Juvenile
western adventure (1951 -
56)
First
heard on Mutual Network sponsored by Kellogg, and then
by other advertisers, Wild Bill Hickok was a solid cowboy
hero of the kids. He and his sidekick "Jingles,"
played to the hilt by Andy Devine, rode through the
west looking for adventure and getting it. Remember
their horses? Wild Bill rode "Buckshot," and
Jingles rode "Joker." Guy Madison played Marshal
Wild Bill Hickok on radio and TV, with Andy Devine as
Jingles. Hollywood actors did the bad guys and townsfolk.
Charlie Lion did the announcing, and was "Panhandle
Jim" for the Corn Pops commercials.
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Wild Bill
was up against Roy Rogers
a nd the Cisco Kid,
as all of these cowpokes crossed-over from radio
to TV with success. Wild Bill's adventures
followed the same trail of bad hombres that needed
straightening out. Wild Bill was not all
that wild, however, as he seemed a mild-mannered
honest good-guy in tone.
To modern adult ears who may have
grown up listening to these shows Cisco
Kid seems a more authentic in tone. Maybe
this series was a little tamer, perhaps since it
was sponsored by Kellogg Company. Panhandle Jim,
"your ole sidekick" delivers the Kellogg's
Corn Pops commercials with a western pitch. You'll
certainly remember their beloved jingle, "Kids
loves Pops, Moms love Pops, Pops love Pops"
For other great serials, see also:
Captain Midnight,
Jerry at Fair Oaks,
Adventures of Dick Cole,
Bobby Benson, Buck
Rogers, Dick Tracy,
Flash Gordon, Hop
Harrigan, Jungle Jim,
Magic Island, Sgt
Preston, Sky King,
Speed Gibson, Superman,
Terry and the Pirates,
and Tom Mix.