Bat Masterson
The Reluctant Witness
TV Flash files “The Reluctant Witness” as hour 62 of 108 in the TV Flash guide — Bat Masterson (1958–1961) on NBC, season 2, episode 25, aired 1960-03-31, 30 min.
From the desk
How this hour is filed
This leaf is S02E25: listed hour 62 of 108 in the Bat Masterson guide, hour 25 of 37 in season 2. It aired 1960-03-31 (30 min). The listed hour before it is “Three Bullets for Bat” (S02E24). Next is “Come Out Fighting” (S02E26).
Catalog log
Broadcast listing — not a TV Flash recap.
When Ellie Winters is framed for murder, she desperately telegraphs Bat for help. He bails her out to help search for a missing witness but he decides to create a second witness and get Wyatt Earp to play her high priced lawyer.
Viewer FAQ
Where does The Reluctant Witness sit in the Bat Masterson guide?
S02E25 is listed hour 62 of 108 — hour 25 of 37 in season 2, season 2 episode 25.
When did Bat Masterson S02E25 air?
The Reluctant Witness aired 1960-03-31 and is listed at 30 minutes.
Where should I start?
Start with Barry's derby and cane. The dandy-lawman brief is visual immediately; style is the premise, not a subplot.
In the series
Why this series still plays
Bat Masterson gave Gene Barry a derby, a gold-tipped cane, and a dandy lawman who fought with style. Urban polish in a cowboy field; fashion as a plot point and a toy-aisle winner. Watch it now as the western that dressed up — proof the genre could sell a natty hero instead of another dusty hat.
The merch is the cane. Bat Masterson (NBC, 1958–1961) gave Gene Barry a derby, a gold-tipped cane, and a dandy lawman who fought with style — **108 episodes, three seasons**, urban polish in a cowboy field, fashion as a plot point and a toy-aisle winner. Frank Pittman and Andy White. Loosely inspired by the historical Bat Masterson's colorful career. Natty hero instead of another dusty hat. The cane was not a joke; it was the brand. Rex will toast the West. The chart toasts a **dressed-up SKU** that diversified…
Filed against
- Gene Barry as Bat Masterson
Gene Barry's Bat Masterson wore a derby and a gold-tipped cane into a 1950s cowboy field — a dandy lawman who fought with style when the genre usually sold dust. Urban polish as a plot point and a toy-aisle winner. TV Flash files him as…