Before Gilligan's Island, Alan Hale Jr. Headlined His Own Western TV Series With A Unique Premise

If you only know Alan Hale Jr. as Captain Jonas Grumby, aka The Skipper from "Gilligan's Island," you'll likely be surprised to learn just how prolific the man was outside of his CBS sitcom. In fact, I think it's fair to say Hale Jr. has one of the most quietly impressive filmographies of the mid-20th century. At one point, he even fronted his own syndicated Western series: "Casey Jones."

Before he went to great lengths to secure the role of the Skipper on "Gilligan's Island," Hale Jr. had worked on projects with every big name of the era you can think of. John Wayne in "The Sea Chase," Kirk Douglas in "The Big Trees," Audie Murphy in "Destry." James Cagney, Gregory Peck, Gene Autry; Hale Jr. had worked with them all more than a decade before he wound up stranded on Gilligan's Isle. He even fronted his own CBS show when he was cast as the lead in "Biff Baker, U.S.A.," which aired between 1952 and 53. After that show ended, Hale remained busy throughout the 1950s. By the time he came to the front of his own Western show in 1957, his acting, let alone his Western bonafides were well-established.

That year was particularly busy for the actor, who appeared in an episode of the forgotten Western gem that completely changed television, "Cheyenne." He was also cast in Rory Calhoun's "The Texan," which wouldn't air until the following year. On top of all that, Hale Jr. found time to lead 32 half-hour episodes of "Casey Jones," a mostly forgotten series that saw the actor play the titular engineer in a wholesome Western show that has since been mostly forgotten.

Even after "Gilligan's Island," Alan Hale Jr. starred in one of Clint Eastwood's most important Westerns, solidifying his longstanding connection to the genre. A decade prior, however, Hale was leading his own CBS Western show. "Casey Jones" starred the future Skipper actor as the real-life late 19th-century engineer and folk hero Casey Jones, who famously died when his train collided with another train in 1900.

Hale Jr. didn't have to reenact that horrific incident, during which the real-life Jones is said to have told his fireman to jump to safety while he stayed onboard to apply the brakes and save the passengers. The TV show was, unsurprisingly, less concerned with this violent death than with exploring the life of the famed engineer through 32 half-hour episodes that were, in reality, only loosely based on the real Jones' experiences.

In the show, Hale Jr.'s Jones lives in Jackson, Tennessee, circa 1890, with his wife, Alice Jones (Mary Lawrence), son, Casey Jones, Jr. (Bobby Clark), and dog, Cinders. Each installment showcases both his family life and his job as a railroad engineer, following the adventures of the Illinois Central Railroad's Cannonball Express train. The crew includes Dub Taylor's fireman, Wallie Sims, and Eddy Waller's conductor, Red Rock Smith. Though the series did feature plenty of outlaws and train robbers, it was also a family-friendly show that offered a wholesome experience designed to appeal to younger viewers.

"Casey Jones" didn't last too long, though it did manage a full 32 episodes during its one and only season. The show was made for syndication, meaning it was only sold to local networks rather than broadcast by one of the big TV channels of the time. It remains unclear whether it would have lasted longer had it been commissioned by a major network, but Alan Hale Jr. didn't waste much time following its cancellation.

The same year "Casey Jones" debuted, Hale Jr. played Cole Younger in Nicholas Ray's "The True Story of Jesse James." Soon after, he debuted as Sculley on "The Texan," appearing in six episodes from 1958 to 1960. In 1959, he also supported James Garner in the World War II drama "Up Periscope." In short, then, Hale Jr. never slowed down even when his railroad adventure series ground to a halt.

Meanwhile, "Casey Jones" remains a fascinating curiosity in Hale Jr.'s prolific filmography. It saw him play a character who in his moral steadfastness and diligence was far removed from the perpetually beleaguered and bemused Skipper on what was an unabashedly silly sitcom (though Hale Jr. always felt positive about his time spent on "Gilligan's Island)" Interestingly enough, "Casey Jones" welcomed Hale Jr.'s future "Gilligan's Island" co-star Russell Johnson for an episode about a track-walker (Johnson) who joins the Cannonball Express crew after saving the train from calamity. The future Professor actor also appeared alongside Hale Jr. in another Western, but their "Casey Jones" collaboration remains — like the show itself — a forgotten but charming piece of TV history.