Owen Wister (July 14, 1860 – July 21, 1938) was an American writer and historian, considered the "father" of

western fiction Western fiction is a genre of literature set in the American Old West frontier and typically set from the late eighteenth to the late nineteenth century. Well-known writers of Western fiction include Zane Grey from the early 20th century and ...

. He is best remembered for writing '' The Virginian'' and a biography of

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union A ...

Biography

Early life

Owen Wister was born on July 14, 1860, in

Germantown Germantown or German Town may refer to: Places Australia * Germantown, Queensland, a locality in the Cassowary Coast Region United States * Germantown, California, the former name of Artois, a census-designated place in Glenn County * G ...

, a neighborhood in the northwestern part of

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

. His father, Owen Jones Wister, was a wealthy physician raised at

Grumblethorpe Grumblethorpe, in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was the home of the Wister family, who lived there for over 160 years. It was built in 1744 as a summer residence, but it became the family's year-round residence in 1793. It is a museum ...

in Germantown. He was a distant cousin of Sally Wister through his descent from John Wister (born Johannes Wüster) (1708–1789), brother of

Caspar Wistar Caspar Wistar may refer to: * Caspar Wistar (glassmaker) (1696–1752), Pennsylvania glassmaker and landowner * Caspar Wistar (physician) (1761–1818), physician and anatomist, grandson of the glassmaker {{hndis, Wistar, Caspar ...

. His mother, Sarah Butler Wister, was the daughter of

Fanny Kemble Frances Anne "Fanny" Kemble (27 November 180915 January 1893) was a British actress from a theatre family in the early and mid-19th century. She was a well-known and popular writer and abolitionist, whose published works included plays, poetry ...

, a British actress, and

Pierce Mease Butler Pierce Butler (July 11, 1744February 15, 1822) was an Irish-American South Carolina rice planter, slaveholder, politician, officer in the Revolutionary War, and Founding Father of the United States. He served as a state legislator, a member of ...

Education

Wister briefly attended schools in Switzerland and Britain, and later studied at St. Paul's School in

Concord, New Hampshire Concord () is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Hampshire and the county seat, seat of Merrimack County, New Hampshire, Merrimack County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the population was 43,976, making it the third larg ...

and

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of highe ...

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...

, where he was a member of the

Hasty Pudding Theatricals The Hasty Pudding Theatricals, known informally simply as The Pudding, is a theatrical student society at Harvard University, known for its burlesque crossdressing musicals. The Hasty Pudding is the oldest theatrical organization in the United S ...

, and a member of

Delta Kappa Epsilon Delta Kappa Epsilon (), commonly known as ''DKE'' or ''Deke'', is one of the oldest fraternities in the United States, with fifty-six active chapters and five active colonies across North America. It was founded at Yale College in 1844 by fiftee ...

(Alpha chapter). Wister was also a member of the Porcellian Club, through which he became lifelong friends with future 26th President

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

. As a senior Wister wrote the Hasty Pudding's then most successful show, ''Dido and Aeneas'', whose proceeds aided in the construction of their theater. Wister graduated from Harvard in 1882. At first he aspired to a career in music and spent two years studying at a Paris conservatory. Thereafter, he worked briefly in a bank in New York before studying law; he graduated from

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each c ...

in 1888. Following this, he practiced with a

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

firm but was never truly interested in that career. He was interested in politics, however, and was a staunch supporter of U.S. president

. Harvard's Board of Overseers had Theodore Roosevelt as a member in 1916 and Owen Wister as a member in 1918. In the 1930s, Wister opposed President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his

New Deal The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Con ...

Writing career

Wister began his literary work in 1882, publishing ''The New Swiss Family Robinson'', a parody of the 1812 novel ''

The Swiss Family Robinson ''The Swiss Family Robinson'' (German: ''Der Schweizerische Robinson'') is a novel by Johann David Wyss, first published in 1812, about a Swiss family of immigrants whose ship en route to Port Jackson, Australia, goes off course and is shipwr ...

''. It was so well received that

Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has pr ...

wrote a letter to Wister praising it. Wister had spent several summers in the

American West The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term ''the Wes ...

, making his first trip to the Territory of

Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to t ...

in 1885, planning to shoot big game, fish trout, meet the Indians, and spend nights in the wild. Like his friend

Teddy Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

, Wister was fascinated with the culture, lore and terrain of the region. He was "...struck with wonder and delight, had the eye to see and the talent to portray the life unfolding in America. After six journeys nto the dying 'wild west'for pleasure, he gave up the profession of law...", and became the writer he is better known as. On an 1893 visit to

Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park is an American national park located in the western United States, largely in the northwest corner of Wyoming and extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U.S. Congress with the Yellowst ...

, Wister met the western artist

Frederic Remington Frederic Sackrider Remington (October 4, 1861 – December 26, 1909) was an American painter, illustrator, sculptor, and writer who specialized in the genre of Western American Art. His works are known for depicting the Western United Sta ...

, who remained a lifelong friend. When he started writing, Wister naturally inclined towards fiction set on the western frontier. His most famous work remains the 1902 novel '' The Virginian'', a complex mixture of persons, places and events dramatized from experience, word of mouth, and his own imaginationultimately creating the archetypal

cowboy A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the '' vaqu ...

, who is a natural

aristocrat The aristocracy is historically associated with "hereditary" or "ruling" social class. In many states, the aristocracy included the upper class of people (aristocrats) with hereditary rank and titles. In some, such as ancient Greece, ancient R ...

, set against a highly mythologized version of the Johnson County War, and taking the side of the large landowners. This is widely regarded as being the first cowboy novel, though many modern scholars argue that this distinction belongs to Emma Ghent Curtis's ''The Administratrix,'' published over ten years earlier. ''The Virginian'' was reprinted fourteen times in eight months. It stands as one of the top 50 best-selling works of fiction and is considered by Hollywood experts to be the basis for the modern fictional cowboy portrayed in literature, film, and television. In 1904 Wister collaborated with

Kirke La Shelle Kirke La Shelle (September 23, 1862 – May 16, 1905) was an American journalist, playwright and theatrical producer. He was known for his association with such successful productions as ''The Wizard of the Nile'', ''The Princess Chic'', ''Besid ...

on a successful stage adaptation of ''The Virginian'' that featured Dustin Farnum in the title role. Farnum reprised the role ten years later in Cecil B. DeMille's film adaptation of the play. Wister was a member of several literary societies, a member of

The Franklin Inn Club The Franklin Inn Club is a private social club in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1902 as a literary society, it is one of the four historic gentlemen's clubs in Philadelphia's Center City and was the first to open membership to women in P ...

, a fellow of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, a ...

and a member of the Board of Overseers of Harvard University.

Personal life

In 1898, Wister married Mary Channing, his cousin. The couple had six children. Channing died during childbirth in 1913. Their daughter, Marina Wister, married artist Andrew Dasburg in 1933.

Death

In 1938, Wister died at his home in Saunderstown, Rhode Island. He is buried in Laurel Hill Cemetery in

Legacy

Since 1978,

University of Wyoming The University of Wyoming (UW) is a public land-grant research university in Laramie, Wyoming. It was founded in March 1886, four years before the territory was admitted as the 44th state, and opened in September 1887. The University of Wyoming ...

Student Publications has published the literary and arts magazine '' Owen Wister Review''. The magazine was published bi-annually until 1996 and became an annual publication in the spring of 1997. Just within the western boundary of the

Grand Teton National Park Grand Teton National Park is an American national park in northwestern Wyoming. At approximately , the park includes the major peaks of the Teton Range as well as most of the northern sections of the valley known as Jackson Hole. Grand Teton ...

in Wyoming, there is an 11,490-foot mountain named Mount Wister, named for Owen Wister. Near a house that Wister built near

La Mesa, California La Mesa () is a city in San Diego County, located east of Downtown San Diego in Southern California. The population was 61,121 at the 2020 census, up from 57,065 at the 2010 census. Its civic motto is "the Jewel of the Hills." History La Me ...

, but never occupied due to his wife's death, is a street called Wister Drive. In the same neighborhood are Virginian Lane and Molly Woods Avenue (named for a character in ''The Virginian''). All of those streets were named by Wister himself. In 1976, he was inducted into the

Hall of Great Westerners The Hall of Great Westerners was established by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in 1958. Located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S., the Hall was created to celebrate the contributions of more than 200 men and women of the American ...

of the

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, with more than 28,000 Western and American Indian art works and artifacts. The facility also has the world's most extensive collection of Am ...

Bibliography

Novels

*''The New Swiss Family Robinson'' ( 1882) *''The Dragon of Wantley: His Tale'' ( 1892) *''Lin McLean'' ( 1897) (1918 filmed as ''

A Woman's Fool ''A Woman's Fool'' is a 1918 American silent Western film directed by John Ford featuring Harry Carey. The film is considered to be lost. Plot As described in a film magazine, Lin McLean (Carey), a cowboy, is a fool where women are concerned ...

'' by

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

) *'' The Virginian: A Horseman of the Plains'' (

1902 Events January * January 1 ** The Nurses Registration Act 1901 comes into effect in New Zealand, making it the first country in the world to require state registration of nurses. On January 10, Ellen Dougherty becomes the world' ...

)
''Philosophy 4: A Story of Harvard University''
(

1903 Events January * January 1 – Edward VII is proclaimed Emperor of India. * January 19 – The first west–east transatlantic radio broadcast is made from the United States to England (the first east–west broadcast having bee ...

) *''A Journey in Search of Christmas'' (

1904 Events January * January 7 – The distress signal ''CQD'' is established, only to be replaced 2 years later by ''SOS''. * January 8 – The Blackstone Library is dedicated, marking the beginning of the Chicago Public Library syst ...

) * *''Padre Ignacio: or, the Song of Temptation'' (

1911 A notable ongoing event was the race for the South Pole. Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory are added to the Commonwealth of Australia. * ...

) *''Romney: And Other New Works about Philadelphia'' (written 1912–1915; published incomplete 2001)

Non-fiction

*''In Memory of Thomas Wharton'' (introduction, pp.ix-xxii) to ''Bobbo and Other Fancies'' (1897) by Wharton, Thomas Isaac (1859-1896) * ''Ulysses S. Grant'' (

1901 Events January * January 1 – The British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia federate as the Commonwealth of Australia; Edmund Barton becomes the first Prime Minist ...

) *''Oliver Wendell Holmes'', in the "American Men of Letters Series" (1902) *''The Bison, Musk-Ox, Sheep, and Goat Family'', with G. B. Grinnell and Caspar Whitney in the "

American Sportsman's Library The ''American Sportsman's Library'' is a series of 16 uniformly-bound volumes on sporting subjects, from an American perspective, published by the Macmillan Company (see Macmillan Publishers) in the period 1902-1905. Caspar Whitney, the owner/ ...

" (1903) *''Benjamin Franklin'', in the "English Men of Letters Series" (1904) *''The Seven Ages of Washington: A Biography'' (

1907 Events January * January 14 – 1907 Kingston earthquake: A 6.5 Mw earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica, kills between 800 and 1,000. February * February 11 – The French warship ''Jean Bart'' sinks off the coast of Morocco ...

) *''The Pentecost of Calamity'' ( 1915) *''The Aftermath of Battle: With the Red Cross in France'' (

1916 Events Below, the events of the First World War have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 1 – The British Royal Army Medical Corps carries out the first successful blood transfusion, using blood that had been stored and cooled. * J ...

) (preface to Edward D. Toland's autobiography) *''A Straight Deal: or the Ancient Grudge'' (

1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War in 1920: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its own ma ...

) *''Neighbors Henceforth'' (

1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...

) *''A Monograph of the Work of Mellor Meigs & Howe'' ( 1923) (contributor) *'' Roosevelt: The Story of a Friendship, 1880–1919'' (

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will b ...

) *'' The Philadelphia Club, 1834–1934'' ( 1934) *''The Illustrations of Frederic Remington'' (1970) (commentary)

Story collections

*''Red Men and White'' ( 1895) (aka ''Salvation Gap and Other Western Classics'') *''The Jimmyjohn Boss and Other Stories'' (

1900 As of March 1 ( O.S. February 17), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 13 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 15), 2 ...

) *''Members of the Family'' (

) (Illus. H. T. Dunn) *''Safe in the Arms of Croesus'' (

1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General. * January 7 ...

) *''When West Was West'' (

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhano ...

) *''The West of Owen Wister: Selected Short Stories'' ( 1972)

Short stories

*"The New Swiss Family Robinson: A Tale for Children of All Ages", a parody of ''

'' ( 1882)
new edition, 1922
*"Hank's Woman" ( 1892) (in ''The Jimmyjohn Boss'') *"How Lin McLean Went East" ( 1892) (incorporated into ''Lin McLean'') *"Em'ly" ( 1893) (incorporated into ''The Virginian'') *"The Winning of the Biscuit-Shooter" ( 1893) (incorporated into ''Lin McLean'') *"Balaam and Pedro" (

1894 Events January–March * January 4 – A military alliance is established between the French Third Republic and the Russian Empire. * January 7 – William Kennedy Dickson receives a patent for motion picture film in the United S ...

) (incorporated into ''The Virginian'') *"The Promised Land (Wister short story)" (

) (in ''The Jimmyjohn Boss'') *"A Kinsman of Red Cloud" (

) (in ''The Jimmyjohn Boss'') *"Little Big Horn Medicine" (

) (in ''Red Men and White'') *"Specimen Jones" (

) (in ''Red Men and White'') *"The Serenade at Siskiyou" (

) (in ''Red Men and White'') *"The General's Bluff" (

) (in ''Red Men and White'') *"Salvation Gap" (

) (in ''Red Men and White'') *"Lin McLean's Honey-Moon" ( 1895) (incorporated into ''Lin McLean'') *"The Second Missouri Compromise" ( 1895) (in ''Red Men and White'') *"La Tinaja Bonita" ( 1895) (in ''Red Men and White'') *"A Pilgrim on the Gila" ( 1895) (in ''Red Men and White'') *"Where Fancy Was Bred" ( 1896) (incorporated into ''The Virginian'') *"Separ's Vigilante" ( 1897) (incorporated into ''Lin McLean'') *"Grandmother Stark" ( 1897) (incorporated into ''The Virginian'') *"Sharon's Choice" ( 1897) (in ''The Jimmyjohn Boss'') *"Destiny at Drybone" ( 1897) (incorporated into ''Lin McLean'') *"Twenty Minutes for Refreshments" (

) (in ''The Jimmyjohn Boss'') *"Padre Ignazio" (

) (in ''The Jimmyjohn Boss'') *"The Game and the Nation" (

) (incorporated into ''The Virginian'') * "Mother" (1901,1907) (in ''Safe in the Arms of Croesus'') *"Superstition Trail" (

) (incorporated into ''The Virginian'') *"In a State of Sin" (

) (incorporated into ''The Virginian'') *"The Vicious Circle" (

) (in ''The Saturday Evening Post'', December 13, 1902; later revised as ''Spit-Cat Creek'') *"With Malice Aforethought" (

) (incorporated into ''The Virginian'') *"Stanwick's Business" (

) (in ''Safe in the Arms of Croesus'') *"The Jimmyjohn Boss" (in ''The Jimmyjohn Boss'') *"Napoleon Shave-Tail" (in ''The Jimmyjohn Boss'') *"Happy Teeth" (in ''Members of the Family'') *"Spit-Cat Creek" (in ''Members of the Family'') *"In the Back" (in ''Members of the Family'') *"

How Doth the Simple Spelling Bee ''How Doth the Simple Spelling Bee'' is a short story by Owen Wister that was published in book form in 1907. It is a satire about spelling reform efforts of the time, which also humorously and in a good-natured manner pokes fun at academia in gen ...

" (

) (Illus. Frederic Rodrigo Gruger) (in ''Safe in the Arms of Croesus'') *Timberline (Wister short story), "Timberline" ( 1908) (in ''Members of the Family'') *The Gift Horse (Wister short story), "The Gift Horse" ( 1908) (in ''Members of the Family'') *"Extra Dry" (

1909 Events January–February * January 4 – Explorer Aeneas Mackintosh of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition escaped death by fleeing across ice floes. * January 7 – Colombia recognizes the independence of Panama. * Jan ...

) (in ''Members of the Family'') *"Where It Was" (

) (in ''Members of the Family'') *"The Drake Who Had Means of His Own" (

) (in ''Members of the Family'') *"Safe in the Arms of Croesus" (in ''Safe in the Arms of Croesus'') *"With the Coin of Her Life" (in ''Safe in the Arms of Croesus'') *"The Honeymoonshiners" (in ''Safe in the Arms of Croesus'') *"Bad Medicine (Wister short story), Bad Medicine" (in ''When West Was West'') *"Captain Quid" (in ''When West Was West'') *"Once Round the Clock" (in ''When West Was West'') *"The Right Honorable, The Strawberries" (

) (in ''When West Was West'') *"Little Old Scaffold" (

) (in ''When West Was West'') *"Absalom of Moulting Pelican" (

) (in ''When West Was West'') *"Lone Fountain" (in ''When West Was West'') *"Skip to My Loo" (in ''When West Was West'') *"At the Sign of the Last Chance" (

) (in ''When West Was West'')

Essays

*"Where Charity Begins" ( 1895) *"The Evolution of the Cow-Puncher" ( 1895) *"Concerning "Bad Men" The True "Bad Man" of the Frontier, and the Reasons for His Existence" (

) *"Theodore Roosevelt, Harvard '80" (

) *"The Open Air Education" (

) *"After Four Years" (

1905 As the second year of the massive Russo-Japanese War begins, more than 100,000 die in the largest world battles of that era, and the war chaos leads to the 1905 Russian Revolution against Nicholas II of Russia ( Shostakovich's 11th Symphony ...

) *"High Speed English and American Railroad Flyers" ( 1906) *"The Keystone Crime: Pennsylvania's Graft-Cankered Capitol" (

) *"According to a Passenger" ( 1919) *"How One Bomb Was Made" (

1921 Events January * January 2 ** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in Brazil. ** The Spanish liner ''Santa Isabel'' bre ...

) *"Roosevelt and the 1912 Disaster: A Friend Remembers - and Interprets" (

) *"Roosevelt and the War: A Chapter of Memories" (

) *"John Jay Chapman (Wister essay), John Jay Chapman" ( 1934) *"In Homage to Mark Twain" (

1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * January 12 – Amelia Earhart ...

) *"Old Yellowstone Days" (

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

)

Poetry

*"The Pale Cast of Thought" (1890) *"From Beyond the Sea" (1890) *"Autumn on Wind River" (1897) *"In Memoriam" (1902) *'' Done In The Open'' (1902) (Illus. by

) *"Serenade" (1910) *''Indispensable Information for Infants: Or Easy Entrance to Education'' (1921)

Operas

*''Dido and Aeneas'' ( 1892) *''Kenilworth'' (unpublished) *''Listen to Binks'' (unpublished) *''Montezuma'' (unpublished) *''Villon'' (unpublished) *''Watch Your Thirst: A Dry Opera in Three Acts'' ( 1923)

Plays

*''The Dragon of Wantley'' (unpublished) *''The Honeymoonshiners'' (published in the story collection ''Safe in the Arms of Croesus'') *''Lin McLean'' (unpublished) *''Slaves of the Ring'' (unpublished) *''That Brings Luck'' (unpublished) *''The Virginian'' (unpublished)

Works inspired by ''The Virginian''

Many movie industry historians will agree that most, if not all, westerns can be claimed to contain influences from ''The Virginian''. It is nearly universally accepted that the "Hollywood cowboy" was, and still is, based on this book. *'' The Virginian (1914 film)'' directed by Cecil B. DeMille, with Dustin Farnum *''

The Virginian (1923 film) ''The Virginian'' is a 1923 American silent Western film based upon the 1902 Owen Wister novel '' The Virginian'' and adapted from the popular 1904 theatrical play which Wister had collaborated on with playwright Kirke La Shelle. The film s ...

'' with

Kenneth Harlan Kenneth Daniel Harlan (July 26, 1895 – March 6, 1967) was an American actor of the silent film era, playing mostly romantic leads or adventurer types. Early life Harlan was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of George W. Harlan and ac ...

and Florence Vidor *'' The Virginian (1929 film)'' with

Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, a ...

and Walter Huston *'' The Virginian (1946 film)'' with

Joel McCrea Joel Albert McCrea (November 5, 1905 – October 20, 1990) was an American actor whose career spanned a wide variety of genres over almost five decades, including comedy, drama, romance, thrillers, adventures, and Westerns, for which he bec ...

and

Brian Donlevy Waldo Brian Donlevy (February 9, 1901 – April 6, 1972) was an American actor, noted for playing dangerous tough guys from the 1930s to the 1960s. He usually appeared in supporting roles. Among his best-known films are ''Beau Geste'' (193 ...

*'' The Virginian (1962–1971 TV series)'' with James Drury and Doug McClure *''The Virginian'' 2000 telefilm with Bill Pullman,

Diane Lane Diane Colleen Lane (born January 22, 1965) is an American actress. Born and raised in New York City, Lane made her screen debut at age 14 in George Roy Hill's 1979 film '' A Little Romance''. The two films that could have catapulted her to st ...

, John Savage,

Colm Feore Colm Joseph Feore (; born August 22, 1958) is a Canadian actor. A 15-year veteran of the Stratford Festival, he is known for his Gemini-winning turn as Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in the CBC miniseries '' Trudeau'' (2002), his portrayal of Gl ...

, and

Dennis Weaver William Dennis Weaver (June 4, 1924 – February 24, 2006) was an American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild, best known for his work in television and films from the early 1950s until just before his death in 2006. Weave ...

*''The Virginian'' 2014 telefilm with

Trace Adkins Trace may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * ''Trace'' (Son Volt album), 1995 * ''Trace'' (Died Pretty album), 1993 * Trace (band), a Dutch progressive rock band * ''The Trace'' (album) Other uses in arts and entertainment * ''Trace'' ...

Brendan Penny Brendan James Penny (born November 9, 1978) is a Canadian film and television actor who first became well known to TV audiences as A.J. Varland in the first season of '' Whistler'' that aired in Canada from 2006 to 2008. He is perhaps best known ...

Ron Perlman Ronald Perlman (born April 13, 1950) is an American actor. His credits include the roles of Amoukar in '' Quest for Fire'' (1981), Salvatore in ''The Name of the Rose'' (1986), Vincent in the television series '' Beauty and the Beast'' (1987–1 ...