Sheriff of Cochise | |
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John Bromfield as Frank Morgan
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Also known as | ''U.S. Marshal'' |
Genre | Western/Crime drama |
Created by | Mort Briskin |
Starring |
John Bromfield Stan Jones |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of seasons | 4 (2 as Sheriff of Cochise and 2 as U.S. Marshal) |
No. of episodes | 138 (83 as Sheriff of Cochise and 60 as U.S. Marshal) |
Production | |
Camera setup | Single-camera |
Running time | 25 mins. |
Production company(s) |
Desilu Productions National Telefilm Associates |
Distributor | National Telefilm Associates (original) CBS Television Distribution (current as of 2007) |
Release | |
Original network | Syndication |
Picture format | Black-and-white |
Audio format | Monaural |
Original release | September 14, 1956 | – 1960
Chronology | |
Related shows |
Highway Patrol State Trooper |
Sheriff of Cochise (later renamed United States Marshal in the third and fourth seasons) is a Western-themed crime drama set in Cochise County, Arizona.
Starring John Bromfield, the series aired eighty-three episodes in syndication from September 1956 to January 1958, a large number of segments for such a short time frame. As U.S. Marshal, another sixty episodes aired from October 1958 to April 1960.
Bromfield portrays law enforcement officer Frank Morgan. In the first two seasons, Morgan is the sheriff of Cochise County in southern Arizona. In the third season, Desilu Studios boss Desi Arnaz, Sr., retitled the series so that Morgan would work throughout Arizona as a U.S. Marshal and be involved in a greater number of cases. The first-season episodes were later released under the alternative title, Man from Cochise. This program was produced by Desilu in association with National Telefilm Associates.
Stan Jones, author of the classic western song "Ghost Riders in the Sky", created the series and played Bromfield's top deputy, Harry Olson, in twenty-four episodes before he left the cast. In the first season, Frank Ferguson of the My Friend Flicka series appeared twice as Deputy Henry Murdock; also cast as deputies were Roy Engel, James Griffith, and Forrest Lewis.
Sheriff of Cochise has been loosely compared to another contemporary crime drama, Highway Patrol, starring Broderick Crawford. It is also similar in theme and setting to Rod Cameron's syndicated State Trooper.