Better Late Then Never

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

The Adventures of Jim Bowie is a prime example of the approval and promotion of the rampant racism and genocidal behavior of the American People, their Government and their Religions. In far too many Jim Bowie episodes, it is ASSUMED that American Indian Natives are evil, untrustworthy, and less than human. The plot line is very clear.......KILL these Savages, or at lease use violence and trickery to steal their land, break Treaties with them, and demonize them entirely. The same is true of the series' treatment of American Blacks. Shameful stuff. The value in watching Jim Bowie is to recognize and understand the shameful racism and bigotries in our American past, and that it continues today in more subtle, yet even more entrenched ways. Our Nation's (U.S.A.) political and financial support of the genocide against Palestinians is a good example of our ongoing national shame. People of Conscience understand this. Hollywood does not, even to this day. One wonders if Amazon will allow this viewpoint to be expressed?

I was about eleven when this series appeared and it was a favorite of mine along with Yancy Derringer, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, and Davy Crockett. We weren't looking for historical accuracy, just heroes. We had all heard of Jim Bowie and the knife he made, so this was a perfect show. Jim was all the things it said about him in the theme song: he was brave, courageous, and bold. The stories were pretty simple; but Scott Forbes looked the part, and he had some interesting adventures. Now that they have started to rerun the series on Cozi TV, I get a kick out of the revisionist history and the portrayals of Jean Lafitte, Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, and even George Washington. A modern audience might either be confused or interested in watching Bowie in his many trading trips into Texas which to him is a Mexican territory. Bowie always tries to be courteous in his dealings with the Mexicans and everyone else. There is a bit of a mystery about the series as it was a hit for Desilu and for no apparent reason the series was canceled. It is still a watchable show but actually more character than action driven.

Despite the fact that a number of episodes have Bowie encountering a variety of historical celebrities {including J.J. Audubon} that the real knife-wielder probably never actually met, the series is not without some historical value. Most of the westerns from the "Golden Age of TV" are supposed to represent the 1870s, but sometimes have technology from a much later date & a range of locale quite impossible for anyone to cover on horseback in a single lifetime. This saga accurately situates Scott Forbes' Bowie in the 1820s & displays the single shot pistols & musket rifles that were in use at the time. It also keeps Bowie pretty much confined to LA, where the real personality prospered until he ran afoul of the law & was forced to re-locate in TX where he ultimately met his end at the Alamo. The effort to chronicle the diffusion of French culture into Louisiana bayou is rather commendable for any TV program, especially in the late 1950s. Surely corny but somehow cool at the same time.

Adventures of Jim Bowie (1956) was a sappy western that was produced during the early years of television (a.k.a the golden era). Well like most television show during this time they made a lot of westerns. This one was about a frontiersman who was famous for two things, he died at the Alamo and along with his brother created one of the world's most famous knife. I'm talking about Jim Bowie! Yes, they made a show about a guy and his phallic knife. What was so funny was the knife had almost an equal amount of screen time as the lead character. Watch the infamous Jim Bowie and his trusty knife carve up the villains and safe they day! Cheesy hoke-um that isn't worth your time. Unless you're in a hankering for some low budget western action!The acting is pretty melodramatic except for Jim who's as stiff as a board. Shot in black-and-white and made on the cheap. It was funny to see a sappy old fashion western but the charm wears off after about ten minutes. Boring stuff that has a few unintentional laughs.Not recommended unless you want to watch a mildly amusing revisionist fluff