I’m watching Season 6 of “Tales of Wells Fargo.” William Demarest plays the ranch foreman of Jim Hardie’s horse farm in California. Seasons 1-5 were 30 minutes, in black & white, and had tight scripts. In Season 6, the classic and formulaic TV western was dying and western ranch soap opera (think “Bonanza”) was taking over. They rebooted ToWF in Season 6 by going to a one hour format in color. It did not make teh transition very well from rough and tumble frontier oat opera to the domesticated ranch life soap opera.
Demarest was introduced in S6 as the stereotypical and cantankerous “old coot” who is always grumping and carrying on about something. That schtick gets real tiresome. I look forward to seeing him in this movie filmed 14 years before ToWF S6.
He was very good as Trudy’s quick-to-anger, protective father.
Williamm Demarest is in just about every Prreston Sturges flick.
Demarest also had a great supporting role in the movie, “What Price Glory,” staring James Cagney, Dan Daily, and a young Robert Wagner.