- THE THIRTY-NINTH STAR
Original Airdate: November 16, 1958
Synopsis. Bart celebrates the Fourth of July in a western territory that hopes to qualify for statehood.
More often than not, any script during the Roy Huggins era that featured just one Maverick was doled out to whichever actor was available, be that James Garner or Jack Kelly (although, as a rule, Huggins had always his scripts written with Garner in mind). According to series writer Marion Hargrove, however, “The Thirty-Ninth Star” was one of the few Huggins shows that was specifically written as a vehicle for Jack Kelly.
The episode also features one of the most famous Pappyisms of all: “Work is fine for killing time, but it’s a shaky way to make a living.”
Synopsis. While riding a mare he won in a poker game in Denver, Bart meets, and immediately becomes attracted to, Linda Burke (played by Joanna Moore)—a woman of great beauty, few words, and many secrets. Unbeknownst to Bart, Linda’s husband is a mining tycoon with gubernatorial aspirations. Maverick secretly meets Linda every day at a secluded spot in a nearby meadow, much to the suspicion of Linda’s love, Phil Dana, the son of Burke’s former partner. Bart and Phil soon become rivals in cards and in love. When Phil is found shot to death, Maverick becomes the prime suspect.