(pictured above Victor Jory with Jean Inness)
Victor Jory [Luke Nichols]
Troy Donahue [Bracken]
Jean Inness [Clarissa McCloud]
Full ending credits:
With
Harper Flaherty . . . Harper
Dennis McCarthy . . . Editor
Stuart Randall . . . Wealthy Rancher
Clyde Howdy . . . Livery Man
#
Mark Tapscott . . . Gambling Man
Neal Nixon . . . 1st Card Player
Byron Mabe . . . 2nd Card Player
Hal Bokar . . . 3rd Card Player
(Dick Shane as Dick was also seen on the porch after the shooting but was
not credited in this episode)
#
Theme Percy Faith
#
Director of Photography Enzo A. Martinelli
#
Art Director . . . William J. Kenney
Film Editor . . . John Elias
Unit Manager . . . Henry Kline
Assistant Director . . . Harry F. Hogan, III
Set Decorations . . . John McCarthy and Perry Murdock
Sound . . . Ed Somers, Sr.
Color Coordinator . . . Robert Brower
Technicolor
#
Editorial Supervision . . . Richard Belding
Musical Supervision . . . Stanley Wilson
Costumes by . . . Helen Colvig
Makeup . . . Bud Westmore
Hair Stylist . . . Larry Germain
The Title "THE VIRGINIAN" by permission of EMKA, LTD.
Series regular characters appearing in this episode: Trampas, the
Virginian, Harper, with brief appearance by Dick
Synopsis:
In this sequel to 6.09 "A Bad Place to Die" Victor Jory reprises his role as
Luke Nichols, a convict serving a life term who a year previously had
masterminded a prison break taking Trampas (due to be hanged for a "trumped
up charge") along with him. Luke had made it to his homestead in Canada,
but there was a $500 reward being offered for his capture dead or alive, and
while in town getting supplies he was recognized by a bounty hunter. Now
Luke is on the run, headed for Shiloh where he intends to look up Trampas,
who possibly reminds him if his "kid brother," with hopes of the two of them
setting up a spread together. However, it is soon evident to the old man
that Trampas likes it at Shiloh and the folks there are "fond" of him (as
Harper put it, "Shiloh wouldn't be Shiloh without him"). Determined to
collect the reward Bracken (Donahue) tracks Luke to the area around Medicine
Bow and, knowing that a man who lived near there had escaped with Nichols,
inquires where he might locate Trampas. When Trampas hears that the bounty
hunter has been asking about him he decides to find a safe place to hide
Luke. He suggests the farm of the widow Clarissa McCloud (Jean
Inness, Jory's wife) who, on her way to deliver produce, had given Luke a
ride to the ranch after he injured his ankle while fleeing from Bracken.
Luke isn't thrilled with spending time with the "grouchy vegetable biddy"
nor is Clarissa too keen on the idea of having a visitor. Trampas convinces her
she could use a little help fixing up the place and it wouldn't cost her a
thing except meals. She consents to have Luke do a few chores, but that was
as far as a relationship would go. Bracken follows Trampas to Clarissa's
cabin then returns to town where Trampas is waiting for him in his hotel
room. Bracken informs Trampas that he knows Luke's whereabouts but is
willing to make a deal with the cowhand--$1000 in exchange for Luke's life.
The bounty hunter is confident Trampas will comply because he'd already
"gone to a lot of trouble for that worthless old man." Trampas confides his
predicament to the Virginian, but the foreman argues that blackmail almost
never works and he should instead pursue other options such as telling the
sheriff about Bracken or hiring Luke a lawyer. Trampas doesn't want to see
Luke go back to prison and at least wants to buy his friend $1000 worth of
time while he figures out what to do next. Clarissa, who had closed off her
emotions to love after her husband and children died of Cholera, wants
nothing to do with Luke's singing and conversation. She also hides her
money box fearing that he might steal it. But Luke feels sorry for the
"lonely old bat" and persists in his efforts to break through Clarissa's
heart of stone. He plants some flower seeds telling her he thinks she has
"loving hands that might like the feel of tending to some flowers" for a change even
though there was "no profit in them." The widow begins to soften with
Luke's tenderness, his assertion that "I was a person before I was a hired
hand, and I have a suspicion you was one once," and his assurance that,
despite her cantankerousness, he really does like her. Against the
Virginian's advice Trampas tries to collect the $1000 by
withdrawing his savings from the bank, selling his rifle and saddle, and
sitting in on a high stake poker game. But in the end he isn't able to go
through with paying the blackmail and tells the Virginian he had just enough
money to get Luke a lawyer. He enlists the Virginian's help to keep
Bracken, who has been watching Clarissa's house, from killing Luke. Luke
has hopes that Clarissa will hire him on a more permanent basis, but
when she seems agreeable and tells him he could drive the wagon into
town Luke confesses that he's on the run. He explains to her that he and his young
brother had a place staked out in Canada and were going to work just long enough to get a
little extra money when the mine boss, who was intentionally negligent with
safety measures, sent them back into the tunnel. The shaft collapsed and most
of the men, including his brother were "crushed to death." Luke had been
sent to prison after he was found standing over the mine boss's body with a pick in his
hand. Although Clarissa fears that someone might
be coming down the road at any moment to kill Luke she still wishes for him to
stay. When Trampas arrives and informs Luke about the situation with
Bracken Clarissa brings out her cash box and insists Trampas use her "sock
full of nickels" to pay off the bounty hunter. But Trampas explains that
even if the money would appease Bracken there would always be someone else
looking for the reward. The best thing he could think of would be for Luke
to voluntarily give himself up and hire a defense lawyer to plead
his case. Luke finally consents to go back to town with Trampas but on the
way jumps out of Clarissa's wagon. However, early the next morning he
returns to Shiloh, tired of running and hiding , and tells Trampas he's
"stuck" with him and that lawyer. With the other cowhands still asleep Luke
decides to wait in the yard while Trampas gets ready. But as Trampas is
pulling on his boots he hears a shot and runs outside to find Luke lying on
the ground and Bracken sitting on his horse nearby with a gun in his hand.
A few of the other cowboys, who had been abruptly awakened, go out to see what the
noise is about, and the Virginian steps in front of Trampas to prevent him from shooting
Bracken who declares, "He's my bounty." Luke tells Trampas not to worry
because a man in Bracken's profession won't live long. He smiles as he
says "It sure is a fine morning" then dies in Trampas' arms. Trampas and
the Virginian invite Clarissa to Luke's funeral, but she refuses saying,
"He's dead, ain't he? Go on and bury him." As they leave she takes the
sprinkling can and waters the flower seeds Luke had planted for her. (bj)
Return to The Classic TV Archive "The Virginian" Home Page