Tommy Nolan

Autographed Photo of Tommy Nolan, Star of "Buckskin" *

Since this is a blog about the Autographs of both Child Stars and Western Stars, I thought I would start off with a Star who was both!

Tommy Nolan, who was a real favorite of mine when I was a young boy, was born on January 15, 1948 in Montreal, Canada. His given name was Bernard Girouard, and he was born to French and Irish Parents.

Title For the TV Series; Buckskin

At the age of ten, Tommy was cast as Jody O'Connell in the NBC Western series, Buckskin, which ran for thirty-nine episodes from July 3, 1958 to September 14, 1959. It started as a summer replacement for The Ford Show, starring Tennessee Ernie Ford, and was held over after a months hiatus in October 1958. It was repeated in the Summers of 1959, and 1965.

Sally Brophy played Jody's widowed mother, Annie O'Connell, who ran the boarding house in the fictitious town of Buckskin, Montana. Mike Reed played the marshal, Tom Sellers. The program was unique in that it was a nonviolent Western seen from a Child's perspective, with Tommy narrating each episode while sitting on his corral fence and playing his harmonica. 

Tommy Nolan and Sally Brophy in Buckskin

After Buckskin, (which continued in repeats on an irregular basis until 1965) Tommy also appeared in other Western series, such as CBS's Rawhide and Gunsmoke, ABC's The Rifleman and Wagon Train (NBC, and ABC)

Tommy Nolan 

* I acquired the Autographed Photo, which is a 5x7,  in 2009, from a dealer. It is a photo from the Show Buckskin, and was signed at the time of the series.