REMINSCING ... BAT MASTERSON

REMINSCING ... BAT MASTERSON

Bat Masterson is an American Western television series which showed a fictionalized account of the life of real-life marshal/gambler/dandy Bat Masterson. The title character was played by Gene Barry and the half-hour black and white shows ran on NBC from 1958 to 1961. The show took a tongue-in-cheek outlook, with Barry's Masterson dressed in expensive Eastern clothing and preferring to use his cane rather than a gun to get himself out of trouble, hence the nickname "Bat". Masterson was also portrayed as a ladies' man who traveled the West looking for women and adventure. The black derby, fancy vest, black jacket, and elegant cane were his trademarks. They were marketed in miniature to child viewers as tie-in products during the run of the show.[citation needed] The theme song was sung by Mike Stewart, who had previously contributed to a children's album in 1956, Walt Kelly's Songs of the Pogo. The series was loosely based on Richard O'Connor's 1957 biography of Masterson.This was highlighted by the book's front cover being shown at the end of the closing credits with an onscreen notation "based on".