By Steve Crum

MARION HARGROVE (1919-2003) was quite a writer, having first written the best selling book See Here, Private Hargrove in 1942, an oft times hilarious account of his experiences as an Army soldier during WWII. It was such a sensation that MGM produced a 1944 hit movie of the same title, based on Hargrove’s book. Robert Walker was cast as Hargrove. There was even a sequel, What Next, Corporal Hargrove?—also starring Walker—in 1945. (TCM frequently airs both movies.)

After the war, Marion Hargrove made a living writing feature stories for magazines, including a stint as Feature Editor of Argosy magazine. This branched out to writing scripts for movies (Cash McCall, The Music Man) and TV shows: The Restless Gun, The Waltons, Colt .45, The Magician, The Rounders, and the pilot episode of 77 Sunset Strip. 

Notable in his itinerary are the nine scripts he wrote for the classic TV comedy-western series, Maverick, starring James Garner as Bret Maverick. Most remembered is his script for “Gun-Shy,” a parody of the very popular TV western, Gunsmoke. Not only was Gunsmoke a CBS show, while Maverick was on ABC, but “Gun-Shy” lampooned the major characters and overall premise. This cross-network ribbing was unheard of then.

Instead of Marshal Matt Dillon, Hargrove renamed him Marshal Mort Dooley, making him a tall and not overly bright hero. Dillon’s deputy Chester Goode became Clyde Diefendorfer. Doc Adams morphed into Doc Stucke. (Incidentally, Chester’s last name on the radio version of Gunsmoke was Proudfoot.)

The plot involves Bret Maverick wandering into Elwood, Kansas (a Dodge City takeoff), and running afoul of the town marshal. Marion Hargrove even wrote in a reference to Richard Boone’s Paladin character from Have Gun Will Travel, another popular western series of that time. 

Maverick remains one of the best western series of all time, thanks in part to Marion Hargrove’s witty contributions.