| The Virginian | |
|---|---|
Opening Title |
|
| Also known as | The Men from Shiloh |
| Genre | Western |
| Written by | True Boardman Frank Chase John Hawkins & Ward Hawkins Don Ingalls Roy Huggins Leslie Stevens |
| Starring | James Drury Doug McClure Lee J. Cobb Charles Bickford John McIntire Clu Gulager Gary Clarke Randy Boone Roberta Shore |
| Theme music composer | Percy Faith |
| Opening theme | "Lonesome Tree" conducted by Stanley Wilson |
| Ending theme | "Lonesome Tree" conducted by Stanley Wilson |
| Composer(s) | Percy Faith Richard Shores Dave Grusin |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 9 |
| No. of episodes | 249 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Joel Rogosin Winston Miller Cy Chermak Frank Telford Arthur H. Nadel Don Ingalls Paul Freeman Warren Duff Jules Schermer |
| Cinematography | Enzo Martinelli Benjamin Kline Lionel Lindon John Russell Walter Strenge |
| Running time | 75 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Revue Studios (1962-1964) Universal TV (1964-1971) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | NBC |
| Picture format | Color 4:3 |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original run | September 19, 1962 – March 24, 1971 |
The Virginian (The Men From Shiloh in its final year) is an American Western television series starring James Drury and Doug McClure, which aired on NBC from 1962 to 1971 for a total of 249 episodes. Filmed in color, The Virginian became television's first 90-minute western series (75 minutes excluding commercial breaks). Immensely successful, it ran for nine seasons—television's third longest running western.[1] It follows Bonanza at fourteen seasons and 430 episodes, and Gunsmoke at twenty seasons and 635 episodes.[1]
Contents |
Set around the year 1886, and loosely based on the 1902 novel by Owen Wister, the series revolved around the tough foreman of the Shiloh Ranch, played by James Drury. He and his top hand Trampas, (Doug McClure) were the only characters to remain with the show for the entire run. As in the book, the foreman went only by the name The Virginian. The Virginian's real name was never revealed in the nine years the show was on the air. The series was set in Medicine Bow, Wyoming, and circled around the foreman's quest to maintain an orderly lifestyle at Shiloh. The ranch was named after the Battle of Shiloh which took place for two days in Tennessee during the American Civil War. The Virginian's white appaloosa on the show was named Joe D., and Trampas' buckskin horse was named Buck. As the show progressed, Trampas became the more developed of the characters, and it continued to be the role for which actor Doug McClure was best known.
There were several cast changes throughout the program's run. In the first, second and third seasons, the owner of the ranch was Judge Garth (Lee J. Cobb). His daughter Betsy (Roberta Shore) lived at the ranch with him, and had a sister relationship with the ranch hands. Randy Boone joined the show in the second season as a youthful ranch hand who played guitar and sang duets with Roberta Shore's Betsy Garth.[2] (In 1965 Decca Records released an LP of songs from the two singing actors.) In the third season, Clu Gulager was added to the show as the restless deputy, Emmett Ryker. After executive producer Frank Price was replaced by Norman MacDonnell at the end of season three, season four became a troublesome time. When Roberta Shore left the cast, MacDonnell added a new leading woman - Diane Roter, who played Jennifer, the Judge's niece. When Lee J. Cobb also left, John Dehner was brought in as the new owner, Morgan Starr. His demanding presence and tough demeanor did not fit well with the show, nor did fans like his character. Frank Price was brought back on board for season five to straighten out the series. He replaced the characters of Starr and Jennifer with a few actors who brought back the family atmosphere to the show. John Grainger (played by Charles Bickford) became the new owner. Elizabeth Grainger (played by Sara Lane), was John Grainger's granddaughter. Her brother Stacey (Don Quine), rounded out this new cast. Although Price left again, the series continued smoothly in the pattern that he set. In season 6, Clay Grainger (played by John McIntire) took over ownership after his brother's apparent departure "on business."[3] (John Grainger's abrupt series exit, due to Charles Bickford's sudden death on November 9, 1967, was never properly explained onscreen). The sixth season also added Holly Grainger, (played by Jeanette Nolan, McIntire's real-life wife) as the wife of Clay. Season seven saw the entrance of David Sutton, (played by David Hartman). However, Sutton was replaced in season eight with a younger hand, Jim Horn (played by Tim Matheson).
In season 9, the name of the program was changed to The Men from Shiloh and the look of the series was completely redesigned. Ownership was changed once more, and Colonel Alan MacKenzie (Stewart Granger) took over. In several countries, including the United Kingdom, the show went under the extended title, The Virginian: Men From Shiloh.[4] The opening theme song was changed to a new one, composed by Ennio Morricone, and the look of the show was changed reflecting a style similar to spaghetti westerns, which were very popular at the time.[5] The hats worn featured much broader brims and higher crowns. The clothing was also jauntier and more imaginative. These changes brought a better ranking (#18) in the top thirty prime time shows, after the previous year saw the show slip out of the top thirty rankings for the first time ever. The final season operated on a 'rotating lead actor' basis of the four stars, with normally just one lead appearing each week. Two of the four lead actors, (Lee Majors and Doug McClure) never appeared together in the last season. The ranch itself played a very nominal part in season 9, with most scripts featuring the four stars away from the ranch. There seemed little that could save it, as the final season brought in several big guest stars to the remaining episodes. The studio and network were set on ending the series, as evidenced by rivals CBS and ABC making demographic moves away from rural-oriented shows (see "rural purge" for more information). The final episode aired on March 24, 1971, ending the show's 9-season run.
Played by James Drury[6], the Virginian was the tough foreman of the Shiloh Ranch. Based loosely on the character in the Owen Wister novel, he always stood his ground firmly. The Virginian was best friends with top ranch hand, Trampas. When making the show, the producers chose not to reveal the Virginian's real name, and little about his past was actually made known. This succeeded in making the Virginian an intriguing and mysterious character. The foreman worked under four ranch owners throughout the series; Judge Garth (Lee J.Cobb), John Grainger (Charles Bickford), Clay Grainger (John McIntire), and Col. Mackenzie (Stewart Granger). James Drury and Doug McClure were the only cast members to remain with the show for all nine seasons.
Played by Doug McClure[6], the character of Trampas took on a completely different personality from the character in the novel. In Owen Wister's book, Trampas was a villain throughout the story and at the end was shot by the Virginian. However, in the TV series, the producers chose to make Trampas a fun-loving and rowdy character. They accomplished that quite well, and Doug McClure fit the part perfectly. Trampas, a sandy haired, rowdy cowhand who eventually settled down on the ranch was by far the most developed character in the series. Several episodes were made detailing his past. Doug McClure, as Trampas, added a touch of light comedy to the series to counterbalance the Virginian's serious manner.
Played by Gary Clarke, Steve was a good friend of both Trampas and the Virginian. He was constantly getting Trampas in and out of his usual scrapes. The on-screen chemistry which Gary Clarke and Doug McClure possessed reflected their good friendship off screen, and was loved by fans worldwide. Although he was with the show at the beginning, Gary Clarke was being phased out of the show at the end of season two, but remained as a guest star for a few episodes in season three, before departing for good.
Starting in season one, Lee J. Cobb succeeded in making Judge Garth a stern man with a soft side to his personality. The Judge acted as a father figure to the Virginian. Respected by all the townspeople, as well as his employees, the Judge was often looked to for matters to be settled. Lee J. Cobb left the series near the end of season four. In the episode "Morgan Starr", it was stated that the Judge had left Shiloh to be Governor of Wyoming.
Played by Roberta Shore, from seasons one through four, Betsy was the only daughter of Judge Garth. Early in the series, it was made clear that she was adopted, but nevertheless the Judge treated her as his own. Betsy and the ranch hands had a sort of brother-sister relationship. Trampas and Steve had a particular soft spot for her, often jumping to protect her, and looking out for her well-being. At the start of the series, Betsy is said to be fifteen years old. In a season four episode, "The Awakening," she married a minister (Glenn Corbett), and moves to Pennsylvania, reflecting Roberta Shore's departure from the show.
At the beginning of season two, a new cast regular was introduced. Clu Gulager played the restless deputy, Emmett Ryker. Ryker was the first cast regular to not live on Shiloh. Once a hired gun, Ryker decided to settle in Medicine Bow before he took his former profession too far. Clu Gulager remained with the show for four seasons, leaving briefly at the beginning of season five, and then returning for the rest of season 5 before leaving for good near the end of season six.
Halfway through season four, Morgan Starr was brought in to run the ranch for Judge Garth because he has been appointed Governor of the state. John Dehner played a tough and demanding man, who was hard to become friends with, as the Virginian and Trampas soon found out. Fans disliked Dehner's character, and he left the show at the end of the season.
After Roberta Shore left the show, Diane Roter was brought in as the Judge's niece. At the end of season four, along with Dehner, she left, making room for the new owners.
At the beginning of season five, with both Judge Garth and Betsy gone, a new character was brought in to run Shiloh.[7] Charles Bickford played a stern but loving grandfather to his two grandchildren, Stacey (Don Quine) and Elizabeth (Sara Lane). Although the Virginian and Mr. Grainger never quite had the father-son relationship that the Virginian and Judge Garth had, they got along well. Charles Bickford's death on Nov 9, 1967 was a shock to the cast. He was replaced by John McIntire as his brother Clay.
After the death of Charles Bickford, John McIntire was hired as his brother, Liz and Stace's great uncle. Clay had a wife, Holly, (Jeanette Nolan) and was the ranch owner for seasons five through eight. In season nine, the series was revamped, and McIntire, along with Jeanette Nolan, Sara Lane, David Hartman, and Tim Matheson, left the show.
Played by Don Quine, Stacey Grainger, the grandson of John Grainger, lived at Shiloh, beginning in season five.[7] He worked alongside Trampas, and the two become good friends. Stacey's sister, Elizabeth, looked up to him as a big brother, and he filled the role completely. After Don Quine left the show in season six, John Grainger and Elizabeth were the only Graingers left at the ranch, until the arrival of Clay and Holly Grainger.
Stacey's younger sister, Elizabeth (Sara Lane) was the granddaughter of John Grainger, starting in season 5.[7] Trampas, the Virginian, and Stacey all look out for her well being. Elizabeth was cast as a teenage girl enjoying her life on the frontier. She loved horses, riding the range, and going to the ever present Saturday night dances. Sara Lane left the series in season eight.
James Drury and Doug McClure were the only performers who appeared in all nine seasons of the series (season numbers follow cast members name).[8]
The Virginian featured a series of guest stars from film and television, including Claude Akins, Eddie Albert, Slim Pickens, Charles Bronson, Harrison Ford, George C. Scott and Robert Redford.
The first episode, "The Executioners" features Hugh O'Brian. Season one also included Jack Warden (Episode 1.3 - Throw a Long Rope), Ricardo Montalban (Episode 1.4 - The Big Deal), Aldo Ray (Episode 1.6 - The Big Deal), Lee Marvin (Episode 1.9 - It Tolls for Thee), Charles Bickford (Episode 1.11 - The Devil's Children), Brian Keith (1.15 - Duel at Shiloh), Vera Miles (1.19 - The Man Who Couldn't Die), David Wayne (1.21 - The Small Parade), John Dehner (1.26 - Echo of Another Day), and Dolores Hart (1.30 - The Mountain of the Sun).
The first episode of season 2 (Ride a Dark Trail) featured Royal Dano. After that such stars as Broderick Crawford (2.4 - A Killer in Town), Robert Redford (2.5 - The Evil That Men Do, Albert Salmi (2.7 - Brother Thaddeus), Yvonne De Carlo (2.12 - A Time Remembered), Leonard Nimoy (Episode 2.14 - A Man Of Violence), Leo Genn (2.18 - The Thirty Days of Gavin Heath), Bruce Dern (2.20 - First to Thine Own Self), and Peter Breck (2.25 - Rope of Lies) were listed.
With season three, a new cast regular was introduced. Clu Gulager played the young deputy, Emmett Ryker. However, even with the expanding cast, more guest stars were brought on to the show. In the first episode, (3.1 - Ryker) in which Gulager was introduced, Leslie Nielsen played a corrupt land grabber. Other actors included Victor Jory and Katharine Ross (3.2 - Dark Challenge), Robert Culp (3.3 - The Stallion), Steve Forrest, (3.4 - The Hero), Barbara Eden (3.6 - The Brazos Kid), young Kurt Russell (3.8 - A Father For Toby), George Kennedy (3.12 - A Gallows For Sam Horn), John Gavin (3.13 - Portrait of a Widow), and Lloyd Nolan (3.14 - The Payment). Following the switch to Universal Studios from Revue, Fabian starred as a young man suffering from schizophrenia in Episode 3.17 - Two Men Named Laredo.[13] Others included Forrest Tucker and Andrew Prine (3.18 - Hideout), Jack Warden (3.23 - Shadows of the Past), Tom Simcox (3.26 - Dangerous Road), Rhonda Fleming, William Smith, Neville Brand, and Peter Brown (3.30 - We've Lost a Train). (We've lost a Train also served as the pilot episode for the series "Laredo."
William Shatner played as an old buddy of Trampas' in episode 3.4 - The Claim. Glenn Corbett played a young minister who marries Betsy in episode 4.5 - The Awakening. Others included Earl Holliman (4.6 - Ring of Silence), Charles Bronson (4.8- Nobility of Kings), Harold J. Stone (4.12 The Laramie Road), James Best (4.14 Letter of the Law), Telly Savalas (4.17 - Men With Guns), John Cassavetes (4.18 - Long Ride to Wind River), Tony Bill (4.19 - Chaff in the Wind), John Dehner (4.21 - Morgan Starr), and Andrew Duggan (4.29 - A Bald Faced Boy).
At the beginning of season five, three new cast regulars were introduced. Charles Bickford, Don Quine, and Sara Lane played the Grainger family. Guest stars included Angie Dickinson (5.2 - Ride to Delphi), Aldo Ray (5.5 - Jacob Was a Plain Man), Dan Duryea (5.6 - The Challenge), Pernell Roberts (5.13 - The Long Way Home), Tom Tryon (5.14 - The Girl on the Glass Mountain), Andy Devine (5.17 - Yesterday's Timepeice), Harrison Ford (5.19 - The Modoc Kid), Robert Fuller (5.26 - A Welcoming Town), and Myrna Loy (5.28 - The Lady of the House).
Season six featured Charles Bronson, and Dick Foran in 6.1 - The Reckoning. It then continued with David Hartman (6.6 - Masquerade), Edmond O'Brien (6.7 - Ah Sing vs. Wyoming), Jeanette Nolan (6.8 - Bitter Autumn), John McIntire (6.9 - A Bad Place to Die), James Whitmore (6.10 - Paid in Full), Malachi Throne (6.11 - To Bear Witness), John Lupton (6.14 - A Small Taste of Justice), Tim McIntire (6.16 - The Death Wagon), Sammy Jackson (6.17 - Jed), Peter Deuel (6.10 - The Good-Hearted Bad Man), and Michael Burns (6.26 - Seth). In episode 6.8, "Bitter Autumn", John McIntire was brought in as the brother of John Grainger. (Charles Bickford was gravely ill at the time.) Bickford died November 9, 1968, and McIntire was added to the cast ride-in in episode 6.17, "Jed".
Season seven's guests included William Smith (7.2 - Silver Image), Burgess Meredith, (7.3 - The Orchard), John Saxon (7.4 - A Vision of Blindness), Susan Oliver (7.9 - The Storm Gate), Hugh Beaumont (7.12 - Nora), Steve Ihnat (7.16 - Last Grave at Socorro Creek, James Brolin (7.17 - Crime Wave in Buffalo Springs), Troy Donahue (7.25 Fox, Hound, And The Widow McCloud), and Shelly Novack (7.26 - The Stranger).
Season eight saw the return of William Shatner (8.14 - Black Jade), along with Tony Franciosa (8.17 - Holocaust), Patrick Macnee (8.21 - A King's Ransom), Tim McIntire (8.22 - The Sins of the Fathers), and Julie Gregg (8.24 - The Gift).
Guest stars in the final season included Desi Arnaz (9.2 - The Best Man), Janet Leigh (9.3 - Jenny), Anne Francis (9.6 - Gun Quest), Susan Strasberg (9.7 - Crooked Corner), Noah Beery (9.11 - Follow the Leader), James Gregory (9.12 - Last of the Comancheros), Peter Breck (9.13 - Hannah), and Tom Skerritt (9.14 - Nan Allen). The series ended with episode 9.24, "Jump-Up".
The Virginian prevailed or held steady against its network competition, topping in its first season Dwayne Hickman's The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, which ceased production in 1963. In its fifth season, The Virginian faced competition from another Western, one also set in Wyoming: ABC's The Monroes, starring Michael Anderson, Jr., and Barbara Hershey as orphans trying to hold their family of siblings together in the wilderness. In its sixth season, The Virginian also rated higher than ABC's Custer starring Wayne Maunder in the title role of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer. Custer was cancelled late in 1967 after seventeen episodes. The Virginian had the following rankings in the top thirty TV programs:
James Drury has been an active advocate of the series since the end of the original airings. He has traveled across the United States, Ireland, and several other countries, appearing in Western-themed conventions, festivals, celebrations, news programs, and TV specials to promote The Virginian. He, along with Gary Clarke and Roberta Shore have participated in interviews for the Encore Western Channel. Drury has also reunited with key cast members Randy Boone, Gary Clarke and Roberta Shore at these events.
In April 1965 an episode of The Virginian called "We've Lost a Train" served as a backdoor pilot for the TV series Laredo.
The cable channels of Encore Westerns, MoviePlex and RetroPlex began airing complete uncut commercial free episodes of The Virginian starting with a premier marathon in January 2010. Seasons 1 through 8 have been shown. In October of 2011, James Drury's personal assistant verified that Encore Westerns will be dropping the show in December of the same year. Personal correspondence with an Encore Employee has yielded the following results: " Thank you very much for your correspondence concerning The Virginian. I’ve checked our schedule and it seems The Virginian will not be available for a few months but will come back into license window 8/2012 through 01/2014. Of course there is always the chance that something will come up to change these dates..." Although the staff has stated that the show will be available for a renewing of the license in August of 2012, they have firmly stated that the show will not be available until that time. Concerned fans have sent numerous letters, emails and telephone calls to the company voicing their concern. They feel that it is unfair to cancel the show - especially in its 50'th anniversary year.[20] [21] [22]
Timeless Media Group has released seasons 1-5 and 9 of The Virginian on DVD in Region 1.[23][24][25][26][27] All episodes on all releases have been fully restored and re-mastered and are available in special collectors edition tin cases. They also each include a bonus disk with interviews from the actors. Season 6 will be released on May 1, 2012.[28]
Euro Video of Germany released Season 1, part 1, in Germany, on October 14, 2010. Season 1, part 2 was released June 16, 2011. The release is presented with original English audio with German subtitles, as well as a German-dubbed soundtrack.
Acorn Media UK released the first season of The Virginian on DVD in the UK on April 4, 2011. The DVD also contains an interview with James Drury.
| DVD Name | Ep # | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| The Complete First Season | 30 | May 25, 2010 |
| The Complete Second Season | 30 | December 21, 2010 |
| The Complete Third Season | 30 | March 15, 2011 |
| The Complete Fourth Season | 30 | May 17, 2011 |
| The Complete Fifth Season | 29 | October 25, 2011 |
| The Complete Sixth Season | 26 | May 1, 2012 |
| The Complete Seventh Season | 26 | TBA |
| The Complete Eighth Season | 24 | TBA |
| The Final Season: The Men from Shiloh | 24 | October 25, 2011 |