Bret Maverick: The Lazy Ace

Bret Maverick: The Lazy Ace is a 1981 American Western television film released as the 2-hour pilot episode of the series Bret Maverick, trimmed to a quicker pace and repackaged as a TV-movie for rerunning on local television stations. The 1981 show was based on the 1957 series Maverick, catching up with professional poker-player Bret Maverick (James Garner). The film, written by Gordon T. Dawson and directed by Stuart Margolin, occasionally appears under the simpler title Bret Maverick.

Bret Maverick: The Lazy Ace
James Garner as Maverick
Genre
  • Drama
  • Western
Written byGordon T. Dawson
Directed byStuart Margolin
StarringJames Garner
Music by
  • Murray MacLeod
  • J.A.C. Redford
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producerMeta Rosenberg
Producers
  • Gordon T. Dawson
  • Geoffrey Fischer
  • Mark Horowitz
  • Chas. Floyd Johnson
Production locations
  • Sable Ranch - 25933 Sand Canyon Road, Santa Clarita, California
  • Stage 20 and 21, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California
CinematographyAndrew Jackson
Editors
  • Diane Adler
  • George R. Rohrs
Running time98 minutes
Production companyWarner Bros. Television
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseDecember 1, 1981 (1981-12-01)

The real pilot, however, of both this series and the preceding CBS show Young Maverick, could be said to be the 1979 TV-movie The New Maverick, which featured both Garner as Bret and Jack Kelly as his brother Bart.

Cast edit

  • James Garner as Bret Maverick
  • Ed Bruce as Sheriff Tom Guthrie
  • Ramon Bieri as Elijah Crow
  • Richard Hamilton as Cy Whittaker
  • John Shearin as Sheriff Mitchel Dowd
  • David Knell as Rodney Catlow
  • Darleen Carr as Mary Lou Springer
  • Janis Paige as Mandy Packer
  • Bill McKinney as Ramsey Bass
  • John McLiam as Doc Holliday, Card Player
  • Stuart Margolin as Philo Sandeen
  • Billy Kerr as Blue-Eyed Kid, Gunfighter
  • Jack Garner as Jack, Red Ox Bartender
  • Luis Delgado as Shifty Delgado
  • Ed Bakey as Lyman Nickerson, Card Player
  • Bill Cross as Dembro
  • Richard Moll as Sloate
  • Chuck Mitchell as Joe Dakota, Card Player
  • Duane R. Campbell as Lucas, town drunk
  • Ivan J. Rado as Wolfgang Mieter, Miner who tunneled into Bank
  • David H. Banks as Delta Fox, Card Player
  • Tommy Bush as Deputy Sturgess
  • Ruth Estler as Townswoman
  • Norman Merrill Jr. as Bank Teller
  • Al Berry as Townsman
  • Kirk Cameron as Boy #1
  • Max Martini as Boy #2 (billed as Max Martin)

Plot edit

Bret Maverick wins a saloon in a poker game and decides to end his roving ways and settle down in Sweetwater, Arizona. He takes on as a partner the former sheriff who comes with a shady background.

External links edit