The Virginian (TV series)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Virginian
Opening title
Also known as	The Men from Shiloh
Genre	Western
Developed by	NBC Revue Studios (season 1) Universal TV (seasons 2-9)
Directed by	John Brahm Richard A. Colla
Starring	James Drury Doug McClure Lee J. Cobb John McIntire Charles Bickford Stewart Granger Clu Gulager Gary Clarke Randy Boone Roberta Shore
Opening theme	"The Virginian" by Percy Faith
Country of origin	United States
Language(s)	English
No. of seasons	9
No. of episodes	249
Production
Executive producer(s)	Norman MacDonnell Charles Marquis Warren Frank Price John Thomas James
Producer(s)	Frank Telford
Editor(s)	Lee Huntington Bob Kagey Robert L. Kimble Tony Martinelli George Ohanian Robert K. Richard
Cinematography	Alric Edens Gerald Perry Finnerman Robert Wyckoff
Running time	90 Min.
Broadcast
Original channel	NBC
Original run	September 19, 1962 – March 24, 1971
External links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

The Virginian is a western-themed television series which aired on NBC from 1962 to 1971 for a total of 249 episodes. It was the first western to air in 90-minute installments each week (75 minutes excluding commercial breaks). Two other westerns later followed the same 90-minute format later in the 1960s, Wagon Train and Cimarron Strip, each for only a single season. The show differed from Wagon Train in that it was filmed in the color format from its inception.^[1]

Contents 1 Synopsis 2 Cast 2.1 Notable guest stars 3 References in popular culture 4 Translations 5 See also 6 Further reading 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Synopsis

Loosely based on the Owen Wister novel, the series revolved around a foreman, played by James Drury, who went by the name The Virginian; his real name was never revealed in the nine years the show was on the air. The series took place in Medicine Bow, Wyoming, and revolved around The Virginian's quest to maintain an orderly lifestyle for the ranch he worked on, which was called Shiloh Ranch. Other key characters included Trampas (played by Doug McClure) and Steve Hill (played by Gary Clarke). The main horse on the show was named Joe D.

The ranch had four owners throughout its run: Judge Garth (played by Lee J. Cobb), the Grainger brothers (played by Charles Bickford and John McIntire) and Colonel Alan McKenzie (played by Stewart Granger; the Graingers were replaced by a Granger who didn't play a Grainger). The theme song was titled "Lonesome Tree" and was written by Percy Faith and conducted by Revue musical director, Stanley Wilson.

In the final year, when Col. McKenzie took over Shiloh Ranch, the name of the program was changed to The Men from Shiloh, and the look of the series was completely redesigned, with much broader brims and higher crowns on the hats, beards and moustaches, and jauntier and more imaginative costumes for the characters. Unfortunately, however, after nine years the series was near the end of its run and the improvements could not save it.

[edit] Cast

James Drury and Doug McClure were the only performers who appeared in all nine seasons of the series.

• James Drury as The Virginian
  
• Doug McClure as Trampas
  
• Lee J. Cobb as Judge Henry Garth (season 1-4)
  
• Roberta Shore, as Betsy, daughter of Judge Henry Garth (season 1-4)
  
• Randy Boone as Randy Benton (season 2-4)
  
• Gary Clarke as Steve Hill (season 1-3)
  
• Diane Roter as Jennifer Sommers, Judge Garth's niece (season 4)
  
• Charles Bickford as John Grainger (season 5-6)
  
• John McIntire as Clay Grainger (season 6-8)
  
• Jeanette Nolan as Holly Grainger (season 6-8)
  
• Sara Lane as Elizabeth Grainger (season 5-8)
  
• Clu Gulager as Deputy Sheriff Emmett Ryker (season 3-6)
  
• Don Quine as Stacey Grainger (season 5-6)
  
• David Hartman as Dave Sutton (season 7)
  
• Tim Matheson as Jim Horn (season 8)
  
• Stewart Granger as Colonel Alan MacKenzie (season 9)
  
• Lee Majors as Tate (season 9)

[edit] Notable guest stars

Guest stars included:

Claude Akins Tol Avery Don 'Red' Barry Hugh Beaumont Noah Beery, Jr. Bruce Bennett Charles Bickford Lloyd Bochner Scott Brady Neville Brand Charles Bronson Darleen Carr Robert Colbert Joseph Cotten Royal Dano John Dehner Bruce Dern Andy Devine Paul Fix Harrison Ford Dick Foran Steve Forrest Tony Franciosa Bert Freed Robert Fuller Leo Gordon Coleen Gray Alan Hale, Jr. Mariette Hartley Ben Johnson Victor Jory Darwin Joston

DeForest Kelly George Kennedy Walter Woolf King Robert Lansing Cloris Leachman Ida Lupino Strother Martin Lee Marvin Darren McGavin Catherine McLeod Burgess Meredith Vera Miles Ricardo Montalban Burt Mustin Leslie Nielsen Leonard Nimoy Lloyd Nolan Pat O'Brien Warren Oates Susan Oliver Slim Pickens Aldo Ray Robert Redford Pernell Roberts William Shatner Tom Skerritt Karl Swenson Barry Sullivan Dub Taylor Tom Tryon Jane Wyatt

[edit] References in popular culture

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

• The series was mentioned in the Monty Python's Flying Circus episode "Royal Episode 13" in which John Cleese announced that the Pythons would not be engaging in their typical silliness because the Queen (Elizabeth II) would be tuning in to the show later, although, at the time of the introduction, she was watching The Virginian.^[2]
• The Simpsons character Troy McClure was named after Troy Donahue and Doug McClure^[3].
• The Virginian and its later title The Men from Shiloh is mentioned by stuntman Mike, the character played by Kurt Russell in Death Proof^[2].

• Over the years, The Virginian prevailed or held steady against its network competition, having in its first season overpowered 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.

[edit] Translations

• Germany : Die Leute von der Shiloh Ranch
• French : Le Virginien

[edit] See also

• The Virginian - Novel by American author Owen Wister
• The Virginian - 1914 silent film directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Dustin Farnum
• The Virginian - 1923 silent film directed by Tom Forman and starring Kenneth Harlan and Florence Vidor
• The Virginian - 1929 film directed by Victor Fleming and starring Gary Cooper, Walter Huston and Richard Arlen
• The Virginian - 1946 film

[edit] Further reading

• A History of Television's The Virginian 1962–1971 by Paul Green, with a foreword by former executive producer Frank Price, (2006) ISBN 0-786-42613-6

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Info at James Drury Myspace
• The Virginian Fan Website
• The Virginian at the Internet Movie Database
• The Virginian at TV.com
• The Virginian at TVIV
• Roy Huggins' American Archive of Television Interview
• Classic TV Archive Western - "The Virginian" (Universal/NBC) (1962-71) starring James Drury