10 Real-Life Western Lawmen And Outlaws Who Deserve A TV Adaptation

Summary

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• Western TV shows like
  Yellowstone
  and
  1883
  are reigniting interest in the genre and preserving its legacy.
• The Western genre’s characters, setting, and themes reflect America’s history, highlighting struggles and corruption, making for interesting TV shows.
• TV adaptations of real-life cowboys and outlaws like Sam Bass, Heck Thomas, and John Wesley Hardin would tell their stories in a more comprehensive and engaging way.

The Western genre has seen many live-action depictions of some of history’s most famous and infamous lawmen and outlaws, but there are plenty of historical figures on both sides who haven’t received a live-action TV show adaptation. While there are numerous Western movies everyone should watch at least once, Western TV shows such as Yellowstone and 1883 have made great strides in preserving the genre’s legacy and, more importantly, reigniting interest in Westerns. Although the lives and careers of many legendary lawmen and outlaws have been depicted in live-action TV shows before, now is just as good a time as ever to re-tell their stories.

Perhaps one of the most interesting things about the Western genre is how its characters, setting, and themes strongly reinforce America’s very own history. Many of the lawmen in Westerns are meant to represent the arduous struggles America overcame in order to industrialize the nation, and the outlaws in the genre firmly reinforce the greed and corruption that was also rampant during that part of America’s history as well. As such, audiences have been treated to some truly unforgettable Western movies about real-life cowboys and outlaws, but the TV format would also excel in telling these legendary figures’ stories as well.

10 Sam Bass, Outlaw

Willaim Bishop played Sam Bass in The Texas Rangers (1951)

Sam Bass was a notorious leader of a merciless outlaw gang that was known for robbing trains, and was one of the few great Western movie villains who existed in real life. His gang famously holds the record for most money stolen in a train robbery, as they stole $60,000 in newly-minted gold coins in 1877. However, one of the members of his gang, Jim Murphy, turned informant, thus leading to his death via shootout with law enforcement. A Western TV show about Bass could highlight his exploits as a robber, the planning and execution of his infamous robbery, and the fallout between him and Murphy that ultimately leads to his premature demise.

9 Heck Thomas, Lawman

Heck Thomas appeared as himself in The Bank Robbery (1908)

Thomas was a very prominent lawman in the territory now known as Oklahoma, and was distinguishable from most of his colleagues for his affability toward the Native Americans. Known for his relentless pursuit of outlaws, one of Thomas’ greatest claims to fame was the crucial role he played in bringing down the Doolin-Dalton gang practically by himself. Whereas his fellow lawmen eventually refocused their efforts on other gangs, Thomas’ persistence with bringing the gang to justice ultimately led to their defeat. After bringing these notorious criminals to justice, Thomas eventually relocated to Lawton, Oklahoma, where he became the city’s first police chief.

A TV series about Thomas would need to highlight the lawman’s tenacity for bringing criminals to justice and his progressive ideals in a more overtly racist time. Thomas’ character and his commitment to keeping Native Americans as safe from criminals as possible led to him being recognized as an effective lawman, thus being elected as Lawton’s first police chief. Directed by fellow lawman Bill Tilghman, the 1908 film The Bank Robbery was made to retell some of the lawmen’s greatest accomplishments and even featured a cameo by Comanche leader Quanah Parker. However, the silent film doesn’t do their story justice the way a well-developed TV show could.

8 John Wesley Hardin, Outlaw

Richard Webb played John Wesly Hardin in a 1954 episode of Stories of the Century

John Wesley Hardin’s ruthlessness as well as his skill with revolvers led to him developing a reputation as one of the most dangerous men in the Old West. Hardin was famous for being deemed one of the most dangerous men alive despite only being 23 at the height of his popularity. After eventually being apprehended by lawmen, Hardin was sentenced to twenty-four years in jail, where he studied law and even wrote an autobiography about himself so he could beat his case and spread word of his exploits. As a known liar, many of the details from his own accounts are debatable at best, but they are compelling nonetheless.

Although Hardin has been portrayed in various movies, Richard Webb’s portrayal of the outlaw in Stories of the Century is the most noteworthy, as it perfectly highlighted how dangerous and clever he was before his unceremonious death via gunshot wounds. Hardin’s life should be adapted into a Western TV show because a proper adaptation could confirm or disprove the more absurd claims of his life, while also highlighting how dangerous the Old West truly was. Furthermore, his many run-ins with equally prominent lawmen would make for some great interactions.

7 Etta Place, Outlaw

Katharine Ross played Etta Place in the 1969 movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Even though very few details of Place’s life officially exist, it is known that she was a companion to the notorious Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and that she was romantically involved with the latter member of the gang. A woman of great mystery, Place should receive a Western TV adaptation of her life because it could uncover new and engaging facts about her time with the gang. A series detailing Place’s time with the Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid would be compelling because it would highlight aspects of the gang’s lives that the 1969 film couldn’t include.

Whether because of time or lack of proper historical research, the 1969 film focused primarily on its eponymous outlaws more than on Place, thus leaving things feeling a little disjointed. Furthermore, women in Westerns are often limited in their representations, so a show focusing on Place’s time with the gang and her life afterward would be a welcome addition to the longstanding genre. With proper attention and research, a Western show about Place could be a game-changer.

6 William Davis “Dave” Allison, Lawman

Ed Kemmer played Dave Allison (referred to as William Davis) in two episodes of Wanted: Dead or Alive

Described as the most efficient lawman in Texas during the height of his career, Allison was a lawman who prided himself on integrity and hard-work. The results of his work ethic would lead to him becoming the youngest sheriff of Texas at just 27 years old. In spite of his good deeds, Allison had a serious gambling habit, and is said to have used his status as sheriff to misappropriate funds to pay off debts.

Allison’s Western TV show would be compelling as it could explore the effects being a lawman had on his personal life. Most depictions of lawmen in Westerns tend to portray them as forces of nature rather than as human beings with flaws. Allison’s TV show would be interesting in that it could show his habits gradually intensifying along with the increasingly stressful nature of his career, thus providing some insight into how and why he did what he did.

5 Frank M. Canton, Lawman/Outlaw

Ed Nelson played Frank Canton in Alias Smith and Jones season 3, episode 6

Born Josiah Horner, Canton started his adult life as an outlaw who was known to utilize brutal means such as hanging to dispatch both his enemies and innocent people. Furthermore, Canton would use his charm to disarm unsuspecting citizens, while members of his gang would either steal from them, or launch brutal assaults on them and flee the scene before law enforcement could arrive. After being arrested in Texas, he escaped law enforcement while en route to being executed, fled to Nebraska, and took up cattle ranching under the name Frank M. Canton.

Canton’s skills as an outlaw made him an effective tracker, thus eventually leading to him being elected sheriff in his new home. Old habits die hard, and it is believed that Canton still leaned toward his criminal ways while in his newly assigned role as sheriff. A Western TV show chronicling Canton’s life would be intersting because it would display a protagonist on both sides of the law at the same time. Furthermore, it would be an excellent character study regarding the psychology someone like Canton would have to possess to successfully live a double life, and the drama and tension surrounding his true background would be enough to engage audiences.

4 Belle Starr, Outlaw

Elizabeth Montgomery played Belle Starr in the 1980 TV movie, Belle Starr

Belle Starr is an interesting case as she’s one of the few outlaws in American history to have come from a wealthy family. Starr became an outlaw and her exploits as an excellent horse rider and gunfighter made her one of the most lethal outlaws in the Old West. Starr’s criminal lifestyle led to her crossing paths with many other notorious outlaws, and Frank “Pistol Pete” Eaton is believed to have been a colleague of hers during her heyday.

The 1980 TV movie, Belle Starr, depicts her as being one of the best bandits in the Old West, but having to prove herself as just as capable as her male counterparts. While the movie portrays those elements well, it doesn’t provide enough context regarding what compelled her to embark on a life of crime. Starr’s Western TV series would need to highlight issues surrounding discrimination and feminism to tell her story properly and help distinguish it from other Westerns.

3 Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, Outlaws

Paul Newman and Robert Redford played Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

Although the 1969 film Butch Cassiday and the Sundance Kid is regarded as one of the greatest Westerns ever made, the lives of the outlaws and their Wild Bunch gang is a perfect fit for the TV format. Not only could the show further develop the relationship between its two prominent members, but it could expand on how they met, provide more details about the mysterious Etta Place, and even show the aftermath of their infamous last shootout with the Bolivian Army. A TV show based on Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid could show its audience how each member of the Wild Bunch’s upbringing motivated them to choose a life of crime.

2 Bill Tilghman, Lawman

Sam Elliott played Bill Tilghman in the TV movie, You Know My Name (1999)

Although not as famous as his close friends Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson, Bill Tilghman was regarded for his bravery, integrity, and skill on horseback as well as with a firearm. A friend of Heck Thomas, Tilghman’s greatest claim to fame was single-handedly capturing the notoriously dangerous and elusive outlaw, Bill Doolin, in 1896. While Thomas played a crucial role in assisting him with bringing down the combined Doolin-Dalton gang, it was Tilghman himself who hunted Doolin down. A Western TV show about Tilghman’s journey capturing Doolin would be one of the most action-packed considering the efforts expended to capture him.

After retiring from law enforcement, Tilghman recorded many of his adventures in his memoirs, and in the 1900s, eventually turned to a career in filmmaking. The 1999 Sam Elliott-starring Western You Know My Name recounts his life as a lawman and filmmaker, but the film condenses a lot of information that a TV adaptation could properly adapt. A proper TV adaptation of Tilghman’s life would need to organically show his transition from feared lawman to respected filmmaker in order to work.

1 Jesse James, Outlaw

Bradd Pitt played Jesse James in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Arguably the most notorious outlaw who ever lived, Jesse James was renowned for his ruthlessness, racism, skill at robbing banks and trains, and for being the leader of the guerrilla James-Younger gang. James was viewed by many as a modern day Robin Hood, as he would often steal from the wealthy and deliver portions of the stolen loot to the poor. However, this wouldn’t stop him from gunning anyone down who interfered with him or his gang.

A Jesse James TV adaptation would have to show audiences why James was viewed heroically. This would firmly set it apart from other adaptations of villainous Old West figures as it would provide a greater understanding of his effifcency. Furthermore, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is considered one of the most historically accurate depictions of the outlaw, and it depicts him as something of a hero despite his actions. A proper TV adaptation of James would give a better idea of why he did the things he did, and it would keep Western shows feeling fresh in the process.