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 4.26 [116]
"The Wolves In Front, The Jackals Behind"
Original NBC Broadcast - 23 March 1966

 Universal City Studios Inc.
Executive Producer  Norman MacDonnell
Produced by James Duff McAdams
Teleplay by Herman Miller
Directed by Paul Stanley

Starring (as shown on the ride-in)
Lee J. Cobb as Judge Henry Garth
(Lee J. Cobb had left the show as of 4.21 [111] was still on the ride-in)
Doug McClure as Trampas (does not appear)
Clu Gulager as Emmett Ryker (does not appear)
Randy Boone as Randy Benton
Diane Roter as Jennifer Sommers (does not appear)
And
James Drury as The Virginian

Guest Stars:
James Farentino [as Frank Colby]
Donnelly Rhodes [as Ben Colby]
Special Guest Star:
Jay C. Flippen [as Pa Colby]
And Introducing:
Peggy Lipton as Dulcie Colby

Complete Ending Credits
Co-Starring:
Michael J. Pollard as Georgie Sam Smith
*
With
Jack Ragotzy as Billy Nolan
Harlan Warde .......... Walt Turner
Bing Russell .......... Donovan
Charles H. Radilac .... Portnoy
*
Theme by … Percy Faith
*
Director of Photography … Andrew Jackson
*
Art Director … George Patrick
Film Editor … J. Howard Terrill
Unit Manager … Ben Bishop
Assistant Director … Michael Messinger
Set Decorators … John McCarthy and James M. Walters
Sound … Corson Jowett
Color Coordinator … Robert Brower
Color by … Technicolor
*
Editorial Dept. Head … David J. O’Connell
Music Supervision … Stanley Wilson
Costume Supervisor … Vincent Dee
Makeup … Bud Westmore
Hair Stylist … Larry Germain
The Title “The Virginian” by permission of EMKA Ltd.

Series Regulars Appearing in This Episode
Randy Benton

Synopsis:
Sent to Montana by Morgan Starr to pick up some brood mares, Randy stops by
the small town of Prindiville to meet his childhood friend Georgie Sam Smith.
As children, Randy and Georgie Sam always dreamed of starting their own horse
ranch but Georgie’s dream appears to be on hold. He has fallen into unrequited
love with Dulcie Colby, the daughter of the region’s largest rancher. In order
to play matchmaker, Randy takes a temporary job at the Colby ranch, as a wrangler.
Randy tries his best but Dulcie only has eyes for Randy and her brother Ben, who
is also the ranch’s foreman, does his best to encourage the relationship.
An uncomfortable situation suddenly turns deadly when Ben and Dulcie’s
older brother Frank returns home after fifteen years away. He is now better known
as outlaw Frank Cole and is wanted for murder and bank robbery. His first action
on arriving back is to commission a tombstone from the local stone carver and
makes it clear that before he leaves, a Colby will die. [rgm]

Notes:
The title of the episode comes from one of Frank Colby’s lines. When describing
the life of an outlaw with a bounty on his head with everyone out to kill him,
the choice is whether to face “the wolves in front of you or the jackals behind.” [rgm]

This was an unusual episode. Randy Boone was the only cast member involved. For the
first half of the episode, Boone was central to the story as the plot revolved around
the Randy - Dulcie - Georgie Sam love triangle. With the arrival of Frank Colby
(James Farentino), Boone slipped back to his usual supporting role as the story
focused on the conflicts within the Colby family. The only references to the series
central characters comes as Randy signs up at the Colby ranch where he explains to
Ben that Judge Garth has sold Shiloh and Morgan Starr is now running the operation.
If Ben did not constantly refer to Randy as “Shiloh”, it would be easy to look at
this episode as a TV movie of the week as opposed to an episode of The Virginian.

James Farentino also appeared in The Men from Shiloh episode 9.02 “The Best Man”.(bj)

James Farentino was a contract player at Universal and appeared in many of their
movies and TV series during the 1960s and 1970s. He was a regular on The Bold Ones:
The Lawyers (1969-72). (rgm)

This was Donnelly Rhodes’ only appearance on the series. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba,
he began his acting career after a stint in the Royal Canadian Air Force. Rhodes was
also a contract player at Universal at the time of filming. Although he did appear
in several movies such as Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid (1969), The bulk of
his work was in television in both the United States and his native Canada. He rarely
did regular roles on TV series. The exceptions were his portrayal of Philip Chancellor
Sr. on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless (1973-76) and as Dr. Grant Roberts
on the Disney - Canadian Broadcasting co-production Danger Bay (1984-89). (rgm)

Jay C. Flippen also appeared in “The Barren Ground (6.12)” and “Stopover” (7.14).
The wheelchair that Flippen used in this episode (and in “The Barren Ground”) was
a necessity and not a dramatic device. Flippen had lost a leg to amputation in the
mid-1960s but refused to give up his acting career. The versatile character actor
started his show business career in vaudeville and was equally comfortable in drama
(Winchester 73 (1950)), comedy (The Lemon Drop Kid (1951)) or musicals (Oklahoma (1955).
Flippen died during surgery to correct an aneurysm on February 3, 1971. (rgm)

Peggy Lipton did some supporting roles on Bewitched. Mr. Novak, The Alfred Hitchcock
Hour and The John Forsythe Show prior to her appearance in this episode but this was
her first featured role. Lipton is best known for playing Julie Barnes on the ABC police
drama The Mod Squad from 1968-73. Lipton was also married to composer Quincy Jones for
many years. (rgm)

This was Michael J. Pollard’s only appearance in the series. Pollard is arguably best
remembered for his supporting role in Bonnie and Clyde (1967). Star Trek fans will
remember him playing opposite Kim Darby in the episode “Miri”. (rgm)

This was the fourth of eight guest appearances on the series by Bing Russell. He also
appeared in “Riff Raff” (1.07), “The Invaders” (2.15), “A Father for Toby” (3.08),
“The Challenge” (5.06), “Beloved Outlaw” (5.11), “The Deadly Past” (6.2) and
“The Substitute (8.8)”. (rgm)

Harlan Warde was the only series regular other than Boone to appear in this episode
but played the Colby’s lead hand Walt Turner and not Sheriff John Brannon.

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Main Contributor for this episode -  Rodger G. Martin [rgm]