Before establishing himself as one of Hollywood’s leading movie stars, Robert Redford made several television appearances. One of his lesser-known roles came in “The Americans,” a 1961 NBC drama set during the Civil War that ended after 17 episodes.
The series premiered on January 23, 1961, in connection with the centennial of the conflict. Darryl Hickman and Dick Davalos played Ben and Jeff Canfield, brothers from Harpers Ferry who joined opposing sides when the war began. The episodes alternated between Ben’s experiences with the Union and Jeff’s service in the Confederacy.
Redford appeared in the penultimate episode, “The Coward.” He played George Harrod, a Confederate soldier awaiting execution by firing squad. Carroll O’Connor also appeared in the episode, years before he became widely known as Archie Bunker in “All in the Family.” Redford’s major breakthrough came a few years later with “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.”
“The Americans” attempted to present the conflict cautiously, giving comparable attention to both Union and Confederate characters. According to Darryl Hickman, the production avoided addressing economic issues and slavery. Sponsors also objected to the show’s original title, “The Blue and the Gray,” because they feared it could upset viewers in the South.
Hickman said producers limited his character’s action scenes to avoid showing Confederate soldiers being killed, while Davalos’ Confederate character received more heroic moments. He attributed that restraint to concerns from producers and advertisers, although Southerners he had spoken with reportedly did not view the subject as problematic.
The effort to avoid offending either side did not translate into strong ratings. NBC canceled “The Americans” after 17 episodes. Executive producer Frank Telford blamed the series’ scheduling, arguing that its Monday 7:30 p.m. time slot was too early for the material.
Sources: TVLine.