CTVA - The Virginian 8.17 [218] "Holocaust" a.k.a "The Shiloh Years" 28-Jan-1970 NBC

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8.17 [218]
"Holocaust 
a.k.a "The Shiloh Years"  

Original NBC Broadcast - 28 January 1970

Universal City Studios Inc.
Executive Producer - Norman MacDonnell
Produced by James Duff McAdams
Written by Robert Van Scoyk
Story by James Duff McAdams
Directed by Jeannot Szwarc

Starring
(shown on the ride-in)
John McIntire as Clay Grainger (appears)
Doug McClure as Trampas (appears)
Tim Matheson as Jim Horn (appears)
Sara Lane as Elizabeth Grainger (appears)
And
James Drury as The Virginian (appears)

Guest Stars
Tony Franciosa (Kordick)
Harold J. Stone (Adam Southcort)

Complete Ending Credits

Also Starring
Jeanette Nolan
As
Holly Grainger
#
Co-Starring
Sandy Kenyon
As
Rafe Ogden
#
Sean McClory
As
Walter May
#
John Hoyt
As
John Weston

Ross Elliott
As
Sheriff Abbott
#
with
Harper Flahery ... Harper
Jean R. Peloquin ... Jean
Lynne Youngreen ... Lola
Alex Sharp ... Muirhead
#
Associate Producers ... Robert Van Scoyk
... John Choy
#
Director of Photography ... Enzo A. Martinelli
#
Art Director ... William J. Kenney
Set Decorations ... John McCarthy
And Perry Murdock
Unit Manager ... Henry Kline
Assistant Director ... Les Berke
Special Photographic Effects ... Albert Whitlock
#
Film Editor ... Jack W. Schoengarth
Music Supervision ... Stanley Wilson
Sound ... Earl Crain Jr.
Color Coordinator ... Robert Brower
Technicolor
Titles and Optical Effects ... Universal Title
#
Editorial Supervision ... Richard Belding
Costumes by ... Helen Colvig
Makeup ... Bud Westmore
Hair Stylist ... Larry Germain
The Title "The Virginian" by permission of EMKA Ltd.


Series Regulars Appearing in This Episode:
Clay Grainger, Holly Grainger, Elizabeth Grainger, The Virginian, Trampas,
Jim Horn, Sheriff Abbott, Harper, Jean, Cecil (uncredited)

Synopsis 1
<Roger Martin>
Cattle prices are plummeting and Wyoming's farmers are getting desperate.
They have tried to wait out the weak market but winter is approaching and
many of the smaller farmers are worried they may be wiped out if they can't
get some of their cattle sold at a reasonable price. Grainger sends The
Virginian to Cheyenne to find out what sort of deal the chief cattle buyers
in the territory are ready to make. He returns to report to the Cattlemen's
Association that if they can drive their herds to Cheyenne in a little over
a week's time they will pay a guaranteed price per head that is above the
going rate but below the cattlemen's cost. A majority of the association,
made mostly of the larger ranches, is prepared to go forward with the deal.
Kordick, a representative of an Eastern syndicates that owns several ranches,
Walter May and Adam Southcort lead a minority violently opposed to the deal.
As the meeting breaks up, Kordick warns Clay that he will pay dearly if the cattle drive goes
ahead. Several days later, Trampas recognizes a hired gun named Muirhead in the
Medicine Bow saloon. The gunman backs down from Trampas' challenge to fight
but Shiloh's lead hand is certain that Muirhead has been brought into town
to cause trouble. Then the night before the drive is to start a group of
hooded marauders set fire to the Shiloh ranch house with Holly and Elizabeth
trapped inside. Then they stampede the cattle through the drovers' camp.
Holly and Elizabeth manage to escape the fire but Jim Horn is seriously
injured in the stampede. A posse starts tracking the marauders at dawn as
they head toward the Montana border but very quickly lose the trail. Trampas
is all set to head out after Muirhead on his own, but The Virginian is able
to change his mind in order to continue with the drive.

The catastrophe slows but doesn't stop the drive but the delay is costly as
they reach Cheyenne after the deadline and end up losing 40% of the
guaranteed price. Kordick wastes no time in taking advantage of the situation
while professing innocence about hiring the marauders. Hoping hat some or all
of the ranchers will panic, he announces that his syndicate is prepared to
buy out many of the larger ranches, including Shiloh, at what they consider
fair market value. Grainger is not willing to buckle under but when the bank
manager, John Weston, refuses to extend him credit to last through the
winter, Clay realizes the end is near and fires all the ranch hands including
The Virginian.

While Trampas and The Virginian head off in search of Muirhead and proof that
Kordick planned the destruction of Shiloh, the rest of the ranch hands head
off to new jobs. Then a few days later Jim and the ranch hands realize that
Shiloh was not just a job, but a home and return to Shiloh to work without
wages in order to rebuild the ranch.

The search for Muirhead comes to a sudden and violent end and Trampas and
The Virginian return to Medicine bow with some surprising information. [rgm]

Notes
Tony Francisosa also appeared in "Follow the Leader" (9.11). He became a
star on Broadway in the late 1950s in the drama " A Hatful of Rain", a role
he later reprised in the 1958 movie of the same name. Franciosa was featured
in the TV series "Valentine's Day" (1964-65),"The Name of the Game" (1968-71)
and "Matt Helm" (1975-76). (rgm)

This was Harold J. Stone's final guest appearance on the series. He also
appeared in "The Laramie Road" (4.12), "The Mark of a Man" (4.30), "Ride to
Delphi" (5.2) and "Death Wait" (7.15). (rgm)

John Hoyt also appeared in "The Golden Door" (1.24), "To Make This Place
Remember" (2.2), "Ring of Silence" (4.6) and "Ah Sing vs. Wyoming" (6.7).
"Star Trek" fans remember Hoyt as Dr. Phillip Boyce, the first Chief Medical
Officer of the U.S.S. Enterprise, opposite Jeffery Hunter's Capt.
Christopher Pike in the failed first pilot episode for the series. (rgm)

Sean McClory also appeared in "Day of the Scorpion" (4.2). (rgm)

Sandy Kenyon also appeared in "The Fatal Journey" (2.11), "The Girl on the
Pinto" (5.27) and "Image of an Outlaw" (7.6). (rgm)

Alex Sharp also appeared in "The Captive" (5.3).

Synopsis 2
"John Siniapkin" <jsiniapkin@netzero.net>
As the bad guys have burned down Shiloh, Clay Grainger cannot secure a bank
loan and is forced to lay off all ranch hands. It looks like he may lose
the ranch! At the final pay call, the Virginian tells all the hands that
this is the end, and tells them to ride out as there is no more money to
pay anyone. At this news, Trampas looks at the Virginian and asks, "what
about you?" The Virginian looks Trampas in the eye and, with a great deal
of sadness and regret, replies, "I'll be riding out too." To any die hard
Virginian fan, that has to be the most emotional line of the entire series.
 
The good news is that in the morning, Grainger walks in to the bunkhouse
and finds all hands still there. They are going to rebuild Shiloh on their
own! Grainger reminds them that he hasn't any money; he can't pay them
wages. Tim Matheson explains that they want to do this. The ranch is
rebuilt, the bank loan is secured, the bad guys are caught and a wonderful
dance is held at Shiloh. Everyone lives happily ever after. [JS]

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