Season One “Pay’s real good, real good. Place is lovely to work. Hours: not long. Work: not hard. Beautiful. Whatcha say?” Buck’s pitch for new hires in “The Kinsman” “I know, I’ll go watch the herd . . .” Ira…

March 22-24, 2013 Tucson, AZ The event: Join fans, cast and crew to celebrate The High Chaparral. Special events this year include: Wild West Days at Old Tucson, with a Reunion at the High Chaparral ranch set. Cowboy Dinner at White Stallion Ranch for…

Leif Erickson

Played Big John Cannon
Leif Erickson, who’s real name was William Wycliffe Anderson, came to The High Chaparral after a long and successful career in film. He got into serious acting almost by accident. Paramount sent him a telegram in Peoria, where he was part of the cast of a touring version of Olsen & Johnson’s Hellzapoppin. They wanted to screen test him, only they were looking for someone else named Erickson. By the time they discovered their mistake, Leif, then 23, had already been signed. David Dortort, creator of The High Chaparral, first noticed him in a Bonanza episode in 1961, where he played God, and signed him up as ranch patriarch John Cannon. Leif Erickson died in 1986 in Pensacola, Fla.

Cameron Mitchell

Played Buck Cannon
Cameron Mitchell came to The High Chaparral when he ended up seated next to David Dortort and his wife, Rose on a flight to Tucson. By the time they reached Tucson, he had become Buck Cannon, younger brother to John Cannon. Cameron Mitchell died of lung cancer on July 6, 1994 in Pacific Palisades, Calif.

Mark Slade

Played Billy Blue Cannon
Mark Van Blarcom Slade got the part of Billy Blue Cannon, son of ranch patriarch John Cannon, through his electric performance in producer David Dortort’s office, even after the part had been temporarily assigned to another actor. Dortort was wanting a young man with just the right generation clash with authority, and Mark provided it by yanking Dortort up out of his chair by the lapel of his suit in the impromptu audition. Three hours later, Mark was hired. He lives in California and is still pursuing his artistic ambitions. Visit his studio website at www.marksladestudio.com.

Henry Darrow

Played Manolito Montoya
Henry Darrow, real name Enrique Tomas Delgado, acted in 12 feature films and 75 television roles, and became known as a specialist in Latin roles and dialects. He is probably the only actor in Hollywood who can provide four different Spanish accents – Northern, Castillian, Basque and Mexican. Henry almost missed his glory days on The High Chaparral because David Dortort had been searching for Henry under his former name, Enrique Delgado, but Henry, tired of being type-cast as a Mexican, had changed his name to Darrow. The part nearly went to another actor before Henry was located just two weeks before filming was scheduled to begin. He currently lives in North Carolina, and still acting in theater and film.

Linda Cristal

Played Victoria Montoya Cannon
Linda Cristal, real name Marta Victoria Moya Burges, was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She had gone into semi-retirement to raise her two sons, when John Wayne coaxed her out to do the part of Flaca in his epic The Alamo in 1960. Linda was the last main cast member to be added to The High Chaparral. She now lives in California, and is enjoying retirement.

Don Collier

Played Sam Butler
Don Collier’s first movie was the Western, Massacre River, to be followed in short order by Fort Apache and Davy Crockett, Indian Scout. After a stint in college, Don returned to acting with a starring role in the highly acclaimed Outlaws in 1960, where he played the part of U.S. Marshal Will Foreman during the notorious days of the Dalton Gang and Bill Doolin’s Wild Bunch in the Oklahoma Territory of the 1890s. He came to the difficult and demanding role of rancher Sam Butler on The High Chaparral because of his looks and exceptional riding ability. He now lives in Tucson, Ariz., in semi-retirement.

Bob Hoy

Played Joe Butler
Born April 3, 1927 in New York, Robert Francis “Bob” Hoy, has been a stuntman – actor – stunt coordinator – director in television and the movies going back to the late 1940s. When he became Joe Butler, the ranch hand and younger brother of ranch foreman Sam Butler on The High Chaparral, he rode into millions of hearts everywhere. He passed away in February 2010 at the age of 82.

Roberto Contreras

Played Pedro Carr
Roberto Contreras always knew he would be an actor. Tall and lean with the rugged good looks of the Latin lover, he appeared in hundreds of television and movie roles, usually cast as a Mexican peasant or lovable villain. He came to The High Chaparral as the jack-of-all-trades ranch hand named Pedro in the first episode and quickly captured hearts everywhere. Ironically, he first worked with Don Collier in an episode of Outlaws in 1961, which also guest-starred Ted Markland, who became Reno on The High Chaparral. Roberto died July 18, 2000 in Burbank, Calif., after a short illness.

Ted Markland

Played Reno
Ted Markland studied dramatic arts at Los Angeles City College. He also studied with famed actor Richard Boone, who rode into history as Paladin in Have Gun Will Travel. Some of his memorable television appearances have been in Father Murphy, Dallas, Hunter, Bonanza, Renegade, and Murder She Wrote. His films have ranged from Disney’s Blackbeard’s Ghost to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ulzana’s Raid, and Waterhole #3. It was while he was performing at the Troubadour that director David Dortort spied him and wrote the part of Reno the ranch hand for him in The High Chaparral. Ted now lives in California.

Jerry Summers

Played Ira Bean
Jerry Summers said he got the part of ranch hand Ira Bean on The High Chaparral through sheer luck, but that is not quite the whole story. He was already well-acquainted with director Bill Claxton, and he had worked with most of the cast and crew members on one project or another, so with the added ability of being able to do just about anything required on the set, he was a shoo-in as a ranch hand. Although it was said that he often doubled Henry Darrow as Manolito in The High Chaparral, that stunt double was Carl Petty. Jerry left at the end of the first season to pursue his career in the stunt profession, becoming one of the most famous stuntmen in Hollywood. Jerry passed away in 2006 at his home in California.

Season One “Pay’s real good, real good. Place is lovely to work. Hours: not long. Work: not hard. Beautiful. Whatcha say?” Buck’s pitch for new hires in “The Kinsman” “I know, I’ll go watch the herd . . .” Ira…

March 22-24, 2013 Tucson, AZ The event: Join fans, cast and crew to celebrate The High Chaparral. Special events this year include: Wild West Days at Old Tucson, with a Reunion at the High Chaparral ranch set. Cowboy Dinner at White Stallion Ranch for…