If Guy Madison (1922-1996) had done nothing but star in the hugely successful syndicated TV series The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok (1951-58), he’d have made his mark on 50s popular culture. But Western fans know Madison rode tall in theaters, too. He made some excellent medium-budget Westerns, which are under-represented on DVD.

Born Robert Moseley in Pumpkin Center, California, Madison joined the Coast Guard in the early days of World War II and stumbled into his film career while on liberty in Hollywood.

Since You Went Away (1944)

Producer David O. Selznick wanted a real sailor to appear in Since You Went Away, his epic story of life on the home front, starring Claudette Colbert, Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten, Shirley Temple, Monty Woolley and Lionel Barrymore. Robert Moseley was discovered while attending a Lux Radio Theatre broadcast. Somewhere along the way, his name was changed to Guy Madison.

Texas, Brooklyn and Heaven (1948)

William Castle directed this cute little love story starring Madison and Diana Lynn as strangers who meet under oddball circumstances and fall in love.

Massacre River (1949)

In his first Western, Madison co-stars with Rory Calhoun, as young officers competing for the colonel’s daughter (Cathy Downs) — while the Indians are on the warpath. Madison and Calhoun would become good friends.

Drums in the Deep South (1951)

Madison and James Craig are best friends from West Point who end up on opposite side in the Civil War. Directed by William Cameron Menzies, the noted production designer (Gone With the Wind) — who also gave us Invaders From Mars (1953).

1951 saw the debut of TV’s The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok, which found Guy Madison as Marshall James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok, riding with his sidekick Jingles P. Jones, played to perfection by Andy Devine. Seven short features were released by Monogram from the series, each made up of a pair of episodes cut together. This is fitting, since the shows have a real B Western feel, and are filled with plenty of familiar Western faces. As a testament to the show’s popularity, there were toys and comics — and Madison and Devine were simultaneously playing their roles on radio. Some episodes were filmed in color too, but the series has yet to make it to DVD.

Despite his busy TV schedule, Madison continued to work regularly in features. The Charge at Feather River (1953) was a successful 3D Western directed by Gordon Douglas. With some plot points we’d see later in The Searchers (1956, Vera Miles is in both) and The Dirty Dozen (1967), Feather River features excellent NaturalVision photography and the first use of the infamous “Wilhelm Scream” sound effect (later used in many films including Star Wars).

The Command (1954)

The first Western released in CinemaScope, The Command was also filmed in 3D, but never released that way. Madison plays an Army doctor placed in command of a cavalry troop leading a wagon train through Indian Territory. James Whitmore is excellent as a tough Sergeant, reminiscent of his role in Battle Cry (1955). Joan Weldon is the love interest.

5 Against The House (1955)

Phil Karlson directed this tough, excellent and just plain cool crime picture. Four college pals plot and execute a heist in Reno, Nevada, hiding out in a trailer. Madison’s part of an ensemble cast that also boasts Kim Novack, Brian Keith, Kerwin Matthews, Alvy Moore and William Conrad.

The Last Frontier (1955)

This Anthony Mann Western won’t make you forget his masterpieces Winchester ’73 (1950) or Man of the West (1958), but it’s certainly worthwhile. Victor Mature stars as a trapper who wants to give civilization a try; Madison is a cavalry officer he helps fight off the Indians. The cast also includes Robert Preston, Ann Bancroft and James Whitmore.

Hilda Crane (1956)

Jean Simmons stars in this melodrama from 20^th Century Fox, about a two-time divorcee returning to her hometown. Guy Madison must’ve wanted to do something besides a Western.

Beast of Hollow Mountain (1956)

Guy Madison is an American rancher in Mexico trying to figure out why cattle are going missing — when he comes face to face with a dinosaur. It was based on a story by animator Willis O’Brien, who spent years trying to raise the money to produce it himself, unsuccessfully. 

The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok was still going strong in 1956-57, yet Madison was appearing in several movies a year. During this time, he made two excellent Westerns for Columbia with director George Sherman, Reprisal! (1956) and The Hard Man (1957), that are sadly overlooked and certainly worth a DVD release.

As the 50s came to a close, with his TV series over, Guy Madison found work in Europe, appearing in a number of spaghetti westerns and sword and sandal pictures. Returning to the States, he resumed TV work. He died of complications from emphysema in 1996.

Toby Roan watches a lot of cowboy movies. His blog, 50 Westerns from the 50’s, proves that point.