Author Owen Wister spent many summers in his cabin near Jackson, Wyoming. The inspiring daily view and his hunting trips and adventures into and around the Grand Teton Mountains informed his first-hand knowledge of the region—and his writing of what most consider the first classic Western novel, The Virginian.
Owen Wister, (born July 14, 1860, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.—died July 21, 1938, North Kingstown, Rhode Island), American novelist whose novel The Virginian (1902) helped establish the cowboy as a folk hero in the United States and the western as a legitimate genre of literature.
Who wrote The Virginian?
The Virginian (otherwise titled The Virginian: A Horseman of the Plains) is a 1902 novel by the American author Owen Wister (1860-1938), set in Wyoming Territory during the 1880s.
Was there a real Virginian?
JAMES DRURY, the one true “Virginian” by whom all others are measured, is the star of the first 90-minute color western TV series, “The Virginian”, which aired from 1962-1971.
Who was the real Virginian?
James Drury, who starred as the no-name, no-nonsense foreman of the Shiloh Ranch on ‘The Virginian,’ one of the longest-running Westerns in the history of television, has died. He was 85.
Who was The Virginian based on?
Drury and co-star Doug McClure appearsed on all 249 episodes. The series was loosely based on Owen Wister’s 1902 novel “The Virginian, A Horseman of the Plains,” in which the name of the main character was never revealed.
What town is The Virginian based in?
As in the book, the foreman went only by the name “the Virginian”. The series was set in Medicine Bow, Wyoming.
What did Owen Wister write?
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.
Did the Virginian ever get married?
Late actor James Drury was wed three times, but the love of his life will always be his third wife, Carl Ann Drury. The couple got married in 1979 and they stayed together until Carl Ann died in August 2019, just seven months before James himself passed away in April 2020.
Why did Betsy leave the show The Virginian?
In the 1965 episode “The Awakening,” Judge Garth’s only daughter weds former minister David Henderson and moves to Pennsylvania to start a new life with her husband. The storyline mirrored actress Roberta Shore’s own decision to break her seven-year contract with the show in order to focus on her real-life marriage.
Why did Randy leave the Virginian?
He was making a ton of money from the series, then just quit. He did an interview saying he thought the show was terrible and wished he could buy up all the film and turn it into banjo picks!” … “He loved the show and told me he wished he had been on from the beginning. But he died unexpectedly (during season 6).
What happened to Stacey Grainger on the Virginian?
Stacey breaks his arm and injures a nerve in his shoulder during an accident with a girl friend. When his recovery is questionable, she abandons him due to family induced emotional constraints, putting Stacey into a deeper depression.
Where is the Virginian buried?
Birth | 18 Apr 1934 New York, New York County (Manhattan), New York, USA |
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Burial | Elmwood Memorial Park Abilene, Taylor County, Texas, USA Show Map |
What happened to Charles Bickford on the Virginian?
Unfortunately, halfway through season six, Charles Bickford passed away. He was replaced by — you guessed it —John McIntire. McIntire played John Grainger’s brother, Clay, who took over the ranch.
Who was the star of The Virginian?
James Drury, an actor best remembered as the stolid, black-hatted title character of the long-running NBC western “The Virginian,” died on Monday at his home in Houston. He was 85.
Who was the Virginian married to?
James Drury | |
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Spouse(s) | Cristall Orton ( m. 1957; div. 1964) Phyllis Mitchell ( m. 1968; div. 1979) Carl Ann Head ( m. 1979; died 2019) |
Who owned Shiloh Ranch on the Virginian?
Shiloh Ranch was originally owned by Judge Garth (Lee J. Cobb) and his daughter Betsy (Roberta Shore), then changed hands a few times to the Grainger brothers (Charles Bickford and John McIntire), and finally ends up under the ownership of Colonel Alan McKenzie.
Is there a real Shiloh Ranch?
Sad to say the site of Shiloh Ranch is now occupied by the Universal City Walk area overlooking the Hollywood freeway. Shiloh Ranch was still in use by Universal Studio productions up until the mid 1970s but was levelled to make way for the expansion of the Universal Studios tour area.
Is there a real town called Medicine Bow?
Medicine Bow is a town in Carbon County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 284 at the 2010 census.
How far was Shiloh Ranch from Medicine Bow?
In the book, the ranch, which is actually named “Sunk Creek”, is two hundred seventy miles from Medicine Bow.
What does Wister mean?
wi(s)-ter. Origin:German. Popularity:7154. Meaning:relating to the wisteria plant.
Where was the movie The Virginian filmed?
The Virginian was filmed in Los Angeles & Tucson in the United States of America.
When did Stacey leave The Virginian?
Don Quine as Stacey Grainger seasons 5 & 6 -The Virginian – IMHO The Virginian went downhill after Don Quine and Clu Gulager left at the end of Season 6. Don Quine as Stacey Grainger seasons 5 & 6 -The Virginian – IMHO The Virginian went downhill after Don Quine and Clu Gulager left at the end of Season 6.
What was James Drury worth at death?
Net Worth: | $1.5 Million |
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Date of Birth: | Apr 18, 1934 – Apr 6, 2020 (85 years old) |
Gender: | Male |
Height: | 6 ft (1.83 m) |
Profession: | Businessperson, Actor |
What happened to Judge Garth on The Virginian?
But he died unexpectedly (during season 6). We finished the show on a Friday night about midnight and it was a bitterly cold evening. He wasn’t well and everybody wanted him to go home but he insisted on finishing his part and staying around. It turned into pneumonia and he died Sunday morning.”
Was Roberta Shore a Mouseketeer?
Roberta also performed the theme song for that movie. She appeared many times on episodes of The Mouseketeers, although she herself was not a Mouseketeer as she was deemed too tall. … But the most notable role for Roberta on a TV series was as “Betsy Garth” on The Virginian (1962) for its first three seasons.
What happened to Gary Clark on The Virginian?
Gary Clarke, now 87 years old, left The Virginian in 1964 to pursue other projects, although he stayed in touch with James Drury. … Gary Clarke appeared in a few other shows after The Virginian, most notably Dynasty, and now lives with his third wife, Jerrene in Austin, Texas.
What was Randy’s last episode on The Virginian?
A Bald-Faced Boy.
Where was Shiloh Ranch filmed?
The show was shot on the Universal backlot where the Shiloh Ranch had been built especially for the show, at Six Points Texas, and on stage 34. The Medicine Bow western street set (pictured below) was destroyed in the 1967 fire, and the present day Court of Miracles was built in it’s place.
How old is Betsy Garth on the Virginian?
She was 19 when the series went into production, but Betsy Garth was initially identified as a 15 year old (she celebrates her 15th birthday in the first episode), which, incidentally, takes place sometime in 1890 (specifically identified in episode two, which was focused on her character and gave Shore a lot to do …
What happened to Doug McClure?
Doug McClure, who rode his way from broncobusting to starring roles in such television westerns as “The Virginian,” “The Overland Trail” and “The Men From Shiloh,” died on Sunday at his home in the suburb Sherman Oaks. He was 59. The cause was lung cancer, said Dennis Morga, a friend. Mr.