however, lasted just 41 episodes, a sure sign that the days of classic radio dramas were coming to an end.

Fort Laramie starred Raymond Burr as Capt. Lee Quince of the US Cavalry. The cast also included Vic Perrin, Parley Baer, and, in the episode, "War Correspondent", Lawrence Dobkin:



A year after Fort Laramie signed off, Burr began an 8 year run as Perry Mason. Baer would later move on to character roles in television, including a stint as the mayor of Mayberry on The Andy Griffith Show, and spent several years as the voice of Ernie Keebler in all those commercials. Vic Perrin was the announcer (Control Voice) of the original Outer Limits, and was a member of Jack Webb's repertory company during Dragnet's 2nd run. Cartoon fans will remember Vic as the original voice of Dr. Zin, the nemesis of Jonny Quest and his team.

Rating: A.