Alias Smith and Jones
Two outlaws seek amnesty while hiding their true identities.
Alias Smith and Jones, an American Western series on ABC from January 1971 to January 1973, follows two outlaw cousins who, after negotiating a secret amnesty deal with a Wyoming governor, adopt the pseudonyms Joshua Smith and Thaddeus Jones to avoid capture while trying to go straight for a year.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Western
- Creator
- Glen A. Larson
- Starring
- Pete Duel
- Ben Murphy
- Roger Davis
- Narrator
- Roger Davis; Ralph Story
- Theme music
- Billy Goldenberg
- Composer
- Billy Goldenberg
- Robert Prince
- Pete Rugolo
- John Andrew Tartaglia
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
Facts from the source article.
Plot
In the pilot episode, maternal cousins Kid Curry and Hannibal Heyes are members of an outlaw gang that stops a train to steal $50,000. While waiting for dynamite to blow the safe, a little old lady from Boston gives Curry a paper reading "Amnesty Offer." After failing to blow the safe or break it by throwing it off a cliff twice, the gang gives up. Curry shows the amnesty paper to Heyes, and after a posse appears, Curry says they must get out of the business. They decide to go straight and ask for amnesty. Through a friendly sheriff, they negotiate amnesty with the governor of Wyoming, which will become a full pardon if they stay out of trouble for 12 months. The deal remains secret, so they are still wanted men. They adopt the pseudonyms Joshua Smith (Heyes) and Thaddeus Jones (Curry) and the series follows their attempts to evade capture and avoid crimes.
Cast and characters
Hannibal Heyes and Jeddediah "Kid" Curry are maternal cousins. In episode 2x09, "The Reformation of Harry Briscoe," they tell a nun they were orphaned as boys during "Bleeding Kansas" and sent to the Valparaiso School for Waywards, from which they ran away at age fifteen. After years as outlaws, they sought amnesty and adopted the pseudonyms "Joshuah Smith" and "Thaddeus Jones." The original casting had Pete Duel as Heyes/Smith and Ben Murphy as Curry/Jones. Murphy appeared in all 50 episodes. On December 31, 1971, Duel died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at age 31; he was reportedly suffering from depression and had been drinking heavily. Executive producer Jo Swerling Jr. initially wanted to end the series, but ABC refused, citing a contract to deliver the show. Universal instructed them to stay in production. The company reassembled and was back in production by 1:00 p.m. that day, 12 hours after Duel's death, shooting scenes without Peter. Series writer, director, and producer Roy Huggins contacted actor Roger Davis, who provided narration and had appeared in episode 19, to fill the role of Hannibal Heyes. Paul Frees looped Duel's unfinished ADR on episode 33. Davis was fitted for costumes the next day and began reshooting scenes the following Monday. The decision to continue production so soon was heavily criticized in the press. Davis played Heyes for the rest of the series.
Production
The ABC television film The Young Country, a 1970 pilot written, produced, and directed by Roy Huggins, featured Walter Brennan and Joan Hackett, with Roger Davis and Pete Duel playing characters similar to Hannibal Heyes. Huggins later executive-produced and wrote for a related concept that producer Glen A. Larson reworked into Alias Smith and Jones. The series debuted as a 90-minute midseason replacement on January 5, 1971. Its premise and lead duo drew comparisons to the 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, which Larson described as a "new wave western." The original cast included Duel as Heyes, Ben Murphy as Kid Curry, and Davis as the opening narrator. Murphy, a Universal contract player, was cast because he resembled Paul Newman. Sally Field later portrayed Clementine Hale, a role Hackett had originated in The Young Country. Filming locations included Castle Valley and Professor Valley in Utah.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes of Alias Smith and Jones are there?
Alias Smith and Jones has 50 episodes across 3 seasons.
When did Alias Smith and Jones end?
Alias Smith and Jones last aired on 13 January 1973.
More in Television Series by Universal Television
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced