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 4.29 [119]
"A Bald-Faced Boy"
Original NBC Broadcast - 13 April 1966
(Originally Scheduled for 16 March 1966 - but unexpectedly pre-empted)
Universal Television
Executive Producer Norman Macdonnell
Produced by Arthur H. Nadel
Written by Jack Curtis
Directed by Earl Bellamy

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

Guest Stars
Andrew Prine [Randy's elder brother Brett Benton]
Royal Dano [Randy's Uncle Dell Benton]
and
Andrew Duggan as Jim Claiborne

Full ending credits:
Co-Starring
Karen Jensen as Glory Claiborne
#
Michael Stanwood as Peck Benton
Kay E. Kuter as Razz Benton
#
With
Barry O'Hara as The Bartender
Kent McWhirter as The Hotel Clerk
Jeff Scott as The Man
Harold Fong as The Chinese Cook
Jimmy Lee Cook as The Blacksmith
#
Associate Producer James Duff McAdams
#
Theme by Percy Faith
#
Director of Photography Benjamin H. Kline, A.S.C.
#
Art Director  . . .  Henry Larrecq
Film Editor  . . .  Richard M. Sprague
Unit Manager  . . .  Ben Bishop
Assistant Director  . . .  Les Berke
Set Decorators  . . .  John McCarthy and James M. Walters
Sound  . . .  Earl Crain, Jr.
Color Coordinator  . . .  Robert Brower
Technicolor
#
Editorial Dept. Head  . . .  David J. O'Connell
Musical Supervision  . . .  Stanley Wilson
Costume Supervisor  . . .  Vincent Dee
Makeup  . . .  Bud Westmore
Hair Stylist  . . .  Larry Germain
The Title "THE VIRGINIAN" by permission of EMKA, LTD.

Series regular characters appearing in this episode: Featuring Randy with
the Virginian and Ryker and brief appearance by Trampas.  Harper was seen in
the bunkhouse and Cecil with some other riders (both uncredited)

Randy Boone sings "Rye Whiskey" and "Love's Where It's At"

Synopsis:
Randy's elder brother Brett (Prine), Uncle Dell (Dano), and two cousins
travel over 1000 miles from their home hill country of Bald Knob with news
that Jim Claiborne (Duggan) had been released from prison.  The Benton and
Claiborne clans have been feuding for years, and Randy's kin fears Claiborne
may be seeking revenge on the "bald faced boy" for testifying against him at
his trial.  Brett seems especially determined to protect his little brother,
but Randy insists he's grown now and can take care of himself.  However, a
short time later Claiborne and his daughter Glory (Jensen) arrive in
Medicine Bow.  Claiborne claims he'd come out West simply because
he'd studied medicine in prison and hoped to get a job helping the town
doctor.  The Bentons, of course, are skeptical of Claiborne's motives for
being there.  Randy is amazed at the way Glory has matured in the six years
he's been gone from the hills.
As they talk about the fun times they had together as
children Randy wants very much to renew a relationship with her--one he
hopes will lead to marriage.  Randy even picks out a "little green valley"
to settle in despite his kin folk's attempts to
convince him to rejoin the family and return to the easy life at Bald Knob.
Randy just wants the feuding to stop, but someone has put a "hex" on him.
#
Looking for this scene?
Trampas is engaging in tall tale talk with Ryker in
the saloon and brags that he had a "long rifle once that could knock down a
prairie dog two miles away." He had the distance measured by a licensed
surveyor--"Two miles even, that was his sworn testimony." Randy, who has
been sitting in a chair listening, matter-of-factly states, "I had a long
rifle like that one time. It carried quite a bit further . . . so far I had
to use smoked and salted bullets." When Trampas and Ryker wonder
about his choice of ammunition, Randy replies, "Like I said, it killed at
such a distance if I didn't use the smoked and salted
bullets the game would spoil before I could get to it."
#
Note:
This was was Randy Boone's last appearance in the series (however, if this
episode had been aired a month earlier when originally scheduled,
4.26 "The Wolves Up Front, The Jackals Behind" would have been his last appearance).
The character of Randy Benton is missing without explanation when the
fifth season begins with new Shiloh owners John Grainger and his
grandchildren.  Although Glory went back to Bald Knob
to give everyone time for scars to heal, she also assured Randy that no
one could keep her from coming back to him some day.  Perhaps Randy and
Glory settled in that little green valley and Randy was able to fulfill his dream of having
a horse ranch of his own. Well, I rather like imagining that possiblity for his exit anyway. (bj)

Andrew Prine fans may also see him in 3.18 "Hideout" 4.01 "The Brothers",
5.29  "The Strange Quest of Claire Bingham and 8.04 "The Power Seekers"

Character actor Royal Dano may be seen in
1.05 "The Brazen Bell" 1.18 "Say Goodbye to all that" (as Faraway), 4.06 "Ring of Silence"
and his memorable appearance (again as Faraway) in 2.01 "Ride a Dark Trail"

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