Timeless Media Group | 1962 | 2370 mins. | Not Rated
Loosely based on the Owen Wister novel of the same name, The Virginian premiered back in the fall of 1962. Televisions first 90-minute western, the series featured Lee J. Cobb, Doug McClure, Gary Clarke, Roberta Shore and James Drury as the title character. The Virginian’s 30 episodes this first season maintain a remarkably consistent high quality of scripting and performances, which shouldn’t surprise longtime fans of the series. While westerns on television had reached their peak by 1962, six finished in the Nielsen Top 30 that year, with The Virginian coming in at Number 26. Likely because of its attention to quality, the series ran on NBC for a total of nine seasons.
Shiloh Ranch, Wyoming Territory, 1897; “Open Range†laws are still in effect—there are no fences, barbed wire, and no squatters unless they have permission from the government. And cattle thieves get strung up for their crime. Ranch owner Judge Henry Garth (Lee J. Cobb) oversees operations with unquestionable strength and humanity. His competent ranch foreman, “The Virginian” (James Drury), is a mysterious rover who never reveals his name, and who keeps the various issues can erupt on a frontier ranch–range wars, cattle rustling, rowdy ranch hands–at bay with equal doses of common sense, a fast gun, and an unwavering sense of right and wrong; even if it puts him at odds with his employer and employees.
Cattle hands Trampas (Doug McClure) and Steve (Gary Clarke) are important in the daily goings on at Shiloh Ranch. Trampas is the more light-hearted of the two, while the more serious Steve often battles with his quick-to-erupt temper. Offering high-spirited femininity back at the ranch is the Judge’s 15-year-old daughter, Betsy (Roberta Shore), who playfully wonders which of the three men, will marry her someday. Occasionally seen around town or at the ranch, newspaper owner Molly Wood (Pippa Scott) provides a bit of a distraction for the nameless “Virginian.”
Throughout The Virginian’s run, the series was also boosted by a roster of guest stars that reads like a who’s who of Hollywood. During the first season, guest stars include: Bette Davis, George C. Scott, Lee Marvin, Robert Duvall, Brian Keith, Charles Bickford, Claude Akins, Eddie Albert, Aldo Ray, Ricardo Montalban, Robert Vaughn, Nancy Sinatra, Jack Warden, Hugh O´Brien, Barry Sullivan, Ed Nelson, Carol Lynley, Fabian, Vera Miles, David White, David Wayne, Michael Rennie, Ida Lupino, Howard Duff, and John Dehner. On a weekly basis, the scripts had the cast playing off the guest stars. One of the reasons, I love older shows like this (Ironside, Barnaby Jones, and Cannon are also good examples), is you get a chance to see some true stars of the silver screen taking on a different medium. Somehow, it just gives you a different look at them.
Thirty episodes are contained on nine single-sided discs, with a 10th disc devoted to bonus features. The discs come in a book with cardboard sleeves as pages. That digibook is then housed in an embossed full-color tin box. It´s a handsome-looking package, but I found some of them a bit tricky to remove. Here´s a rundown on the episodes, with the descriptions taken from the cardboard sleeves. Air dates are also listed, with color photos of the main cast interspersed:
“The Executioners.” The son of a man convicted and hung for a murder travels to Medicine Bow to confront a schoolteacher who may have been with the hanged man the night of the murder in question. Hugh O´Brian and Colleen Dewhurt guest.
“Woman from White Wing.” A stranger arrives in Medicine Bow claiming Betsy Garth (who´s adopted) is his daughter. Barry Sullivan guests.
“Throw a Long Rope.” An alleged cattle rustler is badly beaten by a posse of local ranchers, and The Virginian comes to his defense. Jack Warden guests.
“The Big Deal.” A wealthy Colombian feuds with Judge Garth over the sale of land leased to the Shiloh Ranch by the Colombian´s father. Ricardo Montalban guests.
“The Brazen Bell.” A schoolteacher and his students are held hostage by two escaped convicts. George C. Scott guests.
“Riff-Raff.” Trampas, Steve Hill and The Virginian enlist in the Rough Riders, taking part in the Battle of San Juan Hill in Cuba.
“Impasse.” A herd of wild mustangs destined for the U.S. Cavalry becomes the focus of a dispute between the men of Shiloh and Cal Kroeger. Eddie Albert guests.
“It Tolls for Thee.” Escaped convict Martin Kalig kidnaps Judge Garth. Lee Marvin guests.
“West.” Trampas and three old saddle-tramp friends try to recapture their days in the Old West. Steve Cochran guests.
“The Devil´s Children.” A barn at the Shiloh Ranch burns down, killing the daughter of Tucker McCallum, and family tensions reach the breaking point. Charles Bickford guests.
“Fifty Days to Moose Jaw.” A runaway joins his stepfather on a Shiloh cattle drive. Brandon De Wilde guests.
“The Accomplice.” Spinster Delia Miller (Bette Davis) accuses Trampas of a year-old bank robbery.
“The Man from the Sea.” A retired sailor returns to Medicine Bow to buy a farm and take a bride. Carol Lynley, Shirley Knight, and Tom Tryon guest.
“Duel at Shiloh.” Steve Hill recalls his arrival in Medicine Bow and the events that led to his being hired on the Shiloh Ranch. Brian Keith guests.
“The Exiles.” The Virginian becomes entangled with a saloon singer while he tries to prove Judge Garth innocent of murder. Ed Nelson guests.
“The Judgment.” Judge Garth sentences a man to death, and the man´s relatives intimidate the people of Medicine Bow. Clu Gulager guest stars.
“Say Goodbye to All That.” Trampas grievously injures a man in a shoot-out, and the man´s son seeks to avenge his father. Fabian guests.
“The Man Who Couldn´t Die.” Judge Garth takes on a schoolteacher for Betsy and falls for her, not knowing she is a spy for the railroad. Vera Miles guests.
“If You Have Tears.” The Virginian and Trampas seek to help a man wrongly accused of killing his mistress´ husband. Robert Vaughn, Nancy Sinatra, and Dana Winter guest.
“The Small Parade.” The men of Shiloh help a group of orphans and a traveling salesman accused of murder. David Wayne guests.
“Vengeance is the Spur.” Venturing into the Wyoming badlands to help a woman find her husband, The Virginian becomes entangled in a web of deceit and greed. Michael Rennie, Nina Foch, and Denver Pyle guest.
“The Money Cage.” A con artist (Steve Forrest) arrives in Medicine Bow and charms the daughter of a local banker.
The Golden Door.” Judge Garth finds himself in a quandary when the man he defended of a murder charge admits that he killed the man.
“A Distant Fury.” Steve finds himself accused of murder when the man his testimony put behind bars comes to Medicine Bow to seek revenge. Ida Lupino and Joey Heatherton guest.
“Echo of Another Day.” An outlaw arrives at Shiloh Ranch, bringing Trampas´ past with him in the form of $50,000 in hidden gold. Bradford Dillman guests.
“Strangers at Sundown.” The Judge and Betsy are trapped at a stage stop in Montana while an outlaw gang tries to free one of the passengers. Harry Morgan guests.
“The Mountains of the Sun.” Escorting a trio of three missionary women into the Yaqui Indian territory, The Virginian falls in love with one of them. Jeanette Nolan guests.
“Run Away from Home.” The Virginian and Steve agree to transport $40,000 to Medicine Bow after a run on a local bank.
“The Final Hour.” Trampas and two others compete for the affections of the daughter of a young Polish girl.
Fully restored and digitally remastered, the video quality of this set is superb considering its age. Colors are rich and Technicolor-looking, and moments of imperfection are minimal. The show was shot in 1.33:1 aspect ratio, and it looks fine stretched to fill a 16×9 monitor.
The original Mono soundtrack was not as impressive. Some Mono tracks give you the same output on the center and front main speakers, but this Mono was really center focused. The tonal quality wasn´t nearly as rich as the visuals, either. But you get used to the Mono, the stunning video presentation is enough to make the audio a minor disappointment.
A bonus disc contains 120 minutes of new interviews with some of the series stars. James Drury (48:27), Roberta Shore (19:40), Gary Clarke (28:17), along with Robert Fuller (1:02) and Peter Brown (7:46), are included. They have a lot of good information from the well-spoken cast for fans of the show, but I must say from a technical standpoint, they’re subpar. Both Drury and Clarke are cut off in midsentence at the end of their interviews, while Brown’s interview has no particular focus.
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