''The Virginian'' is a 1946 American

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

film directed by

Stuart Gilmore Stuart Gilmore (March 8, 1909 – November 19, 1971) was an American film editor who had over 45 editing credits along with 10 directing credits. He was nominated for three Academy Awards with the last nomination being posthumous. Career Gilmor ...

and starring

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 ...

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'' (19 ...

Sonny Tufts Bowen Charlton "Sonny" Tufts III (July 16, 1911 – June 4, 1970) was an American stage, film, and television actor. He is best known for the films he made as a contract star at Paramount in the 1940s, including ''So Proudly We Hail!''. He a ...

, and Barbara Britton. Based on the 1902

Owen Wister Owen Wister (July 14, 1860 – July 21, 1938) was an American writer and historian, considered the "father" of western fiction. He is best remembered for writing '' The Virginian'' and a biography of Ulysses S. Grant. Biography Early life ...

novel of the same name, the film was adapted from the popular 1904 theatrical play Wister had collaborated on with playwright

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 ...

. ''The Virginian'' is about an eastern school teacher who comes to Medicine Bow in Wyoming and encounters life on the frontier. The film is a remake of the 1929 movie 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, ...

and

Walter Huston Walter Thomas Huston ( ;According to the Province of Ontario. ''Ontario, C ...

. There have been several versions of the story, beginning with a 1914 film directed by

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cine ...

and including a 1960s

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

that bore little relation to the book other than the title. The film was originally distributed by Paramount Pictures.

Plot

In 1885, Molly Wood ( Barbara Britton) leaves the security (and dullness) of Vermont to be a schoolteacher in frontier Wyoming. On arrival, she becomes frightened by a spooked steer, and is "rescued" by the Virginian (

), only to discover the animal is so mild, it is a little girl's pet. As a result, she takes a strong dislike to the cowboy. He, on the other hand, is smitten with her. When Trampas (

) voices his scurrilous speculation as to why she came west, the Virginian confronts him and forces him, at gunpoint, to take it back. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor ( Henry O'Neill and

Fay Bainter Fay Okell Bainter (December 7, 1893 – April 16, 1968) was an American film and stage actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for ''Jezebel'' (1938) and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Early life Bainter wa ...

) put Molly up in their old home. The Virginian starts courting her, much against her will initially. Steve Andrews (

), a friend the Virginian has not seen in three years, is also interested in her. Eventually, she warms to the Virginian, but her feelings for him are not as strong and certain as his are for her. Meanwhile, families are being driven away by the depredations of cattle rustlers. The Virginian suspects Trampas is the ringleader, but has no proof. When he sees Steve becoming friendly to Trampas, he warns his easygoing friend to keep better company. When he catches Steve with one of Judge Henry's calves, applying Trampas's brand on the pretext of branding a "stray," the Virginian warns Steve to choose wisely what course he wants his life to take because he will not cover up any rustling activities. Before setting out on a long cattle drive, the Virginian tells Molly she will have to decide by the time he returns whether they have a future together. On the trail, Trampas and his men start a stampede, using the distraction to steal a couple of hundred animals. Afterward, the Virginian fears that Steve has been killed, but he in fact is working with Trampas. Judge Henry (an uncredited Minor Watson), whose cattle were taken, persuades the Virginian to lead a posse. When they find the rustlers, one is killed when he tries to draw his gun, and two others surrender. The Virginian catches Steve as he is sneaking away; Steve says no one would know if his friend were to let him go, but the Virginian takes him back to join the others. Trampas, however, gets away. The next day, the three rustlers are lynched. When the Virginian goes after Trampas, he is shot in the back. Molly tends him during the months of recovery. However, when she learns that he had to hang his own friend, she decides to return east. Andy (an uncredited James Burke), the stagecoach driver, makes her see that she is in love with the Virginian. She finally agrees to marry the cowboy. Just before their wedding, Trampas shows up to settle matters with the Virginian, telling him to leave town by sundown or else. Molly pleads with her fiancé to do just that, but the Virginian has no choice. He arms himself with the revolver Steve had left him, and the two men stalk each other. Trampas spots the Virginian first, and is about to ambush him, when he startles a horse. Warned, the Virginian manages to kill Trampas. The Virginian and Molly then ride off into the sunset.

Cast

as The Virginian *

as Trampas *

as Steve Andrews * Barbara Britton as Molly Wood *

as Mrs. Taylor *

Tom Tully Thomas Kane Tulley (August 21, 1908 – April 27, 1982) was an American actor. He began his career in radio and on the stage before making his film debut in ''Northern Pursuit'' (1943). Subsequently, he was nominated for an Academy Award for hi ...

as Nebraska * Henry O'Neill as Mr. Taylor * Bill Edwards as Sam Bennett *

William Frawley William Clement Frawley (February 26, 1887 – March 3, 1966) was an American vaudevillian and actor best remembered for playing landlord Fred Mertz in the American television sitcom '' I Love Lucy'', "Bub" O'Casey in the television comedy ser ...

as Honey Wiggen *

Paul Guilfoyle Paul Vincent Guilfoyle () (born April 28, 1949) is an American television and film actor. He was a regular cast member of the CBS crime drama ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', on which he played Captain Jim Brass from 2000 to 2014. He retu ...

as Shorty, one of the hanged rustlers * Marc Lawrence as Pete *

Vince Barnett Vince Barnett (July 4, 1902 – August 10, 1977) was an American film actor. He appeared on stage originally before appearing in more than 230 films between 1930 and 1975. Early years Barnett was born July 4, 1902, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylva ...

as Baldy

Production

Background

The basic plot elements of the film were inspired by the 1892

Johnson County War The Johnson County War, also known as the War on Powder River and the Wyoming Range War, was a range conflict that took place in Johnson County, Wyoming from 1889 to 1893. The conflict began when cattle companies started ruthlessly persecuting ...

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 the s ...

, the archetypal cattlemen-homesteaders conflict, which also served as the background for ''

Shane Shane may refer to: People * Shane (actress) (born 1969), American pornographic actress * Shane (New Zealand singer) (born 1946) * iamnotshane (born 1995), formerly known as Shane, American singer * Shane (name) Shane is mainly a masculine g ...

'' and '' Heaven's Gate''.

Filming locations

* Andy Jauregui Ranch, Placerita Canyon Road, Newhall, California, USA *

Kernville, California Kernville is a census-designated place (CDP) in the southern Sierra Nevada, in Kern County, California, United States. Kernville is located northeast of Bakersfield, at an elevation of . The population was 1,395 at the 2010 census, down from 1,7 ...

, USA * Monogram Ranch, 24715 Oak Creek Avenue, Newhall, California, USA * Paramount Ranch, 2813 Cornell Road, Agoura, California, USA

References

External links

* * *
Owen Wister Papers
at the

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 ...

–

American Heritage Center The American Heritage Center is the University of Wyoming's repository of manuscripts, rare books, and the university archives. Its collections focus on Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United ...

* Some manuscript pages of Owen Wister's 1902 book ''The Virginian'' are preserved at the

at the

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Virginian, The (1946 film) 1946 films 1946 Western (genre) films Films based on American novels Films based on Western (genre) novels American films based on plays Films set in Wyoming Paramount Pictures films Films based on adaptations Films with screenplays by Howard Estabrook Films scored by Daniele Amfitheatrof American Western (genre) films American black-and-white films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films