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1.04 [--]
"The Big Deal"
(no on-screen title)
Original NBC Broadcast - 10 October 1962
Revue Studios Production
Produced by Charles Marquis Warren
Teleplay by Winston Miller/
Story by Richard Jessup
Directed by Earl Bellamy
Starring:
(shown on the ride-in)
Lee J. Cobb as Judge Henry Garth
Doug McClure as Trampas
Gary Clarke as Steve Hill
and
James Drury as The Virginain
Guest Star:
Ricardo Montalban [ Enrique Cueliar]
End Credits (complete)
Co-starring:
Pippa Scott as Molly
Roberta Shore as Betsy
#
With
Bill Zuckert as Bernie (not credited as William on screen)
Brendan Dillon as Mr. Bemis
Ross Elliott as The Sheriff
Orville Sherman as The Doctor
Jason Johnson as The Workman
George Cisar as George
Martin Eric as The Bartender
Dal McKennon as The Lumberyard Owner
#
Virginian theme - Percy Faith
#
Director of Photography - Lionel Lindon, A.S.C.
#
Art Director - George Patrick
Film Editor Lee Huntington, A.C.E.
Editorial Dept. Head - David J. O'Connell
Musical Supervision - Stanley Wilson
Set Decorators - John McCarthy and James S. Redd
Color Consultant - Alex Quiroga
Color Processing by Consolidated Film Industries
#
Assistant Director - Carter De Haven III
Sound - Frank S. Wilkinson
Costume Supervisor - Vincent Dee
Makeup - Leo Lotito, Jr.
Hair Stylist - Florence Bush
The title "The Virginian" by permission of EMKA, LTD.
Series Regular Characters in this episode:
the Virginian, Trampas, Judge Garth, Betsy,
Molly, Steve, and
Sheriff Abbott (even though he was credited just as the Sheriff)
and recurring character Mr. Bemis
Brief Synopsis:
Judge Garth and a wealthy businessman from South America
have a disagreement over the selling price of a piece of
land which had been leased to the Judge by the Senor's father. (bj)
Detailed Synopsis:
Enrique Cueliar (Ricardo Montalban), a wealthy businessman from
South America, arrives in Medicine Bow to make a deal with Judge Garth
concerning the purchase of a piece of land which had been leased to
Shiloh by the man's father. His foreign charms interest Molly
(who declines a dinner date with Trampas in order to work on her
new press but then consents to spend an engaging evening with
the Senor instead--"in the line of journalistic duty, of course") and
delight Betsy (who has a crush at first sight). It seems that at one time
ten Colombians had purchased much of the land around Medicine Bow, and when
the Judge put together his ranch he managed to buy the sections owned by
nine of these men. Enrique's father, however, wanting to make money from
leasing his property, declined to sell. The acreage is a must for the
rancher since it is the route he uses when driving his cattle to and from
the high meadow grazing area. When Betsy reveals this fact Enrique,
feeling that the Judge was trying to take advantage of him by not
mentioning the importance of the land himself, decides to raise his asking
price. The Judge refuses to pay the exorbitant amount and tells his hands
to bring the cattle back from the meadow across the area before Enrique can
get a restraining order from the circuit judge. Enraged, the Colombian
decides to put up his own "restraining order" by stringing a barbed wire
fence across the entrance to his property, and the two stubborn men become
entangled in a mini range war. The dispute comes to an abrupt end,
however, after Betsy gallops her horse into the wire and Enrique and the
Judge decide her life is more important than their pride. (bj)
Some scenes viewers might remember:
1) Judge Garth's big "ridiculous" four-sided clock in town which Trampas
considered would make a fine target on a Saturday night.
2) Cueliar, invited to sit in on the poker lesson the Virginian was giving at the saloon
(with Trampas gleeful that it might be easy to take advantage of him), showing everyone
else up in the game he had considered fascinating since he was a child.
3) Trampas' insightful assessment of the South American in the bath house when he
commented to the Virginian, "A man who'd take a bath every day is not to be
trusted," and in the study when asked by the Judge what kind of man Cueliar was,
"He's a pretty smart man in some ways. . . Funny hat--he played poker like a card shark."
4) Unable to find beds for themselves at the hotel on a Saturday night because all the
cowhands were in town, the Virginian showing Cueliar how to get a bed to himself by
offering a drummer to pay for half the bed, mentioning if he should toss and turn in
the night not to wake him because he might come up shooting, then pretending to have a
nightmare to scare the man off the mattress. Cueliar thought the Virginian's trick
was magnificent--until he tried it himself.
5) The Virginian handling the runaway buckboard (the horses had been frightened by a
rattlesnake) on the way back to the ranch with Cueliar repeating, "Very good,"
as he enjoyed the ride.
ON THE NAME "SHILOH" -- The Virginian told Cueliar the ranch was named
"after a battle fought in the War Between the States." Cueliar commented,
"The Judge's side won," and the Virginian replied, "Neither side won."
Ricardo Montalban also appears in 7.05 "Wind of Outrage" and 9.12 "Last of
the Comancheros"
HORSE: Other than the ride-in credits, this episode marks the first appearance of
James Drury's Appaloosa and Doug McClure's buckskin (one of several). These horses
would be trade-mark mounts for the Virginian and Trampas during the remainder of season
one through eight.
Ricardo Montalban also appears in 7.05 "Wind of Outrage" and 9.12 "Last of the Comancheros"
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