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Episodes 1 to 25 Guest Stars

"The Virginian" 1 The Executioners (1962)
Tom Newcumb is hanged at Medicine Bow for the murder of a woman even though many people question whether there was enough evidence to prove his guilt. He was known as a gun for hire who people were no longer comfortable having around. A talented stranger, Paul Taylor, shows up in Medicine Bow on the day of the hanging making an entertaining but somewhat eerie appearance at Betsy's birthday party at Shiloh. Soon afterwards he takes a job at Shiloh where he excels at everything making The Virginian happy. However, his other actions make Judge Garth and others suspicious about his intentions. He begins courting Celia Ames who is the school teacher and witness who denied Tom Newcumb was with her at the time of the murder. It was long rumored that she was Tom Newcomb's girlfriend but as a school teacher she has always denied it. It was also rumored she danced at night to the stars. With the aid of liquor and Paul's courting, The Virginian and sheriff learn the painful truth about the rumors.
Guest stars : Hugh o Brien, Colleen Dewhurst

"The Virginian" 2 Woman from White Wing (1962)
Frank Dawson and two escaped convicts show up at Shiloh at an unfinished cabin called White Wing. Frank, his wife Annie, another man named Ben Church and Garth came west together planning to settle in Wyoming. When they became lost on the trail with no water, Ben died and Frank became seriously ill. Garth took Frank's wife who was pregnant on to search for help. They found help but when Garth returned Frank was gone and Garth never found him. Frank was rescued but was out of his mind with heat sickness and shot a man resulting in a 20 year prison sentence in Texas. He has escaped after hearing about Garth's success in Wyoming. Frank has come to Wyoming looking for revenge while his cell mates want a big payday. Frank threatens Garth but is slow to make any demands as he wants Garth to worry while knowing Garth won't turn him into the law. He eventually tells Garth he wants Betsy but she is missing as she has ridden to White Wing into the hands of Frank's friends who decide to hold her as a hostage for ransom forcing the Judge and Frank to act.
Guest stars: Barry Sullivan, Tom Reese

"The Virginian" 3 Throw a Long Rope (1962)
Homesteaders have moved into the area and the ranchers are missing cattle so they suspect the homesteaders. They nearly hang homesteader Jubal Tatum when they think he stole a calf. During the incident his leg is broken and The Virginian feels obliged to help Jubal's family on their farm until he recovers. The Virginian tracks down the stolen cattle and determines the homesteaders are not the problem. When fellow rancher Major Cass pushes Judge Garth for action against all the homesteaders, The Virginian decides to come to Jubal's aid even if it means going against Judge Garth. While waiting for the army of ranchers to arrive, Jubal reveals more about his involvement to The Virginian.
Guest stars: Jack Warden, John Anderson

"The Virginian" 4 The Big Deal (1962)
Enrique Cuellar a world traveler from Columbia arrives in Medicine Bow to sell a section of land to Judge Garth. The property which is a key pass used by Judge Garth to move cattle from the summer to winter pastures has been leased from Senor Cuellar and his father for years and is the only section of ten that Judge Garth has not purchased. Molly and especially Betsy are infatuated with the attractive Latin. When Betsy unintentionally reveals the value of the land to her father, Enrique decides to extract a very high price for what he feels was deceptive practices by Judge Garth resulting in a mini-range war with barbed wire.
Guest Stars: Ricardo Montalban, Pippa Scott

"The Virginian" 5 The Brazen Bell (1962)
Two convicts break out of prison at Laramie. The Sheriff and staff are called away to hunt them down so he has The Virginian take over while he is gone with Trampas and Steve as his deputies. Arthur Lilly and his wife Sarah arrive in Medicine Bow where they have heard a school teacher is needed. The two convicts have come to Medicine Bow on their way to Canada. The Lillys are easterners and unused to the raw lifestyle of the west. Mr. Lilly is timid and dominated by his controlling wife. He left an eastern school after several students were killed in a fire and he was unable to save them. When the convicts arrive in Medicine Bow, they take the couple along with the students hostage in the school house, Mr. Lilly is forced to confront his fears again. Does he save himself or his students? Garth and The Virginian develop a plan but will Mr. Lilly and his wife be able to do their part?
Guest stars : George C Scott, Royal Dano

"The Virginian" 6 Big Day, Great Day (1962)
Steve and Judge Garth along with Trampas sneaking along head to Casper to pick up Betsy's long overdue Christmas present, an Italian canopy bed, on the Fourth of July. When they arrive a fire destroys the freight office and bed. The Judge runs into a professional wrestler, Frank Krause, an old friend who is there for a world championship match and to get married. Garth agrees to stick around to work Frank's corner during the wrestling match. However, unknown to the wrestlers their managers try to fix the match leading to Frank and Judge Garth believing Frank killed his manager. At the same time Steve becomes infatuated with Maxine who looks like an old sweetheart deciding to marry her in a dual ceremony with Frank and Pearl. With the Judge's urging, Trampas tries to bring Steve to his senses about Maxine while Frank marries his longtime sweetheart Pearl followed by the early and impromptu wrestling match. The Judge still leaves Casper with Betsy's Christmas present as a result.
Guest stars: Aldo Ray, Mickey Shaughnessy

"The Virginian" 7 Riff-Raff (1962)
Trampas and Steve skip work to meet Molly in Medicine Bow each trying to impress her as she returns from a trip. She chides the boys for not keeping up with current affairs including the sinking of the Maine. Her comments on how impressive the soldier on a poster appears in a uniform causes Trampas to leave to join the Rough Riders. The Virginian sends Steve to retrieve Trampas but Steve enlists as well. The Virginian then follows to retrieve both men and finds the eastern military men are having trouble with the westerners. Using a polo match minus rules between the easterners and westerners he shows the officers how to gain the men's respect. A conversation with Teddy Roosevelt finds The Virginian a corporal in the Rough Riders. The group is sent to Cuba where the officers further learn how to meld the western background with military tactics.
Guest stars: Ray Danton, Don Durant,

"The Virginian" Impasse (1962)
Cal Kroeger, his four sons, and daughter live in the mountains and have claimed all wild horses there as theirs even though they are not branded or it is considered a legal claim. Judge Garth sends The Virginian and a group of hands to bring in a herd of horses for sale to the Army. As The Virginian expects the Kroegers see them and try to take the horses through intimidation, landslides, burning corrals, and scaring off four hands leaving four Shiloh men. When this does not work, Cal decides to offer to go halves on the heard in return for his family's help when the weather starts to turn bad early. The Virginian accepts the deal but realizing Cal is not to be trusted tries to persuade the boys that they should reconsider any plans Cal has to steal the herd. In the meantime Mildred Kroeger takes a shine to Trampas when he tries to be friends with her as he feels she is being mistreated by Cal. This leads to further tensions in the group.
Guest stars: Eddie Albert, Tom Skerrit

"The Virginian" 9 It Tolls for Thee (1962)
Martin Kalig shoots Sharkey thinking he has killed him in order to take over Sharkey's gang. Kalig has detailed plans for kidnapping Judge Garth for ransom and revenge for submitting him to a tongue lashing at his sentencing in the early days of the west. At the same time Molly is presenting Judge Garth with an engraved watch and a request for an interview from the renown publisher Joseph Pulitizer who idolizes Garth for his control of the west via a strong and often violent hand. Garth, however, feels violence is no longer a major factor in the west. He makes his point when he punches The Virginian to stop him from beating a drunk ex-ranch hand who threatens to kill someone at the Judge's party for Molly. This creates a divide between Judge Garth and The Virginian which lasts until Judge Garth is kidnapped and The Virginian takes control to rescue the Judge. When the kidnappers refuse to release the Judge after the ransom is paid, The Virginian has the Sheriff hold back the posse while Steve, Trampas, and The Virginian track the kidnappers who are also being tracked by Sharkey with his new gang who wants revenge against Kalig. At the end the Judge is forced to decide whether he is willing to forgo violence after being tortured on the trail by Kalig.
Guest stars : Albert Salmi, Ron Soble

"The Virginian" 10 West (1962)
An older Shiloh ranch hand, Jamie Dobbs, enjoyed the easy times of the early west and involves Trampas in his attempts to revive that era resulting in bar brawls and jail for them. His old friends Lump and Lucky arrive in Medicine Bow wanting Jamie to go with them to hunt wild cattle in Arizona to fund their plans to travel further west and live in the style of the old west without a care. Trampas decides to join them but the group is held up by Jack Scratch and his gang in the southwest. When the local law and bank tell the group they can't help the men or provide them with supplies to capture the outlaw gang, Jamie and Lump take matters into their own hands and steal the supplies from the town. Although they successfully capture the gang and kill Jack Scratch, the local sheriff and townspeople try to arrest the men even after Trampas tries to explain the men had good intentions. Jamie, Lump, and Lucky, however, do not understand and cannot adapt to the modern concepts resulting in serious consequences for Trampas's three friends.
Guest stars: Steve Cochran. Claude Atkins

"The Virginian" 11 The Devil's Children (1962)
Tabby McCallum, beautiful but cruel teenage daughter of Tucker McCallum, is banned by the Virginian from Shiloh after she kills a steer by "mistake". With the unwitting help of her fianc�, Dan Flood, Tabby sets off a tragic chain of events. The elderly couple Tucker and Sophie McCallum have raised two kids Tabby and her brother Bruce in a very strict household under Tucker. Tabby has a fascination with killing animals since she was a small child and Bruce has developed an eye for eye mentality in protecting the family. When Tabby is accidentally shot by Sam Hicks leading to her eventual death when she is seen running from a barn fire she set at Shiloh, Tucker and especially Bruce vow revenge. Tucker blames Dan Flood who was with her at Shiloh as well for her death since he and Tabby had a close relationship and Dan wanted to marry her. Complicating the situation is the belief by many in the community that Dan has bad blood as his father was lynched but the sheriff and The Virginian both fight the idea. Interestingly Tabby and Bruce's ailing mother tells Tucker she has born him two evil children. When Sam is shot the Sheriff has to determine who killed him.
Guest stars: Charles Bickford, Burt Brinckerhoff

"The Virginian" 12 50 Days to Moose Jaw (1962)
The old ranch hand, Slim Jessup, runs away from the Idaho law after he kills a man in self-defense. Meanwhile, The Virginian is charged with the task of driving 2000 head of cattle to Moose Jaw, Canada to meet a contract deadline the Judge needs to keep Shiloh solvent due to a US financial crisis. The time is short and The Virginia has no experienced trail hands. Slim an old friend of The Virginian trails the herd and when confronted asks for a job which The Viriginian is glad to offer. Along the trail a farmer's 16 year old stepson, James Cafferty, sees the herd and decides to ask to join the drive as a trail hand to escape the dull farm life. Slim counters The Virginian's objections and takes James under his wing and the two become close friends. At Moose Jaw the Idaho law has arrived with extradition papers for Slim forcing Slim to confront the issue.
Guest stars: Brandon de Wilde, James Gregory

"The Virginian" 13 The Accomplice (1962)
The sheriff from Rock Point, Wyoming arrives with the Medicine Bow sheriff during Trampas's birthday party at Shiloh to take Trampas back as the accomplice in a bank robbery and shooting of the manager there. The Virginian accompanies Trampas and they learn that Walt Gleason a crooked gambler is accusing Trampas of being his accomplice as revenge. One of the two remaining witnesses of the robbery, Celia Miller, swears Trampas is guilty. Gleason has summoned his true partner, Malcolm Brent, to break him out of jail but Celia recognizes him and blackmails him for $10,000 to stay quiet. Being a long time and well respected member of the community for decades, she is able to convince the town and jury Trampas is guilty as The Virginian who is sure she is lying tries unsuccessfully to determine the truth.
Guest stars: Bette Davis, Lin McCarthy, Gene Evans, Woodrow Parfrey.

"The Virginian" 14 The Man from the Sea (1962)
Susan and Judith Morrow, twin sisters, arrive at Medicine Bow by train accompanied by Trampas. They meet Kevin Doyle on the train who is leaving the life of a seaman to settle down in Medicine Bow, find a wife, and start a farm. After a short stay at Shiloh the twins move into Medicine Bow where Susan opens a pottery shop continuing her hobby/occupation as a potterer. Judith is unable to settle down and has fanciful thoughts about traveling around the world. Kevin initially has an interest in Molly but when she indicates her lack of interest due to her career he develops a close relationship with Judith. However, when Judith says her price is the death of her sister, Kevin is unwilling to comply and the truth about Judith's history is uncovered by Judge Garth and he confronts the sisters
Guest stars: Carol Lynley, Tom Tryon, Shirley Knight.

"The Virginian" 15 Duel at Shiloh (1963)
On a trip to the cemetery to visit his old friend, Steve recalls how Johnny Wade rescues a young runaway Steve Hill during a train stop on the way to Medicine Bow. Steve is accused of stabbing the brakeman but Johnny clears him by pointing out the guilty party. Johnny via an old friendship finds both of them jobs on a ranch neighboring Shiloh. Johnny takes Steve under his wing and teaches him how to be a ranch hand and how to shoot. A new owner Georgia Price buys the ranch and decides to crowd the neighboring ranches off the open grazing land by doubling her herd to make fast money. Her foreman quits and Johnny who hates barbed wire and fencing cattle ranges takes over. Steve comes to see Johnny is wrong after a discussion with Judge Garth and a run in with the Texans Georgia hired. He leaves and takes a job at Shiloh. After an attempt to stampede cattle to destroy the barbed wire fails, Steve is forced into a show down with Johnny
Guest stars: Brian Keith, Geraldine Brooks, Ben Johnson, Deforest Kelley

"The Virginian" 16 The Exiles (1963)
A man with a lame horse hears gunfire, heads toward it, and finds a dead body with a rifle which he takes. The Virginian is called into Medicine Bow to find that Judge Garth stated he was ambushed and killed the man who fired at him. The Sheriff found the man shot in the back and unarmed so the Judge will have to be tried. The Sheriff was unable to track the man with the lame horse, so The Virginian goes after him and learns he went to North Bend, Montana. On the train to North Bend he meets Angie who is hoping to be a singer there. The Virginian finds the man, Ralph Slocum, but he denies it and refuses to return to Medicine Bow. A deputy tries to force Angie to leave town by threatening her. As her only friend The Virginian helps her find who is behind the threat. A man Angie knows stole money from his wife and ran off with Angie's friend. In return Angie helps The Virginian trap Slocum into traveling through Wyoming and recover the rifle to clear the Judge
Guest stars: Tammy Grimes, Ed Nelson, Ken Lynch

"The Virginian" 17 The Judgment (1963)
Judge Garth is asked to run against a younger man for a judgeship. When Betsy asks him if he will run, he reminds her of a promise he made to her ten years earlier when she was five. At that time Garth as the local judge had to confront a capital case. A jury found Billy Carewe guilty of first degree murder. He was a member of the Carewe family who had terrorized Medicine Bow before the family went to Montana. Five of the family members return to Medicine Bow led by Jake Carewe to seek Billy's release. They try legal means via a rookie attorney who defended Billy and now tries to provide Judge Garth with an out on the case but they are rebuffed by Judge Garth. They threaten the town with destruction by fire causing the citizens to ask Garth to release the prisoner. At the same time the new sheriff quits the job when the Carewes rough him up and after Judge Garth learns he has been seeing Garth's intended Alice Finley without Garth's knowledge. The Judge is forced to think creatively to solve the situation. The rookie defense attorney is the other candidate for the judgeship Judge Garth is being asked to run against.
Guest stars: Clu Gulager, Patricia Barry, John Kerr.

"The Virginian" 18 Say Goodbye to All That (1963)
A massive renown bear known as Moses once confronted Big John Beldon but survived. Moses kills Trampas' horse at Shiloh followed by a ranch hand during roundup. Big John has the attitude that Beldons should be second to no one and tries to prove it in a fight with Trampas when Trampas dances with his son Martin's fianc�. The fight goes from fists to guns and Big John is paralyzed from the waist down as a result. He goads Martin into issuing a challenge to Trampas for revenge. In the meantime Trampas and Martin with the aid of old Faraway eventually track Moses into a cave where it takes Trampas and Martin together to kill the bear. After the roundup is completed, everyone is waiting to see Martin and Trampas settle the score.
Guest stars: Fabian, Charles McGraw, Royal Dano

"The Virginian" 19 The Man Who Wouldn't Die (1963)
Judge Garth shoots and kills Paul Willson in Willson's office in San Francisco during a fight over a business venture. Garth believes Willson and his partner Bradford are swindlers. Garth reports it to the police but when they investigate there is no body or evidence of the incident. Garth wakes a federal marshal he knows and tells the history of why he is there. Months earlier Miss Wallace, a widow, arrives in Medicine Bow to open a finishing school for young women. Garth hires her as a governess for Betsy who he had planned to send to school in Boston. Both Garth and Betsy come to love Miss Wallace and enjoy her company. When Betsy sees her searching through Judge Garth's desk, Garth confronts Miss Wallace but she denies it. When she leaves Shiloh during the middle of the night, Garth trails her to San Francisco where he learns the truth about her involvement.
Guest stars: Vera Miles, Jeff Morrow, David White

"The Virginian" 20 If You Have Tears (1963)
Kyle Lawson who saved The Virginian's life during the Spanish-American war arrives at Shiloh saying he has been framed for a murder in Montana. He is accused of killing the husband of Leona Kelland with whom he had a very close relationship. Trampas and The Virginian go to Montana under the pretense of buying breeding stock to see if they can uncover the truth while Kyle hides at Shiloh. Trampas asks questions around town while developing a fondness for the beautiful and talented saloon singer Cary. The Virginian develops a close relationship with Leona and comes to believe she did not kill her husband as he originally thought. The local sheriff and his deputy soon determine what Trampas and The Virginian are doing and confront them forcing their hand.
Guest stars: Dana Wynter, Robert Vaughn, Phyllis Avery.

"The Virginian" 21 The Small Parade (1963)
While returning to Shiloh, Steve, Trampas, and The Virginian encounter Martin Reese with his pet chimp. Martin is promoting the idea that people should be vegetarians which is not a popular idea in cattle country. The trio befriend Martin when a man threatens to shoot the chimp. Later the man is found dead and Martin is blamed for it resulting in a posse on his trail. Continuing on the trip the trio encounter Ellen Beecher and a large group of orphans she is escorting to an orphanage unknown to the kids. She supports them via readings including Oliiver Twist. The trio knowing her and the kids have met Martin decide to help and protect the group. The Virginian finds Martin who says he is innocent and while Steve and Trampas decide to find families to adopt the kids but are unsuccessful. They come to realize Martin is innocent and that he and Ellen have a special relationship with the orphans and each other but they have to resolve the murder and feelings of the locals.
Guest Stars: David Wayne, Barbara Barrie, R.G. Armstrong

"The Virginian" 22 Vengeance Is the Spur (1963)
Frances Graham, a wealthy cultured woman, arrives in Medicine Bow and uses the ruse of being thrown off her horse to gain the friendship of The Virginian. She wants him to take her into the badlands to the hideout of Michael O'Rourke who was the foreman of Shiloh before The Virginian and still a close friend of The Virginian. Michael is now the leader of an outlaw gang but he does not sanction killing. Frances is looking for Eddie Thorpe who she says is her husband and believes he killed a man but the man is alive. The Virginian takes Frances to Michael but when they arrive they learn Frances is after Eddie for the death of her daughter and tries to kill him. Michael searches for the truth and at the same time he develops feelings for Frances. Frances and the Virginian leave and Michael decides it is time leave the gang, turn himself in at Shiloh, and work toward a better future perhaps with Frances. However, Eddie is given the mistaken idea Michael plans to kill him at the hideout and escapes while setting a plan in motion to kill Michael.
Guest stars: Michale Rennie, Nina Foch,

"The Virginian" 23 The Money Cage (1963)
Dr. William 'Will' C. Martin rescues Lydia Turner from the advances of the drunken women's undergarment salesman, John Evans. Lydia is the daughter of the Medicine Bow bank president and Will with his accomplices John and Jenny are working a con. Will is posing as an oil geologist exploring for oil in the area. The plan is to induce the locals to invest their own money along with the outside backers Will supposedly has. However, a national banking crisis creates a run on the Medicine Bow bank and ends all hope for the con. Will always the one with a new idea proposes a plan to Judge Garth and the bank president to save the bank while giving his group another chance to reap a huge payoff. But complicating matters is a real blossoming relationship between Lydia and Will.
Guest stars: Steve Forrest, Bethel Leslie, Joanna Moore

"The Virginian" 24 The Golden Door (1963)
Karl Rilke and his pregnant wife Maria are immigrants from Lativa looking for a new life in the United States after his business was stolen from him in the old country. However, they are ignorant of the US legal system and continue to react to events as if they were still in their non-democratic homeland. Trampas and Betsy find a neighbor murdered. A search for the guilty party results in finding the dead man's rifle with Karl. Karl is tried for the murder even as he insists he bought the rifle from a third party. Judge Garth is forced to take on his defense and wins a not guilty verdict but people are still suspicious of Karl. Later another man is caught with the rest of the stolen goods and is tried for the murder. Karl's guilty conscious drives him to admit during the trial that it was he who killed the man when he was threaten with the rifle by the man during a fight over wages he was denied. Karl and Maria, however, find they still have much to learn about the law in the US as they expect Karl to be tried again and do not understand the actions of the court.
Guest stars: Karlheinz Bohm, Robert Duvall, Paul Carr

"The Virginian" 25 A Distant Fury (1963)
Ed Frazier has spent three years in prison for robbing the lumber yard and stealing $30,000 which has not been recovered. After returning to Medicine Bow, he continually runs into Steve who believes Ed wants to get even for testifying against him at Ed's trial. Ed's concern is renewing his romantic relationship with Helen Blaine who was his inside accomplice in the robbery. Complicating the situation is the fact that Steve is seeing Helen's very attractive daughter Gloria. Although Steve seems to be ahead of her other suitors, Gloria and her mother are interested in going back east where east where Gloria can meet wealthy high society suitors. Steve has several run-ins with Ed Frazer and barely escapes a wagon accident after one of his many confrontations with Ed. When Ed is shot in the back and killed, Steve is blamed by the community although there is not enough proof to support a indictment and trial. Steve decides to investigate and try to determine who is guilty. His results put him in an even trickier situation.
Guest stars: Ida Lupino, Howard Duff, Joey Heatherton

Plot summary for all 249 episodes of
THE VIRGINIAN