This collection consists of 39 episodes from the half-hour western anthology television series Death Valley Days, which aired in syndication from 1952 to 1975. The series, created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman as a broadcast radio program, featured true stories of the old American West, particularly in the Death Valley region. Each episode began with an introduction by the series host, which changed over the course of its syndication. Hosts included Ronald Reagan (1965-1966), Robert Taylor (1966-1969), and Dale Robertson (1969-1972); though the longest running was “The Old Ranger” from 1952 to 1965, played by Stanley Andrews. Death Valley Days was produced by three different companies (McGowan Productions, Flying 'A' Productions, and Filmster Productions) over the course of its full 18 season run.
The series was sponsored by the Pacific Coast Borax Company and featured many of its products such as 20 Mule Team laundry cleaner and powder-less hand soap and Shocking de Schiaparelli perfume, but others as well such as Delta brand rice during Death Valley Days.
Approximately 452 episodes of Death Valley Days were produced; however this collection contains only 39 episodes from the series, predominantly from seasons 1, 2 and 8, including the first episode, “How Death Valley Got Its Name” (1952) and “Olvera” (1959) starring actor Cesar Romero. All the reels in this collection are 16 mm, black and white prints with sound and have a running time of approximately 20 to 30 minutes. Several of the episodes in this collection feature commercial promotions for 20 Mule Team products, California Gold Label Beer; a product of the California Brewing Company of San Francisco, California; as well as promotions for mail-in order Western art. The visual quality of these prints is generally good overall although it differs between individual reels. Episodes are arranged chronologically by original air date in this finding aid.
