Shortly after the Civil War, Slim Sherman (played by an actor with the regrettably anonymous name John Smith) and his teenage brother Andy (Bobby Crawford) run a ranch and a stagecoach relay station in Wyoming Territory. A hunky drifter, Jess Harper (Robert Fuller) comes to town and draws Andy's attention (for obvious reasons).
Robert Fuller and Bobby Crawford also became friends in real life, and were often seen in Hollywood hotspots together.
But Slim found his own romantic intentions stymied, so after the first season he shipped Andy off to boarding school so he could have Jess to himself. After that they were blatantly physical, emotionally intense partners. Not even the third-season addition of Spring Byington as single mother Daisy Cooper could detract from their gay subtext.
They were unusual among 1950s cowboys for their occasional shirtless and undewear shots on-screen (as opposed to just in the muscle magazines), thus enhancing the homoerotic gaze.
He had a long career in Westerns and actioners where his shirt had to come off, including The Women of Pitcairn Island (1956), Cimarron City (1958-59), Island of Lost Women (1959), and Hondo (1967).
Robert Fuller was one of the movie magazine hunks of the 1950s, eagerly photographed when he was seen in public with either men or women (he was married twice). After Laramie, he had starring roles on Wagon Train, The Big Valley, Emergency!, Guns of Paradise, and Walker: Texas Ranger.
I think this agent henry wilson was full of himself to suggest such a thing.
ReplyDeleteyes according to robert fuller smith and he were lovers both married both divorced he said their career paths took them to different paths tho on one Emergency episode a John Smith became a patient in the ER
DeleteI knew it! Been watching old Laramie episodes and told my buddy "those guys are gay, cowboys done touch each other that much lol". Love yhe show either way
ReplyDeleteI love the show too, but I said to myself that this show is brokeback mountain before there was a brokeback mountain. Lol I noticed that these 2 were always fussing like gay lovers do, and Jess would always be attentive or worried about Slim Sherman's needs way too much to just be a "cowpoke" friend. In one episode they were in a rifle shooting contest and Slim's hand or wrist was busted, and Jess was fussing at him just like a old girlfriend to let him see the hand so he could tend to it while another cowboy was watching it all play out. I know what the cowboy was thinking! LOL But I still enjoy watching the show, it's good classic western tv.
DeleteDitto Ben.... Me too what you said... Love the show.
ReplyDeleteTons of VPL on the show, that's for sure
ReplyDeleteJust started watching the show and the both of them we're a little too close to be buddies. They would do anything for each other and when one was hurt the other was taking care of one another. I love the show and wish there were more like them.
ReplyDeleteStill watch reruns My favorite one is when they take a nap in the shade shoulder against shoulder Slim's leg thrown across Jess's after he slid over Jess butt to crotch back to chest an erotic slide then they lay intimately familiar as they summer Nap very cute how Jess always seems terrified that a woman will trap him and force him to marry her
DeleteStill watch reruns My favorite one is when they take a nap in the shade shoulder against shoulder Slim's leg thrown across Jess's after he slid over Jess butt to crotch back to chest an erotic slide then they lay intimately familiar as they summer Nap very cute how Jess always seems terrified that a woman will trap him and force him to marry her
DeleteWhat episode of Laramie is that scene from?
DeleteLOL I never saw that episode, I think he made that up. LOL
DeleteThat was the 4th show of the 3d season, ep68-the Mountain Men, starting about 6:45 minute mark
Deletea little later on in that same episode (just watched it) Jess strokes Slim's cheek bcs a little paint dripped on him, but to this boy it looks like they getting ready to f*ck hahaha
DeleteIt's on Insp TV tomorrow morning Aug 25) at 8am ET
DeleteLove the show, still watch it. But it seemed odd to me that two cowboys would be so close but it's possible I had a friend like that when I was in my teen and early 20s until he kill himself. But it hit me one day that this could be a gay show so I looked it up and found this
ReplyDeleteYeah, this show reminded me of "Brokeback Mountain" with these 2 guys looking similar to the Heath Ledger, Jake Gylenhaal characters for real. Ledger is tall and blond and Gylenhaal is shorter with dark hair. That can't be just a coincidence, so Brokeback is probably based off this tv show. But these 2 guys are really close, doing everything together except showing them kissing each other. I saw an episode where they where in a rifle shooting contest in Laramie and Slim had busted his hand or wrist real bad, well, ole Jess was fussing with Slim to let him take a look at his hand like an old girlfriend or something with another Cowboy looking on at them fuss. LOL I know exactly what that other Cowboy was thinking because I was thinking the same. LOL But I still enjoy this classic tv western from the 1950's because it's good tv drama, good show period.
DeleteI love watching this show we because their relationship is beautiful. I kept watching the print in both of their pants. They allways stood out. They reminded me of lovers. They were in love. BROKE BACK MOUNTAIN WAS GREAT SO WAS LARAMIE.
DeleteI suspect same sex relationships in the old west were more common than is spoken of. I've read about it somewhere. Wish I could remember.
ReplyDelete"Queer Cowboys and Other Erotic Male Friendships in Nineteenth Century America," Packard, 2005
DeleteBefore the 20th century, and with it, knowledge of homosexuality, same-sex sexual relationships were more common. You just didn't speak of such things. And you absolutely did NOT treat it as a romantic relationship. It could be either a hookup or a really close friendship with a few side benefits we don't talk about, but never a relationship.
DeleteYeah, the pre-Stonewall era was amazingly hypocritical at times.
Each episode seems to be designed and photographs as if the title were "Bulges on Display." Even casual passersby may show their baskets to the camera before the gunman or gun victim is gone. And the opening episodes sure are a romance. Slim works hard to seduce Jess into staying and putting down roots. Jess resists and keeps running off to deal with past events that hold him back or to deal with people and obligations in the way of his settling down with his new bff. Pretty romantic process of them meeting, learning to trust each other, and standing around crotch to crotch in manly innocence. Hot stuff.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't Laramie mean "years of love"? Tragic romance, like Brokeback.
ReplyDelete*tears
DeleteAll I know after watching Laramie for the last 3 years on free over the air TV I'm convinced that THE MOVIE BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN is a clear homage to the unspoken relationship of Slim And Jess. To the point of casting a tall Heath Ledger with pretty Scandinavian Blonde boy features [John Smith-Slim Sherman] and Jake Gyllenhaal With his scruffy petite cute bad boy-esque dark hair light eyes with a sketchy past and seemingly sexually suppressed [Robert Fuller-Jess Harper] they RESEMBLANCES IS UNCANNY. The casting for BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN PICKED 2 UN COUNTRY WESTERN MEN TO ACT IN THIS MOVIE....
ReplyDeleteBINGO!! I just got through saying the same in another thread! Ledger and Gyllenhaal were John Smith and Robert "Tony Curtis" Fuller. LOL Robert Fuller reminded me soo much of Tony Curtis that either he was hired by a Hollywood company to be the next Tony Curtis or Tony Curtis was hired to be the next Robert Fuller since they both came out at or around the same time.
DeleteThese two men are so hot together. They are poured into those jeans, round firm asses and bulges. It is clear that the folks at Universal were selling gay sex. Love it.
ReplyDeleteLove this show watch it everyday of the week then records it. slim dose show a large bulge.
ReplyDeleteI had never seen Laramie until very recently. Just started watching the reruns on GRIT cable channel. This show isn't a western classic like Gunsmoke, Bonanza, The Rifleman, etc., probably due to the marginal quality of the scripts. Some plotlines don't have a good believability factor, but it's a watchable show. In any case, agree about the homo-appearing content, whether intended or not. Just watched season one episode 24 (Street of Hate). There's a scene (at 35:22, as shown on GRIT) where Slim and Jess are having their morning coffee in the ranch house, while young Andy is sewing-up Jess' torn britches in the butt area (while Jess is still in them!). Jess is bent over, with Andy sewing, and a gangster comes into the ranch house suddenly. Everyone inside straightens-up real quick! This a real scene, not made-up.
ReplyDeleteI’m also convinced that BBM was definitely a homage to the love story of Slim and Jess. I became a huge fan of the show about five years ago, and since then have joined a few Facebook fan clubs, attended several conventions that featured Robert Fuller (a super nice man) and have even written an “adult” fanfic story about Slim and Jess.
ReplyDeleteI have seen that show a couple of times just for the nap-under-the-tree scene. Hoping against hope they would have other such intimate moments in subsequent shows, but alas.......
ReplyDeleteRobert Fuller's bulge was an instant boner for me. Tight jeans sprayed on; butt of death (he was a singer and dancer as well) and a bulge nicely set off by a low slung gun belt.
"Slim" dressed Rambo, with his dick clearly visible down his left leg. It's a look I do not find sexy. Give me a bite bulge any day!
You'll never convince me that JS didn't enjoy RF's ass-ets. They just weren't that good actors to fake it. And Smith always was half aroused whenever Fuller was in a scene with him. They stayed "friends" long after the show ended.
ReplyDeleteExactly. Slim and Jess, like Cody and Nick from Riptide, were obviously in a domestic relationship. I wish they would remake the show today, and have it be canon.
DeleteLesbian here. So not enjoying the obvious 'talents' of Jess and Slim, but my spouse/partner of 30 years and I noticed their chemistry. Not only were the men gay, but the actress playing Daisy was a lesbian! She was the "longtime companion" of Marjorie Main (famous for her role as Ma Kettle).
DeleteLove how they kept it in the 'family'!
I have been enjoying Slim and Jess since 1959. Such a joy to follow them in 2023 on INSP. Obviously the station does not subscribe to the notion that they are gay, otherwise the show would not air on the former PTL network (INSP now). As I have aged and become more aware I pick up the gay tendencies of the stars and the parts. It makes me appreciate Robert and John all the more. They were certainly trendsetters for the lay 59’s early 69’s.
DeleteI'm late to the party here, but I'm really happy I found this blog. I've been watching a few of these old western TV shows on Starz Encore Westerns, and I've been thinking, "How was this not homoerotic af?" Mainly, I've seen "Laramie" and "Lawman." There is no way anyone could miss the bulge and dick prints in every episode, or the ass-tight jeans, or the sometimes loving close-up of the star (Peter Brown in one episode).
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the explanation for public consumption was that they were aiming for the teen girl audience, but I really wonder if any teenage girls of the time (way before my time) watched westerns (??!!). These shows and some that I haven't seen yet ("Laredo" or "Alias Smith and Jones") just seem way too obviously homoerotic, and I was wondering if the whole country was in on it, or did it just fly over everybody's head.
I never actually watched those shows. I was born in 1960, and by the time I was watching tv (that I remember), westerns were decidedly "uncool": the big thing was outer space.
DeleteI started watching Laramie when INSP put it on in the afternoon. I was looking forward to getting to watch it after recently seeing someone's video of all the "bromance" scenes. But except for a couple episodes like the one where the guys are laying under the tree, and the one where Slim is tending to Jess's hand, the episodes keep the two separated too much. And INSP skipped over the vast majority of season 1 and all of season 2. Has anyone else noticed this? I don't have Starz westerns to watch it there. I guess I'm going to get the DVDs.
DeleteI was born 1955 and my sister 1956. We watched Laramie and were absolutely nuts over Jess and Slim. We had posters of them on the wall in our room. I think we were too young to know or realize what gay was then and in that decade it wasn't spoken much. But we were 2 girls in love with two of the most handsome men on TV at the time. We may have been clueless as to their sexual preferences but we knew and felt the sensuality and heat those two guys gave off! It was just a primal, earthy type thing you felt when you watched them. I watch them again now and it really is great!
ReplyDelete