Posted on 03/22/2018 5:35:57 AM PDT by w1n1
The Virginian was a Western TV show that ran from 1962 to 1971. It was based on the 1902 Owen Wister novel, The Virginian, A Horseman of the Plains. The star was the foreman of the Shiloh Ranch, played by James Drury. He was known only as The Virginian, the man with no name. The series circled around the foremans quest to maintain an orderly lifestyle at Shiloh. It was set in Medicine Bow, Wyo., around the year 1898. The Shiloh ranch was named after the two-day American Civil War Battle of Shiloh, Tenn.
The Virginian ran for nine seasons; it was televisions third longest running Western after Bonanza and Gunsmoke. Towards the end of its run, spaghetti Westerns were becoming popular, so the format was changed in the final season and it was renamed to The Men From Shiloh. Sadly, it was discontinued along with other Western shows in what was known as the rural purge of 1969 to 1971. CBS had become known as the country broadcasting system and sought to change its image.
Drury grew up on a ranch in Salem, Ore., and moved to Houston, Texas in 1974. Besides The Virginian, he appeared on Walker Texas Ranger, Kung Fu, The Red Skelton Show, Perry Mason, Rawhide, Gunsmoke, Forbidden Planet and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. In 1991, he was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. I had an opportunity to talk to him about the show, and discovered that he is a real authentic Old West individual, who doesnt just talk the talk but grew up in an outdoors lifestyle with guns and horses. Read the rest of the Man with no Name story here.
It’s kind of amusing how most western shows present a nice orderly town, and hardly anything changes. It’s like they are in some never-ending period of “the west” that goes on forever. You would think a long-running show would depict the introduction of modern inventions like automobiles, electricity, motion pictures,etc. But they never seem to advance from a period of “not long after the Civil War”, even if the show runs for 10 or more years. I still enjoy watching old 50’s westerns.
Richard Boone as Hec Ramsey was set in the early 1900’s and showed the transition from the Old West to the 20th century. Good show. Ran from 72 to 74.
“Deadwood is free on Amazon Prime. I understand it is pretty realistic regarding the time period.”
i had just finished reading several books about Deadwood, SD when the show came on, and was fascinated with the historical accuracy, including several individual characters.
In my opinion, Deadwood the series is possibly the best TV series ever made, for sure in the top five. It also launched or accelerated the careers of multiple actors, including Tim Olyphant of “Justified”, Ian McShane, Paula Malcomson, Molly Parker, Kim Dickens, Titus Welliver, Anna Gunn, Gerald McRaney, Stephen Tobolowsky, and Ray McKinnon, who was also the show runner for another great series, “Recified” ...
James Garner had a one-season show around that time called Nichols that was set in a similar time period.
“Its rare that you see a Western movie where you can see actual horse poop in the streets.”
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I remember that in 1930s/ early 40s Boston——milk man,ice man etc.
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That’s kinda funny. I’ve never heard of any of those people. I gotta get out more. :)
I’m going to give the show a try. Thanks!
It was common to hear parents yell at us kids to stop running around like wild Indians back then.
Ha! I remember that!
Very interesting story & The Virginian was a great show. We still watch the reruns.
To the best of my recollection, Trampus is the bad guy in the book ...
I loved Doug McClure as Trampus on the TV show, but that discrepancy with the book always confused me ...
I watch old westerns on Utube, better than any Hollywood crap that has come out in the past twenty years. Just saw “The Big Country” with Gregory Peck and Charlton Heston , what a great flick!
I’ve met him a few times. He has come to the Memphis Film Festival several times. It specializes in old Western movies and TV shows.
Yep. Hollywood gave us role models in the 1930s to 1950s. Self sacrificing heroes of noble character who overcame stacked odds of evil against them, but persevered in righteousness and so, prevailed.
Today’s poor kids have what? Zombies and undead. Disney men who are increasingly effiminate while the women are the action heroes, but nothing is risked or gained. Just meant ndless action swamped with PC.
No wonder toda’s kids don’t get it. They have been ripped off.
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