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"Dallas: The Early Years" (1986 TV Movie)
Episode Guide compiled by The Classic TV Archive
with contributions by:
references:
TV Guide / Library of Congress (telnet://locis.loc.gov)
Internet Movie Database (https://us.imdb.com)
UCLA Film and Television Archive

########### Dallas: The Early Years ##########
############### 1986 TV Movie ###############
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"Dallas: The Early Years" (1986 TV Movie)(3hrs)
a Roundelay production in association with Lorimar productions
Produced by Joseph B. Wallenstein ; Directed by Larry Elikann.

Introduced by Larry Hagman as J.R. Ewing
Cast:
David Grant as Willard "Digger" Barnes
Dale Midkiff as Jock Ewing
Molly Hagan as Ellie Southworth
Hoyt Axton as Aaron Southworth
David Wilson as Jason Ewing
Joe Ranier as Sam Culver
Marje Rynearson as Barbara Southworth
Matt Mulhern as Garrison Southworth
*
Kevin Wixted as Young J.R. Ewing
Johnny Felder as Young Cliff Barnes
Ryan Beadle as Young Bobby Ewing


This 1986 movie goes back to the 1930s and 1950s and describes how Jock Ewing (Dale Midkiff) and Willard "Digger" Barnes
(David Grant) were initially friends and oil partners and how that turned into bitter rivalry over oil land and Ellie
Southworth (Moly Hagan). Jock, his brother Jason Ewing (David Wilson), and Digger are shown working the oil fields together,
travelling, and wildcatting. But even though Digger had "the nose" for oil (or so he claimed), Jock and Jason had many
disagreements with him over the way he did business and over his drinking. For the past 20 minutes of the movie, we see
Jock dating Ellie regularly and when they decide to get married, Digger is brokenhearted. That's why, in later years,
both Digger and then his son Cliff kept saying that Jock used Digger to come to his fortune and also "stole" the girl
from him. As a result of the bitter rivalry, Digger tries to shoot Jock during a Southfork barbecue in 1951. J.R. is just
a teenager then and Pam, Cliff, and Bobby are just a few years old. Jock is also shown visiting his first wife Amanda
(Diane Franklin) who was in a mental institution, and explaining to her that they will have to have a divorce so that he
can marry Ellie. The traditional Ewing dinner scenes are also part of the movie, with Ellie's father Aaron Southworth
(Hoyt Axton) occupying the honorable seat at the table. In the main "Dallas" series, these scenes became one of the most
important parts of an episode.

 ########### Dallas: The Early Years ##########
############### 1986 TV Movie ###############
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