Virginian: Season 3 (1964)

Here are capsule impressions of selected programs from season three, which produced a steady stream of fine episodes -- plus a clinker or two.RYKER -- Guest star, Leslie NielsenPistolero weary of living by the gun decides to get on the right side of the law by investigating a murder. Aided by taut script by Frank Fenton, new series regular Clu Gulager belts a home run in his first at bat as Ryker. Nielsen's poker-faced villain offers no hint of his late-career hijinks. Raquel Welch has a bit part as a saloon girl.FELICITY'S SPRING -- Guest stars, Katherine Crawford, Mariette HartleyThe Virginian prepares to marry a beautiful schoolteacher, unaware of a dark secret. Schmaltzy episode is blatantly designed to clog noses on the distaff side of the family audience. Crawford's performance as the angelic Felicity would make Little Eva blush. Drury soldiers ahead gamely but looks uncomfortable, as he ought. Hartley's sister role is thankless.THE BRAZOS KID -- Guest star, Barbara EdenTall tales spun by ambitious newspaperwoman put The Virginian in hot water. Contrived story prone to arbitrary twists turns out better than it should, partly due to smooth presentation, but mostly because the vivacious Eden is such a pleasure to watch. Wild climax, with Gulager riding to the rescue like Paul Revere, is a relic from old melodrama.A FATHER FOR TOBY -- Guest stars, Rory Calhoun, Joanna Moore, Kurt RussellFanciful boy embarrasses Trampas by pretending he is his father, while the secretive actual parent lingers in the shadows. Simple, satisfying episode goes just where the viewer wants. Sturdy veteran star Calhoun effortlessly holds his own with Cobb, Drury and McClure. Bing Russell, Kurt's real-life dad, plays a heavy. Moore was the mother of Tatum O'Neal.ALL NICE AND LEGAL -- Guest star, Anne FrancisThe Virginian gradually warms to an opinionated female attorney. The puckish charm of Francis illuminates episode that takes a practical stance on the feminist issues it raises. Drury appreciated a guest star who was doing a particularly fine job and never failed to do his best to complement it.THE PAYMENT -- Guest star, Lloyd NolanRyker brings his foster father to Medicine Bow after a prison term, hoping he can convince the old crook to reform. Gulager's desperate uphill struggle to keep Nolan out of trouble is backbone of riveting drama. Nolan played many likable rogues in his long career, and always with heart, humor and zest. Bruce Dern was building a lengthy resume of his own out of creepy villain roles such as in this episode.TWO MEN NAMED LAREDO -- Guest star, FabianTrampas befriends a young drifter but discovers him riding away from a murder scene. Psychological drama reminiscent of "The Three Faces of Eve" puts the acting talents of pop idol Fabian to a stern test, and he is surprisingly effective.HIDEOUT -- Guest stars, Forrest Tucker, Andrew PrineBetsy is reluctant to expose two fugitives holed up in a remote cabin, but Ryker quickly gets wise. Typically fine episode emphasizes characterizations over action, despite a thrilling horse round-up. Tucker, Prine, Shore and Gulager perform as compatibly as members of a touring theatrical company.SHOWDOWN -- Guest stars, Michael Ansara, Peter WhitneyThe Virginian is forced to decide whether to back a beleaguered lawman he dislikes. The good guys are nasty and the bad guys are friendly in clever episode, written and produced by future "Star Trek" writer-producer Gene L. Coon, that gives the standard formula a firm shake. Leonard Nimoy displays some Spock-style inscrutability as one of the dour good guys.WE'VE LOST A TRAIN -- Guest stars, Neville Brand, Peter Brown, William Smith, Phil Carey, Ida Lupino, Rhonda Fleming.While in Texas to bring home a prized bull, Trampas becomes entangled with three rangers assigned to find a missing train. McClure mixes amiably with Brand, Brown and Smith in lively episode that piloted the breezy series "Laredo." Lupino is curiously cast as a Mexican matron. The evergreen Fleming has little to do, but does it graciously.

I now own all 9 seasons of THE VIRGINIAN. I am almost finished with season 4......and have finished season 9, known as THE MEN OF SHILOH. This review is for all the seasons I have watched...but I am confident what I think holds true for the seasons yet to be watched. This is one of the finest series ever produced.....one of the group of westerns that stand out from all those ever produced, including Wagon Train, Gunsmoke, Laramie, Have Gun Will Travel...! What makes The Virginian one of the best is the writing and the stories. The stories are the focus of the series...written by some of the best writers. Once you have the story, you need the characterization to tell it....and the actors to provide it. That is where The Virginian comes to life. Every actor or actress who was famous at that time, in television or movies, or theater, appeared in the series. They were supported by the character actors who were always seen, and often forgotten, but whose faces we saw in so many programs. Holding everything together was James Drury, who was the thread that bound it all together, in his role as THE VIRGINIAN. He is a terrific actor with a wide range of ability...able to express many emotions quite well. Highly principled, loyal, and true (as western heroes should be)! It all began with wonderful actor, Lee J. Cobb as Judge Garth. Mr Cobb would leave in season 4, and was succeeded by John Dehner, then Charles Bickford, John McIntire, and Stewart Granger. Other characters would leave and be replaced. Gary Clarke left, and Clu Culuger came aboard. Roberta Shore was replaced by another young lady, who was later replaced by someone else. One almost needed a scorecard to keep track of who came and went. Doug McClure remained for all 9 seasons, but was missing from many episodes. No series, however, can last so long unless there is an element of excellence...that special something that makes one come back time and again to watch it. There is minimal violence necessary to tell the story. But it is the story....always the story...and the actors who tell it that makes The Virginian work. Add real cattle and cattle drives, locusts, dust storms, stampedes, and some of the most beautiful scenery to be found....and one has something very special to enjoy.There are stories of success and failure, with a smattering of values and morality thrown in.....there is right and wrong, winners and losers, heroes and villains, love and hate! There is so much, I could not describe it all. What I can say is that watching The Virginian is time well spent. James Drury once said in an interview that there were maybe 37 scenarios that were encompassed in every western ever written. That may be true! But see what The Virginian does with these 37 scenarios, and never leave disappointed when each one ends.

Never watched as a kid because the 90 minutes was too much for my TV watching limit. The stories are well written the color transfer to DVD is great. Love James Drury. Lee J Cobb as Judge Garth is great. There are a lot of great rising guest stars like Raquel Welch in the first episode. Robert Culp, Barbara Eden and Mariette Hartley just to name a few. At about 75 minutes in length they could really develop the stories. Glad I am waiting now to watch as we didn't have a color TV in the 60's.

I'm collecting all of the seasons. They are well written with wonderful Actors and guest starsfrom the 60s. They have been remastered andare crisp and the scenery is beautiful. I grew up with these westerns and still enjoy them.

Ich begeistert von der Serie, da sie viel vom Ranchleben zeigt. Bin selber ein ˋCowgirl' und liebe diese Geschichten.

Wie bei allen anderen 7 Staffeln Ton und Bild sind für das Alter der Serie einfach nur gut.Zur Serie selbst : wer gute Western liebt und englisch kann sollte zugreifen. Zumal sie uncut sind.Im Fensehen waren sie auf 45Min gekürzt.Hier sind sie ca 75Min lang.

We enjoy the older movies and series. The Virginian has some good moral values. No bad language, sexual immorality or any of the disgusting things you see in newer tv shows. They are absolutely not worth watching. Full of witchcraft, vampires, horror, satanism, disgusting language, massive sexual immorality and indecentcy. Nothing but immoral debauchery blood and gore.

I admit the price is fairly steep however one way to look at it is you are getting 30 one hour and a half episodes which is the equivalent of 90 half hour episodes of another show. In terms of the show itself the first thing I noticed was the quality of the transfer which is near perfect. Adding to the fact that this was one of the few shows for this time filmed in color with almost all of it on location and it makes for amazing viewing. This was a well written Western which attracted the top stars of the day. Season three is excellent and highly recommended.