Original air date: September 24, 1968

Synopsis – Murdoch Lancer has built his empire, a 100,000-acre cattle ranch in the San Joaquin Valley of California. His two adult sons are estranged from him. Scott, the eldest, was taken from him when his first wife dies shortly after Scott’s birth. Scott is raised by his wealthy grandfather in Boston. Johnny, the younger son, was taken by his mother, Murdoch’s second wife, when she runs off with another man. Johnny is raised in somewhat inferior circumstances and has made a name for himself as the notorious gunfighter, Johnny Madrid. When another gunfighter, Day Pardee, threatens the Lancer ranch and shoots Murdoch in the back, Murdoch has no choice but to locate his sons, and make them an offer of a partnership for their help in defeating Pardee and his crew.

I’ve re-watched this episode so many times, and there is just so much to talk about. First of all – the different versions. I’ve watched the full 59 minutes of the black and white unaired pilot; and the 50 minute version that originally aired in 1968. I don’t consider this second version the actual pilot because there was that extended version. We may never know why the decision was made to trim it down to fit into a one hour time slot (with commercials), but luckily someone had the full version – or did they?

There has been some speculation that the 59 minute black and white version may have also been trimmed.

On the IMDb page for the episode there is a section called “Trivia”. The following is posted there:

“The Lancer pilot was originally a long format TV movie named “Homecoming” but when the series was picked up, the pilot was edited to the standard one-hour show length and retitled “The High Riders.“

There is no indication of who posted that bit of information, or if it’s even accurate; however, while doing some research for the series I came across this great post from Melinda Young’s Blog – Fiction For Real – The Blog. Melinda makes a compelling case as she discusses key elements of the existing footage, and outlines a very plausible argument that the pilot may have indeed been movie length by discussing what’s missing from the footage. An interesting approach – and it makes sense.

I could never do justice to the points that Melinda makes, so I highly recommend that you take the time to go through them thoroughly – and decide for yourself (links below). Her blog has some extraordinary insights not only on the pilot episode, but she has also written some remarkable character studies of each of the three Lancer men and Teresa. Sink your teeth into these – I have, multiple times. BTW – her entire blog is a goldmine, and I’m really enjoying all of the other nuggets (ok, stupid pun).

Lancer: The Original Story?

Lancer: In Search of the Lost Elements

Now for my thoughts, as I watch the episode. I’ve chosen the 59 minute black and white version.

Some thoughts on the opening credits –

• The Lancer logo that we all have come to love has not been added to this version.
• James Stacy gets top billing as the “starring” role; and Wayne Maunder in the “co-starring” role. That changes later.
• “Introducing Elizabeth Bauer” is credited in the opening, whereas in every other episode she is listed in the closing credits.
• Andrew Duggan of course takes the place of honor, although not listed with the “And” in his title card.
• The font used is very 1960’s.

I decided not to blog a scene by scene appraisal or examination, but to discuss my observations and favorite scenes – hoping to start some dialogue. I think most people that are reading this have already watched and studied this episode a great deal – and if not, what the heck are you waiting for?

So mount up, here we go —

The First Morro Coyo sequence

• One of my favorite parts in this sequence is when Murdoch gets a shot off at Day Pardee, who is concealed in the bell tower. The bullet goes astray and hits the bell. Pardee is fabulously portrayed by Joe Don Baker, and his reaction is spot on great acting.

The Boston sequence

• Scott must have some sort of reputation – maybe as a playboy, because Barbara’s father is hellbent on getting in that room. There are plenty of men that wouldn’t mind seeing their daughter have a match with a wealthy and highly respected family.
• Scott makes a quick getaway, but not before grabbing an apple and making a witty remark – which is such a great trait of Scott’s character. Wayne Maunder delivers these witty and often caustic remarks to perfection. Scott’s witty repartee with the Pinkerton agent gives us some insight into his character. He uses his sharp wit as a kind of weapon.

The Mexico sequence

• Prisoners are being executed by firing squad and as the guns are fired, Johnny Madrid, waiting for his turn flinches at the sound and says “…lution” finishing the word of the man who just yelled “viva la revo….” before he was shot. (thank you Char E and Sally D for setting me straight – I initially heard something different!).
• In the 59 minute version we have one of the best action sequences of the episode as Johnny and the Pinkerton agent have to run for their lives. James Stacy portrays Johnny Madrid perfectly as the “action hero”. It’s shamefully trimmed down to fit into the one hour time slot of the original airing, and if it had been kept intact it would have made a perfect bookend to the action sequence at the end of the episode.

The Second Morro Coyo sequence (and how we get there)

• Johnny, now dressed in his iconic red shirt and silver concho pants, flags down the stage to Morro Coyo (I’m watching the black and white version, but we all know the shirt is red). He turns his gun over to the driver (a little reluctantly) and proceeds to climb in almost landing in the lap of one of the other passengers – Scott. This is where we can give a bit of a wink and a nod, because as viewers we know something that neither one of them knows.
• Teresa asks, “Mr. Lancer?” and of course they both answer. This is such a great scene when both Johnny and Scott learn that their travelling companion is actually their half brother. The realization on their faces is priceless.

The Lancer sequence

• We see Murdoch Lancer looking at two photographs – his two wives. The tone and music of the scene is sentimental, and as Murdoch sees his sons as grown men for the first time the look on his face is almost wistful. They he breaks the silence with one gruff word – “Drink?”. Oh Murdoch, why open with that?
• Murdoch’s gruffness is belied by the tiniest (almost) smile that he has when Johnny kind of back-talks him.
• I love Scott’s eyes as he looks at both Johnny and Murdoch when Johnny disrespectfully calls Murdoch “old man”.
• I call the rest of this sequence “guy talk”. It’s not what you think – what I mean by that is (in my experience) men have a knack for getting on the same page when something needs to get done. They may be strangers – but when push comes to shove, these three men are speaking together, putting crap behind them to work together for a greater cause.

Scott’s Bedroom sequence

• In my opinion, one of the best scenes in the entire series. This sets the tone for the relationship between Johnny and Scott. Johnny tries to use a form of intimidation – the tough guy persona, and Scott is having none of it, once again using his wit and sarcasm as his weapon of choice. Johnny may be fast with a gun, but Scott is just as fast with his sharp tongue and quick wit.
• Teresa also sets the tone in this scene when she tells them to think of her as a sister. She’s not going to be a love interest for either of them in the series.

Corral sequence

• Great all around scene – I love watching both Johnny and Scott show off their horsemanship; but more importantly to me, this is where Johnny is paired with Barranca. To the fans of the show Barranca is part of the cast. There is a bond between Johnny and Barranca likely because of the bond between James Stacy and Barranca. I know there was more than one “Barranca” used in the show, but the knowledge that one of them was the personal horse of James Stacy makes his interactions with the horse that much sweeter. There is an article where James Stacy talks about buying the horse from John Wayne, but the spelling of Barranca in the article has only one “R”. Does anyone know which is correct – most of the fan fiction that I see use a double “R”.

Third Morro Coyo sequence

• Johnny rides into Morro Coyo and interrupts a group of thugs lounging in front of the saloon, harassing an old man. He says something in Spanish to the old man that sounds like “vete a casa”, which means “go home”. That sounds about right. He confronts the thugs and then (almost foolishly) pulls his gun to show the lead thug that he would likely be dead if he had decided to pull the trigger. But he is outnumbered and the thugs now have their guns pointed at him. He’s in a bad spot, but Day Pardee comes out of the saloon and stops them from taking him down. I just love Joe Don Baker in this role (even though he’s a bad guy) – the way he Texas drawls the name Johnny Madrid – priceless.

• In the saloon Pardee and Johnny are having a drink. Pardee tries to recruit Johnny by telling him that there’s plenty of money there – running people off of their land and homes, even killing, must be pretty lucrative. Johnny replies “that’s what I hear”. Pardee is a gunfighter, not a rancher, so what are his intentions – it’s never explained; but don’t gunfighters hire themselves out? Who is Pardee working for? Is he stealing the land to re-sell it? I doubt it – too much risk to try to get that to stick. So why is Pardee killing people and kicking them off of their land – is there someone else pulling the strings, and he’s only the hired gun in it for some sort of big payday? It does make me wonder.
• Teresa brings Scott to town to buy some new clothes. The scuffle that Scott gets into with Pardee’s men, from the moment Coley enters the store to the moment that Scott is ready to go back in to buy his clothes, is 2 minutes 21 seconds in the black and white unaired version; and 2 minutes in the color aired version. What did we miss? Teresa screaming at the bad guys to stop and throwing something, and Valmero in anguish at the destruction of his store; but we also missed some important content as far as Scott’s character is concerned. In the color version he is thrown out of the store looking like they got the better of him and he was beaten, and he is to a certain extent; but what we miss from that version is his actual fight. In the black and white version, with only an additional 21 seconds, we see Scott give as good as he gets. He shows that he can fight back and has some fighting skill, he’s just outnumbered. It doesn’t sound like a big deal losing 21 seconds, but in an action sequence 21 seconds is a long time. Losing that little bit of time does Scott a disservice.
• When Teresa runs over to the saloon hoping that Johnny will jump in an help Scott, Johnny says “nope”. Teresa’s earlier wide-eyed admiration of Johnny at the corral seems to fade at his refusal.

At the Water Sequence

• Teresa’s look when Johnny rides up is a look of complete distaste. She’s letting him know that she’s not happy with him.
• Scott finally gets fed up with Johnny’s smart mouth and takes a swing at Johnny (he kind of deserved it).
• As Johnny rolls down the bank and almost into the pond, his hand does go into the water – barely. I never noticed that before. At first I thought it was because of the longer version that I’m watching, but no, it’s in both versions – very quick, but if you look carefully you can see it.
• Johnny reveals his anger about his father, and it’s up to Teresa to set him straight and disclose the truth, which is in complete contrast to the lie that he obviously grew up with. I don’t believe there is any indication in the series of what actually happened to Johnny’s mother – but we assume she’s dead. It’s a pivotal moment for Johnny, which I believe is what guides him to his decision with his father and new family. Great scene.

Scott’s Bedroom Sequence and a Decision is Made

• Just prior to returning to Scott’s bedroom, both he an Johnny see what Day Pardee is capable of. Johnny’s face says it all.
• Scott has a plan, but Johnny disagrees. Murdoch sides with Scott. Johnny explains his reasoning to Murdoch, but because he still has that tiny little chip on his shoulder, and Murdoch isn’t 100% sure of Johnny’s loyalty, the conversation ends with Johnny leaving, giving no indication to Murdoch where he stands at this point. You can see the hurt on Johnny’s face and the disappointment on Murdoch’s.

Getting Ready for a Battle Sequence

• Scott puts his plan in motion, while Murdoch and Teresa have a fireside chat (am I the only one that thinks Teresa could have done a better job with the fireplace poker as she attempts to roll that log in the fireplace?)
• Johnny is back in Morro Coyo and Pardee asks him if he’s made up his mind. Cleverly, Johnny says that he has made up his mind, but never explicitly says in what way he made up his mind. They ride to Lancer.
• It’s almost daylight and Scott is riding back to Lancer with his men. The men spread out and take up their posts waiting for Pardee. Scott is in the house with Murdoch and Teresa. Scott asks where Johnny is, and Murdoch says “gone”. Scott’s expression is both sad and disappointed.
• Pardee, his men, and Johnny are looking down at the ranch, and he has them fan out and take their positions. He moves to a vantage point behind a tree, and Johnny follows. Johnny tells Pardee that he’s on his land, and wants him off. Pardee finally figures it out and asks, “are you another Lancer”. Before he can reply, Coley – one of Pardee’s men – pulls his gun and tries to kill Johnny. But Johnny Madrid is fast, and he takes down Coley and manages to get a shot off at Day Pardee. As he jumps on his horse to flee, Pardee is yelling for his men to get Johnny.

The Chase Sequence

• Johnny is making a mad dash for Lancer, with Pardee’s men hot on his heels. He turns and shoots as he’s riding hard, and manages to get a couple Pardee’s men.
• Scott hears the gunfire, and runs to the window. He and Murdoch leave the house, Scott taking position on the second floor landing – he sees Johnny, but doesn’t recognize him from that distance. He yells, “here comes the first one” and readies his rifle.
• Johnny clears the first fence, and then clears the second fence. It’s at this point that Murdoch recognizes the rider as Johnny, and yells, “wait – it’s Johnny”. But Pardee has cleared the fence as well and takes aim at Johnny. Johnny falls from his horse.
• Scott begins to go to Johnny’s aid, but Murdoch stops him and tells him “it’s no use”.

End of the Battle Sequence

• Johnny is still on the ground, but starts to move and manages to shoot a couple of Pardee’s men. Scott realizing that Johnny isn’t dead runs over to protect him, and with the help of Cipriano, pulls him to safety. Pardee takes aim at Scott, but Johnny warns him. Scott shoots, and kills Pardee. Without their leader, the few remaining men abandon the fight and run off. Lots of shootin’ goin’ on, but Lancer is victorious.
• And this is where we hear Johnny admit to Scott, “you had your plan, and I had mine”.
• Scott tries to help, but Johnny says he can make it. Unfortunately for Johnny though, he starts to stumble, and Scott has to throw him over his shoulder to carry him back to the house.

Epilogue

• Our characters are in an attorney’s office. We have no idea how much time has passed, but Johnny has recovered from his gunshot wound. As Murdoch promised, they are signing the partnership papers. When it’s time for Johnny to sign, Murdoch explains to the attorney “that name should read John Madrid, not Lancer”. As the attorney begins to make the correction, Johnny speaks up, “no, let it stand”. Murdoch’s grin says it all.

And there you have it, my commentary on the pilot episode of Lancer. It’s a long post, and I don’t believe that I’ll have to be so detailed on the rest of the episodes, but there was a lot to unpack with this one. A lot of explaining and some back story to cover. Thank you for your patience, and I hope you enjoy my critique and side commentary.

Please let me know in the comments below what you think, and if Lancer means as much to you as it does me, I’d love to hear from you!

Guest Stars

• Joe Don Baker as Day Pardee
• Anthony Caruso as Toledano
• Robert Adler as the Stage Driver
• Paul Fierro as Cipriano
• Lisa Jak as Barbara
• Gordon Jump as the Pinkerton Agent in Mexico
• Sean McClory as Coley McHugh
• Alberto Morin as Don Valmero
• Stanley Waxman as the Attorney

Some final thoughts:

• Has anyone else wondered why Scott grew up with the Lancer name. Later in the series, we get an inside look at the adversarial relationship between Murdoch and Scott’s grandfather. I always wondered why someone that wealthy wouldn’t legally have the name changed. Am I overthinking it?
• In the second episode Teresa now uses “Murdoch” rather than “Mr. Lancer”. I’m glad they made that change. It only makes sense – she grew up there and she is like a daughter to him. Hearing her refer to him as Mr. Lancer just never sat right with me.