Gil Favor

Mike Jackson’s Hartland Photos:
Gil Favor & Variations

Text & Photographs Copyright Mike Jackson 1998-2009

Gil Favor: #831
The two variations above are probably the only two, however, there has always been a rumor of a black head down prancer as a test piece. It is discussed more beside the photo below. The favor figure doesn’t have any known variations. I’ve always wondered about his bright yellow vest, thinking it was uncharacteristically bright. One collector sent me a photocopy of a “Rawhide” Dell Comic showing him wearing the yellow vest. On a recent search of completed auctions on eBay, the Dell Comics I could find show him wearing a blue shirt and dark brown vest. His hat is medium brown, but not black.

Close-up of Favor face with both hats:
Additional information on the hats is near the bottom of the page. The black one is probably correct, but most collectors opt to find the one with the GF inside. I believe that is the standard hat for this set.

Gil Favor: #831 Semi-Rearing Coffee Dunn Horse

This combination is more common than the Head Down Prancer variation shown below. I believe this variation was sold after the head down prancer and it sold for a longer period of time.

Gil Favor: #831 Head Down Prancing Coffee Dunn Horse

This is my personal favorite horse and rider set that Hartland produced. This is also a harder set to find. While I could be wrong, I think this was the first combination designed for Gil Favor. It was the one shown in the brochures (with the exception of the black hat). You could also argue that he was first shipped on the semi-rearing horse, switched for a short time to the head down prancer, and then switched back. Favor shows up on this horse on the early 1961 brochure which lacked The Rebel. By the later 1961 brochure, several sets had been discontinued and both Favor and Rebel were shown on head down prancers. By the later part of 1961, Favor was shown with his correct hat sitting on a semi-rearing coffee dunn in the Aldens Christmas catalog, shown near the bottom of the page.

Gil Favor on Semi-Rearing Coffee Dunn and black hat:
I put this one in just to show him with a black hat. I don’t think it works well with that set, however some early Favor literature does show him with the hat that looks very much like the Hollister Gunfighter black hat. I also have a photocopy of this set photographed by Hartland as though it might be used as a brochure shot.

Gil Favor: #831 Head Down Prancing Coffee Dunn Horse and black hat:
This shot is basically the same as the photo used in the brochures, although I don’t think you can see a rifle in the brochure photos.

I’m note going to put a star rating on this set. I hesitate to even put it on here at all, but I’ve heard the story about a test color as long as I have been collecting. The lady I purchased the black horse from swore it was the way the horse came to her, though it wasn’t part of a Favor set when she purchased it originally. It seemed like an original paint job to me. I’d be skeptical when buying a black prancing horse as it it fairly easy to paint one of the head-down prancing Palominos. This horse has the crimped reins which makes me feel better about it. The seller is also a long time, well known model horse collector and dealer.

Personally, I would think that Hartland might have made one or two test color pieces for an upcoming set and not dozens. If a “true” test piece in black was ever made, they would be very rare. Also, as part of the long time rumor, people have told me that Favor might have had a Cheyenne style saddle. That saddle looks terrible when combined on the Coffee Dunn horses. It looks great with the black horse as you can see, but I can’t document this combination anywhere. Part of the problem might arise from Frank Fullop’s hand colored sheets that he sold for a while. He showed Favor on an odd colored head down prancing Appaloosa horse. Remember, anyone can paint this horse black. The Palominos are fairly common. So, know your source!

Number	Show Name	Star’s Name	Figure’s Name	Studio	Show Year	Brochure Years
831	Rawhide	Eric Fleming	Gil Favor	CBS	1959- 1966	1960-1963

Some information in this chart from “Total Television” by Alex McNeil 1996, 4th Edition

White Favor Hat:
Most Favor sets I have ever seen have this hat and I believe it to be the correct version for most shipping sets. You can see this hat in the Aldens Christmas catalog sheet at the bottom of the page from 1961. The hat will have either a “GF” or “FG” inside the crown. Also, this hat resembles his hat worn in the show, though it was darker.

Black Hat:
If you view the documentation at the bottom of the page, you will see that Favor was shown in the 1961, 1962, and 1963 brochures wearing a black hat. I received a set once with this Hollister style hat and I do believe a few were sold that way. Personally, I prefer the white one. This hat has no number or letter inside.

Favor’s saddle is one of the “rifle holed” saddles, commonly used on the later sets. His optional rifle would have been one of the two shown here. Many of the early horse and riders received regular silver pistols, but by the time Favor was being sold, I believe many of them had the brown or black pistols shown below.

Documentation:
Currently, I don’t own a box or tag for Gil Favor but they did make them. The Favor box is one of the generic Crystal Palace boxes and I believe his name is printed on the front. I’m fairly certain the tag is round with red lettering. The mint green photo is the only version that shows up in the brochures. I believe this was the way this piece was designed to be marketed orginally. I base that comment on the photo, as Hartland seemed to always get a photo to the printers as early as possible, even if slightly incorrect, so the set could be shown in the next brochure. Notice he also has the black hat in this photo. By the time he was sold in the 1961 Alden’s Christmas Book, shown here, I think he had been moved from his head down prancing original mount to the more common semi-rearing version—and he had been given his more correct white hat. Favor was announced to be “New” in the last 1960 brochure (but not shown). He then appeared on the mint brochure in 1961 and his last appearance was on the 1963 brochure.