THE VIRGINIAN
US, 1946, 90 minutes, Colour.
Joel Mc Crea, Brian Donlevy, Sonny Tufts, Barbara Britton, Fay Bainter, Tom Tully, Henry O’ Neill, William Frawley.
Directed by Stuart Gilmore.
The Virginian seems a routine western. In fact, it is the archetypal western for the screen. It is based on a novel and a play written at the beginning of the 19th century by Owen Wister. Already, by 1914, Cecil B. de Mille had filmed the story. It was filmed twice in the 1920s, the second version having Gary Cooper as the star.
This is a version post-World War Two, the first in colour, with that reliable hero of westerns, Joel Mc Crea. Brian Donlevy had emerged during the 1930s as a screen villain, especially with Beau Geste. There was to be a television film and series during the 1970s and Bill Pullman directed a version in which he starred in 2000.
The storyline is familiar: a schoolteacher from the east goes to Wyoming, finds life in the west a bit more difficult than she thought, encounters a genial cowboy called Steve, is attracted eventually to the strong silent cowboy, the Virginian. There are cattle rustlers, Steve becoming involved with them and being hanged.
The cast does all that is expected of them. The direction is by Stuart Gilmore who made very few feature films (Captive Women, The Half-Breed?, Target). However, he spent a long career as a film editor, editing such films as The Sound and the Fury, Kid Galahad, Toys in the Attic, The World of Henry Orient as well as such musicals as Thoroughly Modern Millie and Sweet Charity as well as Airport and The Andromeda Strain.
1.The popular and familiar western ingredients? These being the originals for so many films? Later appearing as conventional or even cliché?
2.The Wyoming settings, Medicine Bend town, the ranches, the mountains, the cattle lands? The musical score?
3.The focus on the Virginian, Joel Mc Crea’s screen presence? His name, nobody knowing his personal name? In the west, looking after the cattle, his sense of responsibility? To the judge, to the sheriff? He friendship with the Taylor family? His friendship with Steve and supporting him? The first encounters with Molly Wood, the holding up of the train with the cattle, his catching her? Her initial reactions against him? The attraction? The card games in the hotel? At work? Calling on her, the discussions? Falling in love? His finding Steve with the calf? Trying to put him on the straight and narrow? Steve and his stealing the cattle with Trampas? His being taken, the Virginian having to make the decision about hanging him? Molly’s reaction? Her leaving? His pursuit of Trampas, being shot? His being cared for, Molly deciding to leave? Her staying, the preparation for the marriage? The confrontation with Trampas, the final shoot-out? The happy ending? The strong silent man of the west?
4.Molly, in the eastern states, the preparation for leaving, going west, the teacher? On the train, the cattle, the encounter with Steve and her liking him? The Virginian and the tension between them? The attraction, her condemning him about the card games? Their meetings, the attraction, falling in love, riding with him? Her not knowing about Steve’s being hanged? Her friendship with the Taylors, Mrs Taylor looking after her? Her learning the truth with the children playing the game of the hanging? Her deciding to leave, Mrs Taylor’s strong speech about justice, executions? Her staying, the preparations for the marriage? The final shoot-out, the happy ending?
5.Steve, weak, genial, with the money, going to New York? The gambling and losing his money? The friendship with the Virginian and the Virginian supporting him? His going with Trampas, being caught with the calf, lying, going with Trampas and the cattle, his being taken? His being executed, being calm, giving things away, the gun to the Virginian?
6.The Taylor family, life with the west, taking Molly in? Mrs Taylor and her outburst about justice and thieves? Persuading Molly to stay? Mr Taylor and his support?
7.The men of the town, Nebraska and the others, Honey, Wiggen? Friendship with the Virginian? The judge and his cattle? The rustling? The pursuit of the gang, the decision to hang Steve? As western characters? Supporting Molly?
8.Trampas, the villain, dressed in black? Self-assured, using Steve? The meetings with the Virginian? Getting the cattle, the stampede, getting the cattle to swim downriver? The pursuit, his shooting the Virginian? The build-up to the final shoot-out, moving around the town, the horse rearing and his being shot?
9.The popular and perennial ingredients of the western?
