The Classic TV Archive - TV Western series
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6.10 [159]
"Paid In Full"
Original NBC Broadcast - 22 November 1967
Universal City Studios, Inc.
Executive Producer Norman Macdonnell
Produced by Winston Miller
Written by Richard Wendley
Directed by Don McDougall
Starring:
(shown on the ride-in)
Charles Bickford as John Grainger (not in this episode)
(Charles Bickford had died but remained on ride-in up to and including ep. 6.16)
Doug McClure as Trampas
Clu Gulager as Emmett Ryker (not in this episode)
Don Quine as Stacey Grainger (not in this episode)
Sara Lane as Elizabeth Grainger
and
James Drury as The Virginian
Special Guest Star
John McIntire [series regular Clay Grainger]
Guest Stars:
Pictured above - John McIntire (left) with James Whitmnore (right)
James Whitmore [Ezra Hollis]
Don Stroud [Frank Hollis]
Complete ending credits:
Co-Starring
L.Q. Jones as Belden
#
Robert Yuro as Aiken
#
Douglas Kennedy as Mr. Oliver
#
With
Hal Baylor . . . Bert
Robert Karnes . . . Jeffers
Ed Prentiss . . . Mr. Jensen
And
Cal Bartlett as Jim Reese
#
Associate Producer David Levinson
#
Theme Percy Faith
#
Director of Photography Enzo A. Martinelli
#
Art Director . . . George Patrick
Film Editor . . . Richard M. Sprague
Unit Manager . . . Abby Singer
Assistant Director . . . George Bisk
Set Decorations . . . John McCarthy and Perry Murdock
Sound . . . Melvin M. Metcalfe, Sr.
Color Coordinator . . . Robert Brower
Technicolor
#
Editorial Supervision . . . Richard Belding
Musical Supervision . . . Stanley Wilson
Costume Supervision . . . 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:
Clay Grainger, Virginian, Trampas, Liz Grainger, Belden,
and recurring cowhand Cecil
Brief Synopsis:
A crusty cowboy who had saved Trampas' life during a stampede just wants to
be able to earn his living and not receive the deed to his place as a reward
from Clay Grainger. But his son, who is returning home after a year in
prison, is more interested in getting something for nothing.
More Detailed Synopsis:
Despite taking a monetary loss, Clay Grainger decides to round up 200 cows to sell to a cattle broker.
Clay holds the deed to Ezra Hollis' place, and a mortgage payment is
due. Ezra's (Whitmore) leg was crippled when he saved Trampas' life during a stampede.
Clay would like Ezra to accept the deed as a reward, but the crusty man says
he would have done the same for anyone and all he asks is to be able to earn
his wages and pay his own way. Ezra's son Frank (Stroud) is returning home after a
year in prison--he had done wrong but had paid for his misdeeds. Clay
assures Ezra there will be a job for Frank at Shiloh, too, and tells the
Virginian that "regardless" Frank is hired. The foreman
questions if Frank will want to work for a living, but Clay feels
people can change and should be offered a chance to do so--what Frank does with
the chance is up to him. When the young man arrives home he is upset to see his
father's lame condition and angry that Trampas was only "roughed up" a little
during the stampede. He believes Grainger owes Ezra since "Trampas is one
of Shiloh's top hands and practically part of the family." But Ezra
informs his son that Grainger had given him what he wanted--the opportunity to earn an
honest living even though he can no longer ride a horse and is now more a
choreboy than a cowboy. He insists if Frank wants to stay he, too,
will have to work and not look for a handout. Ezra plans to take three
years to pay Grainger off and then spend his time raising prize horses with
his "fine blooded" stallion. Frank argues they should pull up stakes and
homestead for free elsewhere, yet Ezra asserts he will never leave this land
because his wife is buried there. At Shiloh it's apparent that Frank
holds resentment toward Trampas. Adding to the strained relationship,
Trampas feels guilty about Ezra's disability and doesn't readily accept the
Virginian's statement, "The facts don't need changing, just the way
you're looking at them." To make matters worse, the foreman assigns Trampas
to help the embittered boy because he feels Trampas is the "best one" to work with him.
Frank is pushed to the boiling point when Ezra sides with the Virginian
after he's been ordered to go out to the range but decides to help his father
change a wheel on the buggy instead. Frank takes it out on Trampas, who
hopes that will settle things between them. But a fist fight ensues when the young man insists
Trampas stay away from him and Trampas explains he can't get off the face of
the earth just because Frank wants him to. Clay intervenes,
telling the men to "settle their personal differences on their own time."
The Virginian maintains it isn't going to work out to have Frank around
because he's too full of hatred toward everyone at Shiloh. Clay agrees
and reckons if only Ezra will accept the deed to his place the problem will
be solved. Out on the range Frank is present when a timber buyer asks the
Virginian about harvesting some of Shiloh's trees--building a road to haul out the logs
right across Frank's mother's grave. In town, the cattle broker goes back
on the promised price for the steers, and Clay decides not to sell.
As he reluctantly goes to the bank for a loan, he is introduced to the timber buyer.
Clay will not accept the contract since the man insists it would be
unprofitable for him to transport the wood by any other route than through Ezra's place.
Since Clay doesn't think it is good business to ask the banker for a loan
when he just turned down the
deal that would pay for it, he decides to drive the cattle to another
market. Two ex-cons, who have been skimming strays from the herd, try to
talk Frank into joining them in rustling Grainger's cattle. Because he
thinks Grainger is only out for money and will allow the timberman to use
his father's land for the road,
he agrees help them stampede the herd. Frank informs Ezra about the timber
sale, but Ezra
trusts that Clay would do no such thing without consulting him first.
Frank blurts out that Grainger owes him something, and he's going to get it.
The next day as they are preparing to go to Shiloh Ezra suspects Frank is
about to engage in foul play, and when he confronts his son about it
Frank knocks him down and drives off in the buckboard. As Ezra
saddles the stallion and races toward Shiloh, Frank appears at the ranch
and encounters Clay whom he accuses of taking his
father's land. However, Clay informs him he didn't agree to the timber sale
and was instead driving the cattle to another market. As Frank rides out to
find the rustlers, Ezra arrives and warns Clay that his son is up to no
good. Frank finds the outlaws as they are about the start the stampede
and tells them the deal is off. The argument results in a noisy gunfight
which spooks the cattle. When Frank tries to help turn the herd, his horse
throws him in front of the running animals. Trampas comes to Frank's
rescue, but when they get to safety orders Frank to drop his gun
belt. Frank is amazed that Trampas would risk injury to save him even though
he believed he started the stampede and humbly states, "I owe you my life."
Trampas answers, "You don't owe me
anything." Back at Shiloh, Clay signs a contract with the timber
buyer--with the agreement that a longer road would be built for transporting
the logs. Ezra arrives with Frank, miffed that Clay has fired him and his
son. Clay informs Ezra that the
debt for saving Trampas had been paid when Trampas rescued Frank,
and he should now accept his deed and go raise horses. But he'd better be
sure to make his
payments on the mortgage and the loan he was going to give him. Ezra
retorts, "It will be a cold day in July when I don't make payments." Frank
takes the deed from Clay and proclaims he knows Clay isn't serious about the
payments but not to worry anyway then tells his father, "Since we ain't got a job, no
sense hanging around. Let's go home."
Comments:
On relationships in the series: An example of the good-natured teasing that
often went on between Trampas and Elizabeth Grainger--Liz answers the door,
and Trampas mentions Clay had wanted to see him. Liz says, "I thought you were calling
on me." Trampas comes back with, "Would I do that without bringing you a
bunch of flowers? Don't answer that." He also tells the Virginian he was
"having a little coffee to get his strength up for the drive. If Liz's coffee won't
do it, I don't know what will." Elizabeth replies, "I'm not sure I know how to take that."
On character building: Trampas would rather have avoided any confrontation
with Frank, but the Virginian assigned him to work with the angry boy
because he felt Trampas was the best one to teach him. The Virginian would
not allow Trampas to take the easy way out and told him just because Frank
was acting like a kid didn't mean he had to treat Trampas that way, too. (bj)