Anyone ever wonder why these guys didn't have badges?? - Laredo (1965) Discussion

[–] dolenz5 16 years ago

Badges?....We don't need no stinking badges! ;)
Sorry...I just couldn't resist that! But, seriously, if I remember right, I think that in one of the episodes mention was made about the fact that they didn't have badges, but it's been so long since I've seen it that I don't remember which one.
I also think that there was something about all three having the same hat...that there had been a sale on them...posibly in an episode with Trampas (Doug McGlure)? Does that sound familiar to anyone else?

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[–] shlubby_has_taste 16 years ago

That was funny...I don't recall the McClure episode, but have only watched the "Best Of" season 1 so far. I watched when I was a kid--but who can remember that far back??

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[–] TerryThomasPhotos 15 years ago

You don't have to remember "that far back". Because the show is still on the air.

I just saw an episode of "Laredo" on the Retro TV channel in Atlanta. The episode was "Leave it to Dixie" which featured Opie's brother Clint Howard.

Terry Thomas
Character Actor and Film Unit Stills Photographer
Atlanta, Georgia USA
www.imdb.com/name/nm1669504/
www.TerryThomasPhotos.com

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[–] judgeraye 14 years ago

well Excuuuuuuuuuuuuuse Meeeeeeeeee

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[–] ABN-Para 15 years ago

I remember the Cross-Over Virginian/Laredo episode. They said Trampas could join them because he had the same color hat. And I rememeber that Chad, who always wore a dark hat, was wearing a light-colored hat in this episode.

Why do I remember all of this?

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[–] Captain_Augustus_McCrae 15 years ago

As it happens, the Texas Ranger force did not issue badges until almost the turn of the 20th century. Badges cost money, and Texas was constantly strapped for cash in the post Civil War era. It is known that some Rangers had badges privately made by local jewelers, usually from a Mexican silver peso coin. There was no uniformity in these make-shift badges, and they had no official standing. In spite of the lack of badges, the Rangers performed quite well, on the whole. Remember the upset town mayor who demanded to know why only one ranger was dispatched to quell a riot in an early Texas oil boomtown? The single Ranger who was sent replied to the mayor's hissy fit by quietly saying, "One riot, one Ranger". Maybe the Rangers of that era didn't really NEED badges.

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[–] powersroc 14 years ago

To the poster who doesn't remember Doug McClure on an episode of Laredo don't fret,he never was.An episode of The Virginian on which Doug was a star also served as the pilot for Laredo. In it,Trampas is sent to Mexico by the Virginian to purchase a prized bull for Judge Garth.On the way he'll have to pass through a Texas town called Laredo,the Virginian warns Trampas to be careful there as its one tough town.In Laredo he crosses paths with three Texas Rangers & manages to inadvertently rile them up,so they all challenge him to a gunfight.But before they can do that Captain Parmelee assigns Reese,Chad,& Joe to locate a missing train.Turns out the three of them & Trampas are all riding the same way,so they ride together & become friends along the way.

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[–] gerryhanson 13 years ago

The Virginian episode is "We've Lost a Train" originally aired 21 April 1965

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0741145/

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[–] dandydale 13 years ago

In the episode "Above The Law", Reese stated that the Rangers didn't wear badges because they didn't need them.

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[–] powersroc 13 years ago

Historians cite several reasons as to why few real Texas Rangers of the 19th century wore badges.The Rangers were not payed much,so many were not about to splurge their money on purchasing a badge.If the state of Texas couldn't provide them a badge the Rangers sure weren't going to fret about it.The Rangers felt no need to show a badge to either hostile Indians or outlaws.Also,a shiny badge made for a nice target.

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