The 1850's California gold fields is home to notorious bandit and killer Joaquin Murietta. Matt and Frankie arrive to track him down but he kidnaps Frankie, believing she owns his hacienda. Matt and Captain Love trail Murietta to the bitter end. Stories of the Century is a TV Western Anthology series 1954-55 of 39 episodes, starring JIM DAVIS as Matt Clark, co-starring female leads MARY CASTLE as Frankie Adams (1954, season 1) (eps 1-26) and KRISTINE MILLER as Margaret "Jonesy" Jones (1955, season 2)(eps 27-39).

Premise: Stories of Matt Clark, Railroad Detective, who traveled the West each week to aid in the capture of one of history's notable badmen (or women). At times, Clark's appearance at the scene seemed somewhat contrived, as in just "happening" to be in town when Ford shoots Jesse James. The stories do have some limited educational value, as each one sticks to the basic facts, although production values for the series were decidedly low budget. The amazing thing was, that Clark would chase Quantrill in 1863, followed by Tom Horn in 1903 -- 30 years apart -- and yet he never aged!

Directed by William Witney, Franklin Adreon
Starring Jim Davis, Mary Castle, Kristine Miller

Cast
Jim Davis as Matt Clark
Mary Castle as Frankie Adams
Kristine Miller as Margaret Jones
Pat Hogan as Cherokee Bill
James Craven as Sheriff Sims
Ric Roman as Quantrill Raider
Kenneth MacDonald as Al Sieber
Howard Negley as Marshal Corbin