Maverick

9/22/1957 – 7/8/1962 ABC
Black and White – 60 minutes
124 episodes
Sun 7:30-8:30 (9/57 – 9/61)
Sun 6:30-7:30 (9/61 – 7/62)

Produced by Warner Brothers

Maverick Cast

James Garner as Bret (1957-1960)
Jack Kelly as Bart
Roger Moore as Beauregard (1960-1961)
Robert Colbert as Brent (1961)

Jack Kelly appeared in 75 episodes, James Garner in 52, and Roger Moore in only 15.

Diane Brewster as Samantha Crawford (1957-1958)
Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Dandy Jim Buckley (1957-1958)
Richard Long as Gentleman Jack Darby (1958-1959)
Leo Gordon as Big Mike McComb (1957-1959)
Peter Breck as Doc Holliday (1960-1962)
Horse: El Loaner

Maverick Theme Song

Though the theme is primarily instrumental, a vocal version with lyrics was introduced in the second season and used intermittently thereafter. The vocal theme describes the lead character of Maverick and is performed by an all-male chorus. So while there wasn’t a single definitive “singer” of the Maverick theme song, the vocal version featured a chorus of male singers. The music was composed by David Buttolph and the lyrics were written by Paul Francis Webster.

Who is the tall dark stranger there?
Maverick is the name.
Riding the trail to who knows where
Luck is his companion
Gamblin' is his game.

Smooth as a handle on a gun
Maverick is the name.
Wild as a wind in Oregon
Blowin' up a canyon
Easier to tame.

Riverboat ring your bell!
Fare-the-well Annabelle!
Luck is the lady that he loves the best!

Nachetz to New Orleans
Livin' on jacks and queens
Maverick is the legend of the West.

Riverboat ring your bell
Fare-the-well Annabelle!
Luck is the lady that he loves the best!

Natchez to New Orleans
Livin' on jacks and queens
Maverick is the legend of the West.
Maverick is the legend of the West.

Maverick Tidbits
“As My Old Pappy Would Say…”

The Mavericks were TV’s most reluctant heroes. They’d rather talk their way out of trouble. Buy the fella a drink, offer a cigar, play a few hands of cards – anything but gunplay at which they weren’t especially adept.

Too often, however, they found themselves having to rescue someone, hopefully a damsel in distress.

Gamblers by trade, the Mavericks travelled the West in search of good times and the easy way.

James Garner was to be the only Maverick but when production ran behind, brother Bart was added. Jack Kelly appeared in about a third of that first year’s episodes and a separate production crew was used. By 1960 Garner and Kelly shared duties about 50/50 and sometimes appeared together. After the 1960-1961 season Garner left the show. Roger Moore appeared from 1960-1962 as cousin Beau who had been living in England and Robert Colbert in 1961-1962 as brother Brent for two episodes.

Passings

Richard Long in 1974 of heart problems, Diane Brewster in 1991 of heart failure, Jack Kelly in 1992 of a stroke, Leo Gordon in 2000 and Peter Breck in 2012.

James Garner

Jack Kelly and James Garner
From the Doug Abbott Collection

Jack Kelly
From the Doug Abbott Collection

James Garner
From the Doug Abbott Collection

Roger Moore
From the Doug Abbott Collection

Jack Kelly, Roger Moore and Robert Colbert
From the Doug Abbott Collection

Buy Maverick on DVD
The Complete First Season
The Complete Second Season
The Complete Third Season
The Complete Fourth Season
The Complete Fifth Season

External Links
TV Guide’s Maverick Page, with TV Listings, Photos, Videos, Exclusive News and More.

Maverick Trivia

Episodes To Watch For: “Pappy” Episode: #3.1 – 9/13/1959 (Dual roles:Garner as Pappy, Kelly as Uncle Bentley)”Hadley’s Hunters” Episode: #4.2 – 9/25/1960 (Warner Bros. stars in cameo: John Russell, Peter Brown, Clint Walker, Ty Hardin, Edd Brynes)”Gun-shy” Episode: #2.16 – 1/111959 (spoof of Gunsmoke)”Three Queens Full” Episode: #5.4 – 11/13/1961 (spoof of Bonanza)

Jack Kelly and James Garner
From the Doug Abbott Collection
James Garner
From the Doug Abbott Collection