- KRO HERHAALT POPULARIE WESTERN-SERIE
ALIAS SMITH AND JONES: TWEE LUCKY LUKE'S OP HET VERKEERDE PAD
- Veronica, June 1, 1985
ALIAS SMITH AND JONES: TWO LUCKY LUKES GOING DOWN
THE WRONG PATH
The KRO is showing reruns of the once
so popular Western-series "Alias Smith and Jones". Not
to be confused with "Alas Smith and Jones", the comedy-series
that Veronica is showing at the moment. The enormous success of
the cowboy-series hasn't exactly brought its leading actors, Pete
Duel and Ben Murphy any luck. Duel shot himself in the head after
one season, was replaced, and Murphy went down the usual Hollywood
star road: alcohol, divorce, disillusion and you name it.
The KRO aired the show for the first time
in 1976, and at that time Murphy and Duel's replacement, who was
on the show for some time, had already been taken from the American
screen. "Alias Smith and Jones" is based on actual facts.
The men really existed, and they were part of, during the second
half of the last century, the colorful and for many prosperous
Wild West. Even though Smith and Jones never obtained the fame
that for example Jesse James and the Daltons had, they did, more
than fore mentioned gunslingers, get the sympathy of the nation.
And even of lawmen, who never seemed to catch up with the smart
en slick duo. Even Pinkerton-detectives, the best sleuths of their
time, were powerless. Smith and Jones were bank and train robbers,
but they never used any violence and nobody was ever killed or
injured during their well-planned robberies.
Adventurers
Smith and Jones were more or less two
Lucky Luke's, being on the wrong side of the law. According to
American historians they could have easily gotten jobs as sheriffs
or other. They were intelligent and handy with guns, although
they hardly ever used them. A historian reports: Smith and Jones
were looking for adventure. They wanted to get rich fast and lead
luxurious lives. The duo was often seen guests at the more expensive
establishments of the larger cities, though few knew their true
identities. But they learned early on that hard work was not going
to lead to luxury and so they chose for a life of crime. But they
remained to be "gentlemen"-thieves.
Paul Newman
After the enormous success of the movie
"Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" starring Paul Newman
and Robert Redford, Universal Studios thought that it could be
a good story line for a television series, and it was decided
that that would be "Alias Smith and Jones". Ben Murphy,
the blond hero, got the part because he showed a striking resemblance
to Paul Newman; only the clear blue eyes were missing. The other
part went to Pete Duel, who was a little shorter, but who seemed
to have a more cunning appearance than the rugged Murphy. The
series was a huge success in America almost immediately. And Duel
and Murphy became instant stars. Duel couldn't face life any more
after one season of "Alias Smith and Jones". His current
relationship was suffering from major problems, so he turned to
drinking and shot a bullet through his head.
Murphy, shocked with the loss of his friend,
decided to continue his role in the series. This after some pressure
from the studio who was desperately searching for a replacement
for Duel. "I've witnessed the downfall of Pete from up close.
Everybody could see that he was slowly but surely losing the passion
for life. But as a friend I was hoping that he would eventually
get out of his depression. Pete was in his good days a fine friend
and a great actor. I have nothing but good memories from that
time. Despite the arguments, most of them were because of the
strain. The last few months of his life it was hard to talk to
him, especially about his problems, which he tried to solve by
himself. When that didn't work out Pete killed himself.
Self-confidence
Standing at the grave of his friend Murphy
didn't realize yet that he would be confronted with a similar
fate. Murphy: "At first I was enjoying my success, but I
soon found out that I was surrounded by very few friends. So I
started drinking more and more often. When the series ended, my
self-confidence hit an all-time low and I wasn't offered any new
parts. Universal paid me well for doing nothing but that didn't
satisfy me. When my contract ended I quit acting and became a
tennis-pro."
But acting is in the blood. After his
two-year marriage was over, Murphy auditioned for "The A-Team".
"I didn't get the part and I was terribly disappointed. But
watching those episodes I'm glad it turned out that way. I don't
want to play a cartoon-character. A small part in "The Winds
of War" brought him back into the race. I am obviously a
late bloomer. I'm thinking about getting married again and starting
a family. And if Hollywood turns away from me once more - I'm
doing a series called "Lottery" at the moment and it's
not making the top 10 - I'll take up my profession as a tennis-pro
again. There are more important things in life than acting and
success."
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