I was delighted to find some of these episodes available on Youtube: The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca. I’ll try to get Patty to watch these with me, this weekend.
This series, starring Robert Loggia, came out in 1958 on “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color.” Remember that? It must have been good, because I’ve remembered the theme song for 60 years. This is the kind of great stuff Disney productions turned out while Walt was still running the place. He wouldn’t be happy with what they’re doing now: heads would roll.
In real life, Baca, then a deputy sheriff in New Mexico, won his reputation for “nine lives” when he was surrounded by a gang of bad guys after taking shelter in a rather small adobe building reminiscent of the old Stelton Hotel here in the heart of Jersey. They couldn’t persuade him to come out and get shot, and whenever they tried to rush the building, he made them pay for it. So they hunkered down and fired 4,000 rounds (!) at the place (yes, somebody actually counted the bullet holes), and not one of them hit Elfego Baca. That’s why someone counted the holes–the man’s survival seemed a miracle.
And I like miracles!
Anyway, here’s the theme song–and I don’t know who these performers were, but they were pretty good.
You got me on this one, Lee. Absolutely no memory of it at all. Now if you had said Zorro, that’s a different story 🙂
Elfego Baca was sort of a precursor to Zorro.
Sounds about right – but I think Guy Williams (Zorro) was more handsome 🙂
Watched a couple episodes yesterday, and got Patty to watch with me. She was a little averse, at first, but she is now a full-fledged Elfego Baca fan.
I should have more confidence in my memory. Anything that’s still good, 60 years later, really is good.
Lee, do you use Apple TV to watch YouTube on your TV? I like the theme song. It reminds me when folk music was popular and “Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley” by the Kingston Trio was #1 week after week.
Dave, I don’t even know what Apple TV is. We don’t have a functioning TV set; we watch on the computer screen.
Kingston Trio–Tom Dooley–wow! Lots of happy memories there. Thanks!
Whoah what a miracle
Baca was a fave of mine as a kid in the late 50’s. So much so that I followed Loggia in his roles on TV and film throughout his life.
Anyway.. a late comment to this post of a while back.. but I’m re-constructing some of my blog follows (yep.. I’m going to continue to haunt your a??). 🙂
Robert Loggia has had a very successful career, but for the life of me, I can’t understand why his performances as Elfego Baca didn’t turn him into a mega-star.
Did you ever see him in a “Wagon Train” episode as “Jose Maria Moran”? That, too, was an Elfego Baca time character–tons of charisma. If it’s available on youtube, don’t miss it. You’ll love it.
BTW, welcome back.
I think the current generation recalls him more as the piano playing opposite of Tom Hanks in the movie BIG.