Zane Grey Theater

Zane Grey Theater, also called Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater, is a classic western series that aired between 1956 and 1961. Created by Luke Short and Charles A. Wallace, the series was originally based on the western short stories by author Zane Grey, however in later episodes original material was developed. Dick Powell, the host of the entire 149 episode run, also appeared in 15 episodes as various characters. The show became famous for inspiring six separate series, which included Trackdown, Johnny Ringo, The Rifleman, Stagecoach West, The Westerner, and Black Saddle. Aaron Spelling, the famous Hollywood producer, wrote twenty episodes of Zane Grey Theater. The show had many famous guest stars, including Denver Pyle, Robert Harland, Hedy Lamarr, Ginger Rogers, Scott Marlowe, Robert F. Simon, and Ronald and Nancy Reagan. As the first western anthology on television, each half hour episode featured a blend of never seen before action adventure sequences mixed with tales from history that became the signature for the show. MORE