Unappreciated shows [#02]: Luke Slaughter of Tombstone

Sam Buffington

Luke Slaughter of Tombstone is a little-known 1958 Western in which there are only 16 known shows. It was produced by famed producer William N. Robson - therefore you know this is a quality program.

Slaughter (aptly played by veteran actor Sam Buffington) was a former Civil War hero who turned to cattle herding after the war was over.

Slaughter has a reputation as being being tough as nails and there really isn't any job too big to handle. He's almost a comic book Western hero in a way; he's not quite real like Paladin or Matt Dillon.

That doesn't hinder the series at all. It's just an exciting Western that's a bit different from the others of the same time period on radio and on TV.

The most-exceptional thing about the series though is the amazing sound quality that remains intact after all of these years. It's even better than you think it will be when I say the sound is "superb."

The show is so unappreciated that it sadly does not even have a Wikipedia entry.

Find the 16 shows here.

Unappreciated Shows [#01] The Milton Berle Show

I think the most-unappreciated radio show of all-time is The Milton Berle Show.

The show is a bang-bang, in-your-face, non-stop show of pandemonium.  It's nothing like his television show.  This show remains funny even after multiple listenings.

Arnold Stang

Aside from Berle - who is as funny as he's ever been on this show - there is Arnold Stang.  Looking at Stang, you wouldn't think the guy would be even remotely funny, but he surprises, every show.

The show always had an Allen's Alley-type feature called "Town Hall Quorum"; this part is not the funniest part of the show but has it's moments.

The show is ripe with unusual, hilarious characters. There's the double-talker, Al Kelly and Tallulah Feeney, the homemaker (played by multi-voicer, Pert Kelton.)

The funniest character of the show though is "the lady who says 'yes' to everything." I have no idea of the character's name or who plays the character (I assume it's Kelton) - but it's amazing how funny one can be just by saying "yes."

The show is valuable to me since there are less than 50 of them available - and they are funnier than Fibber McGee and Molly or Jack Benny.

Truly, an unappreciated show.