CTVA
The Classic TV Archive - TV Western series
<Previous                     The Virginian                        Next>
1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9
 8.18 [219]
"Train Of Darkness"
Original NBC Broadcast - 4 February 1970

Universal Studios Inc.
Executive Producer Norman MacDonnell
Produced by James Duff McAdams
Written by Robert Van Scoyk
Directed by James Sheldon

Starring:
(shown on the ride-in)
John McIntire as Clay Grainger (appears)
Doug McClure as Trampas (NOT in this episode)
Tim Matheson as Jim Horn (appears)
Sara Lane as Elizabeth Grainger (appears)
and
James Drury as The Virginian (NOT in this episode)

Guest Stars
  Dennis Weaver (Jed Haines a.k.a. Judge Haker)
John Larch (Charles Neely)
Kaz Garas (Buster Floyd)

Special Guest Stars
Barbara Werle (Evangeline Madden Neely)
Gerald S. O'Loughlin (Luke Darmer Sr.)

Complete Closing Credits

Guest Star
Charlotte Stewart
As Lottie Haines
#
Co-starring
Patrick Tovatt
As Corey Hadler
#
with
Ben Wright ... Conductor
David Dukes ... Lad Dormer
John Cliff ... Engineer
Pete Kellett ... Cousin
#
Associate Producers ... Robert Van Scoyk
... John Choy
#
Theme ... Percy Faith
#
Director of Photography .. Enzo A. Martinelli
#
Art Director ... William J. Kenney
Set Decorations ... John McCarthy and Perry Murdock
Unit Manager ... Henry Kline
Assistant Director ... Les Berke
#
Film Editor ... J. Howard Terrill
Music Supervision ... Stanley Wilson
Sound ... Earl N. Crain Jr.
Color Coordinator ... Robert Brower
Technicolor
Titles and Opticals ... Universal Title
#
Editorial Supervision ... Richard Belding
Costumes by ... Helen Colvig
Makeup ... Bud Westmore
Hair Stylist ... Larry Germain
The Title "The Virginian" by permission of EMKA Ltd.
#

Synopsis
Clay, Elizabeth and Jim are expecting to be the only passengers on a night train from Cheyenne to Medicine Bow but instead have several other passengers joining them. Evangeline Madden and her manager / husband Charles Neely are fleeing town after a disastrous opening night performance at the local theatre. Buster Floyd is a loud and brash horse wrangler with his eyes on Evangeline. Corey Halder is a gambler on the way to his next game. Jed Haines and his new bride Lottie are on their way back to Jed's ranch to start their married life. But Haines knows little about ranching and Halder's gambling prowess comes from a clearly marked deck. For Halder is really a young farmer named Corey Dormer and Haines has been a hired gun under the name of Judge Haker and Haker's last victim was Corey's brother, Luther. Now Corey intends to stop the train at the Clearwater trestle where his father and family are waiting to lynch Haines and they will kill anyone who gets in their way. [RM]

Notes
Dennis Weaver and series executive producer Norman Macdonnell were well acquainted with each other. For seven years (1957-64) they worked together on "Gunsmoke". Macdonell was series producer and co-creator while Weaver played Matt Dillon's sidekick, Chester Goode. [RM]

John Larch also appeared in "The Executioners" (1.1), "The Good-hearted Badman" (6.20) and "The West vs. Colonel Mackenzie" (9.1).

Barbara Werle also appeared in "A Bride for Lars" (2.28), "An Echo of Thunder" (5.4), "Stacy" (6.23) and "Ride to Misadventure" (7.8).

Ben Wright also appeared in "The Exiles" (1.16) and "The Orchard" (7.3).

Patrick Tovatt also appeared in "The Long Ride Home" (8.1).

Pete Kellett also appeared in "The Long Ride Home" (8.1).

John Cliff also appeared in "Ride a Dark Trail" (2.1) and "Image of an Outlaw" (7.6).

Return to The Classic TV Archive "The Virginian" Home Page

Return to The Classic TV Archive Western  Page
Return to The Classic TV Archive Home Page

Feedback  -  "The Virginian" Guestbook