If one were to ask which Western TV series is the most iconic, invariably the answer is going to be one of two: Gunsmoke, which premiered in 1955 and ended after 20 seasons, or Bonanza, which debuted shortly after the former in 1959, ending after 14 seasons. The latter, starring Lorne Greene as Ben Cartwright, patriarch of the wealthy Cartwright family, is very much a series that was ahead of its time, tackling issues like racism full-on at a time when it was frowned upon, and episodes focused largely on the dynamic between Cartwright and his three sons.
Bonanza remains one of the most-watched Western series ever and the first to stay in the Top 5 of the Nielsen ratings for nine consecutive seasons. It also has a connection with one of the most-watched Western films of the genre’s Golden Age… and it’s not what you would expect.
‘Whispering Smith’ Is a First in the Western Genre
The film is 1948’s Whispering Smith, billed as the “first Western and the first film in color for one of the studio’s biggest stars, Alan Ladd.” It’s a half-truth, with Ladd having small roles in a handful of B-Westerns, and a brief appearance as a storyboard artist in Disney’s 1941 color film The Reluctant Dragon. However, it was the first with Ladd as the lead, in a genre he would forever be associated with, thanks to his iconic appearance as the titular character in 1953’s Shane. In the film, Ladd plays Luke Smith, a detective for the railroad, who garners the nickname “Whispering Smith” due in part to his quiet, hushed ways.
Smith is sent to investigate after the three nasty Barton brothers rob a train and shoot a guard. He tracks down two of the three brothers quickly and shoots them, but is saved from dying himself after a bullet is deflected by a harmonica in his pocket. Smith meets up with Murray Sinclair (Robert Preston), an old friend, but learns that Sinclair may be in league with Barney Rebstock (Donald Crisp), a devious rancher in the area. He soon discovers that Rebstock has been hiding the last brother, Blake (Murvyn Vye), after tracking Blake down to his property. The film carries on from there with a series of double-crosses, murder for hire, train holdups and betrayals, with no guarantee that “Whispering Smith” makes it out alive — and 76-year-old spoiler alert — he does.
You’ve Seen the Connection Between ‘Bonanza’ and ‘Whispering Smith’ Many Times
So, what’s the connection? While both are Westerns, Whispering Smith feels more closely aligned with the gritty tone of Gunsmoke than the dramatic storytelling of Bonanza — yet all three share a common thread. That thread weaves itself through 1928’s Under the Tonto Rim, 1975’s Death Race 2000, a 2018 episode of Hell’s Kitchen, and over 500 more television and movie projects. Here’s a hint: it’s somewhat similar to Sierra No. 3, the “movie star locomotive.” The train has appeared in multiple projects as varied as Little House on the Prairie and Back to the Future: Part III. So, too, has our thread, spanning 2,700 acres in the Santa Monica Mountains, replete with barns, corrals, an old-time church, and Western storefront sets: Paramount Ranch.
Paramount Ranch served as a versatile filming location for hundreds of projects, including Bonanza and Whispering Smith, and stood in for the American West, South America, and even Asia, depending on the need. Paramount Pictures purchased the land in the late 1920s and built several structures as sets and facilities to house filming equipment (William Hertz built a permanent western town upon acquiring the ranch in 1953). The ranch exchanged hands multiple times over the years before being acquired by the National Park Service in 1980, the only site in the Park System dedicated to telling the tale of American filmmaking.
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Paramount Ranch continued to be utilized for years, up until the notorious Woolsey Fire in Southern California razed the town in 2018, leaving the HBO series Westworld as the last project to film there before its destruction. Rebuilding efforts began in 2023, with four buildings — a prop shed, barn, restrooms, and a pavilion — being built upon the footprint of the historic structures before them, where they will serve as locations for indoor/outdoor events and as “the backbone for future filming.”
Once completed in 2025, the NPS plans to work with the film industry to construct movie sets, restoring Paramount Ranch as a coveted space for location filming. Hopefully in time for the 24th season of Hell’s Kitchen.
Whispering Smith is available to stream in the U.S. on Prime Video.
