The Great Adventure is an American historical anthology series that appeared on CBS for the 1963–64 television season. The initial 13 episodes were narrated by Van Heflin, with the second grouping of 13 episodes narrated by Russell Johnson. The series, which featured theme music by Richard Rodgers, presented a weekly one-hour dramatization of the lives of famous Americans and important events in American history.
Synopsis The series lasted for only 26 episodes, and showed, among others, stories on the Confederate submarine, the H. L. Hunley; the life of Harriet Tubman; the Battles of Lexington and Concord; the trial and hanging of Nathan Hale; the life of "Boss" Tweed; the death of Sitting Bull; the siege of Boonesborough; the capture of Jefferson Davis; the life and death of Wild Bill Hickok; and the Battle of New Orleans.
Notable guest stars Among those who appeared in the series were:
Claude Akins Whit Bissell Lloyd Bridges Howard Caine Albert Cavens Carroll O'Connor Michael Constantine Bill Coontz Jackie Cooper Jeff Cooper Joseph Cotten Robert Culp Bob Cummings Ossie Davis Ruby Dee John Dehner Ivan Dixon Don Dubbins Andrew Duggan Bernard Fox Peter Graves Ron Howard Russell Johnson Victor Jory Ray Kellogg Jack Klugman Karl Lukas James MacArthur Flip Mark Lee Marvin Ken Mayer David McCallum Peggy McCay Ricardo Montalban Channing Pollock Denver Pyle Tom Reese Wayne Rogers Marion Ross Tom Simcox George Sowards Rip Torn Max Wagner Jack Warden H. M. Wynant
Historical background Episode # Episode title Episode era and topic Key historical character(s) Actor portrayal Original airdate1-1 "The Hunley" 1864 Confederate submarine H. L. HunleyLieutenant George E. DixonJackie CooperSeptember 27, 19631-2 "The Death of Sitting Bull" (part one) 1890 Sitting Bull#Death and burialChief Sitting BullGeneral Nelson A. MilesAnthony CarusoKent Smith October 4, 19631-3 "The Massacre at Wounded Knee" (part two) 1890 Wounded Knee MassacreGeneral Nelson A. MilesKent Smith October 11, 19631-4 "Six Wagons to the Sea" 1907 Seropian brothers of Fresno, California, top of page 5Armenian immigrant farmer Misok Bedrozian, a character based on the Seropian brothersLee Marvin October 18, 19631-5 "The Secret" 1776 Revolutionary War hero Nathan HaleCaptain Nathan HaleGeneral HoweJeremy SlateTorin Thatcher October 25, 19631-6 "Go Down, Moses" 1855 Harriet Tubman#Nicknamed "Moses"Harriet TubmanRuby Dee November 1, 19631-7 "The Great Diamond Mountain" 1872 Great Diamond Hoax swindleWilliam Chapman RalstonClarence KingBarry SullivanJ. D. Cannon November 8, 19631-8 "The Treasure Train of Jefferson Davis" 1865 Jefferson Davis#Final days of the ConfederacyPresident Jefferson DavisJudah P. BenjaminMichael RennieHarry Townes November 15, 19631-9 "The Outlaw and the Nun" 1881 Sister Blandina#LegendsSister BlandinaBilly the KidJoan HackettAndrew Prine December 6, 19631-10 "The Man Who Stole New York City" 1878 William M. Tweed#ScandalBoss Tweed od New York City's Tammany HallEdward Andrews December 13, 19631-11 "A Boy at War" 1781 Andrew Jackson#Revolutionary War serviceAndrew JacksonFlip Mark December 20, 19631-12 "Wild Bill Hickok – The Legend and the Man" 1876 Wild Bill Hickok#DeathWild Bill HickokJack McCallLloyd BridgesNeil Nephew January 3, 19641-13 "The Colonel from Connecticut" 1859 Edwin L. Drake#Drilling for oilColonel Edwin L. DrakeBenjamin Silliman Jr.Richard KileyWhit Bissell January 10, 19641-14 "Teeth of the Lion" 1875 Great Plains#Pioneer settlementsettler Will Cross, a character based on a compendium of pioneer settlersEarl Holliman January 17, 19641-15 "Rodger Young" 1943 Rodger Young#Military serviceWorld War II hero Private Rodger YoungJames MacArthur January 24, 19641-16 "The Testing of Sam Houston" 1818 Sam Houston#War of 1812 and aftermathSam HoustonAndrew JacksonRobert CulpVictor Jory February 7, 19641-17 "The Special Courage of Captain Pratt" 1879 Richard Henry Pratt#Cultural assimilation of Native AmericansCaptain Richard H. PrattGeneral GriersonGeneral MilesPaul BurkeCurt ConwayDenver Pyle February 14, 19641-18 "The Night Raiders" 1859 John Brown's raid on Harpers FerryJohn BrownColonel Lewis WashingtonJack KlugmanTorin Thatcher February 21, 19641-19 "The Plague" 1801 Benjamin Waterhouse#Smallpox vaccineDr. Benjamin WaterhousePresident JeffersonBob CummingsJohn Dehner February 28, 19641-20 "The Pathfinder" 1846 John C. Fremont#Mexican–American War (1846–1848)Major John C. FremontJohn SutterRip TornCarroll O'Connor March 6, 19641-21 "The President Vanishes" 1893 Elisha Jay Edwards and President Cleveland#Cancerjournalist E. J. EdwardsGrover ClevelandBarry SullivanLeif Erickson March 13, 19641-22 "The Henry Bergh Story" 1866 Henry Bergh#Animal welfare workHenry BerghBrian Keith March 20, 19641-23 "Kentucky's Bloody Ground" (part one) 1778 Revolutionary War Siege of Boonesborough#Capture of Daniel BooneDaniel BooneColonel CallawayPeter GravesAndrew Duggan April 3, 19641-24 "The Siege of Boonesborough" (part two) 1778 Revolutionary War Siege of Boonesborough#SiegeDaniel BooneSimon KentonPeter GravesArthur Hunnicutt April 10, 19641-25 "Escape" 1864 Libby Prison escape of Union Army prisoners during Civil WarColonel Thomas E. RoseColonel Abel StreightFritz WeaverMichael Constantine April 17, 19641-26 "The Pirate and the Patriot" 1814 General Andrew Jackson, Jean Lafitte#Battle of New OrleansJean LafitteAndrew JacksonRicardo MontalbanJohn Anderson May 1, 1964
Episodes
Notes
References
External links
Theme music The Great Adventure at CVTA with episode list