Clayton Farlow

Clayton Farlow was a main character in the popular American television series Dallas, played by Howard Keel (1981-1991).

Clayton Farlow, along with his sister Jessica, were raised on the Southern Cross Ranch in San Angelo, Texas. Jessica was wild in her teenage years and developed a serious violent mental condition. She gave birth to a son Steven in London, England. Clayton and his new wife, Amy, adopted the boy while Jessica married an English lord and remained in England. Clayton and Amy returned to Texas with Steven. Jessica, thinking Amy wanted to replace her as Steven's mother, set the house on fire while Amy was sick in bed - and Clayton was in Galveston on business with his oil refineries. Clayton returned home, but was too late to save Amy.

Clayton became a successful oilman and rancher while Steven showed no interest in the oil business or the ranch - choosing instead to become a rodeo star. Steven, who was nicknamed Dusty when away from the Southern Cross, met Sue Ellen Ewing at the Ewing Rodeo and they soon began an affair. On a private flight to Fort Worth to meet Sue Ellen his plane crashed. He survived and recovered at a home in Denton. Sue Ellen found Dusty after he secretly put up Sue Ellen's bail when she was accused of shooting her husband J.R. Ewing at Ewing Oil. Sue Ellen filed to divorce J.R., taking their son John Ross Ewing III with her to Southern Cross with Dusty. After failed attempts to get John Ross back, J.R. with his father Jock's approval bought up all of the oil that went into Clayton's refineries. J.R. agreed to give it back, but only if Clayton kicked Sue Ellen off of the Southern Cross. Clayton refused, but Sue Ellen left on her own, returning to Dallas and eventually remarried J.R. and moved back to Southfork. Clayton oil was then sold back to him by Miss Ellie and they became friends. During this time Clayton became attracted to Sue Ellen and led to his defense of her against J.R.

Later, after Jock was killed in a helicopter crash in South America, Miss Ellie dated and eventially married Clayton. Shortly before her marriage to Clayton, Miss Ellie was kidnapped by Clayton's mentally unstable sister Jessica, who conspired with J.R. to stop the wedding. Clayton and Miss Ellie honeymooned in Greece, and returned to Southfork, in spite of Clayton's reservations about living in Jock's home and his constant "shadow". To ease his transition, Miss Ellie eventially redecorated Jock and Miss Ellie's bedroom, but Clayton went on business trips to avoid staying at Southfork. Finally, Miss Ellie had J.R. and Bobby move Jock's portrait from the living room at Southfork to Ewing Oil. Clayton became very good friends with Ray and stepson Bobby, but remained a self-imposed enemy of his eldest stepson, J.R., getting into many arguments and fights with him. Clayton has a brief infatuation with a young model, mirroring Jock's near-affair with Julie Gray, after feeling neglected by Miss Ellie. He also suffered from amnesia and nearly left Miss Ellie until recovering. Clayton sold his refinery businesses and at one point began a horse-breeding enterprise with Ray.

When Clayton resided at the Southern Cross, he drove a blue Rolls-Royce Silver Spur with a dark blue vinyl roof. Later, while living at Southfork, he owned a different Rolls-Royce, a light blue Silver Spirit. Beginning in the fall of 1988, he drove a black Cadillac Seville STS.

In 1990, Clayton and Miss Ellie left Southfork to travel extensively and then moved to Europe, after Clayton was unable to live with the shadow of Jock's memory at Southfork. In the final season he returned to Dallas briefly, without Miss Ellie, to convey sole ownership of Southfork to Bobby, much to the objection of J.R.

Trivia

Clayton Farlow appeared in every nearly episode after joining the cast full time in 1984, after a recurring role during the 1981-82 season (semi-replacing the late Jim Davis as the senior family patriarch), missing 26 episodes altogether (3 of these due to his 1986 open heart surgery) and appearing briefly in the final season.