CHEYENNE: LEGACY OF THE LOST (TV)

Summary

One in this series of western dramas following the exploits of Cheyenne Bodie, frontier scout of White Blood raised by the Cheyenne tribe, who wanders the American West during the years following the Civil War. In this episode, Cheyenne goes to see White Cloud, the chief who adopted him after his tribe killed Cheyenne's family and other settlers. White Cloud at first doubts that it is him, as he has not seen him in many years, but Cheyenne proves himself and introduces Carter, a man hired by the wealthy Lionel Abbot to find his long-lost son. Carter asks White Cloud about the circumstances of finding Cheyenne, and when the dates match up and an engraved locket is discovered, Carter becomes convinced that Cheyenne is in fact John Abbot. White Cloud becomes angry, as the Abbots stole his land and are his enemies, but Cheyenne says that he will return the land to him if he can once he proves himself to be John. He and Carter to go see Lionel, who at first thinks the young man is a "swindler," but once Cheyenne proves himself in a sudden fight, Lionel embraces him proudly as his son.

Cheyenne then meets the hard-drinking James Abbot, who is stunned to meet "long-lost John," and declares that he hates his brother, as he has been unfairly compared to him for his entire life. Cheyenne tells Lionel about the unfortunate encounter, and Lionel assures him that he is "in the driver's seat" and will soon come to have power in the family once Lionel has "broken him into it" and found him a wife, which makes Cheyenne uncomfortable. Cheyenne meets Suchin, the butler, and Lorna, James' wife, who asks him to "come to their side" against the tyrannical Lionel, with James adding that the Abbots are a "dynasty," not a family. Late at night, a messenger sneaks into Cheyenne's room and says that White Cloud wants the land that he was promised, but Cheyenne says he needs more time. Later, Lionel gives the ranch over to Cheyenne, which makes James jealous, though Lionel says that he will get his share once Lorna has given him a grandson. Cheyenne reveals that he intends to give the land back to White Cloud, which angers Lionel, and he shows him the graves of the family members killed by White Cloud's men, though Cheyenne points out that Lionel killed White Cloud's sons as well. Elsewhere, Carter meets up with James and reveals himself to be a crook and a paid assassin, hired by James to "invent" John and then kill him. At home, Lorna encourages Cheyenne to befriend James, saying he was a kinder person before he began drinking and obeying Lionel's orders. Cheyenne comes back and says he will split the land with James, as he has a reasonable claim to it as well, and they will manage it together, but James seems to doubt the gesture.

As James and Cheyenne attempt to cross a river on horseback, James falls into the water and Cheyenne saves his life. When they are captured by White Cloud and his men, Cheyenne orders them not to kill his brother, despite their longstanding feud with the Abbots, and James begins to reconsider his plot. He admits he has been a "first-class cynic," and when Carter arrives to kill Cheyenne, James tells him that the deal is off. Knowing that James cannot pay him without Cheyenne's inheritance, however, Carter attempts to kill Cheyenne anyway, but James intervenes and shoots him dead, admitting the entire scheme. Cheyenne meets with White Cloud again, who as good as confirms that he lied as well and knows that Cheyenne is not John Abbot. When he hears the news, Lionel refuses to believe it, but James forces him to realize that John died long ago, saying that he engineered the plan to make his father appreciate him as a "person of dimension." Lionel finally puts up a headstone for his dead son and swears his vengeance on White Cloud and his people, but Cheyenne challenges him to meet the man face-to-face for the first time. He goes to White Cloud and makes the same offer, pointing out how his so-called father used him to try and get his land back. The two rivals finally meet with Cheyenne present, and to his surprise, both men ride away without conflict, putting an end to the long, violent feud. Includes commercials.

Details

• NETWORK: ABC
• DATE: December 4, 1961 7:30 PM
• RUNNING TIME: 0:58:44
• COLOR/B&W: B&W
• CATALOG ID: B:08615
• GENRE: Drama, western
• SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, western; Asian American Pacific Islanders Collection; Indigenous Peoples Collection
• SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1955-1963
• COMMERCIALS:
  • TV - Commercials - Dutch Masters cigars
  • TV - Commercials - Excedrin pain reliever
  • TV - Commercials - Gillette Foamy shaving cream
  • TV - Commercials - Gillette Right Guard spray deodorant
  • TV - Commercials - Gillette Sun Up aftershave
  • TV - Commercials - Goodyear tires
  • TV - Commercials - Keep America Beautiful council
  • TV - Commercials - Sergeant's flea and tick spray
  • TV - Promos - "Hootenanny"

CREDITS

• William T. Orr … Executive Producer
• Arthur W. Silver … Supervising Producer
• Burt Dunne … Producer
• Richard C. Sarafian … Director
• Arnold Belgard … Writer
• Clint Walker … Cast, Cheyenne Bodie
• Peter Breck … Cast, James Abbot
• Peter Whitney … Cast, Lionel Abbot
• Jolene Brand … Cast, Lorna Abbot
• Richard Hale … Cast, White Cloud
• William Windom … Cast, Dennis Carter
• Rusty Wescoatt … Cast, Benton
• X Brands … Cast, Indian
• James Hong … Cast, Suchin