Most people hear the name Johnny Ringo and immediately think of Michael Biehn spinning a pistol in Tombstone. Or maybe they think of the real outlaw, the guy found dead under a tree with a bullet in his head and his boots missing. But there is this middle ground. It is the 1959 CBS television series Johnny Ringo, and honestly, it’s one of the strangest artifacts from the golden age of the TV Western.
It only lasted one season. Thirty-eight episodes. That is it.
Yet, if you flip through subchannels like MeTV or Grit today, there he is. Don Durant, playing a reformed gunfighter turned sheriff, carrying a custom LeMat revolver that looks like it belongs in a steampunk convention rather than an Arizona border town. The show was a product of Four Star Productions—the same powerhouse behind The Rifleman—and it carries that same gritty, high-contrast DNA. But while Chuck Connors had his rapid-fire Winchester, Durant had a pistol with an extra barrel that fired a shotgun shell. It was a gimmick. It worked.
What Really Happened With Johnny Ringo and the 1950s Western Craze
By 1959, the airwaves were absolutely choked with dust. You couldn't throw a rock without hitting a cowboy. You had Gunsmoke, Have Gun – Will Travel, Bonanza, and Wagon Train. To survive, a new show needed a hook. Aaron Spelling, who would later go on to create Charlie's Angels and Beverly Hills, 90210, was the mastermind here. He didn't want a documentary. He wanted a "cool" factor.
He took the name of a real-life killer and turned him into a lawman. The real John Peters Ringo was a moody, dangerous drunk associated with the Cochise County Cowboys. The TV version? He’s basically a misunderstood guy trying to make things right in the fictional town of Velardi.
The show premiered on October 1, 1959. It was fast-paced. It was stylish. Don Durant didn't just act; he wrote and sang the theme song. Think about that for a second. In the modern era of TV, we rarely see a lead actor also handling the musical branding. It gave the show a weirdly personal feel, even though it was a corporate product of the Four Star machine.
The LeMat Revolver: The True Star of the Show
If you talk to any serious Western memorabilia collector, they won't talk about the acting first. They’ll talk about the gun. Johnny Ringo’s weapon was a modified LeMat, a Civil War-era design. It featured a top barrel for .45 caliber bullets and a bottom "scattergun" barrel for a 20-gauge shell.
It looked menacing. It sounded terrifying on those old studio speakers.
The prop department had to build these specifically for the show because real vintage LeMats were (and are) incredibly expensive and mechanically temperamental. This weapon gave Ringo an "edge" that appealed to the kids of the 1950s who were buying cap guns by the millions. It was the ultimate "get out of jail free" card for a protagonist who often found himself outnumbered.
Why Was It Cancelled After Only One Season?
The ratings weren't actually that bad. That’s the kicker.
In the world of 1960 television economics, things were brutal. The show was sponsored by Johnson’s Wax and P. Lorillard Tobacco (Kent cigarettes). Rumor has it that the sponsors wanted a different demographic, or perhaps the market was simply over-saturated. When you have 30 different Westerns on the air, the "middle of the pack" gets pruned fast.
👉 See also: Cast of DMV TV Series: Who Really Runs East Hollywood?
Also, Dick Powell, the head of Four Star, was notoriously unsentimental. If a show wasn't a Top 10 smash like The Rifleman, he was quick to pivot to the next thing. So, despite a loyal following, Johnny Ringo was sent to the big ranch in the sky in June 1960.
But it didn't stay dead.
The Supporting Cast You Probably Forgot
Don Durant was the face, but the show relied heavily on Mark Goddard. Before he was Major Don West in Lost in Space, Goddard played Cully, Ringo's young deputy. Their dynamic was interesting because Cully wasn't just a sidekick; he was often the hothead that Ringo had to restrain. It flipped the usual "wise mentor/naive kid" trope on its head just enough to feel fresh.
Then you had Karen Sharpe as Laura Thomas, the love interest/daughter of the town's storekeeper. She brought a level of gravitas that was often missing from the "damsel of the week" roles common in other shows.
- Terence de Marney played Case Thomas, providing the comic relief and a link to the town’s stability.
- Guest Stars: This is where the show really shines in retrospect. You see faces like Burt Reynolds, Stella Stevens, and even a young John Carradine.
Seeing these icons in early, gritty black-and-white roles is half the fun of watching the series today. You're basically watching a "who's who" of Hollywood's future A-list.
Fact vs. Fiction: The Real Johnny Ringo
We have to address the elephant in the room. The TV series bears almost zero resemblance to the actual historical figure.
The real Johnny Ringo was a member of the Clanton gang. He was a suspected participant in the attempted murder of Virgil Earp and the killing of Morgan Earp. He was a man who lived a life of genuine violence and likely suffered from severe depression.
When the show aired, some critics were annoyed. They felt it glamorized a criminal. But the showrunners countered that it was a "fictionalized redemption arc." They weren't trying to write a history textbook; they were trying to sell wax and cigarettes. If you're looking for historical accuracy, you won't find it here. What you will find is a masterclass in 1950s episodic pacing.
🔗 Read more: Why Books by Sophie Kinsella are Basically the Ultimate Comfort Food for Your Brain
The Visual Style of Four Star Productions
You can tell a Four Star show just by the lighting. They loved deep shadows. They loved "noir" Westerns. Johnny Ringo looks more like a detective movie than a traditional "oater."
The directors—men like Howard W. Koch and Lamont Johnson—used tight close-ups to build tension. This wasn't the wide, sweeping vistas of a John Ford movie. This was claustrophobic. It was about the sweat on a man's forehead before he drew his gun. This aesthetic is likely why the show has such a strong cult following today among fans of cinematography. It’s moody. It’s dark. It’s cool.
How to Watch Johnny Ringo Today
Finding the show isn't as hard as you'd think for something that’s over 60 years old.
- Over-the-Air Networks: MeTV and Grit often rotate it into their morning or late-night schedules.
- Streaming: You can frequently find episodes on Amazon Freevee or Tubi, though the rights tend to hop around quite a bit.
- Physical Media: There have been several DVD releases, including "The Complete Series" sets. Warning: The video quality on some of these is "broadcast master" grade, which means you’ll see some grain and scratches. Honestly? That adds to the charm.
Don’t expect 4K resolution. Expect the crackle of a cathode-ray tube.
Actionable Insights for Western Fans
If you're diving back into the world of Johnny Ringo, there are a few things you should do to actually appreciate what you're seeing. It's easy to dismiss it as "just another old show," but there's more under the hood.
Look for the "Spellingisms"
Watch how the scenes are structured. You can see the early fingerprints of Aaron Spelling’s production style. He prioritized high drama and clear character archetypes. Notice how Ringo always enters a room. It's never just a walk; it's an entrance.
Compare it to The Rifleman
Watch an episode of The Rifleman and then an episode of Johnny Ringo back-to-back. You’ll see the shared sets and even some of the same horses. But pay attention to the moral tone. Lucas McCain is a father. Johnny Ringo is a loner trying to find a home. That shift in perspective changes the stakes of every shootout.
✨ Don't miss: Why the Rocky Horror Glee Episode Still Feels So Weird Years Later
Research the LeMat
If you're a gearhead, look up the mechanics of the real LeMat. Understanding how difficult that gun was to load and fire in real life makes the TV version's seamless use even funnier. It’s a bit like seeing a character in a modern show use a flip phone that somehow has the power of a supercomputer.
Track the Guest Stars
Keep a running list of the villains. You will be shocked at how many Western "heavyweights" showed up in Velardi to get outdrawn by Don Durant. It’s like a scavenger hunt for classic cinema fans.
The show might have been a "flash in the pan" in 1960, but its survival in the digital age proves that there was something special about Durant’s portrayal and Spelling’s vision. It remains a definitive piece of television history that bridges the gap between the simple "black hat/white hat" Westerns of the 40s and the more complex, morally grey stories that would follow in the 60s and 70s.
Next Steps for the Enthusiast
To get the most out of this series, start with the pilot episode, "The Arrival." It sets the tone perfectly and explains the transition from outlaw to lawman without too much fluff. From there, seek out the episode "The Reno Brothers" for a look at how the show handled other historical names. If you’re a collector, look for the original Dell comic book tie-ins from 1960; they are rare, but they offer a fascinating look at how the show was marketed to the youth of America. Finally, check out Don Durant’s discography if you can find it—his musical talent was the real deal, and it adds a layer of appreciation to his performance as the gun-slinging sheriff.