BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Crwthod A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

Darin One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

Francene Odetta It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

pensman I was about eleven when this series appeared and it was a favorite of mine along with Yancy Derringer, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, and Davy Crockett. We weren't looking for historical accuracy, just heroes. We had all heard of Jim Bowie and the knife he made, so this was a perfect show. Jim was all the things it said about him in the theme song: he was brave, courageous, and bold. The stories were pretty simple; but Scott Forbes looked the part, and he had some interesting adventures. Now that they have started to rerun the series on Cozi TV, I get a kick out of the revisionist history and the portrayals of Jean Lafitte, Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, and even George Washington. A modern audience might either be confused or interested in watching Bowie in his many trading trips into Texas which to him is a Mexican territory. Bowie always tries to be courteous in his dealings with the Mexicans and everyone else. There is a bit of a mystery about the series as it was a hit for Desilu and for no apparent reason the series was canceled. It is still a watchable show but actually more character than action driven.

rbdrdbrd Despite the fact that a number of episodes have Bowie encountering a variety of historical celebrities {including J.J. Audubon} that the real knife-wielder probably never actually met, the series is not without some historical value. Most of the westerns from the "Golden Age of TV" are supposed to represent the 1870s, but sometimes have technology from a much later date & a range of locale quite impossible for anyone to cover on horseback in a single lifetime. This saga accurately situates Scott Forbes' Bowie in the 1820s & displays the single shot pistols & musket rifles that were in use at the time. It also keeps Bowie pretty much confined to LA, where the real personality prospered until he ran afoul of the law & was forced to re-locate in TX where he ultimately met his end at the Alamo. The effort to chronicle the diffusion of French culture into Louisiana bayou is rather commendable for any TV program, especially in the late 1950s. Surely corny but somehow cool at the same time.

aimless-46 Adventures of Jim Bowie originally aired on ABC from 1956-1958. This DVD contains the entire run of the series whose target audience was probably pre-teen boys. Today it is fun just to see the incredible historical liberties taken by the writers. Scott Forbes (a British actor who had found a home in American television's many dramatic anthology series) plays the title character. Bowie and his brother Rezin (Peter Hanson) had invented the "Bowie Knife" and the opening credits begin with a knife being thrown into a wooden door. Then begins the theme song by the King's Men Quartet (not to be confused with the pop group that gave us "Louie Louie" a few years later). Based on a novel "The Tempered Blade" by Monte Barrett, the series is set in the Louisiana- Texas region during the 1830's and the many episodes have Jim interacting with historical figures from the period like Andrew Jackson, John James Audubon, and Jean Lafitte the Pirate. If you were a young boy back in 1957 you could have mistakenly formed the impression that Lafitte was a central figure in American history, as it was his gold doubloons that the Hardy Boys were after on the "Mickey Mouse Club's serial: "Applegate's Treasure". Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child. "Jim Bowie Jim Bowie, he was a bold adventurer man. Jim Bowie Jim Bowie, he battled for rights with a powerful hand. His blade was tempered and so was he, indestructible steel was he. Jim Bowie Jim Bowie Jim Bowie, he was a fighter, a fearless and mighty adventurer man".

Akzidenz_Grotesk I bought the Volume 2 DVD of the Jim Bowie TV series at Wal-Mart and was entertained by its contents! Three episodes which feature entertaining actors, stories and fight scenes! So what if it's low-budget; Have you noticed that modern TV and movies are 99% monstrous mega-budget junk?! Jim Bowie is retro-cool action from a simpler time and conjures up fond memories of visiting Frontierland and Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland! Scott Forbes plays well as the strapping Bowie and his narration adds a nice extra touch to these episodes. I'm probably a bit biased because I'm a fan of all things vintage, but if you enjoy "boy's adventure" themed movies and books like Tom Sawyer you'll appreciate this series. I'm on the hunt for the other volumes!