Death Valley Days

Did You Know?

• The series had 452 television episodes, each introduced by a host.
• When the show moved to television, McCann-Erickson originally wanted one-minute ad spots but found so few available that full program sponsorship was more feasible.
• Filming took place approximately six times per year, and the cast and crew stayed at the Pacific Coast Borax Company's Death Valley resort, the Furnace Creek Inn.

Synopsis

Death Valley Days was among television's earliest anthology programs, meaning each episode introduced new characters and a fresh story. These tales were rooted in real events, primarily drawn from the history and folklore of California's Death Valley region. The show's tone shifted from episode to episode, sometimes dramatic, sometimes comedic. Most stories focused on the everyday lives of miners and homesteaders in the area, where borax was a key resource. The program's host frequently appeared in commercials for the sponsor's products, including 20 Mule Team Borax, Borateem, and Boraxo. Over time, the series broadened its scope to cover nearly any part of the American West, not just Death Valley. While the majority of episodes were set in the late 1800s, the Old West's peak, a few took place during the Spanish colonial period or the early 1900s.

Cast

After Stanley Andrews left, all later hosts used their own names. Ronald Reagan, who had hosted General Electric Theater, was first. He acted in 21 episodes, playing Charles Poston in the 1965 segment "A City Is Born." When Reagan left to run for California governor, Robert Taylor took over. Taylor also played characters, such as Charles Poston again in "The Day All Marriages Were Cancelled" (1966) and James Kelly in "Shanghai Kelly's Birthday Party" (1967). In 1975, reruns aired with singer Merle Haggard narrating some episodes. Rosemary DeCamp was the commercial spokesperson, appearing in ads and four episodes. Over its 18-year run, the anthology series used many character actors repeatedly, including Don Haggerty, John Pickard, Gregg Barton, Michael Vallon, James Seay, Guy Wilkerson, and Roy Engel.

Background and production

In 1930, the Pacific Coast Borax Company sought to market their products, including 20 Mule Team Borax. Working with their advertising agency McCann-Erickson, they created a radio program highlighting Death Valley, the location of much of the company's borax mining. Copywriter Ruth Woodman, who had never been to Death Valley, wrote the initial story from reference books; she later made several trips there to research material. The radio show was dropped in 1945, but after nearly eight years, the show was re-developed for television as the company sought material for the new medium.

With more than 750 scripts from the radio run, they had content to adapt. For its first two years, the series was produced by Gene Autry's Flying A Productions. In 1954, Dorrell and Stuart McGowan left to form McGowan Productions, bringing the series with them. Filmaster Productions, Inc., known for producing Gunsmoke and Have Gun – Will Travel, took over in 1959.

Ruth Woodman wrote all scripts for the first five television years, then became story editor. The series required historical accuracy, focusing on actual pioneer events. When Filmaster took over, they began using bigger-name Hollywood actors.

Release

Beginning in 1952, the series used unconventional methods: it was syndicated to local markets rather than released nationally, and new programs aired every other week rather than weekly. McCann-Erickson felt the radio program's popularity would overcome these obstacles, which was proven by high Nielsen ratings in the first season. The show started with 64 stations in the first season, expanding to 73 in the second. During the latter years, some new episodes were made while older ones were already in syndication; in some markets, new episodes competed with older ones.

To help viewers distinguish, some syndicated blocks were shown under other series names with different hosts, such as The Pioneers with Will Rogers, Jr., Call of the West with John Payne, Frontier Adventure with Dale Robertson, Trails West with Ray Milland, and Western Star Theatre with Rory Calhoun. The restored TV series continues to be rebroadcast on channels such as Encore Westerns Channel and GRIT. Shout! Factory has released several seasons on DVD, including the first two as Walmart exclusives.