Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Under the creation of Glen A. Larson and Roy Huggins(who serves as executive producer)along with Jo Swerling, Jr., the television series "Alias Smith and Jones" premiered on ABC's Thursday night schedule in prime time on January 5,1971 producing 50 episodes until January 13,1973. Out of the 50 episodes that this series produced,Season one produced 15 episodes airing from January 5, 1971 until April 22,1971.Season two produced 23 episodes airing from September 16,1971 until March 2,1972. The third and final season of the series saw it's move to Saturday nights in an earlier time slot produced 12 episodes airing from September 16,1972 until January 13,1973.(Where it was placed opposite "All In The Family",and "Emergency!). The Western-adventure laced comedy series starred Pete Duel as Hannibal Heyes and Ben Murphy as Jedediah "Kid" Curry who were outlaw cousins trying to reform. The governor offers them a conditional amnesty,aiming to keep the pact a secret. The "condition" in which they had to follow was that they were still wanted by the law until it becomes advantageous for the Governor to sign their clemency."Alias Smith and Jones" was modeled after the phenomenal success of the 1969 theatrical feature "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford that was a colossal box office hit. So the powers that be over at Universal(which produced the series) along with network executives at ABC though it would be a great idea to cash in on the success of the film. On March 17, 1970, the origin of "Alias Smith and Jones" began with a two hour made for television movie titled "The Young Country" about two con- artists in the Old West premiered as a special presentation on the ABC Movie of the Week. It was produced and directed by Roy Huggins(who also served as the executive producer) that also starred Walter Brennan and Joan Hackett. The two leads played by Roger Davis and Pete Duel were in the TV-Movie version with special guest star James Drury(of "The Virginian" fame). The TV-Movie version was indeed a smash hit and along with creator and producer Glen A. Larson on board gave the greenlight for the series. In fact both "The Young Country" and the series pilot originally aired as ABC Movies of the Week."Alias Smith and Jones" was made in the same spirit as his other American produced TV-series from Huggins' own shows such as "Maverick","Cheyenne", "The Fugitive", "Run For Your Life" to "Renegade" just to name a few. "Alias Smith and Jones" was next to the last of the great American television Westerns which dominated the prime-time schedule with "Gunsmoke",and "Bonanza" still standing among the last of the dinosaur of Westerns. The problem was that the network put this great Western series on it's prime time Thursday night schedule for the remainder of it's first two seasons(1970-1971 and 1971-1972) where it went opposite NBC's top-rated variety series "The Flip Wilson Show",and went neck in neck in competition with CBS' "Bearcats!". In fact "Alias Smith and Jones" held it's own on it's Thursday night time slot...an astounding feat in prime time television until the sudden death of actor Pete Duel which almost brought the show to a halt in production. Series writer-director,and producer Roy Huggins contacted actor Roger Davis(who was the narrator in the opening credits of the series' first season) to replaced Pete Duel in both Season 2 and Season 3. The rest they say is history. Actor Ralph Story became the main narrator for Seasons 2 and 3 of the series ."Alias Smith and Jones" brought in big time directors, big time writers not to mention big time guest stars as well. Actress Sally Field appeared in two episodes of the series as the character Clementine Hale(Joan Hackett portrayed the character the TV-Movie Version). Other guest stars that were on the series included Burl Ives, Pernell Roberts, Alan Hale, Jr., Jack Cassidy, Cesar Romero, Neville Brand, John Russell, Rory Calhoun, Susan Oliver, Chill Willis, Slim Pickens, Claudine Longet, Denver Pyle, Susan Saint James, Jack Elam, Earl Holliman, Dennis Fimple, Michele Lee, Alejandro Rey, Sam Jaffe, and J.D. Cannon.The series continued for two more seasons,but within the show's third and final season(which moved from Thursday to Saturday nights in an earlier time slot) it never regained it's popularity after the tragic loss of actor Pete Duel. "Alias Smith and Jones" was indeed the next to the last of the Western genre that was giving way to gritty police dramas brought the show to an end on January 13,1973. Three days after "Alias Smith and Jones" was canceled by ABC,another long-running popular Western series "Bonanza" aired it's final episode after 14 seasons and 431 episodes for NBC on January 16,1973. Leaving the eighteen year-old "Gunsmoke"(which ended it's 20-year run on March 31,1975),and the syndicated comedy Western series "Dusty's Trail" and "Kung-Fu" as the only Westerns scheduled for the 1973-1974 Fall Season.The rest were cop dramas when "Alias Smith and Jones" was replaced on the ABC prime time scheduled by the police drama "Griff" starring former "Bonanza" member Lorne Greene and former "Alias Smith and Jones" member Ben Murphy.

As sad as this may sound ,at present they are doing a rerun of Alias Smith and Jones and I have been watching every episode,I still get a buzz watching the show and the boys getting up to their antics, what I found very surprising was the amount of great guest stars they had in the show , I watched an episode last night where Roger Davies was a guest star and he double crossed they boys until Kid Curry had no option but to take him out , I find the show as one of the best entertainment shows of the 70s and the pace and scripts were always written with great endings , What I also loved was the boys always got the worst deal and always came out with nothing to gain, I would recommend Universal look at this and maybe turn it to a Movie and give the leads to Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp and a masterpiece that would be , I gave the idea remember that !!! a def for a hit movie and great for Alias Smith and Jones Fans ..

I just finished viewing all 11 DVD's of the "Alias Smith & Jones" Complete series set and ...wow! What a great show. I was only 4 & 1/2 when the series ended and even though it was still in reruns in the early 80s,I had no interest then. (Typical teen). My local library got in 2 copies of this set and I just had to watch it. Some Westerns take liberty & license with how things were and looked back then but the detail given to the 1ook of the 1880s period in the west is great! Right down to the money they used,the clothes, the music,as well as factual details about events that happened. The pilot show is great,setting off the story of Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry and how they decide to try and go straight and "get out of this business" of train robbing.The shows are engaging,funny,clever and at times even dramatic & serious. You gotta love Kid Curry's unbelievable "fast draw".Season 2 (aside from Pete Duel's untimely end) is just about as good. Loved the episode "The Bounty Hunter" with Louis Gosset Jr.However a few shows get a little silly in some parts though. (Like that "boing!" sound effect used twice in 2 shows.) The remaining shows after Duel's parting are a bit shaky. Ben still looks lost kind of lost without Pete but according to the interview on the special features disc. Not even 2 or 3 days after Pete's suicide did they recast his role!Season 3? Awesome! The opener "The Long Chase" almost feels like a movie in a theater. Roger Davis does his best acting in that one too. Just wish there'd been more shows and a finale.(Either "The Day The Amnesty Came Through" or "The Strange Fate of Conrad Meyer Zulick" would have made great endings to the series. The only other thing I can say is (like others) I wish they could restore these shows somehow. 3 of the shows looked even older than they are. Despite these little nagging things,I loved it. 9 Stars. (END)

I can remember in 1972 , crying when the telly went on the blink at 8.20 on Monday night , BBC 2 .Why ???? Cause asaj was on .Black and white at the time (or at least it was in our house ) - I was shattered .I blamed my Dad , I blamed my Mum - but nothing would make it come back on .How could I miss an episode ? I did that night but saw the repeats and saw the repeats ! What a brilliant series - I can't even remember after Pete died - I only remember him .That must be powerful - he must have had something special .I now have the boxset and am reliving 1971 - what a brilliant time .This is what TV series are all about .The USA have realised after 30 years how to command a TV show .Prisoner Break , Lost , Heroes, Journey Man - you all owe to ASAJ - they taught us about the people - not the setting .