Trivia: The stiff-necked, humorless Sheriff Tankersley was a nose-thumbing parody of a real (and really unpopular) person. William Tankersley was a notoriously prissy network censor who was infamous at the time for trying (unsuccessfully) to stifle the naughty bits on All in the Family.
Wrong Train to Brimstone - S1-E4
Trivia: It was probably the set decorator's little joke. A sign on a privy door reads "Out of Order." Leaves one to wonder just what part of an outhouse can be out of order.
The Biggest Game in the West - S2-E19
Trivia: This was the first episode with Roger Davis replacing Pete Duel as Hannibal Heyes. Duel's tragic suicide apparently meant nothing to insensitive network execs at ABC. They insisted that the production schedule proceed uninterrupted, and that all scenes already in the can with Duel be reshot with Davis. There are three places in the episode, however, in which Duel can still be recognized: in the series intro, pulling a safe from a train (this shot remained for several episodes before being trimmed); walking into the hotel from the stagecoach; and in the scene where Heyes convinces Curry to go talk to the Devil's Hole Gang (shots taken over Heyes' shoulder are of Pete Duel, whose hair was much darker than Davis'). (00:05:10 - 00:21:30)
The Reformation of Harry Briscoe - S2-E9
Trivia: Actress Jane Merrow confused the Smith and Jones aliases and called Pete Duel's character "Jones" in one scene. Duel saved the director a retake by ad-libbing back, "It's Smith, sweetheart." The exchange was left in, but still looks a bit odd, since Merrow's character had kept their names straight without any trouble in earlier scenes. (00:33:15)
The Posse That Wouldn't Quit - S2-E5
Trivia: When Heyes pretends to be drunk and is dragged off to jail by the deputies, two barking dogs follow them across the street. The canine "extras" were Pete Duel's own pets, who were visiting the set that day. Their barking fit wasn't planned, though - they just didn't like the way those big mean deputies were treating their master. (00:39:00)
Dreadful Sorry, Clementine - S2-E10
Trivia: After sweeping Clementine off her feet in a big hug, Heyes has some wardrobe trouble. His hat falls off and he grabs for it, fumbling a bit before getting it back onto his head. But it's backwards. Without missing a beat, Pete Duel stayed in character, looked annoyed, yanked the hat off to reverse it and gave it a satisfied tug back into position, all the while carrying on with his lines as though nothing had happened. (00:04:30)
Wrong Train to Brimstone - S1-E4
Trivia: The word "damn" still wasn't permitted by ABC in the early 1970s. Smith & Jones producers tried to get it past the censors by having Harry Briscoe use it twice in this episode. It nearly worked, but the offensive epithet was blanked out at the last minute by the network.
Trivia: During shooting for this episode, guest star Judy Carne (famous for dancing in a very skimpy bikini on Laugh-In), decided to play a risque practical joke. In a scene where her character, wearing a skirt, was required to climb up a high ladder to a water tower, she "accidentally-on-purpose" forgot to put on any underwear, and "flashed" the entire film crew.
