Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion is an American half-hour black-and-white television series about the French Foreign Legion starring Buster Crabbe in the title role. Crabbe's real-life son Cullen Crabbe played the Legion mascot, with cowboy sidekick Fuzzy Knight playing himself as Legion comedy relief.[1] The series premiered on NBC on 13 February 1955 and ended its first run with the 65th episode shown on 7 December 1957.[citation needed] It was shown for many years in syndication on American television under the title Foreign Legionnaire.[2]
| Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion | |
|---|---|
 Buster Crabbe with real life son Cullen | |
| Also known as | "Foreign Legionnaire" |
| Genre | Adventure |
| Directed by | Lester Fuller |
| Starring | Buster Crabbe Fuzzy Knight Cullen Crabbe |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 65 |
| Production | |
| Production locations | Agadir, Morocco |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | NBC |
| Release | 13 February 1955 – 7 December 1957 |
Production
editThe first season of the television show was filmed on location in North Africa with many actual Legionnaires and their installations featuring in the show.[3] With increased danger to the crew, the series moved to Italy. The studio was one owned by Sophia Loren and was just outside the gates of the US Army base, Camp Darby, near Pisa.[citation needed]
One of the producers of the show was Harry Saltzman.[citation needed] The executive producer was Gilbert A. Ralston. Directors were Marcel Crevenne, Sam Newfield, Pierre Schwab, and Jean Yarbrough. Writers were Jack Andrews, Gene Levitt, and William N. Robson.[3]
Three episodes were spliced together as a film released in the United Kingdom called Desert Outpost (1954) directed by Sam Newfield.[4]
Tie-ins
edit- Four issues of an American comic book published by Charlton Comics, intended as a promotion by the H. J. Heinz Company.
- A playset by Louis Marx and Company containing a metal fort, palm trees, tents, and accessories, and figures of Buster and Cullen Crabbe as well as Legionnaires and Arab figures.
- The Captain Gallant Adventure Game was a 1955 board game.
References
edit
- ^ Hyatt, Wesley (1997). The Encyclopedia of Daytime Television. Watson-Guptill Publications. p. 88. ISBN 978-0823083152. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
- ^ Woolery, George W. (1985). Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981, Part II: Live, Film, and Tape Series. The Scarecrow Press. pp. 96–98. ISBN 0-8108-1651-2.
- ^ a b "Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion". Variety. February 16, 1955. p. 31. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
- ^ BFI | Film & TV Database | DESERT OUTPOST (1954)