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Student’s Name

Professor Stacy Taylor

English 102-Essay 1

30 August 2011

Alias Smith and Jones

Alias Smith and Jones is a television series set in the late 19th century airing on ABC from January 5, 1971 until January 13, 1973. Starring Pete Duel as Hannibal Heyes and Ben

Murphy as Jed “Kid” Curry, the series could be seen mainly on Thursday nights, with a total of

50 episodes during its three seasons. Set in a classic buddy adventure style, Alias Smith and

Jones is about two outlaws trying to reform themselves and gain amnesty. Geared to appeal to the audience that had enjoyed the movie “ and the Sundance Kid,” this series delivers that same brand of entertainment. The series provides the viewer with all of the elements of a good , such as gambling, gunfights, saloons, horse chases, outlaws, and drama, all while adding a touch of humor along the way.

Classic Alias Smith and Jones episodes can be viewed over the Internet. Hulu.com was a good resource to watch various episodes. I chose to watch “Alias Smith and Jones:Pilot”, “The

McCreedy Bust”, and “The Biggest Game in the West”, which were all good examples of the series. As former outlaws, Heyes and Curry are constantly trying to stay out of trouble, yet it seems to always find them. Each one uses his unique talents to keep them out of trouble, though those talents are often what creates the trouble in the first place. The law is always watching and on the lookout for them, but they seem to just miss being caught with a little help from their Studen’ts Last Name 2 friends. Each episode follows this same pattern with just a slight variation, revealing the fate of the two main characters by the end of the episode.

Music is important to each episode’s development and progression. As the episode moves along and there is some form of danger the music gives the indication that the possibility of danger is present. If someone is sneaking around the music sets the tone for the necessity to be careful or be caught. In addition, if a safe is being broken into the music indicates the delicate nature needed to perform the task. Gunfights are accompanied by a more dramatic fast paced music, enhancing the excitement of the gun fighting scene. The music adds to all the elements of the series providing just the right amount of emphasis when needed.

Alias Smith and Jones is a series worth watching. The draw of the series pulls the viewer into wanting to know if Heyes and Curry will ever prove themselves worthy of amnesty, and keeps them watching to see if they do. In the episode “Alias Smith and Jones: Pilot” before the duo decides to reform they, along with their gang, attempt to rob a train. Unable to open the difficult safe, they decide to take it with them leaving a trail behind them marking the way for the posse to follow. The gang of men drags the safe up the side of a mountain, where they decide to throw it down, in order to break it open. As it falls, it fails to open and impacts so hard it becomes partially buried. A second attempt is made to drop the safe, this time down a rocky embankment. It rolls down the hill, and into the water below. Even with the posse closing in the gang attempt to retrieve the safe from the water. As they pull the rope an object appears from the water, that turns out to be an iron stove and not the safe. Heyes and Curry feel they should give up on the safe and leave before the posse finds them. The gang continues the attempt to retrieve the safe, as Heyes and Curry ride off. The posse sees them, and not the gang, and begins chasing them. At this point the two outlaws feel this might not be the line of work for them anymore. Studen’ts Last Name 3

This piece of irony and humor set with the western themes makes it an enjoyable show and best describes the types of interactions that keep the viewer interested in the series.

Television in any form provides a certain amount of distraction. This series provides that distraction with some humor to offset the action. It amuses the viewer with little phrases or actions mixed throughout the episodes. The intended audience is most likely adult males that enjoy westerns, and it does appeal to that audience. It has a great deal of similarities to other western television series, but adds a bit more with the concept of outlaws going straight.

Most characters in western television series follow a degree of stereotypes falling into certain categories. The characters in Alias Smith and Jones have some range of emotions, but not the range of most individuals. The emotions of the characters fit with the premise of the series, but little additional emotion is seen from the main characters. The characters do have an unnatural or unbelievable appearance as most individuals in the late 19th century that were outlaws were most likely not as handsome as the two actors playing the main characters. They do get dirty to a certain degree, and their hair will get slightly disheveled, but they still remain far too attractive for the average outlaws. Gender plays some importance to the roles in the series because during that time women were not generally perceived as being gun slingers, bank robbers, or outlaws.

Alias Smith and Jones provides an entertaining escape from the series of today. Westerns can have so many elements that can be appealing to any audience, but action mixed with some humor is always a favorite. Expecting to like the series, I am not surprised that I did like it. The change in actors did make the series less likable, but only because I felt the previous actor was better suited for the character. Pete Duel, who played Hannibal Heyes in many of the episodes, Studen’ts Last Name 4 shot himself on December 31, 1971. Roger Davis, the actor that replaced him in the role of

Heyes just did not bring the same feel to the character. The series was affected by the change in actors, but it also had trouble because interest in westerns was beginning to diminish. The series is well worth the time to watch and enjoy. I would recommend it to anyone that likes a good buddy movie or a western, because it contains elements of both.

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Works Cited

“Alias Smith and Jones: Pilot.” Alias Smith and Jones. Hulu.com, 5 January 1971. Web. 30

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“The Biggest Game in the West.” Alias Smith and Jones. Hulu.com, 2 February 1972. Web 30

August 2011

“The McCreedy Bust.” Alias Smith and Jones. Hulu.com, 21 January 1971. Web 30 August 2011

Alias Smith and Jones. en.wikipedia.org.n.p.20 August 2011. Web. 30 August 2011

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alias_Smith_and_Jones

Alias Smith and Jones. Televisonheaven.co.uk.n.p..n.d..Web. 30 August

2011.http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/smith.htm

Alias Smith and Jones. tv.msn.com.n.p..n.d..Web. 30 August

2011.http://tv.msn.com/tv/series/alias-smith-and-jones/

Hieb, Sam. Alias Smith and Jones. n.p..n.d..Web. 30 August 2011.

http://www.tvparty.com/70alias.html