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 3.09 [069]
"The Girl From Yesterday"
Original NBC Broadcast - 11 November 1964

Revue Studios Production
Executive Producer Frank Price
Producer Frank Telford
Teleplay by Mark Rodgers and Louis Vittes
Story by Mark Rodgers
Directed by John Florea

Starring:
(shown on the ride-in)
Lee J. Cobb as Judge Henry Garth
Doug McClure as Trampas (not in this episode)
Clu Gulager as Emmett Ryker
Roberta Shore as Betsy Garth (not in this episode)
Randy Boone as Randy Benton
and
James Drury as the Virginian
with:
Gary Clarke as Steve Hill (exit)
(Gary Clarke was being phased out of the series in early season 3. 
This was his final appearance in the show after also appearing in 3.05 "Felicity's Spring" and  3.07 "Big Image...Little Man")

Guest Stars:
Mark Richman [ Jack Wade]
Ruta Lee [ Jane Carlyle]

End Credits:
Co-Starring:
Don Collier as Marshal Cass
L.Q. Jones as Belden
Charles Bateman as Neal Fairburn

with:
Barry Kelley as Commissioner Todd
Michael MacReady as Lt.Sawtelle
Mike Ragan as Avery
Christian Anderson as Chuck

Virginian Theme
Percy Faith
#
Director of Photography
Ray Rennahan A.S.C.
#
Story Editor
Cy Chermak
#
Art Director . . . George Patrick
Film Editor . . . Robert Watts, A.C.E.
Assistant Director . . . Ben Bishop
Set Decorators . . . John McCarthy and James M. Walters, SR.
Sound . . . Robert Bertrand
Color Consultant . . . Alex Quiroga
Color By Pathe
#
Editorial Dept. Head . . . David J. O'Connell
Musical Supervision . . . Stanley Wilson
Costume Supervisor . . . Vincent Dee
Makeup . . . Bud Westmore
Hair Stylist . . . Virginia Darcy
The Title "The Virginian" by permission of EMKA, LTD.

.Series Regular Characters in this episode:
  Steve Hill, Judge Garth, the
Virginian, Ryker, Randy, and Belden

Brief Synopsis:
In order to help protect a government shipment of gold, Steve
reluctantly plays detective to keep an eye on his childhood sweetheart who
is suspected of being a member of an outlaw gang. (bj)

More Detailed Synopsis:
Steve is surprised to find Jane Carlyle (Lee), his childhood sweetheart from Kansas City, singing in the local saloon.  He very much wants to renew a friendship with her, but she has more in mind than being married to a forty dollar a month cowhand.  A U.S. Marshal comes to Medicine Bow and discusses with Judge Garth the probability that Jack Wade (Richman) and his bunch will try to steal the gold the government is sending to town for the purchase of Indian land.  The lawman suspects Jane could be a member of the gang because she has been seen in other places at the time criminal activity occurred there.  Steve refuses to believe that she could be involved in wrongdoing and doesn't want to have anything to do with spying on his former love. However, the Judge convinces him that this would be the best way he could help.   For security reasons, Steve is advised not to tell anyone about the matter, not even the Virginian.  In order to get closer to Jane, Steve throws crooked dice in a game to win money to use in wooing her.  He also tells her that he is going to steal a gold shipment so they can have plenty of money for the high life. Steve's intentional neglect of chores angers the Virginian, who would fire any other hand for that kind of behavior.  This gives Steve the opportunity to "quit" Shiloh so he can devote his time to the marshal's plan.  The Virginian, Randy, and Beldon are concerned about him, but the Judge suggests they just give Steve time to cool off.   On a picnic, remembering how it was when they were growing up in Kansas, Jane tells Steve that she doesn't want him to change his ideals just to steal the gold for her. But Steve insists he is going to have money to buy her whatever she wants. Steve now feels that Jane is innocent of any crime, but the marshal tells him to give her information about the gold shipment so, were she truly entangled with them, the gang could be caught.   At the same time Wade wants Jane to keep an eye on Steve so he won't steal the government funds before he can.  Steve suggests to Jane they could leave together and forget about the gold.  She is agreeable to this, but Jack then enters and asks Steve to give him the details of the shipment.   Steve advises the gang leader to take his men into Medicine Bow at 8:00 Sunday morning when the gold arrives by train and everyone is in church, but Jack wants to take no chances.   Instead of hitting the town Wade stops the cavalry, who has come to escort the commissioner, and the outlaws disguise themselves in the uniforms.  Wondering why the thieves didn't come for the cash box at the time they were expected, the Judge notices his cowhand among the group of   "soldiers."  Hearing the marshal warn the "cavalry" that there may be a robbery attempt and they had planted a man to infiltrate the outlaw gang, Jack becomes suspicious of Steve and plans to kill him.   Jane tries to prevent the shooting, giving Steve the opportunity to fight back.  Later in town the Judge reassures an unhappy Steve that Jane will probably get a light sentence because she had saved his life and given herself up voluntarily.(bj)

Quotes of Note:
   (the Judge explaining to Steve the importance of cooperating with the marshal)    "Every man has to deal with something unpleasant, distasteful sometime in his life in order to achieve a greater purpose." and (Randy to the Virginian in his concern about Steve's actions)  "Something's wrong, way wrong.    That's when a man's friends ought to be behind him."

Comment:
  Like the fate of several other characters later in this series, Gary Clarke's Steve disappeared without explanation as to why he was no longer at Shiloh.  Since many viewers appreciated the camaraderie between the Virginian, Steve, and Trampas, it would have been nice to put a closure on his absence (as with Molly Wood in 2.11 "The Fatal Journey," Betsy in 4.05 "The Awakening," and Judge Garth in 4.21 "Morgan Star" and also 5.01 "Legacy of Hate").  Perhaps we could assume Steve married Jane after she served her sentence, and the two of them moved back to Kansas to start a family.  (bj) 

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