A Word on Westerns

Our special guest who recalls a western with Bob Dylan and Brigitte Bardot written by a counter culture comedy troupe? What could go wrong? Well, according to Firesign Theatre's Philip Proctor, a lot could happen…and did. What was left was ZACHARIAH, a 1971 rock and roll cult western starring Broadway's PIPPIN, 25-year-old John Rubinstein, and 21-year-old Don Johnson, in only his 2nd film.   They...

Patrick Wayne & Claude Jarman, Jr recall the John Ford classic RIO GRANDE in a rare A WORD ON WESTERNS interview. Appearing together over 70 years ago in RIO GRANDE (1950), two young kids, Oscar winner Claude Jarman, Jr. and actor Patrick Wayne, reunited at the Lone Pine Film Festival, October 2021, for a screening, followed by a conversation with Rob Word about the timeless film. A WORD ON WESTER...

Two-time Emmy nominee Lee Purcell got an early career break when she auditioned for Steve McQueen's production company, Solar. Selected by McQueen, Lee landed the lead role opposite Michael Douglas in ADAM AT 6AM and was mentored by McQueen. Lee joins producer Rob Word for a career retrospective at The Autry Museum for A WORD ON WESTERNS.   Lee's co-starring role with Richard Thomas in a BONAZA ep...

Bruce Davison shares Burt Lancaster's acting tips ULZANA'S RAID in this episode of A WORD ON WESTERNS PODCAST ! Oscar nominated actor Bruce Davison's amazing career has given audiences hundreds of powerful performances. Early roles in films like LAST SUMMER, THE STRAWBERRY STATEMENT and WILLARD led him to a starring role with Burt Lancaster in the classic western, ULZANA'S RAID (1972). Bruce remem...

102-Year-Old Nehemiah Persoff (1919-2022) WORD ON WESTERNS Podcast Exclusive! Hollywood legends Wayne, Bogart, Brando, Poitier and more taught Nehemiah Persoff about the movie business. Nicky joins Rob and RJ Word for an exclusive Zoom interview recorded November 2021, shortly before the celebrated actor died at the age of 102. Coming from the stage and the Actor's Studio, Nehemiah, was a fast lea...

Actor Chris Mulkey remembers BROKEN TRAIL, THE LONG RIDERS & TIMERIDER! Mulkey was warned by BROKEN TRAIL'S director Walter Hill to be very very careful not to hurt Robert Duvall in the fight scene. Chris joined Rob Word to share the experience and reveal who got hurt in this exclusive interview for A WORD ON WESTERNS podcast. BROKEN TRAIL was the third time Chris had worked for Hill and the first...

With 635 episodes over 20 seasons, Gunsmoke set television's high-water mark for dramatic series. Season-one guest Brett Halsey , final-season tough-guy Martin Kove , and writer-producer Jim Byrnes reveal how scripts like Byrnes's lone-wolf classic "Lobo" kept Dodge City fresh. They swap candid memories of on-set hazards, last-minute rewrites, and what it took to sell a story to TV's longest-runni...

Barry Corbin, the iconic Texan character actor who first ambled onto the big screen as Uncle Bob in Urban Cowboy (1980), has since played more than 300 roles—ranging from Maurice Minnifield, the philosophical ex-astronaut of Northern Exposure (earning two Emmy nominations), to crusty ranch hand Ross welcoming Jimmy to the 6666 on Yellowstone . In this illuminating visit with Rob and RJ Word—record...

Gregory Harrison—TV favorite remembered for Dr. "Gonzo" Gates on Trapper John, M.D. and pioneer Levi Zendt in the epic miniseries Centennial —saddles up with Rob and RJ Word to talk Westerns, remakes, and riding alongside legends.   In 1988, he acquired the rights to Red River , produced a television remake, and cast James Arness—fresh out of retirement—as Thomas Dunson, with Bruce Boxleitner by h...

Golden Globe–winning actress Karen Sharpe—famed for  The High and the Mighty  and TV's  Johnny Ringo —joins Rob and RJ Word on  A Word on Westerns  for a heartfelt trip down memory lane. She explains how John Wayne took her under his wing after  The High and the Mighty  and—at her urging—released her from his film contract so she could saddle up for the booming world of television. That leap lande...

Edward Asner: Emmy-winning star of Lou Grant and The Mary Tyler Moore Show , appears on this episode of A Word on Westerns . Hosts Rob and RJ Word dig into Asner's rich career—from his iconic role as Lou Grant in TV journalism to his adventures in the American West. Asner shares warm recollections of playing sly rancher Bart Jason opposite John Wayne in Howard Hawks's classic El Dorado (1966) and...

Will Hutchins (1930–2025)—the lanky Angeleno who ambled onto ABC screens as gentle‑souled law‑student‑turned‑drifter Tom "Sugarfoot" Brewster—joins host Rob Word and producer/co‑host RJ Word in a 2021 Zoom sit‑down that now feels like a fond farewell. Hutchins recalls how Warner Bros. spun Sugarfoot out of Clint Walker's smash hit Cheyenne , easing Walker's load of thirty‑nine hour‑long episodes a...

Russ Tamblyn and Ruta Lee reunite with host Rob Word and co-host RJ Word for a spirited look back at Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and the Golden Age of Hollywood. From barn-raising dance tales to gun-slinging stories with Glenn Ford, the duo trades memories that sparkle with studio-lot magic. Hear how a shovel dance saved a Western, why Michael Kidd's choreography still dazzles, and what makes...

Tommy Cook, the irrepressible kid who first saddled up as "Little Beaver" in Republic's 1940 serial The Adventures of Red Ryder , swings by A Word on Westerns to relive a Hollywood journey spanning radio days, serial cliffhangers, and big-screen showdowns. Joining host Rob Word and producer/co-host RJ Word, Tommy reveals how directors William Witney and John English guided him through action-packe...

Ryan O'Neal: From Peyton Place to Wild Rovers Academy Award nominee Ryan O'Neal, star of classics like Love Story , Paper Moon , and Barry Lyndon , strides into A Word on Westerns with tales of his big-screen adventures and a lifelong passion for film history. Joining host Rob Word and producer/co-host RJ Word, O'Neal recalls his early days as a budding actor on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis , ho...

Veteran character actor Pepe Serna , celebrated for his roles in Scarface and The Jerk , joins host Rob Word and producer/co-host RJ Word to reflect on a multifaceted career that has taken him from comedic hits to iconic Westerns. Raised in Texas and starting out in improv troupes, Serna shares how his early love of storytelling led him to memorable frontier roles and collaborations with legends l...

On this episode of A Word on Westerns , host Rob Word and producer/co-host RJ Word welcome Michael Beck , best known for his cool, stoic performance in Walter Hill's cult classic The Warriors . Yet before and after crossing bats with the "Baseball Furies," Beck rode west, exploring iconic tales of rugged heroes and flawed legends. From Triumphs of a Man Called Horse , where he played the son of Ri...

On this special A Word on Westerns compilation, host Rob Word and producer/co-host RJ Word examine Sam Peckinpah's masterpiece, The Wild Bunch , a Western that redefined on-screen violence, through five voices who survived its famously tumultuous shoot. Producer/assistant director Howard Kazanjian ( Raiders of the Lost Ark , Return of the Jedi ) recounts corralling Peckinpah's temper and fending o...

On this episode of A Word on Westerns , host Rob Word and producer/co-host RJ Word welcome Irish-born actress Audrey Dalton , whose wide-ranging career brought her to Hollywood's golden era—and right into the heart of the Western genre. Known for her role in 1953's Titanic (opposite Barbara Stanwyck and Clifton Webb), Audrey also appeared in a host of classic TV Westerns and frontier features that...

On this episode of A Word on Westerns , host Rob Word and producer/co-host RJ Word welcome the beloved Marion Ross , best known as the iconic Mrs. Cunningham on Happy Days . Yet long before she became America's favorite sitcom mom, Marion spent her early days under contract at Paramount, landing roles on some of television's most popular Westerns. She vividly recalls shooting The Lone Ranger with...

On this episode of  A Word on Westerns , host Rob Word and producer-cohost RJ Word welcome character actor and film historian Jim Beaver , a familiar face from such hits as Deadwood , Justified , Supernatural , and The Boys . While many viewers know him as prospector Ellsworth or demon-hunter Bobby Singer, Jim reveals his lifelong love of Western lore—a passion that would eventually bring him face...

On this episode of A Word on Westerns , host Rob Word and producer/co-host RJ Word welcome actor-director Tim Matheson , whose career spans childhood stardom to Hollywood mainstay. In a lively conversation filled with behind-the-scenes revelations, Tim describes how he grew up on classic sets, beginning with his voice role in Jonny Quest and a guest spot on Leave It to Beaver , then moving on to r...

On this episode of A Word on Westerns , host Rob Word and producer/co-host RJ Word sit down with trailblazing writer, director, and producer Walter Hill , whose influence stretches from gritty 1970s actioners to modern prestige television. Best known for cult classics like The Warriors and box-office hits like 48 Hrs. , Hill has always kept one foot planted in frontier territory, whether helming T...

Four-time Emmy winner Michael Learned drops by A Word on Westerns to share humorous, heartfelt memories of a career that has ranged from her iconic role as Olivia on The Waltons to a stirring turn opposite James Arness in the classic Gunsmoke episode "Matt's Love Story." Joining host Rob Word and producer/co-host RJ Word , Michael opens up about her life before Hollywood—her early ballet aspiratio...

Two Hollywood legacies saddle up for a lively conversation in this episode of A Word on Westerns . Host Rob Word and producer RJ Word sit down with Chris Mitchum —son of screen legend Robert Mitchum—and Patrick Wayne —son of the Duke himself, John Wayne—to revisit the making of 1971's Big Jake . Both actors, playing Duke's on-screen sons, share spirited behind-the-scenes stories from one of John W...