Question: I used to watch Rawhide as a kid, and I remember trail boss Gil Favor, my favorite guy on the show, leaving near the end and Rowdy Yates taking over. Why did that happen? Thank you, and let me just say that while you recently joked about how you ramble, I appreciate your in-depth answers.
Answer: Why, thanks, Steve — I shall not disappoint on this one. The actors left the show for the usual reasons: money and ratings. Rawhide, a CBS success after launching in January 1959, had gone through a long string of producers and had fallen in the ratings, from sixth in 1960-61 to 13th the next year, 22nd the year after that and 44th the following year, so changes were in order. Eric Fleming, who played Favor, was let go, and a young guy by the name of Clint Eastwood, who played assistant trail boss Rowdy, got a promot
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