Frontier Doctor - Volume 1

My wife knew Rex along time ago as a good friend so I've heard many stories about him. I mentioned to her it would be nice to see what he was like in the movies he made, so we bought one. Although my wife says this is not the Rex she knew, he was allot older when she knew him, we couldn't be happier, it was just what we needed.

I enjoyed watching this program because it reflects many of the situations that occurred in the early days of the west. The doctor is sincere in his efforts and reflects the kind of man he is portraying. The program does not over due the drama.

Love Rex Allen of course he from AZ the state I lived my whole life in so I'm partial and he was really good in frontier Doctor .

In this short-lived TV series (it lasted only one season, 1956-7, at a time when TV Westerns were still dithering between being "kiddie shows" or "B's" and adult fare like "Gunsmoke"), former singing cowboy Rex Allen is surprisingly effective as Bill Baxter, a doctor in Rising Springs, Arizona Territory, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His is a challenging bailiwick, for besides the town and surrounding farms and ranches he's often called upon to succor the inhabitants of the nearby military post and Indian reservation, and, as he points out, folks out West don't just face things like childbirth and contagious disease, they "get thrown by their horses, trampled by their livestock, and sometimes they even shoot each other."So far there are six volumes of episodes from this series available from Alpha Video, for a total of 24, all turning on medical subjects that range from a possible carrier of diphtheria to an outlaw released early from prison because he's dying of heart disease to a patient who mysteriously dies in the hospital while under Dr. Bill's care. Dating is a bit hazy--in one segment events are said to be occurring in 1891, while in another the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 plays a featured role (and Dr. Bill is said to have been in practice about "a year"!). Despite his natural inclination toward preserving life, though, he's no wimp: when the situation warrants it he's never reluctant to throw a telling punch--or even pick up a gun. Allen and his character are both pleasant, attractive, and sympathetic, and connoisseurs of early TV Westerns should enjoy this little-known example.