The Classic TV Archive - TV Western series
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9.24 [249]
"jump-up"
(final episode)
Original NBC Broadcast - 24 March 1971
Universal City Studios, Inc.
executive producer herbert hirschman
written by ron bishop
directed by herbert hirschman
Starring
(shown in opening sketch sequence)
stewart granger [Col. Alan MacKenzie)
doug mcclure [Trampas] (not in this episode)
lee majors as tate
james drury as the virginian
guest stars
john astin [Slick Driscoll]
rick jason [Tom Fuller]
madlyn rhue [Frankie Grace]
special guest stars
john mcgiver [John Timothy Driscoll]
jan sterling [Mary Beth Stanton]
full ending credits:
co-starring
guy raymond as mapes
#
tony young as kressel
george mitchell as stanton
eric christmas as parker*
[*note--Parker was originally portrayed by John McLiam]
#
with
eddie firestone clark
joseph perry harvey
robert ball deacon
k.l. smith quinlan
william vaughn hooper
(no credit was given to the woman who played the pregnant Indian girl)
#
theme ennio morricone
#
director of photography enzo a. martinelli
#
art director william j. kenney
set decorations perry murdock
unit manager henry kline
assistant director lou watt
#
film editor james d. ballas, a.c.e.
sound robert martin
technicolor
main title design jack cole
titles and optical effects universal title
#
editorial supervision richard belding
costume supervision vincent dee
makeup bud westmore
hair stylist larry germain
Series regular characters appearing in this episode: featuring Roy Tate
with Col. MacKenzie, Parker, and briefly the Virginian
Synopsis:
The fall work finished, Roy Tate asks Col. MacKenzie for a week or two off
so he can make a trip to the town of Jump-Up with the thought of
renewing his acquaintance with an old flame. But Jump-Up has
changed. John Driscoll (McGiver) is now the owner and has plans to
make it "the biggest railhead in Southern Wyoming." John seems like the
friendly sort, catering to Tate to entice him to become a citizen of
"Driscoll City." All seems well except for the professional gambler who
insists on taking over the "south" end of town with its "man's needs,"
promising to split the profits down the middle. Fuller (Jason) cheats Tate in a card
game, and Tate vows to get his money back. Seeing an opportunity, Slick
(Astin) kills Fuller and suggests his father pin the murder on Tate.
As Tate is enjoying a reunion with his old girl friend Frankie (Rhue),
John (who has "more angles to him than a Vermont fence" and would
do anything to save his town) puts a drug in his drink.
When Driscoll later awakens him with the accusation
of killing the gambler, Tate can't remember anything about what occurred
during the night but swears, "I know me, and I didn't kill him."
Nonetheless, Tate is sent to prison. Out on the
rock pile a fellow prisoner tells him that he had also been set up
by Driscoll for underselling him in another town. When it is considered
that Slick might be involved, the man suggests Frankie will
have information on Driscoll's son because she is his girl. Tate
escapes and heads for town where he sets some fires to
distract John (who would rather not kill him because he "really liked
the boy"). Tate makes Frankie disclose Slick's whereabouts
although she wants him to see her point of view: She just can't go
riding off like he can. A woman has to have deep roots.
Tate only came by every
couple of years, and Slick and that town were all she had.
Yet up at the mine, it seems Slick doesn't share the same feelings
for her--he has too many "red-lipped women"
to see as soon as he strikes it rich. Trying to be true to his word to
Frankie that he won't kill Slick unless he has to, Tate decides to take
him back to town over the mountain instead of through the pass where
John and his men would surely be waiting for them. But on the way they come
across an Indian girl about to give birth. Though Slick can't see the
reason behind Tate's desire to help,
the cowboy insists they take her to a ranch house they had
seen earlier hoping there will be a woman there to take care of her.
Indeed there is, but both she and her husband don't want "it" in their home.
Mrs. Staton (Sterling) bemoans she couldn't be expected to
"look kindly on the color red." because Indians had killed their daughter.
When the Sioux woman goes into labor Tate assures the
couple he will take care of her himself. But at that moment John and his
men arrive and shoot at the house. Tate tells Mrs. Stanton to help the girl
while he tries to fend off Driscoll. Even though she considers Indians to
be "inhuman," Mrs. Stanton agrees. Trying to protect what is his, Mr.
Stanton (Mitchell) shoots one of Driscoll's men and then,
before Tate can stop him,
shoots Driscoll himself. John wants Tate to understand that a man has to
leave his mark and he couldn't let anyone get in the way of his dream. Slick
has little compassion for his dying father, asking
only if he had any money on him and commenting, "All for a town." Tate promises
Driscoll he'll bury him in Jump-Up. Mrs. Stanton comes out of the house
carrying a baby and, apparently all forgiven, suggests to her husband
they take on the Indian woman to help out at their place. Tate returns
to Shiloh where the Virginian and
Col. MacKenzie are talking about hay and cattle. Asked about the town and
his girl, Tate replies they had both changed.
Glad to have Tate back, the Virginian states "Tate ain't much on talking,
but a man could make money betting he straightened that town out like a
rope." MacKenzie replies that someone already had and tells Parker to
bring out the brandy.
Note: The Shiloh bunkhouse had also changed with the times--there was now a
shower beside the building instead of the wash tubs the men usually bathed in. It was
nice to see the Shiloh gate sign, the barn, the Virginian and Col. MacKenzie
on the steps leading up to the house, and the front part of the Shiloh ranch
house itself.
Character note: Although there was nothing memorable as a final series
episode which gave a "family type" togetherness (such as "Holocaust") or
any suggestions as to the future of the Shiloh men and the ranch itself,
we do get some insight into "the mysterious Mr. Tate's" character. Col.
MacKenzie has a bit of concern that Tate might get into trouble because
he had "a temper Satan would envy." Tate responds "I walk around
trouble like it was a swamp." (not hardly) Because Tate was able to break
away from the chain gang and set the fires for distraction, John Driscoll calls him "a
tree full of owls for smart."
MacKenzie and Frankie both comment that Tate doesn't like being
in one place for too long. Frankie had this to say about the cowboy:
"Never both feet down at the same time, no roots, no strings attached." As
to his upbringing, Slick hit a sore spot when he asked Tate if he came "off
a papoose board himself or maybe didn't know either way." But Tate also
gains a measure of respect because he knows he wouldn't kill
anyone over a card game and for insisting on taking the Indian
woman to safety even
though in so doing John Driscoll and his men might catch up to them.
Horse Trivia: According to "Arabian Horse World," Dec 1970, Vol. 11, No 3,
p. 53-54, the horse Lee Majors rode in this episode from Shiloh and
back was registered Arabian chestnut gelding Al-Marah Jiffie 31308 (see
photo below). (bj)
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