"The official newspaper files of the early West record many stories of famous and notorious characters of that period".Those words of railroad Detective Matt Clark opened every episode of this early TV Western series that ran from January 1954 through March 1955. Then a brief description was offered of the outlaw being featured that week with a mention of the time period the story takes place in. I just finished watching thirty six of the thirty nine episodes in the series, part of a three disc DVD collection put out by St. Clair Entertainment.Considering the era and the fact that television was in it's infancy, the series wasn't that bad. In fact it won a 1955 Emmy as the Best Western or Adventure Series up against a handful of shows I used to watch as a kid - 'Annie Oakley', 'Death Valley Days', 'The Roy Rogers Show' and 'The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok'. I never knew about this show back in the day or I might have tuned in, but except for 'Death Valley Days', I was watching all the others in reruns on Saturday mornings. Those were the days.If you're a serious history buff this show might not be up to your taste. Stories about your better known outlaws like Jesse James, Billy the Kid, and John Wesley Hardin usually kept some semblance of history in mind but there was usually a fair amount of poetic license taken in presenting the stories as well. A second season offering on a sheriff turned outlaw by the name of Jim Courtright was actually quite reliable, while another on Jack Slade was almost entirely fictional. Usually though, the episodes blended elements of fact with a story line that was intended to appeal to the TV viewer of the era who might have just gotten their very first television set.I wouldn't have known the players when I was a kid, but watching today I'm able to pick out some favorites, like Lee Van Cleef as Jesse James, Jack Elam as Black Jack Ketchum, Richard Jaeckel as Billy the Kid and Marie Windsor as Belle Starr. Tracking the outlaws each week was none other than the Ewing Family patriarch from the late Seventies hit "Dallas", Jim Davis in the role of Matt Clark, Railroad Detective. He operated with a female assistant, Mary Castle as Frankie Adams in the first season, and Kristine Miller as Margaret 'Jonesy' Jones in the second season.There were a couple episodes in the first season where a hint of a romance was introduced between Matt and Frankie, but the idea went nowhere. Jonesy would sometimes express her displeasure about getting some menial task while Matt went looking for trouble, but both actresses managed to mix it up with outlaws in a fair share of stories, as well as taking their lumps like Matt did when a bad guy got the upper hand.Others in their reviews have mentioned how Matt never aged over the course of the stories covered, ranging anywhere from the late 1850's up to the early 1900's. He always remained the same, representing the authority of the law in whatever time frame or area of the country the story in question took place in. If you're reading this and care to look further, I've individually reviewed each of the episodes I've watched, so you can get a snapshot of each with a quick click.

This is an interesting series that takes real life people (Jesse James, John Wesley Hardin, etc)...and dramatizes part of their real story with a continuing series character taking part in that story. Railroad Detective "Matt Clark" -- takes a role in tracking down famous outlaws from the Old West in stories that are at least partly based on the true accounts. In that sense, it's almost an anthology series, and as someone else pointed out, this odd structure poses some timeline conflicts with the real events, but it's a fun series with plenty of action to satisfy a western-hungry 1950's audience -- and it still holds up pretty well 55 years later. Clark cuts a powerful figure in his western gear as he goes up against some of history's baddest baddies. And his girl-sidekick Frankie is quite a dish. If you're a western fan, be sure to check it out if you have a chance.

This rather poorly named western series won an Emmy for best syndicated program and is certainly an interesting series. It was produced by Republic, the studio which did action better than anyone, and they put their best into it. Each episode was built around a real historical figure of the old west. A railroad detective named Matt Clark, similar to the later Elliot Ness with the gangsters of the 1920's and 30's, managed to become involved with almost every notorious western outlaw between the middle of the 1800's and WWI. The series' best asset was Jim Davis. Tall, rugged, ruggedly good looking, in prime shape, with an authentic western accent, and great riding skills which made him utterly convincing in the action scenes, Davis was every inch the western hero. He was teamed with two lovely and active co-stars, Mary Castle as "Frankie" during the first season, and Kristine Miller as "Jonesy" during the second. Each worked well with Davis.What separated this show from its contemporaries and much of what came later was the professionalism invested in the action scenes. Ace action directer William Witney directed 30 episodes. Franklin Adreon the rest. Both filmed the action with polish. Republic's vast store of stock footage from serials and B's was utilized to give scope. The level of individual episodes rose or fell with the quality of the guest stars brought in to the play the outlaws. Among the really good ones were Marie Windsor as Belle Starr, Lee Van Cleef as Jesse James, Fess Parker as Grat Dalton, Jean Parker as Cattle Kate, and Joe Sawyer and Slim Pickins as Butch Cassady and "The Smilin' Kid". The cream of the western up and comers, Pickins, Parker, Denver Pyle, James Best, and Richard Jaeckel, honed their craft. B veterans with decades of experience under their belts, Harry Woods, Glenn Strange, Kenneth MacDonald, Earle Hodgkins, Steve Darrell, and Chief Yowlachie, provided the old leather feel of vintage westerns.The weakness of the concept was that there are only so many famous western outlaws. By the second season the famous figures were becoming a mite obscure for all but the most dedicated history buff. Nevertheless, a few of the later shows were a match for any, due to the guest stars. Henry Brandon portrayed rustler Nate Champion, and former Republic star Don Barry was outstanding as small-time outlaw Milt Sharp.Western fans or history buffs will want to see this.

'Big' Jim Davis, as Matt Clark, Railroad Detective, traveled west each week to aid in the capture of one of history's notable badmen(or women). At times, Clark's appearance at the scene seems somewhat contrived, as in just "happening" to be in town when Ford shoots Jesse James. The stories do have some limited educational value, as each one sticks to the basic facts, although production values for the series were decidedly low budget. One thing I could never figure out...one week Clark would chase Quantrill in 1863, the next Tom Horn in 1903...30 years apart...yet he never aged!