What Might've Been: Colt .45 (1957)

 Warner Bros. had a line of Westerns in the late 50's that were among some of the most popular. Maverick. Cheyenne. Sugarfoot. Bronco. Lawman.

In hindsight, Colt .45, based on the 1950 movie of the same name, was the black sheep of the family. Why? Because halfway through season 2, series star Wayde Preston quit the show, upset that he was performing dangerous stunts without a stuntman to cover for him. ABC & WB had to use repeats to fill out the season after 13 episodes had aired. When the series resumed first run production for the 3rd & final season, Donald May took over as Sam Colt, Jr., cousin to Christopher Colt (Preston). Preston would return, but was given 2nd billing as, ah, punishment for his decision to quit.

May would move on to The Roaring Twenties, then a lengthy run on As The World Turns. Preston would never headline a series again.

Following is the opener, "Judgment Day", with Peter Brown and Andrew Duggan.

To me, Preston came across as a little too bland, too vanilla.

Rating: B-.