SYNOPSIS
Bat
Masterson was a lawman, Indian fighter, scout and professional gambler.
He was also, by Western standards, quite a dandy. With a derby hat, a gold-topped cane, and clothes that were more
at home in New York than in Tombstone, Arizona, he did not look like
he belonged in the Old West.
Preferring to use his wits and his
cane to disarm opponents, rather than his
gun, Masterson provided quite a contrast to the general run of violent Western
heroes. He was a debonair charmer of women and roamed the Southwest romancing
the ladies and helping to protect the innocent, especially in situations where
they had been wrongly accused of crimes.
The real William Bartley "Bat" Masterson
may not have been quite as glamorous a personality as Gene Barry's portrayal
indicated, but he was quite a character in his own right. The derby, cane and specially designed
gun were presented to him by the grateful citizens of Dodge City during
his tenure as sheriff; he was a close friend of Wyatt Earp, another legendary
Western hero; and his exploits created the legend upon which this series was
based.
