The Wild Wild West
Genre	Western
Created by	Michael Garrison
Starring	Ross Martin Robert Conrad
Country of origin	United States
Language(s)	English
No. of seasons	4
No. of episodes	104
Production
Running time	60 min.
Broadcast
Original channel	CBS
Original run	September 17, 1965 – April 4, 1969
External links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

The Wild Wild West is an American television series that ran on CBS for four seasons (104 episodes) from September 17, 1965 to April 4, 1969. Developed at a time when the television western was losing ground to the spy genre, this show was conceived by its creator, Michael Garrison, as "James Bond on horseback." It was one of the first television series which could be described as a science fiction Western. Two television movies were made with the original cast in 1979 and 1980, and the series was adapted for a motion picture in 1999 with a new cast and story. This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long or excessively detailed compared to the rest of the article. ... The Wild, Wild West may refer to a number of things: The Wild Wild West, a CBS television show that ran from 1965 to 1969. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Ross Martin (March 22, 1920 - July 3, 1981) is an American actor most known for playing Artemus Gordon in the western TV series The Wild Wild West. ... Robert Conrad Robert Conrad (born either Conrad Robert Falk or Konrad Robert Falkowski on March 1 in Chicago, although the year is still subject to question), is an American film and TV actor and director. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... This article is about the broadcast network. ... is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... See also: 1964 in television, other events of 1965, 1966 in television and the list of years in television. For the American network television schedule, please see 1965-66 American network television schedule. ... is the 94th day of the year (95th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The year 1969 in television involved some significant events. ... This article is about the broadcast network. ... is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... See also: 1964 in television, other events of 1965, 1966 in television and the list of years in television. For the American network television schedule, please see 1965-66 American network television schedule. ... is the 94th day of the year (95th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The year 1969 in television involved some significant events. ... This article is about the spy series. ... A science fiction Western is a work of fiction which has elements of science fiction in a Western setting. ... For other uses see film (disambiguation) Film refers to the celluliod media on which movies are printed Film — also called movies, the cinema, the silver screen, moving pictures, photoplays, picture shows, flicks, or motion pictures, — is a field that encompasses motion pictures as an art form or as part of... This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long or excessively detailed compared to the rest of the article. ...

Background

The show's creator, Michael Garrison, was no late-comer to the James Bond craze; he and his partner at the time, Gregory Ratoff, purchased the film rights to Ian Fleming's first Bond novel, Casino Royale, back in 1955. They pitched the idea to 20th Century Fox, but the studio turned them down. After Ratoff died in 1960, his widow and Garrison sold the film rights to Charles K. Feldman, who eventually produced the spoof Casino Royale in 1967. Garrison, meanwhile, had brought James Bond to television in a unique way. Gregory Ratoff was an American film director, actor and producer. ... This article is about the author. ... Casino Royale by Ian Fleming was the first James Bond novel. ... Charles K. Feldman (April 26, 1904 - May 25, 1968) was a film producer born in New York City. ... This article is about the 1967 film, for other uses of this name, see Casino Royale. ...

The pilot episode, "The Night of the Inferno", was scripted by Gilbert Ralston, who had written for numerous episodic TV series in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1997, Ralston sued Warner Brothers over the upcoming motion picture based on the series. (Wild Wild West was released in 1999.) In a deposition, Ralston explained that he was approached by Michael Garrison, who '"said he had an idea for a series, good commercial idea, and wanted to know if I could glue the idea of a western hero and a James Bond type together in the same show."^[1] Gilbert Alexander Ralston (wrote under the name Stephen Gilbert) was born in 1912 in Newcastle, County Down, UK. He worked as a reporter for the Northern Whig newspaper, and then later joined his fathers seed sale business in Ireland. ...

Ralston said he then created the Civil War characters, the format, the story outline and nine drafts of the script that was the basis for the television series. It was his idea, for example, to have a secret agent named Jim West who would perform secret missions for a bumbling Ulysses S. Grant. Ulysses S. Grant,[2] born Hiram Ulysses Grant (April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885), was an American general and the eighteenth President of the United States (1869–1877). ...

Ralston's experience brought to light a common Hollywood practice of the 1950's and 60's when television writers who helped create popular series allowed producers or studios to take credit for a show, thus denying the writers millions of dollars in royalties. Ralston died in 1999, before his suit was settled. Warner Brothers ended up paying his family between $600,000 and $1.5 million.^[2]

The Wild Wild West told the story of two Secret Service agents—James West, the charming gunslinger (played by Robert Conrad), and Artemus Gordon (played by Ross Martin), the brilliant gadgeteer and master of disguise. Their unending mission was to protect President Ulysses S. Grant and the United States from all manner of dangerous threats. The agents traveled in luxury aboard their own train, the Wanderer, equipped with everything from a stable car to a laboratory. USSS redirects here. ... There have been several people named James West, including: James E. West, the former mayor of Spokane, Washington, who was recalled in December 2005 in a gay sex scandal. ... Robert Conrad Robert Conrad (born either Conrad Robert Falk or Konrad Robert Falkowski on March 1 in Chicago, although the year is still subject to question), is an American film and TV actor and director. ... Ross Martin (March 22, 1920 - July 3, 1981) is an American actor most known for playing Artemus Gordon in the western TV series The Wild Wild West. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ...

The show incorporated classic Western elements with an espionage thriller, as well as science fiction/alternate history ideas (in a similar vein to steampunk) and plenty of comedy. In the finest James Bond tradition, there were always beautiful women, clever gadgets, and delusional arch-enemies with half-insane plots to take over the country or the world. Broncho Billy Anderson, from The Great Train Robbery The Western movie is one of the classic American film genres. ... Spy and Secret agent redirect here. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Alternate history (fiction) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... For the comic book, see Steampunk (comics). ... This article is about the spy series. ... Alexander the Great Philip II of Spain Napoleon Bonaparte For other uses, see World domination (disambiguation). ...

Each episode's title begins with "The Night" (except for the first-season episode "Night of the Casual Killer", which omitted the definite article). Shows with similar naming conventions include: Friends ("The One ..."); The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ("The ... Affair"); The Rat Patrol ("The ... Raid"); Rawhide (seasons 1–3 and 5–6: "Incident ..."); Monk ("Mr. Monk and...") and Scrubs ("My ..."). For friendship, see friendship. ... The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was an American television series that ran on NBC from September 22, 1964, to January 15, 1968, for 105 episodes (see 1964 in television and 1968 in television). ... Opening title. ... Rawhide was a television western series about cattle drives that aired on CBS from 1959-1966, which starred Eric Fleming and launched the career of Clint Eastwood, who played Rowdy Yates. ... Scrubs is an Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning American situation comedy/comedy-drama that premiered on October 2, 2001 on NBC. It was created by Bill Lawrence and is produced by Touchstone Television. ...

The one memorable recurring arch-villain was Dr. Miguelito Quixote Loveless, a brilliant-but-insane dwarf portrayed by Michael Dunn, who performed almost an identical function for West and Gordon as Professor Moriarty performed for Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson—the worthy adversary, whose plans could be foiled but who resisted all attempts to capture him and bring him to justice. Loveless was introduced in the show's sixth produced, but third televised episode, "The Night the Wizard Shook The Earth", and appeared in another nine episodes. Initially he had two constant companions, the huge Voltaire, played by Richard Kiel, and the beautiful Antoinette. This role was performed by Dunn's real-life singing partner, Phoebe Dorin. Voltaire disappeared with no explanation after the third battle against Loveless, while Antoinette was not seen after the sixth one. According to The Wild Wild West Revisited TV movie, Loveless eventually dies in 1880 from ulcers, brought on by anger and frustration at having his plans consistently ruined by West and Gordon. (His son, played by Paul Williams, subsequently seeks revenge on the agents). A recurring character is a fictional character, usually in a prime time TV series, who is not a main character, but appears from time to time during the series run. ... Bad guy redirects here. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article is about the medical condition. ... Michael Dunn (born Gary Neil Miller, reportedly on February 7, 1934 in Shattuck, Oklahoma; died August 30, 1973 in London) was a successful little person American actor. ... Professor Moriarty, illustration by Sidney Paget which accompanied the original publication of The Final Problem. Professor James Moriarty is a fictional character who is the best known antagonist (and archenemy) of the detective Sherlock Holmes. ... A portrait of Sherlock Holmes by Sidney Paget from the Strand Magazine, 1891 Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who first appeared in publication in 1887. ... Dr. John H. Watson is a fictional character, the sidekick of Sherlock Holmes, the fictional 19th century detective created by Arthur Conan Doyle. ... Richard Dawson Kiel (born September 13, 1939, in Detroit, Michigan) is an American actor best known for his role as Jaws in the James Bond movies The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Moonraker (1979) as well as the video game Everything or Nothing, Mr. ... Endoscopic images of a duodenal ulcer. ... Paul Hamilton Williams (born September 19, 1940, in Omaha, Nebraska) is an American composer, songwriter, and actor. ...

Though several actors appeared in multiple villainous roles, only one other character had a second encounter with West and Gordon, Count Manzeppi, played flamboyantly by Victor Buono. Victor Buono Victor Buono (February 3, 1938 - January 1, 1982) was an American actor. ...

While the show's writers created their fair share of villains (Agnes Moorehead won an Emmy for her role as Emma Valentine in "The Night of The Vicious Valentine"), they frequently started with the nefarious, stylized inventions of these madmen and then wrote the episodes around these devices. Stories were also inspired by Edgar Allan Poe, H. G. Wells, and Jules Verne. Agnes Robertson Moorehead (December 6, 1900 – April 30, 1994) was an Oscar-nominated American character actress. ... Edgar Allan Poe (January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American poet, short story writer, playwright, editor, literary critic, essayist and one of the leaders of the American Romantic Movement. ... Herbert George Wells (September 21, 1866 – August 13, 1946), better known as H. G. Wells, was an English writer best known for such science fiction novels as The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man, The First Men in the Moon and The Island of Doctor Moreau. ... This article is about the French author. ...

As indicated by Robert Conrad on his DVD commentary for the first season, the show went through several changes in producers in its early weeks of production. This was apparently due to conflicts between the network and Michael Garrison, who had also produced the pilot. Collier Young produced episodes 2-4; Fred Freiberger episodes 5-14; John Mantley episodes 15-21; and Gene L. Coon episodes 22-26. Garrison then returned to the show in time to produce the last two episodes of season one. In August 1967, early during production of the second season, however, Garrison fell down a staircase in his home and died. CBS brought in Bruce Lansbury, head of programming in New York (and brother of actress Angela Lansbury), to produce the show for the remainder of its run. Movie producer and writer Collier Young (August 19, 1908 - December 25, 1980) worked on many films in the 50s before becoming a television producer for such shows as Ironside and The Wild Wild West. ... Fred Freiberger, 1976 Fred Freiberger (born on February 19, 1915; died March 2, 2003) was an American television producer and script writer. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Gene L. Coon (7 January 1924-8 July 1973) was an American screenwriter and television producer. ... Angela Lansbury CBE (born October 16, 1925) is a four-time Tony-winning, six-time Golden Globe-winning, three-time Oscar-nominated, and eighteen-time Emmy-nominated English actress. ...

There was also a cast change made in the first season: the three episodes produced by Collier Young featured a butler named Tennyson who traveled with West and Gordon. Tennyson was dropped after the fourth produced episode, but because the episodes were not broadcast in production order the character was seen on-and-off during the first season.

The first season episodes were filmed in black and white, and were appropriately darker in their tonality. (Cinematographer Ted Voightlander was nominated for an Emmy for his work on these episodes.) Subsequent seasons were filmed in color and the show became noticeably campier. Still, some episodes could be astonishingly violent, and that ultimately was its downfall: according to Susan Kesler's book (see below), CBS bowed under pressure from watchdog groups and cancelled the show. However, the network re-ran several episodes in the summer of 1970 before the program moved into syndication and new life on local stations across the country, including WGN. In 1994, it was broadcast on TNT, which usually preferred the color episodes over the black and white shows. Hallmark Channel briefly aired the series in 2005 as part of its slate of Saturday afternoon Westerns but quickly dropped it after several weeks. Retro Television Network aired the show with two episodes back-to-back on Thursday nights in 2005 and is now broadcasting the show during the daytime . WGN is the callsign of two broadcast stations in Chicago, Illinois, both owned by the Tribune company. ... Turner Network Television, usually referred to as TNT, is an American cable TV network created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner. ... The Hallmark Channel is a cable television network that broadcasts in over 100 countries. ... The Retro Television Network is Equity Media Holdings Corporations system of television stations primarily airing classic television programming from the 1950s through the 1980s, such as My Three Sons, The Wild Wild West, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., and Laverne and Shirley. ...

Robert Conrad and a stock company of stunt players choreographed at least two fight sequences per episode. Conrad also insisted on performing all of his own stunts, such as leaping off a second-floor balcony or running in front of a team of horses. During the filming of one episode, "The Night of the Fugitives", Conrad fell 12 feet from a chandelier onto a concrete floor and suffered a concussion. [1] Production of the series, then near the end of its third season, was shut down two weeks early. (The episode eventually aired during the fourth season, with footage of the fall left in.) Ross Martin broke his leg in a fourth season episode, "The Night of the Avaricious Actuary", and suffered a heart attack a few weeks later after completing "The Night of Fire and Brimstone." His character was replaced temporarily by other agents played by Charles Aidman (four episodes), Alan Hale, Jr. and William Schallert. Aidman said that the script rewrites he had been promised simply amounted to changing the name "Artemus Gordon" to "Jeremy Pike" (his character's name).^[3] Pat Paulsen is frequently thought of as a Martin substitute, but he in fact appeared in one of Aidman's episodes, and his character would have been present even if Martin appeared. Charles Aidman (January 21, 1925 - November 7, 1993) was an American film and television actor. ... Alan Hale Jr. ... William Schallert (born July 6, 1922 in Los Angeles, California), is a very tall actor who has appeared in many movies and television series such as The Smurfs, Gunsmoke, and Get Smart. ... Patrick Layton Paulsen (July 6, 1927 – April 24, 1997) was an American comedian and satirist notable for his roles on several of the Smothers Brothers TV shows, and for his supposed campaigns for President of the United States in 1968, 1972, 1980, 1988, 1992, and 1996, which had primarily comedic...

Ross Martin once called his role as Artemus Gordon "a show-off's showcase" because it allowed him to portray over 100 different characters during the course of the series, and perform dozens of different dialects. Martin sketched his ideas for his characterizations and worked with the make-up artists to execute the final look. Martin was nominated for an Emmy in 1969. An Emmy Award. ... The year 1969 in television involved some significant events. ...

Props

The Wild Wild West featured numerous gadgets. Some were recurring devices, such as James' sleeve gun or breakaway derringer hidden in his left and right boot heels. Others only appeared in a single episode. The term derringer is a genericized misspelling of the last name of Henry Deringer, a famous maker of small pocket pistols in the 1800s. ...

• Sleeve gun (a Remington derringer, featured in many episodes). In a few episodes the ejecting/retractable support-arm of the device had other useful gadgets attached to it instead of the derringer (i.e. a tiny squirt-can containing acid, iron climbing-claws, various blades, etc.)
• Lock-pick in the lapel of the bolero-style jacket.
• Throwing knife in the collar of the jacket.
• Various explosive devices fitted in the lining of his jacket, inside his belt (and its buckle), and a secret compartment in his holster.
• A flat metal barbed climbing-spike and a thin, but strong attachable rope or cord that could be shot into a wooden beam or wall from either his deringer or revolver.
• A small hand-held rod with a built-in spring-loaded motor-driven winch. When used in conjunction with his climbing-spike and rope, the rod-winch can either hoist him upwards to a building's roof, for instance, or lower him into a deep pit, the distance depending on the length of rope deployed.
• An ejecting knife-blade in his boot, just between the outer sole and toe-box of the boot.
• Extra bullets in his belt buckle.
• A thin, but extremely strong wire flexible enough to be coiled and fitted in the inner lining of the crown of his hat; the wire has multiple uses, and is also capable of sawing through a steel bar.
• Breakaway derringer (featured in numerous episodes)
• Exploding pool ball (featured in pilot episode)
• Cue stick that has a hidden sword inside (featured in pilot episode)
• Cue stick that has a hidden gun inside (featured in pilot episode)
• Stage coach with ejection seat (featured in "The Night the Wizard Shook the Earth")
• A ball of explosive in the hollow heel of one boot, and the hem of his jacket is pulled away to form the fuse.
• A break-away blow-torch, hidden in each boot heel.
• Aboard the agents' train, two pistols on a wooden stand on desk-activated by a knob on the fireplace.
• Also aboard the agents' train, the fireplace conceals a secret escape door and an emergency flare signal
• Several pistols, a few rifles, and other assorted weaponry hidden behind a wall-panel behind the map at one end of the railway car.
• A shotgun hidden under a revolving table-top.
• A telegraph in a cane
• A cigar blow torch

The villains often used equally creative gadgets, including:

• An earthquake making device.
• A brainwashing device using intense sight and sound
• A cyborg, i.e., a man who replaced much of his flesh and bone with metal, augmenting his strength and invulnerability
• An early flamethrower
• Man-sized steam-driven puppets
• Jars that could preserve disembodied human brains and draw upon their knowledge and psychic force
• A prototype tank
• A potion made from liquified diamond capable of allowing a man to move so fast as to be invisible
• An LSD-like hallucinogenic capable of driving men into fits of killing madness
• A television
• A torpedo disguised as a dragon and capable of homing on a radio signal
• An invisible electronic force field that disintegrates anything that came in contact with it
• A drug capable of shrinking a man down to a height of 6"
• A suit of armor that acted as an exo-skeleton
• A tidal wave-making device that generated giant bubbles
• A sonic device that allowed the use of paintings as a portal to other dimensions
• Surgically implanted crystals that when shattered inside the brain by a high-pitched noise, caused the subject to turn into a criminal
• A giant falcon-shaped cannon, capable of devastating a small town with a single shot
• The Juggernaut, a steam-powered tank that was triangular in shape, and had a barbed tip.

This article is about the natural seismic phenomenon. ... Brainwashing (also known as thought reform or as re-education) consists of any effort aimed at instilling certain attitudes and beliefs in a person — sometimes unwelcome beliefs in conflict with the persons prior beliefs and knowledge. ... For other uses, see Cyborg (disambiguation). ... Riverboat of the U.S. Brownwater Navy shooting ignited napalm from its mounted flamethrower during the Vietnam war. ...

The train

For the pilot episode, "The Night of the Inferno", the producers used Sierra Railroad No. 3, a 4-6-0 locomotive that was, fittingly, an anachronism: it wasn't built until 1891. Footage of this train, with a 5 replacing the 3 on its number plate, was shot in Jamestown, California. Best known for its role as the Hooterville Cannonball in the CBS series Petticoat Junction, Sierra No. 3 probably appeared in more films and TV shows than any other locomotive in history. It was built by the Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works in Paterson, New Jersey. A Finnish 4-6-0, built by Tampella in 1915 In the Whyte notation, a 4-6-0 is a railroad steam locomotive that has a two-axle leading truck followed by three driving axles. ... Jamestown is a census-designated place located in Tuolumne County, California. ... Petticoat Junction was an American situation comedy that was produced by Filmways, Inc. ... An aerial view drawing of the Rogers Locomotive Works plant on March 28, 1906. ... “Paterson” redirects here. ...

When The Wild Wild West went into series production, however, an entirely different train was employed. The locomotive, a 4-4-0 named the Inyo, was built in 1875 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia. Originally a wood-burner, the Inyo was converted to oil in 1910. The Inyo, as well as the express car and the passenger car, originally served on the Virginia and Truckee Railroad in Nevada. They were among several V&T cars sold to Paramount Pictures in 1937-8. The Inyo appears in numerous films, including High, Wide, and Handsome (1938), Union Pacific (1939), The Marx Brothers' Go West (1940), Meet Me in St. Louis, (1944), Red River (1948), Disney's The Great Locomotive Chase (1956) and McLintock! (1963). For The Wild Wild West, Inyo's original number plate was temporarily changed from No. 22 to No. 8 so that footage of the train could be flipped left or right without the number appearing reversed. Footage of the Inyo was shot around Menifee, Calif., and re-used countless times during the run of the show. (Stock footage of Sierra No. 3 occasionally resurfaced as well!) Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad #87, delivered 1873-10-27 from the Mason Machine Works of Taunton, Massachusetts. ... Baldwin Locomotive Works builders plate, 1922 The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. ... The Virginia and Truckee Railroad (AAR reporting mark VT) was built to serve the silver mining communities of Nevada. ... High, Wide, and Handsome (2006) is a film comedy about NASCAR racing that is currently in production. ... See also: 1937 in film 1937 1939 in film 1930s in film years in film film // Events January — MGM announces that Judy Garland would be cast in the role of Dorothy in the upcoming Wizard of Oz motion picture. ... Union Pacific is a 1939 film about the building of the railroad across the American West. ... The year 1939 in film involved some significant events. ... This article is about the comedian siblings. ... Videotape jacket for Go West Go West (1940) was the 10th Marx Brothers comedy film, in which the three brothers, Groucho, Chico, and Harpo, head to the American West and attempt to unite a couple by ensuring that an evil railroad baron is thwarted. ... The year 1940 in film involved some significant events. ... Meet Me in St. ... // July 20 - Since You Went Away is released. ... Red River is a 1948 western film which tells the story of the first cattle drive along the Chisolm Trail in the fictional framework of a cattle man who feuds with his adopted son over ownership of their cattle in the middle of a drive. ... The year 1948 in film involved some significant events. ... For the company founded by Disney, see The Walt Disney Company. ... We dont have an article called The Great Locomotive Chase Start this article Search for The Great Locomotive Chase in. ... The year 1956 in film involved some significant events. ... McLintock! is a 1963 comedy Western starring John Wayne and Maureen OHara, and loosely based on Shakespeares The Taming of the Shrew. ... The year 1963 in film involved some significant events. ...

These trains were used only for exterior shots. The luxurious interior of the passenger car was constructed on Stage 6 at CBS Studio Center. (Neither Stage 6 or any of the western streets still exist.) Designed by art director Albert Heschong at the Internet Movie Database, the set reportedly cost $35,000 in 1965. CBS Studio Center is a television and film studio located in the Studio City district of Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley. ... The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ...

The interior of West and Gordon's train was used in an episode of Gunsmoke titled "Death Train" (aired 1/27/67). This article is about the radio and television series. ...

After her run on The Wild Wild West, the Inyo participated in the Golden Spike Centennial at Promontory, Utah, in 1969. The following year it appeared as a replica of the Central Pacific's "Jupiter" locomotive at the Golden Spike National Historical Site.. The State of Nevada purchased the Inyo in 1974; it was restored to 1895 vintage, including a wider smoke stack and new a pilot (cow catcher) without a drop coupler. The Inyo is still operational and currently displayed at the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City. The express car (No. 21) and passenger car (No. 4) are also at the museum. Ex-Virginia and Truckee Railroad No. ... In railroading, the pilot is the device mounted at the front of a locomotive to deflect obstacles from the track that might otherwise derail the train. ... The Nevada State Railroad Museum is in Carson City, Nevada and Boulder City, Nevada. ...

Another veteran V&T locomotive, the Reno (built in 1872 by Baldwin), was used in the two Wild Wild West TV movies and in the 1999 theatrical film starring Will Smith. The Reno is located at Old Tucson Studios. Old Tucson Studios is a movie studio and theme park just outside of Tucson, Arizona. ...

Theme music, cartoon and graphics

The main title theme was written by Richard Markowitz, who was brought in after the producers rejected two attempts by famed film composer Dimitri Tiomkin. However, Markowitz was never credited for his theme on any episode of the series (although he did receive "music by" credit for episodes he'd scored or where he supplied the majority of tracked-in cues); it is generally believed that this was due to legal difficulties between CBS and Tiomkin over the rejection of the latter's work. Markowitz had previously composed the theme to the TV series "The Rebel." Dimitri Zinovievich Tiomkin (Russian: , Dmitrij Zinovevič Tëmkin, somtimes translated as Dmitri Tiomkin) (May 10, 1894 – November 11, 1979) was a film composer and conductor. ...

The cartoon teaser for the opening credits was another unique element of the series. The screen was divided into five panels, the center containing a cartoon "hero" who interacted with characters in the surrounding panels. The cartoon Hero actually bears more of a resemblance to Clint Eastwood in Rawhide or James Arness in Gunsmoke than Conrad or Martin, and the vignettes in the teaser reflect Western movie clichés rather than the fanciful situations typical of The Wild Wild West. A teaser (or a two-team teaser) is a type of gambling bet that allows the bettor to combine his bets on two different games. ... Rawhide was a television western series about cattle drives that aired on CBS from 1959-1966, which starred Eric Fleming and launched the career of Clint Eastwood, who played Rowdy Yates. ... This article is about the radio and television series. ...

The original sequence is as follows:

• Hero strikes match, lights a cigarette and begins walking in profile
• Behind the Hero, in the lower left panel, a robber backs out of a bank; the Hero subdues him with a karate chop
• In the upper right panel, a cardsharp tries to pull an ace from his boot; the Hero draws his gun and the cardsharp drops his card
• In the upper left panel, a gunman points a six shooter at the Hero, who drops his gun and puts his hands up. Hero then shoots the gunman with his sleeve derringer; gunman's hand falls limp
• A woman in the lower right panel taps Hero with her parasol. He pulls her close and kisses her. She is about to stab him but turns away and slumps against the side of the frame, still holding the knife, mesmerized by his kiss. He tips his hat and walks away from camera. This final vignette changed when the series changed to color: the Hero knocks her out with a right cross to the jaw! [Note: This variant can be seen in the original pilot version of the opening credits (included on the DVD release) when the series was under the title The Wild West.] Despite the new version, James West never hit a woman in any episode, although he grappled with some. The original animation, with the Hero winning the woman over with a kiss, was a more accurate representation of West's methods than the right cross. Ironically, it is another example of the emphasis of violence of the show.
• The camera then zooms into the middle panel and the title The Wild Wild West appears. Camera swish pans to an illustration of the train, with Conrad's and Martin's names on the ends of different cars.

The four corner panels were then utilized for the commercial breaks. Each episode was divided into four acts. At the end of each act, the scene (usually a cliffhanger moment) would freeze and a sketch or photograph of the scene would replace one of the panels. (The commercial break freeze frames usually didn't follow in the same order as the main title; they only do so in four episodes - "The Night of the Two-Legged Buffalo," "The Night of the Man-Eating House," "The Night of the Deadly Blossom," and "The Night of the Winged Terror, Part 2.")

The freeze-frame art changed over the course of the series. In all first season episodes other than the pilot, the panels were live-action stills made to evoke 19th century engravings. In season two (the first in color) the scenes dissolved to tinted stills; from "The Night of the Flying Pie Plate" on, however, the panels were home to Warhol-like serigraphs of the freeze-frames. The end credits were displayed over each episode's mosaic in every season but the last, when a standardized design was used. The pilot episode is the only episode in which the center panel of the Hero is replaced by a sketch of the final scene of an act — in the third act, he is replaced by the villainous General Cassinello (Nehemiah Persoff). Nehemiah Persoff (born 1919, Jerusalem) is an actor. ...

During the first season, the series title "The Wild Wild West" was set in the font P.T. Barnum. In subsequent seasons, the title appeared in a hand-drawn version of the font Dolphin (which resembles other fonts called Zebrawood, Circus, and Rodeo Clown). Robert Conrad's name was also set in this font. Ross Martin's name was set in the font Bracelet (which resembles Tuscan Ornate and Romantiques). All episode titles, writer and director credits, guest cast and crew credits were set in P.T. Barnum. During commercial breaks, the title "The Wild Wild West" also appeared in P.T. Barnum. This teaser part of the show was incorporated into The History Channel's Wild West Tech (2003-5). For the Canadian equivalent of this channel, see History Television. ... Wild West Tech is a program on the History Channel. ...

TV-movies

Conrad and Martin reunited for two television movies, The Wild Wild West Revisited (aired May 9, 1979) and More Wild Wild West (aired October 7-8, 1980). "Revisited" introduced Paul Williams as Miguelito Loveless Jr., the son of the agents' arch-nemesis. Loveless planned to substitute clones for the crowned heads of Europe and the President of the United States. (This plot was borrowed from the second season episode "The Night of the Brain.") "More" was initially conceived as a rematch between the agents and Miguelito Jr., but Williams was unavailable for the film. His character was changed to Albert Paradine II and played by Jonathan Winters. Paradine planned world conquest using a formula for invisibility. (This recalls the first season episode "The Night of the Burning Diamond.") Both TV films were campier than the TV series, although Conrad and Martin played their roles straight. A television movie (also TV movie, TV-movie, made-for-TV movie, telefilm, etc. ... is the 129th day of the year (130th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... Paul Williams is the name of three popular music musicians: Paul Williams, songwriter for Carpenters and many others, as well as actor in movies and TV. Paul Williams, rhythm and blues saxophonist Paul Williams, one of the lead singers of the popular Motown act The Temptations Other Paul Williams: Paul... Jonathan Harshman Winters III (born November 11, 1925 in Bellbrook, Ohio) is an American film and television actor. ...

In other media

The series spawned several merchandising spin-offs, including a seven-issue comic book series by Gold Key Comics, and a paperback novel, Richard Wormser's The Wild Wild West, published in 1966 by Signet (ISBN 0-451-02836-8), which adapted the pilot episode "The Night Of the Double-Edged Knife". A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... Gold Key Comics was an imprint of Western Publishing cteated for comic books distributed to newstands. ... Categories: Stub | Books ...

In 1988, Arnett Press published The Wild Wild West: The Series by Susan E. Kesler (ISBN 0-929360-00-1), a thorough production history and episode guide.

In 1990, Millennium Publications produced a four-part comic book series ("The Night Of The Iron Tyrants") scripted by Mark Ellis with art by Darryl Banks. A sequel to the TV series, it involved Dr. Loveless in a conspiracy to assassinate President Grant and the President of Brazil and put the Knights of the Golden Circle into power. The characters of Voltaire and Antoinette were prominent here, despite their respective early departures from Dr. Loveless' side in the original program. The storyline of the comics mini-series was optioned for motion picture development. Mark Ellis is an American novelist who resides in Newport, Rhode Island with his wife of 27 years, Melissa Martin. ... Darryl Banks is an African-American comic book artist. ... The Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC) was a secret society originally founded to promote Southern interests and prepare the way for annexation of a golden circle of territories in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean which would be included into the United States as southern or slave states. ...

In 1998, Berkeley Books published three novels by author Robert Vaughan - The Wild Wild West (ISBN 0-425-16372-5), The Night of the Death Train (ISBN 0-425-16449-7), and The Night of the Assassin (ISBN 0-425-16517-5). Robert Vaughan is an American writer. ...

The first season of The Wild Wild West was released to DVD in North America on June 6, 2006, as a special 40th anniversary edition. For the first season set, Robert Conrad recorded special audio introductions for all 28 episodes and the set also included interviews and 1970s era footage of Conrad and Martin being interviewed. The second season was released on March 20, 2007 but the set contained no special features. The third season was released on November 20, 2007. The fourth and final season was released on March 18, 2008. In France, all four seasons (known locally as Les Mystères de l'Ouest) have already been released in a DVD boxed set. is the 157th day of the year (158th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 79th day of the year (80th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ...

A new fan-made Wild Wild West series is being developed by the creators of Star Trek: New Voyages

Motion picture

Main article: Wild Wild West

In January 1992, Variety reported that Warner Bros. was planning a theatrical version of The Wild Wild West directed by Richard Donner, written by Shane Black, and starring Mel Gibson as James West. (Donner directed three episodes of the original series.) Donner and Gibson instead made a theatrical version of TV's Maverick in 1994. The Wild Wild West motion picture continued in the development stage, with Tom Cruise rumored for the lead in 1995. Cruise instead revived Mission: Impossible the following year. This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long or excessively detailed compared to the rest of the article. ... Richard Donner (born Richard Donald Schwartzberg on April 24, 1930) is an American film director and also producer through the production company, The Donners Company, he and his wife, producer Lauren Shuler-Donner, own. ... Shane Black (born December 16, 1961) is an American actor, screenwriter and film director. ... Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson (born January 3, 1956) is an American-born actor, director and producer. ... Tom Cruise (born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV on July 3, 1962) is an Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe Award-winning American actor and film producer. ...

Finally, in 1999, a theatrical motion picture loosely based on the series was released. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, the film Wild Wild West (without the definite article used in the series title) made substantial changes to the characters of the series, reimagining James West as an African-American (played by Will Smith), almost completely ignoring the racial issues that certainly would have made it difficult, if not impossible, for a black man to be a United States secret service agent in the late 1800s. (However, at the end of the TV episode "The Night of the Returning Dead", West and Gordon did invite an African-American character played by guest star Sammy Davis Jr. to join the department.) Barry Sonnenfeld American film maker Barry Sonnenfeld (born New York City, April 1, 1953) worked as cinematographer for the Coen Brothers, then later he directed and produced big budget films such as Men in Black. ... This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long or excessively detailed compared to the rest of the article. ... Languages Predominantly American English Religions Protestantism (chiefly Baptist and Methodist); Roman Catholicism; Islam Related ethnic groups Sub-Saharan Africans and other African groups, some with Native American groups. ... “W. S.” redirects here. ... Sammy Davis, Jr. ...

Significant changes were made to Dr. Loveless (played by Kenneth Brannagh in the film). He went from a dwarf (TV) to a man without legs (film); his name was also changed to Arliss Loveless and he was given the motive of a Southerner who sought the defeat of the North after the Civil War. Kevin Kline plays Gordon, whose character was similar to the version played by Ross Martin, except that he was bitterly competitive with James West, and much more egotistical. The film script had Kline's Gordon invent more ridiculous, humor-related, and implausible contraptions than those created by Martin's Gordon in the television series. Kenneth Charles Branagh (born December 10, 1960) is a versatile Emmy Award-winning British actor and film director. ... Kevin Delaney Kline (born October 24, 1947) is an Academy Award- and Tony Award-winning American stage and film actor. ...

The film also depicted West and Gordon as competitive rivals (almost to the point of a mutual dislike and distrust of one another), whereas in the television series, West and Gordon had a very close friendship and and trusted each other with their lives.

Robert Conrad reportedly was offered a cameo in the role of President Grant, but turned it down. He was outspoken in his criticism of the new film. In a New York Post interview (July 3, 1999), Conrad stated that he disliked the movie and that contractually he was owed a share of money on merchandising that he was not paid. He had a long-standing feud with producer Jon Peters, which may have colored his opinion. He was also offended at the racial aspects of the film, as well as the casting of Brannagh as a double amputee, rather than a little-person actor, in the role of Loveless. is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Jon Pagano Peters (born on 2 June 1945 in Van Nuys, California to Jack Peters and Helen Pagano) is a former hairdresser turned movie producer. ...

Dates

The series is set during the presidency of Ulysses Grant, 1869-77; occasional episodes indicate a more precise date. Ulysses Simpson Grant (April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885) was an American Civil War General and the 18th (1869–1877) President of the United States. ...

• "The Night of the Glowing Corpse" is set during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1.
• "The Night of the Eccentrics" takes place four years after the assassination of Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico, placing the episode in 1871.
• In "The Night of the Brain" Artemus Gordon shows James West a newspaper dated July 12, 1872. West states, "July 12, that's an interesting date, but it happens to be tomorrow." Later they again get tomorrow's newspaper and we see the date: July 14, 1872.
• In "The Night that Terror Stalked the Town", Loveless has a headstone prepared for West, showing his birthdate as July 2, 1842.
• "The Night of the Whirring Death" opens with the caption San Francisco 1874.
• In "The Night of the Flaming Ghost", Jim West says, "If the real John Brown had lived he'd be almost 75 years old by now," placing this episode not long before May 9, 1875.
• In "The Night of the Arrow", President Grant reads a request from General Baldwin to be relieved from active duty on April 6, 1874, and comments that he will honor the request.
• In "The Night of the Samurai", it is stated that Perry's diplomatic expeditions to Japan in 1852 and 1854 occurred "30 years ago", but this is an error given the bulk of evidence above.

Combatants Second French Empire North German Confederation allied with South German states (later German Empire) Commanders Napoleon III François Achille Bazaine Patrice de Mac-Mahon, duc de Magenta Otto von Bismarck Helmuth von Moltke the Elder Strength 400,000 at wars beginning 1,200,000 Casualties 150,000... Maximilian I, Emperor of Mexico (Emperador Maximiliano I de México) (July 6, 1832 – June 19, 1867) (born Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph) was a member of Austrias Imperial Habsburg-Lorraine family. ... is the 193rd day of the year (194th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 195th day of the year (196th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... “Tombstone” redirects here. ... is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1842 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... John Brown, ca. ... is the 129th day of the year (130th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1875 (MDCCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

See also

• Weird West

Weird West is used to describe a combination of the western with another genre. ...

Footnotes

is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 196th day of the year (197th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

• List of Episodes (Televised and Produced Order)
• Historical Chronology (Fictional)

External links

• The Wild Wild West at the Internet Movie Database
• The Wild Wild West at TV.com