Hondo (TV series)

Overview

The television series Hondo follows Hondo Lane, a former Confederate cavalry officer who moved west after the Civil War and married a Native American woman. She was later killed during a massacre of Indigenous people carried out by U.S. Army troops. Accompanied by his dog, Sam, Hondo now travels alone, trying to stop further conflict between the Army and the remaining Native Americans, while also opposing land grabbers and other criminals. The show is based on the 1953 3D film of the same name starring John Wayne and Geraldine Page, which itself came from a short story titled "The Gift of Cochise," published in Collier's on July 5, 1952.

Each episode credits the teleplay author and notes that "Hondo" is based on a screenplay by James Edward Grant and a story by Louis L'Amour. Noah Beery Jr. plays Hondo’s frequent companion, Buffalo Baker, a role originally played by Ward Bond in the John Wayne film. The character Johnny Dow is portrayed by Buddy Foster, the older brother of actress Jodie Foster. Although the original Wayne film was fairly successful, the TV series faced tough competition, airing against the hit sitcom Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. on CBS and Star Trek on NBC.

It was soon canceled, with its final broadcast on December 29, 1967. Despite having only seventeen episodes—far short of the usual 100 needed for syndication—Hondo gained popularity after leaving the air and was even featured in an article in The Wall Street Journal. In the early 2020s, GetTV was one outlet airing the series. The first two episodes were edited together into a feature film called Hondo and the Apaches, released theatrically outside North America.