The Rebel

1959

Seasons & Episodes

  • 2
  • 1
7.8| 0h30m| en| More Info
Released: 04 October 1959 Ended
Producted By:
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Synopsis

The Rebel is a 76-episode American western television series starring Nick Adams that debuted on the ABC network from 1959 to 1961. The Rebel was one of the few Goodson-Todman Productions outside of their game show ventures. Beginning in December 2011, The Rebel reruns began to air Saturday mornings on Me-TV.

... View More
Stream Online

Stream with Freevee

Cast

Nick Adams

Director

Producted By

AD
AD

Watch Free for 30 Days

All Prime Video Movies and TV Shows. Cancel anytime. Watch Now

Trailers & Images

Reviews

WillSushyMedia This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.
InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.
Bergorks If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.
Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.
jkm0119 This is one of the best series that was made. The Rebel was a term given to the South and if anyone studied their untainted history they would see that they were not Rebels but good people. One person wrote derogatory comments which many liked. Jonny Yuma was a man and he went about doing good and seeking justice unlike the northern people. It shows a contrast which exists to this day about greed and helping others, The South was better at helping others while the northerners were greedy. That is what the civil war was about. The Northern greed as they needed the south's wealth. the North took it by force and labeled the ones who wished to leave the union as rebels. It is a great story of how the south stood for people and would help those in need.
John T. Ryan THERE SEEMS TO be a nearly eternal popularity deeply entrenched into the very fiber of the stories dealing with "rebels." Be they authentic guerrilla type fighters or those representing restless and idealistic (and often very naïve)individuals. We need only look at some of our most popular movies of the day.IN GOINGH BACK some years (being ever since WWII), we have had many films with this particular theme. Often categorized as the "Anti-hero", the characters and their stories have had such appeal as we've been talking. Consider: Marlon Brando in THE WILD ONE, Paul Newman in COOL HAND Luke, Tom Laughlin in BILLY JACK and the premier candidate, James Dean in REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE.AND SPEAKING OF Mr.Dean, it was his meteoric rise and tragic demise that added to both his own personal legend; as well as to the desire to have "rebellious" movie themes. In typical Hollywood fashion, there was a frantic scurrying about in hopes of finding the "New James Dean"; or at least someone who resembles him and could fill the void.THIS EXHAUSTIVE SEARCH by "Talent Scouts" did manage to bring forth a number of talented individuals; although none really did the impossible by replacing the fallen Star. Among those who were thought to be viable candidates were: Robert Conrad, Martin Sheen, Ty Hardin, Rip Taylor* and Nick Adams.SO IN THE casting of the youthful Mr. Adams as the lead in THE REBEL TV Series, the producers essentially fulfilled both rebel types. The character of Johnny Yuma was both young and full of blank and vinegar and was also a veteran of the defeated Army of the Confederate States of America. Indeed, what a coup de tat this was for the producers in "killing two birds with one stone", so to speak.THE SERIES, WHICH did make it successfully through two seasons of brutal ratings wars of its own, traced the adventures lived by the young veteran former foot soldier. We follow his meandering through the Post-Bellum Western United States. He always has to prove himself to somebody; both as a man (because of his young age) and because he is a former "Johnny Reb".NO MATTER WHERE Yuma 'wandered', the locals were sure to be able to size him up instantly as a Reb. Why, you ask? Well it was probably because he always wore his Gray uniform and rebel flat-topped brimmed cap; being a dead give away.AS WAS THE custom, the central character in these 1950s 'Horse Operas' had special weapons. Much like Josh Randall (Steve McQueen) on WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE, Johnny's weapon of choice was sawed off. But rather than its being a cut down carbine rifle, This Rebel had a surgically shortened shotgun. OUCH!!! WE HAVE JUST discovered that in addition to being in front of the camera, Nick Adams was both the co-creator and sometimes writer to the series. He also did own some piece of the series. (Good for you, Nick!) WHEN ONRE WATCHES one of the episodes of THE REBEL today, there is something very different. The original theme song and signature song, "The Ballad of Johnny Yuma" is not present on these modern day prints. It was very well known and sung by every kid in our neighborhood. It was recorded for the series by a singer named Johnny Cash. It has been replaced on the soundtrack by an instrumental instead. Once again, why you asked? WELL THIS IS only a guess, but it's probably over either the rights to the song or because it may well require payments of healthy residuals to the Estate of the Late Mr. Cash; a practice abhorred by just about any Hollywood producer.CAN YOU SAY "bottom line", Schultz?
rcj5365 Character actor Nick Adams was an unlikely choice for the lead on an action-packed television western series where the genre was dominated by "Gunsmoke","Wagon Train","Have Gun Will Travel","The Rifleman",and "Tales of Wells Fargo",and "Cheyenne" just to name a few were the stars that dominated the "western" genre were Ward Bond,Robert Horton,Chuck Connors,not to mention James Arness and Clint Walker. "The Rebel" came out when the television landscape was dominated by "westerns",and "family situation comedies" that ruled the late-1950's and early-1960's. The series portrays the adventures of a young Confederate Army veteran named Johnny Yuma(Nick Adams)who was an inspiring writer who kept details of his activities in his journal. Haunted by the memories of the Civil War,Yuma,in search of inner peace,roams the American West specifically the Texas Hill Country and the South Texas plains who also fights injustice wherever he finds it and takes care of manners in his own hands with a double-barreled sawed off shotgun. Whereas virtually all the others "westerns" consisted of work,romance and adventure,"The Rebel" was about Johnny Yuma "finding himself" and along the way his encounters with ruthless gunslingers,hostile villains,and the like while Johnny Yuma comes out of these episodes "victorious". Out of the 76 episodes that this series produced,all in classic black-and-white,"The Rebel" had Nick Adams as not only the star of the series,but also was involved with the show's design,inception,and writing,not to mention serving as its creator and executive producer along with producer Andrew J. Fenady(who appeared twice in the series once as United States Army General Philip Sheridan in the episode "Johnny Yuma at Appomattox"). The series was one of the few that producers Mark Goodson and Bill Todman,through their production company Goodson-Todman Productions did outside of their game show ventures. The other series that Goodson and Todman produced was another western called "Branded" starring Chuck Connors that ran for 23 episodes. "The Rebel" originally aired on ABC-TV from October 4,1959 until the series finale on June 18,1961. The show's sponsor was the Proctor & Gamble Company. This series was the first "teenage western" whose audiences were the younger crowd. The show's title song was done by Johnny Cash. It was grand western,but it ended up getting canceled with the powers that be over at ABC entered into a hostile relationship with the company that produced the series,ending up canceling one of their top rated shows. In 1962,"The Rebel" was picked up by NBC in repeats as a mid-season replacement where all 76 episodes were re-runs. After that the series went into syndication in repeats.
bobkurtz-1 In the 50s, as a kid, I watched Gunsmoke, Maverick, Have Gun Will Travel and the others.When Johnny Yuma, 'The Rebel' came along, there was no need to watch the others. When it went off the air in two short years, I never watched Westerns again. This series said it all, the only one I thought projected the West as it might have been, the only one worth looking back at 50 years later.It had decent scripts and all the technical trappings, but Nick Adams was a rebel from the first episode to the last.I never cared for much Nick did before or after 'Rebel' but James Dean would have been proud of what his friend did in bringing a 'Rebel Without a Cause' to the west. I think Nick wanted it this way

Similar Movies to The Rebel