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The TV series, titled 'The Virginian,' was inspired by Owen Wister's 1902 novel "The Virginian: Horseman of the Plains." It was set at the Shiloh Ranch in Medicine Bow, Wyoming.
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'The Virginian' by Owen Wister is seen as the very first authentic Western novel, and it set the stage for works by famous authors like Zane Grey and Louis L'Amour.
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The Western series was titled 'The Virginian' because James Drury's character was said to hail from Fairfax, Virginia.
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In both the book and the TV series, the character didn't have a specific name. However, on screen, James Drury played the role of the "Virginian", serving as the foreman of the Shiloh Ranch and being addressed by this title.
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James Drury's portrayal is widely regarded as the most popular. He also had an amazing talent: he could look at a 10-page scene and then act it out word-for-word.
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The show maintained a rapid pace, producing around thirty 90-minute episodes per season. James Drury had recalled, "There were times when we had four 'Virginian' episodes shooting on the same day. I would literally ride on horseback from set to set to deliver two lines here, three lines there, then over here to do 10 pages of script."
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In the show, "Betsy" (played by Roberta Shore), who is Judge "Henry Garth's" (Lee J. Cobb) daughter, is revealed to be adopted. This detail is mentioned in season one, episode two, titled 'Woman from White Wing.'
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In the 1962 TV series 'The Virginian,' "Steve", played by Gary Clarke, is referred to as "Steve Hill" multiple times. However, in the 1946 film adaptation, his last name is "Andrews." Interestingly, in the original Owen Wister novel and the 1914, 1923, and 1929 film versions, "Steve's" last name remains undisclosed.
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After their time on
'The Virginian,' the three main actresses had relatively few roles in other projects. Roberta Shore had two appearances, Diane Roter had six, and Sara Lane had three.
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'The Virginian' story has been adapted into four movies. One of them starred Gary Cooper. Interestingly, two of these movies were silent films, made during a time when films had no spoken dialogue.
Explore the classic TV series 'The Virginian' that graced NBC screens from 1962 to 1971 with an impressive 249 episodes. Back in those days, researching facts about TV shows and characters wasn't as easy without the internet.
Whether you're a dedicated fan or new to the series, get ready to discover some interesting, not-so-well-known facts about this beloved show.