The latest specials, events and marathons on INSP.
You thought we were done celebrating James Garner’s birthday month, but we’ve got a great surprise in store for you—this epic mini-series!
The Streets of Laredo Parts 1, 2, and 3 feature the brilliant characters from Larry McMurtry’s acclaimed novel. James Garner shines as Woodrow Call, and Sam Shepherd, Sissy Spacek, West Studi, Warren Beatty, and others also deliver powerful performances.
Woodrow, a former Texas Ranger-turned-Bounty Hunter, has been hired by an eastern railroad baron who wants him to find Joey Garza. Joey is just a boy but he’s a whole new breed of killer—one who uses a rifle to nab his prey and he does it from a great distance.
Call teams up with his long-time friend, Pea Eye, for one last shot at glory before they return to retirement. But there are other outlaws to deal with on the road ahead, and danger lurks at every turn…
INSP fans like you will agree: the Western mini-series is the perfect way to end our James Garner birthday celebration—with a bang!
FRI, APRIL 26
9PM ET: Streets of Laredo Part 1
SAT, APRIL 27
9PM ET: Streets of Laredo Part 2
SUN, APRIL 28
9PM ET: Streets of Laredo Part 3
INSP fans: get ready to saddle up for a birthday event like no other! This month, we’ve got nine great cowboys (and one cowgirl) with May birthdays that we’ll be featuring in films.
Whether they’re a gunslinger or a reformed gunfighter, doctor or lawman, cattleman or farmer, Civil War veteran, adventurer, or ranch hand—these people are strong, courageous, and ready to fight for their lives.
Enjoy their gritty and brave performances in movies filled with May birthday celebrants like John Wayne, Jeanne Crain, Glenn Ford, Gary Cooper, Bruce Boxleitner, Jimmy Stewart, Henry Fonda, and more. Tune in and celebrate along with us. You bring the cake; we’ll bring the birthday cowboys. Let’s ride!
FRI, MAY 3
9PM ET: Day of the Evil Gun
SAT, MAY 4
9PM ET: The Night of the Grizzly
SUN, MAY 5
9PM ET: Rio Lobo
FRI, MAY 10
9PM ET: Vera Cruz
SAT, MAY 11
9PM ET: The Hanging Tree
SUN, MAY 12
9PM ET:The Sons of Katie Elder
SAT, MAY 18
9PM ET: The Tin Star
SUN, MAY 19
9PM ET: Tall in the Saddle
FRI, MAY 24
9PM ET: Broken Arrow
SAT, MAY 25
9PM ET: The Far Country
SUN, MAY 26
9PM ET: Big Jake
Glenn Ford
Birthday: May 1
Birthplace: Sainte-Christine-d’Auvergne, Quebec, Canada
Fun Facts:
As a high school student, Glenn Ford took a job working for Will Rogers, who taught him horsemanship. Later, when he lived in Beverly Hills, he illegally raised 140 Leghorn chickens—until local law enforcement ordered him to stop.
Gary Cooper
Birthday: May 7
Birthplace: Helena, Montana
Gary Cooper was good friends with Ernest Hemingway for over 20 years. Hemingway said that he based the character of Robert Jordan on Cooper in his novel, For Whom the Bell Tolls.
Bruce Boxleitner
Birthday: May 12
Birthplace: Elgin, Illinois
Bruce Boxleitner got his big break when he was cast opposite James Arness in the epic television series, How the West Was Won. He’s also the author of two science fiction novels.
Henry Fonda
Birthday: May 16
Birthplace: Grand Island, Nebraska
As a young boy, Henry Fonda dreamed of being a journalist—but he caught the acting bug as a young man. In 1981, Fonda won his only Oscar for Best Actor in On Golden Pond, which was a final professional and personal triumph.
Jimmy Stewart
Birthday: May 20
Birthplace: Indiana, Pennsylvania
Jimmy Stewart was a man of many talents: he played the accordion and never took an acting lesson. When he started as an actor, he became roommates with another young hopeful: Henry Fonda.
James Arness
Birthday: May 26
Birthplace: Minneapolis, Minnesota
James Arness’s younger brother was Peter Graves, from the Mission Impossible TV series. During World War II, Arness also served in the 3rd Infantry Division at the same time as Audie Murphy.
John Wayne
Birthplace: Winterset, Iowa
Born Marion Robert Morrison, the Duke won his only Oscar for True Grit, which was a professional triumph. Showing his sense of humor, Wayne also made a cameo appearance on The Beverly Hillbillies!
Clint Walker
Birthday: May 30
Birthplace: Hartford, Illinois
Clint Walker was the tallest actor in Hollywood during his era—at 6’6’ tall! He had a twin sister named Lucy, and his daughter, Valerie, became one of the first female pilots in the world in 1968!
Clint Eastwood
Birthday: May 31
Birthplace: San Francisco, California
Eastwood has won five Oscars including Best Actor and Best Director for the Western, Unforgiven. He says he got his biggest break when James Garner had him cast in his TV show, Maverick—which helped Clint later land the part of Rowdy Yates in Rawhide!
INSP fans know that when it comes to Westerns, John Wayne is the King! Since his birthday falls on May 26th, we’re giving you some birthday gifts: Sunday Nights with the Duke in some of his best movies!
Experience the OG Avenger, John Wayne, at his cowboy best. No matter if he’s the man searching for the traitor who caused his friend’s death, an angry son seeking his father’s murderer, a ranch hand helping his female bosses track down their father’s killer, or the aggrieved grandfather of a kidnapped boy, the Duke will fill your Sunday nights with decisive action and guns-a-blazing adventures!
Stars include John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Dean Martin, Jennifer O’Neill, Ward Bond, Ella Raines, Jack Elam, and more.
So, what do you say, partner? Come saddle up every Sunday night this month and help us Salute the Duke! (Birthday cake optional).
SAT, MAY 5
9PM ET: The Sons of Katie Elder
What do you get when you combine John Wayne, the King of Western films, and James Arness, the King of Western television? You get Western Royalty, of course!
Wayne and Arness share a birthday (May 26th) and that’s why we’re celebrating these two men, who are beloved and synonymous with great Western fare on screens big and small.
Today’s marathon begins with John Wayne introducing James Arness as Marshal Matt Dillon for the very first time! After that, Arness plays a retired Marshal in a Gunsmoke movie made decades later. This birthday boy showcase concludes with a classic Western movie that stars The Duke.
Other great actors to watch for include George Kennedy, Buck Taylor, Amanda Blake, Dean Martin, and more.
Settle in for a Sunday filled with pulse-pounding action, trigger-happy gunmen, revenge sought, and redemption found—all with the Duke and The Marshal.
1:30PM ET: Gunsmoke: Matt Gets It
2PM ET: Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge
4PM ET: The Sons of Katie Elder
Yes, it’s true! We’ve got two INSP fan-favorite cowboys named Clint, and they’ve both got birthdays at the end of May! Clint Walker (5/30) and Clint Eastwood (5/31) are beyond legendary, and we’re featuring them both in this birthday event.
Are you ready for a Friday night with the two birthday boys? We’ll get you out on the trail with two episodes of Rawhide—and Clint Eastwood in all his snarling glory! Rowdy faces troubles on the trail, and is held hostage when a horse deal gone wrong lands him in jeopardy of being hanged!
Next, Clint Walker plays an ex-lawyer turned Wyoming farmer with some big problems, including a land-grabbing neighbor, a ruthless bounty hunter, and a terrifying grizzly bear!
It’s a birthday event to remember—and we’ll light up your Friday night better than a birthday cake with Eastwood and Walker’s candles combined.
FRI, MAY 31
12PM ET: Rawhide: Crossing at White Feather
1PM ET: Rawhide: Hostage for Hanging
Hit the Trail Every Saturday…
The jingle of spurs. The creak of oiled leather. From gunslingers to saloon singers, the Old West is alive and well on INSP. Best keep your remote at hand and be quick on the draw. The action keeps coming every Saturday with all the Western stars you love. So, start your weekend off right—with hot coffee, some grub, and INSP. Western action starts at 9AM ET. Now, let’s ride!