For the first season, James Garner played Bret Maverick in the majority of the stories. On July 29 and August 6, 1957, before the series went went before the camera, the studio had produced screen tests with the intention of hiring someone to play the role of Bart Maverick, Bret's brother. In the screen tests, James Garner played the role of Bret Maverick and Don Durant as Bart Maverick. (Rod Taylor also played the role of Bart Maverick for the August 6, 1957 screen tests.) Les Martinson was the director. Jack Kelly ended up getting the role, not Durant or Taylor.