Diamond Jim: Skulduggery in Samantha

A railroad is being built that must reach the town limits of Samantha, Colorado by a certain date in order for the railroad owner to get a 250 thousand dollar bonus which he needs to keep his railroad out of bankruptcy. A competitor is using violence - snipers and dynamite - to prevent this crucial piece of railroad from reaching Samantha in time. Diamond Jim Brady claims that he can get the railroad into Samantha on time, for a sizeable financial inducement.

This was a pilot for a proposed TV show that was loosely - and I mean as loose as the real Diamond Jim's pants would have been had he reduced down to the correct weight - based on the life of Diamond Jim Brady. I'm sure the real Diamond Jim would have been thrilled to see himself being portrayed so slim, such a fast gun, good with his fists, and just an overall charming and athletic guy, but that is not even close to the truth.

For some reason this pilot chose to make a recently retired Irish New York cop of diminuative stature - played by wizened character actor Walter Burke - Diamond Jim's sidekick. He looks like a leprechaun, and yes there is contrast between the two, but maybe the contrast that existed between Jim West and Artemus Gordon would have been a better recipe. In the end the networks must have agreed, because Diamond Jim was a TV series that never was.

Probably worthwhile for those interested in the more obscure history of the small screen.