All 32 episodes of Stoney Burke are available in a single box set:
https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/stoney-burke-the-complete-television-series?product_id=4047

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Watch these episodes on YouTube:

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The Contender (Episode 1). STONEY BURKE THE CONTENDER Season 1, Episode 1 10 1 1962 - YouTube

Point of Entry (Episode 21). Jack Lord, William Smith & Cesare Danova in POINT OF ENTRY! Stoney Burke! Backdoor Pilot in HD! - YouTube

To Catch the Kaiser (Episode 22). Stoney Burke To Catch the Kaiser - YouTube

Joby (Episode 23). Stoney Burke Joby - YouTube

Forget No More (Episode 24). STONEY BURKE: "FORGET NO MORE"Jack Lord, Laura Devon, Robert Dowdell. 3-25-1963. (HD HQ 1080p) - YouTube

Color Him Lucky (Episode 25). STONEY BURKE: "COLOR HIM LUCKY" Jack Lord. Judson Pratt, Casey Tibbs Guest Stars. 4-1-1963. (HD). - YouTube

The Weapons Man (Episode 26). STONEY BURKE: "The Weapons Man" - Jack Lord, J.D. Cannon, Henry Silva, Pilar Seurat. 4-8-1963. - YouTube

A Girl Named Amy (Episode 29). Stoney Burke A Girl Named Amy - YouTube

Thirty-two episodes aired between October 1, 1962, and May 20, 1963. The following synopses tell a little bit about each episode and who appeared in it. Only one major cast change occurred: Bruce Dern left after appearing in 17 episodes. Because this site is dedicated to dispelling myths, we will depart from rumor and attribute Mr. Dern's departure in mid-season to the death of his 18-month-old daughter. Quite simply, he took bereavement leave.

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1.01   "The Contender"

Theme: Forgiveness 

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Harland Bristol (uncredited), the reigning saddle bronc champ, is preparing to ride the fiercest bucking bronco, Megaton, when it rears up and slams Harland against a wall in the chute, injuring him fatally. Torn with grief,  Harland's brother, Cody (Robert Dowdell) and best friend, E.J. Stocker (Bruce Dern), blame Stoney, who was restraining Megaton's head. The road to forgiveness and reconciliation is a long one with lessons being learned on both sides. 

Producer: Leslie Stevens

Directors: Leslie Stevens, Tom Gries

Writers: Leslie Stevens, Ed Adamson

Guest Stars: Philip Abbot, Kate Manx (Mrs. Leslie Stevens), Carl Benton Reid, Ruby Lee

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1.02   "Fight Night"

Theme: Political Rivalry

 

Cade City isn’t a very friendly town. Not even the commissioners get along with each other. Now, the Police Athletic Commission (PAC) and the Health Department are at odds. The PAC is sponsoring a boxing match on the same night as the Health Department is sponsoring a rodeo. Instead of the two departments sitting down and working things out peacefully, they allow it to become a free-for-all. Before it’s over, Cody Bristol (Robert Dowdell) is beaten to within an inch of his life, and Miller (uncredited) is stampeded to death by bulls while helping Cody to escape the melee. Both the police commissioner (Edgar Buchanan) and the health commissioner (Bill Zuckert) give the incidents the political runaround. Sitting in the middle and spurring it all on is Ves Painter (Warren Oates).

 

Producers: Leslie Stevens, Dominic Frontiere

Directors: Leslie Stevens, Tom Gries

Writers: Leslie Stevens, Ed Adamson

Guest Stars: Edgar Buchanan, George Mitchell, Paul Birch, Claudia Bryar, Alan Bunce, Leonard Nimoy, Bill Zuckert

 

 

1.03   "Child of Luxury"

Theme:  Arrogance / Haughtiness

 

Sutton Meade (Ina Balin) is the daughter of the wealthiest, most influential man in town – and she knows it. Accustomed to having her own way, she will go to any means to acquire it. What she wants now is Stoney Burke, who knows exactly what kind of woman she is and wants no part of her. 

 

Producer: Leslie Stevens

Directors: Leslie Stevens, Tom Gries

Writers: Leslie Stevens, Ed Adamson

Guest Stars: Eduard Franz, Ina Balin, Charles S. Carlson, Judson Laire, Dee J. Thompson

 

1.04   "Point of Honor"

Theme: The price of living a lie

 

A local boy says he wants to ride the meanest bull in the pen to defend his family's honor, but in fact, he needs to raise $300 to reimburse his father's bank account before the bank examiners catch up with him. He makes life miserable for all as he hides behind southern tradition. At the start of the episode, there are some good slow-motion shots of a bull and a bronc bucking in movements that resemble a dance.

 

Producer: Leslie Stevens

Directors: Leslie Stevens, Tom Gries

Writers: Leslie Stevens, Ed Adamson

Guest Stars: Scott Marlowe, Patricia Breslin, Casey Tibbs, Lew Brown, Ben Johnson, Bill Mullikin, Harry Dean Stanton, Ian Wolfe

 

 

1.05   "The Mob Riders"

Theme: Compromise for the benefit of all 

 

A group of young men use an old arena for stock car racing. Now, the town wants to restore the arena to hold rodeos -- if Stoney Burke will appear there. That means taking up the racing lanes. It also places Stoney in the middle of the dispute. The answer is compromise, and Stoney is the man to handle the negotiations. A sign of things to come. One of the race cars bears the number "808." That just happens to be the telephone area code in Hawai'i. 

 

Producer: Leslie Stevens

Directors: Leslie Stevens, Tom Gries

Writers: Leslie Stevens, Ed Adamson

Guest Stars: Michael Parks, Bill Gunn, Denise Alexander, Gene Lyons, Ford Rainey, Curt Conway, Barry Russo, Buck Taylor, Kim Hamilton

 

 

1.06   "A Matter of Pride"

Theme: When does "pride" become "pridefulness"? 

 

A very proud man, who wants to win the bull riding competition, lashes himself onto a Brahaman bull in order not to fall off during the ride. The bull throws him, and he is dragged on the ground and killed. The other rodeo riders feel badly and collect a fund to help the rider's family - but they are too proud to accept. 

 

Producer: Leslie Stevens

Directors: Leslie Stevens, Tom Gries

Writers: Leslie Stevens, Ed Adamson

Guest Stars: William Windom, George Mitchell, Ben Piazza, Edith Atwater, Robert Brubaker, Virginia Christine, Jena Engstrom, Conrad Janis, Henry Scott

 

 

1.07   "Sidewinder"

Theme: False accusation

 

When the bronc that Stoney is riding  plows through a fence and kills a woman spectator, the family is quick to file suit. It turns out that the family owned the bronc and knew of its tendency to veer in a certain direction upon coming out of the chute. Of course, loosening the fence gave the bronc a certain advantage in the family's scheme to kill the woman.

 

Producer: Leslie Stevens

Directors: Leslie Stevens, Tom Gries

Writers: Leslie Stevens, Ed Adamson

Guest Stars: Edward Binns, Mark Miller, Strother Martin, Helen Gurley Brown 

 

 

1.08   "The Scavenger"

Theme: Fame

 

Ves Painter (Warren Oates) never could avoid trouble. He buys it big time when he gets into an argument with a man, who is later found murdered. When the murdered man's money clip is found in Ves's car, Ves is arrested and charged with the murder. A homeless man holds the answer but not before Ves suffers the indignities of being unable to prove what he did not do. Despite his doubts, Stoney looks past his already strained friendship and investigates the case, proving Ves' innocence.

 

Producer: Leslie Stevens

Directors: Leslie Stevens, Tom Gries

Writers: Leslie Stevens, Ed Adamson

Guest Stars: James Mason, Shirley Ballard, Paul Comi, John Kellogg, Roy Glenn

  
 

1.09   "Spin a Golden Web"

Theme: Personal values 

 

Two hard businessmen pit the two top saddle bronc riders against each other in a contest to acquire much desired land for a prospective real-estate development. The problem is that Stoney and Bruce (John Austin) have no idea what is going on, only that, suddenly, they are highly desirable in the business community. Bruce rides against doctor’s orders in hopes of acquiring a comfortable retirement, while Stoney rides to protect the personal freedom he values so highly, as well as to continue his quest for the Golden Buckle.

 

Producer: Leslie Stevens

Director: Robert Butler

Writer: Philip Saltzman

Guest Stars: Robert Webber, John Anderson, Salome Jens, James Callahan, Ken Lynch, Mary Munday

 

 

1.10   "The Wanderer"

Theme: Putting others ahead of one's self 

 

Leora Dawson (Jacqueline Scott) was a friend of Stoney's four years ago. Now, she is due to deliver a baby, but her husband skipped out six months ago, and she has been unable to find him. She stumbles upon Stoney, who helps her through the delivery and the need to forgive the man who left her. Her husband (Albert Salmi) comes on the scene, a man who feels like a failure with nothing to offer anyone. Stoney helps the couple to realize that they need each other and to be reunited by their newborn son. 

 

Producer: Leslie Stevens

Director: Leonard Horn

Writer: Milton Geiger

Guest Stars: Albert Salmi, Milton Selzer, Jacqueline Scott, Lex Connelly, Roy Engel, John Graham

 

 

1.11   "Five By Eight"

Theme: Accepting responsibility for deeds done

 

The rodeo is performing at a penitentiary. As the warden explains, it is good for the inmates, who need to run off their pent-up energy. Just as a teenage girl is about to ask Stoney for his autograph, an inmate accosts them and takes them hostage in his scheme to escape. He cannot bear being pent up in a cell that measures 5' wide by 8' deep by 8' high and imagines that he can outrun the long arm of the law. 

 

Producer: Leslie Stevens

Director: Leslie Stevens, Tom Gries

Writer: Palmer Thompson

Guest Stars: Ed Nelson, William Schallert, John McLiam, Mary Jackson, Bennye Gatteys, Joseph V. Perry

 

1.12   "Bandwagon"

Theme: Accountability in political office

 

Once upon a time, a senator was a responsible man, who used the perks of his position to help his constituents. But time has worn down this man, who is owned by the political machine. Stoney insists that he accept that it is time for him to bow out.

 

Producer: Leslie Stevens

Director: Leslie Stevens

Writers: Leslie Stevens, Meyer Dolinsky

Guest Stars: Mariette Hartley, Larry Gates, James Bell, Len Lesser, Jean Carson, Joan Chambers

 

1.13   "Cousin Eunice"

Theme: Helping those who cannot help themselves

 

Eunice Stocker is the tomboyish cousin of rodeo rider E. J. Stocker. As E. J. explains, her mother died at the time of her birth, and her father had no idea how to rear a daughter or teach her to become a young woman. She's as tough as a man and has no idea how to be any different until the rodeo master says he won't hire her as a trick rider until she spruces up her appearance. Stoney takes her to town, where women in dress shops and a beauty salon show Eunice how to dress, fix her hair, and wear make-up. His shyness shows, but he overcomes it to help Eunice.

 

Producer: Leslie Stevens

Director: Tom Gries

Writer: Leslie Stevens

Guest Stars: Cloris Leachman, Jim Davis, George Mitchell, John Newton, Jomarie Ward

 

1.14   "Gold-Plated Maverick"

Theme: Spare the rod, spoil the child

 

Spoiled rich brat David Latimer wants a sports car. His upbringing in wealth has given him the idea that, if he wants something, he can take it, no matter who he hurts along the way. The boy's father asks for Stoney's help in taming the young maverick. If David and Stoney can tough it out for six weeks, David's father will buy him a sports car and forgive Stoney's debt to him. It's a stretch, but with the help of the entire rodeo community, both survive. It takes a community to rear a child, and the child learns that, having earned money working for the rodeo, he can save up to buy his own car. A most productive six weeks.

 

Producer: Leslie Stevens

Director: William A. Graham

Writer: S. S. Schweitzer

Guest Stars: Michael Anderson, Jr., John Larch, Joe Maross, John Launer, Maxine Stuart, Buck Taylor

 

1.15   "Death Rides a Pale Horse"

Theme: Overcoming one's demons

 

Mal Torrance is a champion saddle bronc rider. Unfortunately, since winning the gold buckle, he has become an alcoholic and a gambler with a weakness for wild women. He has a demon – the fault he feels over the death of his wife and son. Rodeo secretary Linda loves Mal despite his problems. In her head, she knows she needs to go far away from him; in her heart…well, that’s another matter. And, then, Stoney draws to ride the pale horse, Satan. His ride is successful, but as he walks back to the fence, Satan goes after him. Mal warns Stoney out of the way only to be trampled by Satan and killed. He is laid to rest beside his wife and son, his demons at last defeated. The episodic theme for "Death Rides a Pale Horse" – composed by Dominick Frontiere – is particularly noteworthy, snappy, rhythmic with more than a touch of classical influence.

 

Producer: Leslie Stevens

Director: Tom Gries

Writer: Frank L. Moss

Guest Stars: Steve Cochran, Dyan Cannon, Geraldine Brooks, Kenneth Patterson

 

 

1.16   "King of the Hill"

Theme: Personal pride

 

Zack Mundorf (John Dehner) is a world champion saddle bronc rider, wearer of the golden buckle. Stoney Burke really looks up to him and is honored when Zack invites him to a party in his home. There, matters turn dark. Zack doesn't see himself in Stoney; he sees himself as an old, worn-out cowboy. He begins to challenge Stoney, first to arm wrestling, then to a shoving match. When Zack takes a spill and cuts his radial nerve, he loses the use of his arm -- and his pride. Stoney helps him to find it again by sharing words of wisdom that Zack once shared with him. 

 

Producer: Leslie Stevens

Director: Tom Gries

Writer: John Falvo

Guest Stars: John Dehner, Ted DeCorsia, Leora Dana, Allyson Ames, Phil Chambers, Hugh Sanders, David Weaver

 

 

1.17   "A Matter of Percentage"

Theme: Blackmail

 

Harry Marsh (Jack Weston) is a man who delights in running hitchhikers off the road. He also delights in making bets with people who have no chance of winning. After winning Stoney's boots, he makes a bet that another saddle bronc rider will beat Stoney. When he loses, he threatens to report a rodeo worker, Polo (Vito Scotti), who is in the country illegally, to the INS. Stoney realizes that the only way to control Marsh is to make him think he has the upper hand. And, so, he deliberately loses another pair of boots in exchange for the letter to the INS.

 

Producer: Leslie Stevens

Director: William A. Graham

Writers: Richard Levinson, William Levinson

Guest Stars: Jack Weston, Robert Emhardt, Vito Scotti, Elizabeth MacRae

 

 

1.18   "Image of Glory"

Theme: Penny-wise versus pound foolish

 

A saddle bronc rider has a bad knee, and the doctor wants to operate immediately. Otherwise, he may be permanently crippled. The rider doesn't want to miss out on the chance to win the championship.

 

Producer: Leslie Stevens

Director: John Erman

Writer: Leslie Stevens

Guest Stars: Simon Oakland, Richard Evans, Carol Rossen, Dabbs Greer

 

1.19   "Cat's Eyes"

Theme: Passing false judgment

 

A woman's past two boyfriends have died under inexplicable accidental circumstances. People in the rodeo think she placed hexes on them and do not want her around. It takes it toll on her until she begins to think maybe the accusations are true. Stoney has his hands full, trying to clear the air and bolster her sagging self-confidence.

 

Producer: Leslie Stevens

Director: Laslo Benedek

Writer: Leslie Stevens

Guest Stars: Fay Spain, Robert Doyle, William Phipps, Kathleen O'Malley, Brenda Howard

 

1.20   "Web of Fear"

 Theme: Hatred / Failure to Forgive

 

Someone is out to get Stoney, and he can't imagine who it is. He chalks it up to coincidence when his stirrup and rope are tampered with but has to admit there may be something going on when he receives a threatening telephone call in the middle of the night. The problem is that he doesn't know who is behind the strange activities or why anyone would be angry with him. When fear kicks in, so does overt suspicion toward everyone around him. An old flame is angry, because he will not commit to her. A man attacks him in a bar, and Stoney is ready to fight. When the truth comes out, it has nothing to do with the rodeo or romance, but an unfortunate accident that happened years earlier.

 

We see a lot of McGarrett in this episode. The set jaw, the guarded steps, and even the fear. One fan said, "If Leonard Freeman saw this episode, he would want to hire Jack to portray McGarrett." I agree.  

 

Producer: Leslie Stevens

Director: Laslo Benedek

Writer: Leslie Stevens

Guest Stars: Carroll O'Connor, Jeanne Cooper, Ted DeCorsia, John Milford, Hal Needham

 

1.21   "Point of Entry"

Theme: Foreign intrigue and unrequited love

 

I used to be...my own worst enemy... I'm trying to make friends with myself. If you can do that -- if you can find that inner peace -- nothing can stop you.  - Stoney Burke in "Point of Entry,"

 

Stoney and friends cross the border, into Mexico, on their day off only to witness the assassination of a European diplomat. It doesn't end there. Soon, a beautiful, yet mysterious woman, takes up with Stoney. Yes, she is too good to be true.

 

Producer: Leslie Stevens

Director: Leonard Horn

Writer: Leslie Stevens

Guest Stars: Cesare Danova, William Smith, Antoinette Bower, Stefan Gierasch, Rudy Solari, Ben Wright, Henry Darrow

 

1.22   "To Catch the Kaiser"

Theme: Acceptance

 

A woman left paralyzed in a riding accident hires Stoney to go after the horse that bucked her. The wild stallion has escaped into the wilderness, where it has lived for the past three years. The woman  has ulterior motives: to make the horse suffer for what it inflicted upon her. Stoney must help the woman accept the realities of her accident before she ruins her life and the lives of those around her. Jack displays excellent horsemanship in this episode – and, yes, he is riding, not a stunt double, except for the jumping scenes, although he does do one or two lower jumps.

 

Producer: Leslie Stevens

Director: Tom Gries

Writer: Philip Saltzman

Guest Stars: Diana Hyland, John Anderson, Jack Pearl, Don Lamond, Bing Russell

 

 

1.23   "Joby"

Theme: Ambition

 

Joby thwarted a robbery from the rodeo headquarters office. A reporter in that small town wants to post his picture in the newspaper, but Joby doesn't want publicity. Determined that there is a story behind Joby's reluctance to be photographed -- and with a deep desire to make a big name for himself in journalism -- the reporter will stop at nothing, no matter who is hurt in the process. Shades of Five-0's "Run, Johnny, Run" are seen when Joby is falsely jailed and is barely able to give Stoney the information he needs to help him.

 

Producer: Leslie Stevens

Director: John Erman

Writer: Philip Saltzman

Guest Stars: Robert Duvall, James Patterson, Joyce Van Patten, John Karlen, David Kent, Frank Overton

 

 

1.24   "Forget No More"

Theme: Resolving conflicts from the past

 

Stacy Morgan (Laura Devon) is trapped between the past and the present. Feeling a need to cling to her father, who died in a saddle bronc riding accident three years before, she has left her husband and is searching the rodeos in search of her dead father. When she reaches the town where her father died, she decides to settle there to live out her life. In an effort to bring her back to the present, Stoney rides the horse that killed Stacy's father. He, too, is thrown, but he lives. 

 

Producer: Leslie Stevens

Director: Robert Butler

Writer: Peter Packer

Guest Stars: Laura Devon, William Sargent, Noah Keen, Lee Delano, Amy Douglass, Clay Tanner, Keith Tobey

 

 

1.25   "Color Him Lucky"

Theme: Taking the law into one's own hands

 

A former saddle bronc rider with an enviable record was convicted of murder. Drunk at the time, he foolishly signed a confession. Later, the real murderer confessed, and the imprisoned man was released. Now, all he has to do is persuade society that he is innocent, something that is much more easily said than done.

 

Producer: Leslie Stevens

Director: Laslo Benedek

Writer: Donn Mullally

Guest Stars: Charles Robinson, Lin McCarthy, Judson Pratt, Frank Behrens, Tom Palmer

 

1.26   "The Weapons Man"

Theme: Foreign Intrigue

 

A Native American archer, who is performing at the rodeo, shoots a diplomat, who is entertaining Chinese guests. The police bring in a private investigator from back East, a man with extensive knowledge of the Orient, who discovers that this shooting was no accident; it goes all the way back to China.

 

Producer: Leslie Stevens

Director: Leslie Stevens

Writer: Leslie Stevens

Guest Stars: J. D. Cannon, Henry Silva, Pilar Seurat, Philip Ahn, William Douglas, James McCallion

 

 

1.27   "Kelly's Place"

Theme: Romance on the rebound is always a mistake. 

 

It’s Stoney’s birthday, and his friends want to take him to a bar to celebrate. The shy Stoney would rather grab a bite to eat and retire to the motel. His friends win out, and the men go to Kelly’s place, a nightclub that does not typically cater to cowboys. The club is owned by Kelly (Elizabeth Allen), who sings romantic songs, and Vince Patterson (Joe Moross), who manages it.

 

Kelly loves Vince, but he has a bad habit of seeing other women. As a result, Kelly has put up her defenses. She tells him that he doesn’t love her; she’s only the business partner he needs to keep the club. He tells her that he loves her, but his words ring very hollow. In a ploy to make Vince jealous, Kelly makes a play for Stoney. He recognizes her love for Vince and advises her against rebound relationships.

 

Producer: Leslie Stevens

Director: Tom Gries

Writer: Stephen Lord

Guest Stars: Elizabeth Allen, Joe Maross, Joan Staley, Diane Strom, Vic Werher

 

 

1.28   "Kincaid"

Theme: Trust versus suspicion
 

The rodeo goes to New York City, and boys at a halfway house are asked to sell tickets. They vote against participating; after all, what do they care about an old rodeo? Each is looking after himself; at the same time, he is afraid to irritate the boys above him. The new boy at the house steals money and tries to blame it on someone else -- but he can't go through with it. He confesses, giving evidence that, maybe, just maybe, he will turn out all right. This episode was a pilot for a proposed series; it was not picked up by the networks. A jazz arrangement of the Stoney Burke theme song is heard during the opening scenes. 

 

Producer: Leslie Stevens

Director: Leonard Horn

Writers: Leslie Stevens, Bob Barbash

Guest Stars: Dick Clark, Sarah Marshall, David Macklin, Buck Taylor, David Winters, Craig Curtis, Gerald Trump, Harley May, Casey Tibbs, Derrik Lewis 

 

 

1.29   "A Girl Named Amy"

Theme: Young Love

 

A college girl has fallen in love with Stoney, but that love is based on her fantasies about love and marriage; it only works when she is in control. How does Stoney let her down easily, without shattering her heart into a million pieces? The answer is not easy, except to say that she must see for herself that she is not ready for the complications that too often come with love.

 

Producer: Leslie Stevens

Director: Laslo Benedek

Writers: Bob Barbash, S. S. Schweitzer

Guest Stars: June Harding, Chris Robinson, Donald Woods, Jack Grinnage, Peter Helm, Mark Slade, Charlotte Stewart

 

1.30   "Tigress By the Tail"

Theme: You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

 

Donna Weston, daughter of a recently deceased gambler and ne'er-do-well, is in trouble for non-payment of debts, petty larceny, and a few other charges. Stoney wouldn't give her the time of day, except that her father once saved his life. It's Stoney Burke to the rescue, except -- Where Donna goes, trouble follows, and Stoney is left to pick up the pieces. There's no happy ending to this story. Despite Stoney's efforts to help Donna see that she needs to accept responsibility for herself and her actions, she remains determined to stay on her downward spiral. This is one debt that Stoney won't be able to repay, despite his best intentions. 

 

Producer: Leslie Stevens

Director: Tom Gries

Writer: Barry Trivers

Guest Stars: Elizabeth Ashley, Edward Asner, Harry Carey, Jr., Lex Connelly, Schuyler Haydn, Michael T. Mikler

 

 

1.31   "The Test"

Theme: Knocked down does not mean knocked out. 

 

Two weeks before the National Rodeo Finals, Stoney is about to ride a bronc when the stall door jams. He is thrown from the horse while still in the stall. The bronc is bucking wildly, and Stoney is on the ground, being trampled and kicked. The other cowboys have to kick the door open before the horse can move away from Stoney.

 

In the hospital, tests reveal that Stoney has bruises and contusions, but there’s another problem, which the tests do not reveal: Stoney cannot move his legs. More tests are run, but they do not reveal a physiological cause for the paralysis. The doctor’s conclusion: Stoney is suffering from hysterical paralysis as a result of the experience.

 

Stoney sounds very much like McGarrett when he denies the diagnosis. He points out to the doctor that, through the years, he has been thrown, trampled, and kicked more times than he can count. Determined to overcome the paralysis, Stoney tries to get up only to fall, sprawling, across the floor. He displayed the same stubbornness in “Blind Tiger” (Season 2), when he tried to make his way down the hospital corridor, bumping into furniture and knocking things over. Then, he only swallowed his pride and accepted help after embarrassing himself before the governor. 

 

Two weeks have passed, and the National Rodeo Finals have taken place without Stoney Burke in the saddle. He has missed his chance for the golden buckle for this year. It irks him, but he just can't work through the fear that keeps him in a wheelchair. The doctor decides that kid gloves don't work with a man like Stoney and gets tough with him. At the height of his spiel, a young boy with a serious paralysis storms in to defend Stoney and falls out of his wheelchair. The sight brings Stoney to his feet.

Once again able to stand and walk, Stoney returns to the rodeo grounds and proves that he can mount a bronco and ride it successfully and, even when he is thrown after the whistle blows, he can pick himself up, dust himself off, and walk back to the chute, ready to ride again.

Producer: Leslie Stevens

Director: Leonard Horn

Writer: Leslie Stevens

Guest Stars: Richard Eyer, Ivan Dixon, James Coburn, J. Pat O'Malley, Christine Burke

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1.32   "The Journey"

Theme: Does the end justify the means? 

 

The last episode of Stoney Burke was both a continuation of “The Test” (1.31) and an argument against slaughtering old and difficult horses for human consumption.  

 

A continuation of “The Test.” Stoney is still recuperating from his injuries suffered in “The Test.” In addition, he cut his hand and is suffering from an infection, with a high temperature. He feels his saddle bronc riding days are over. As a result, he agrees to drive a trailer of old and difficult horses to a slaughter house. One of those horses is Megaton, who injured him in “The Test.” He is not happy with the situation; in fact, he refused to become a buyer of such horses.

 

He becomes even less happy with the situation when he sees the conditions at the slaughter house. The old horses, which are awaiting slaughter, are not given water or feed. They are a very sad lot, and that weighs heavily upon Stoney, who loves horses. 

 

Ves Painter has caused Stoney more than a little heartache through the series, but he shows a decent side of himself when he tries to talk Stoney out of leaving saddle bronc riding for this line of work. When the horse buyer wants the first horse to slaughter to be Megaton, Stoney finally snaps to and fights back. He and Ves put their meager funds together to buy back Megaton and drive him back to the rodeo, where Stoney says he will tame him and put him to good use.

 

Horse slaughter. When the episode was made, such slaughter was both legal and an accepted practice. Although it is still legal, it has been deemed unacceptable; as of 2009, no such slaughtering operations are conducted in the United States. Those who favor the practice cite the many possible uses of horse meat, including exportation to European countries, where horse meat is consumed. Those who oppose the practice point out how such old horses have no place to go without slaughter. They are released into the wild and left to die slow and agonizing deaths. They feel that even slaughter is more humane than that.

 

Producer: Leslie Stevens

Director: Leslie Stevens

Writer: Leslie Stevens

Guest Stars: Peter Mark Richman, Harry Swoger, Willis Bouchey, Dean Harens