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The Virginian

American television series (1962-1971)

The Virginian (1962–1971) was an NBC western television series starring James Drury and Doug McClure. With 249 episodes, it ran for a total of 9 seasons from 1962 to 1971. Each episode was a total of 75 minutes long (without commercials). The show was well known for its excellent quality and story line. All nine seasons were filmed in color, which was unusual for most western series at the time. In the last season, the look of the series was redesigned and the series was re-titled, The Men From Shiloh. The Virginian remains a popular series to this day, with an large fan base around the world.

The Virginian

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  • "This is Wyoming in 1897. It's a land of great, open spaces. A land that gives a man plenty of elbow room. Somebody once said that in Wyoming, you could look farther, and see less than any place in the world. Whoever said that couldn't have seen Wyoming as I have. To look at the mountains, and the valleys and the plains, you'd think nothing ever changes out here. Maybe that's true about the land. But it's not true about the people. They change. At least most of them. They've settled down. Twenty years ago, it was a different breed of men that came west. They were looking for adventure and excitement. There was plenty of adventure to go around, and lots of excitement! At first it was the Indians who provided the adventure. And for those who lived to tell about it, there was no question about it's being exciting. It was a time when life was cheap, and man lived for today. The odds were against his being around tomorrow, and he knew it. What's more, he liked it that way. This breed of man loved his life. It was everything he wanted. It was adventure, and excitement, and fun. When he worked hard, he fought hard, and he sure played hard. Then suddenly, one day his world was gone. The prairies and the mountains were the same. The cattle and the horses were the same. The west had grown up. It had changed. But this breed of man was still there. Still looking for the fun and headlong adventure.
    • Introduction to the episode "West" [1.10]


  • "Before she testifies there's something I'd like to say. I don't know what you may have heard here today, what you have already in your minds, but I can tell you this. I was there when Dr. O'Neill made the decision to operate on Mrs. Anderson. She knew the risk she was taking, and she took it. The easy way would have been to let her patient die in agony. And now I want to ask you a question. Would this hearing ever had been held if Pat O'Neill weren't a woman? Doc Spalding has lost patients, every doctor has. So, just lets all of us be sure exactly what it is that's on trial here today. Is it the facts, or our prejudices?"


  • "He wants to be a hero in a uniform, so he had to go join up! He's a fool! He's about as much cut out to be a soldier as -- If you want to be a soldier you have to learn to take orders. Can you imagine Trampas taking orders from anybody? I mean anybody!"


  • "I didn't need Trampas to point out the sorry shape we were in, but being Trampas he pointed it out anyhow..."
    • Narration from the episode "A Small Taste of Justice" [6.14]


  • "Anyone will tell you Trampas is as trustworthy as they come. Take my word for it.


  • "And Trampas, this is a business trip."


  • "She’s just like any other woman - she thinks with her heart instead of her head."


  • "The dead have to be buried...There’s some things you make time for..."

Trampas

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  • "Yo."


  • "She's saving herself for some tall, good looking cowboy with hair the color of autumn wheat."


  • "My Pa always said, 'Live fast, die laughing,' that's the way to do it."


  • "Suckers and mules, thats what work's for, and mule's got enough sense to turn his tail on it."


  • [To the Virginian] I have never heard such hollerin' and shoutin' since the last time I asked you for a day off.


  • "The thing is, if a woman can't win an argument any other way she can always cry. Then she can't lose."


  • "Oh, I'm human, all right."


  • Now wait a minute. What did you expect me to do, tie him to the horse? Well, you can be sure of one thing. Whatever happens, I'll be blamed for it. I tried. I tried!


  • "I guess you said it yourself. I'm just a dumb cowboy. Well, maybe I'm dumb enough to believe that people should be honest and dumb enough to try to stop them when they're not."


  • "No need to push me, Mister. If you're planning on making a move, make it."


  • "The Virginian can track a rabbit all the way to St. Louis."


Other Cast Members

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Emmett Ryker: Because I've decided what's the difference... if you let a bad man push you into doing wrong, or if you let your best friend push you... you're still wrong.

Season 1

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The Executioners [1.1]

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[The Virginian, Steve and Trampas meet Betsy out riding.]
Betsy: Yes you are.
Steve: I'm what?.
Betsy: Well I've been thinking about this all day, and trying to make up my mind. Yep, you're pretty!
Steve: Um... Thank you, Betsy.
Trampas: Well what about me?
Betsy: Uh... Funny.
Virginian: What about me, Betsy?
Betsy: I'm going to marry you.
Virginian: Yes ma'am.

The Big Deal [1.4]

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[Trampas and The Virginian are discussing Judge Garth's new four sided clock for the town square.]
Trampas: I wonder what that cost?
Virginian: The Judge didn't say.
Trampas: Well if he's going to throw his money around, he could start by raising my wages.
Virginian: Well at least this way he can see what he's getting for his money!
Trampas: Aw, Saturday's a bad day to put a thing like that up.
Virginian: How come?
Trampas: Well, I was just thinking, it's goin' to make a mighty fine target to some cowhand with a bellyful of whiskey.
Virginian: I wouldn't do it, Trampas.
Trampas: Well, I wasn't thinking of me.
Virginian: I was.

The Brazen Bell [1.5]

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[A man and his wife enter the Judge's house without knocking, and the Judge becomes upset.]
Arthur Lilley: This is not a public house?
Judge Garth: This is not. It is, or was until you came in, a very private one.
Arthur Lilley: Sarah, I feel we are the victims of a practical joke.
Judge Garth: Just, just a minute. Who sent you?
Sarah Lilley: One of the hooligans in town.
Arthur Lilley: A deputy sheriff, judging from his badge. I believe he was called Trampas?
Judge Garth: Oh.

Riff-Raff [1.7]

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[The Virginian is telling Molly Wood to leave Trampas and Steve alone about joining the rough riders.]
Virginian: Molly, don't try it with me!
Molly: But you'd look awful handsome in uniform!
Virginian: I'll bet. And don't put any more wild ideas in their heads.
Molly: Is it such a wild idea?
Virginian: It is. As a matter of fact, in those heads, any idea at all is a complete disaster.

If You Have Tears [1.20]

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Kyle Lawson: [To Trampas about the Virginian] He still workin' you to death?
Trampas: Tell him about it.
Virginian: The only way he'll ever die from overwork is running away from it.
Trampas: That an absolute true statement.


The Virginian: I once knew a man who could barely write his own name, but he could talk to the birds, he could tell where a mountain cat walked across a bed of pine needles, he could tell his age by the trees, the weather by his bones...after he got old that is. I always considered him to be a poet.
Leona: Who was he?"
The Virginian: My father.

The Small Parade [1.21]

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[Trampas tries to find homes for a group of orphans.]
Trampas: I brought 'em back.
Steve: Shultz wouldn't take 'em?
Trampas: He'd take 'em but I wouldn't leave 'em. He went over them like he was buying horses. He even looked at their teeth. All he asked was how much work they could do.
Steve: All kids got chores, you know.
Trampas: Well, he had more than chores in mind. All he wanted was a lot of hard labor for no pay. It made me feel like that fella in Oliver Twist, that Fagin.
Steve: You know what I think? I think you got soft headed. Couldn't let 'em go. That's what I think.

Run Away Home [1.29]

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[Steve meets a man on the road while he is looking for the Virginian, after they are separated.]
Steve: Hey mister, I could use some help.
Man: Whoa. Now how did a young fellow like you get lost? Well, the nearest town is only about --
Steve: No, I'm not looking for a town. What I wanted to ask -
Man: Don't tell me you're looking for work! Ah, you shouldn't have any trouble finding a job this time of year!
Steve: No I'm not looking for work, I'm trying to track down a man.
Man: Somebody robbed you, huh? Probably a railroad tramp. It happens all the time around here.
Steve: It's a friend of mine!
Man: A friend robbed you? Well no wonder you're looking for him! I'll tell you - any man that takes advantage of a friend --
Steve: He didn't rob me. We got separated. Now a farmer sold him a horse a few miles back with out a saddle, and I'm trying to find him.
Man: Who, the farmer?
Steve: My friend. You didn't happen to see him, did you?
Man: How do you expect me to know who your friends are?
Steve: He was riding a horse without a saddle on it. Now, did you happen to see anybody riding a horse without a saddle?
Man: Oh. Haha! No, I haven't seen anybody like that, boy. Well, good luck!!
Steve: I'll need it.
[The Virginian is buying a horse from a man.]
Man: In case you want to know, I call him Lightning.
Virginian: Mister, the first time I laid my eyes on you, I knew you had a sense of humor.
Man: For another 20 bucks I'll throw in this fine saddle!
Virginian: No, thanks! I wouldn't want to rob you.


Season 2

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Stopover in a Western Town [2.10]

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[A girl makes her horse rear in an unsuccessful attempt to appear helpless to the Virginian. While she rides the horse, he calmly re-ties his rope, and waits for her to come back.]
Virginian: Good runner, isn't he?
Carolyn Witman: Do you realize I could've been killed?
Virginian: Do you realize I'm not quite as big a greenhorn as you thought I was?
Carolyn Witman: I'll try to keep it in mind.
Virginian: Good.

Siege [2.13]

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Duke Logan: I don't know what you're up to, but we don't want your kind in our town.
Trampas: My kind? What's that?
Duke Logan: What you were when you left here. A card cheat, a shiftless, no good to anybody. You and your pa.
Trampas: If my pa and me wanted to cheat, you would have never known about it.

A Bride For Lars [2.28]

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Trampas: High man?
Steve: High man. Not your deck.
Trampas: Steve, you act as if you can't trust me.
Steve: I don't know where you ever got that idea, Trampas.

Season 3

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Betsy Garth: Trampas, if you were in trouble with the law would you go to a woman lawyer?
Trampas: Why not, if she were pretty.
Betsy: No, I'm serious.
Trampas: I think women would make good lawyers. They're born devious.
Betsy: Women are devious? Who was it that made a date with two girls for the same dance and then told them he was sick with quinsy and couldn't go?
Trampas: That wasn't being devious. That's what you call self preservation.

Season 4

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Ride a Cock-Horse to Laramie Cross [4.23]

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[Trampas is on his way to Laramie with a woman faro dealer, a boy, and a baby. After making a messy diaper change, he lets the woman take over.]
Trampas: I'll admit your diaper looks better than mine. Thought you said you didn't know anything about babies.
Melinda: Oh, there's just some things that anybody knows, except those that are just plain stupid.
Trampas: I'm not stupid. I'm ignorant. There's a difference.

A Bald-Faced Boy [4.29]

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[Ryker, Trampas and Randy are telling tall tales in the hotel's saloon.]
Trampas: That ain't nothing. Why I had a rifle one time that could knock down a prairie dog two miles away.
Ryker: That so?
Trampas: Why I had the range measured by a licensed surveyor. Two miles even. That was his sworn testimony.
Randy: I had a long rifle like that one time. Carried quite a bit further though.
Trampas: Furthur?
Ryker: Three miles.
Randy: Carried so far I had to use smoked and salted bullets.
Trampas: Smoked and salted bullets?
Randy: Well like I said, it killed at such a distance, if I didn't use them smoked and salted bullets, the game would spoil before I could get to it.

Season 5

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The Captive [5.3]

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[Trampas has just returned from taking an girl to town, and he meets the Virginian and Stacey in the corral.]
Stacey: What happened in town?
Trampas: Plenty. She's staying here while they try and locate her real parents.
Virginian: Stace told me what happened.
Stacey: Is she still claiming to be an Indian?
Trampas: It doesn't much matter to her what she is. She feels Indian, she thinks Indian, and that's the way she likes it.
Virginian: What happened to the rustlers?
Trampas: Old Man Grainger... (Trampas looks at Stacey) Uh... Mr. Grainger told the sheriff to send them back to the reservation.
Stacey: Well that was real kind of Old Man Grainger. (Turns to The Virginian) You mind if I go up and see what's happening?
Virginian: Go ahead.
Trampas: How come Grainger sent me into town with him and sent Stace back to the range?
Virginian: I guess he's just trying not to show favoritism.
Trampas: Why he doesn't have to do that! I never think of Stace as being the boss's grandson. Until I call him Old Man Grainger.

Beloved Outlaw [5.11]

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[Mr. Grainger and Trampas and discussing Liz's wanting to enter her horse in the Founder's Day Race.]
John Grainger: Trampas, I wouldn't want her to know that we discussed this.
Trampas: "You're right. Well, I guess I'll have to be sneaky about it. I'm pretty good at that."
[Trampas sets Liz up to race with him, and she wins.]
Virginian: Well, today's the big day. I'll be glad when this race is over and we can get some work done around here.
Trampas: Well, all right, so I took a minute or two or three or four to--
Virginian: Any regrets? About getting her to race with you.
Trampas: Now that you bring the subject up, no. Not after I saw the look on her face when she won.

Melanie [5.22]

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[Trampas drives a new girl to town.]
Trampas: There's not much to see in Medicine Bow.
Melanie: It's not Medicine Bow I'm interested in.
Trampas: What are you interested in?
Melanie: You.
Trampas: Why me?
Melanie: I don't know.
Trampas:Well, let's see if I can figure it out. Uh.. wealthy, spoiled Eastern girl comes west, finds things kind of dull, meets cowhand. Wants to stir up a little excitement, something she can tell her friends about back in Chicago. Hmm?
Melanie: Well, maybe. But, I don't think so. But what about you? Why did you kiss me?
Trampas: I don't know.
Melanie: Well, maybe I can figure it out. Hard working, hard-headed cowhand gets a little bored with pretty little girls in calico. Meets wealthy spoiled Eastern girl, stir up a little excitement, something to tell the boys back in the bunkhouse.
Trampas: [Smiles] Well. Let's find out.

Season 6

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The Deadly Past [6.2]

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Stacey: Elizabeth!
Elizabeth: Stacey? Did you get it? Did it come?
Stacey: What?
Elizabeth: You know.
Stacey: Godey's Ladies' Book.
Elizabeth: Give it to me.
Stacey: On one condition. (opens the book) Do you promise you won't wear that?
Elizabeth: It's the latest thing!
Stacey: I think there's uh.. a little too much going south for ladies going north.
Elizabeth: I think a gentleman wouldn't look in a ladies magazine.


[Stacey delivers Trampas' perfumed mail to the bunkhouse.]
Stacey: Here's your mail, lover.
Trampas: Thank you sir.
Stacey: You sure you're not advertising for a wife or something?
Trampas: Some people don't have to advertise.
Stacey: Apparently not.

A Bad Place To Die [6.9]

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[Trampas is falsely accused of murder and sentenced to hang.]
Luke Nichols: A lot can happen in six days. You got friends outside? I mean real friends, not just poker playing and howdy-do friends.
Trampas: No, They're real friends.
Luke Nichols: Then you still got something left. You know a man comes in here, they take his pride and his pocketbook and they put them in a box in the warden's office. But if you've got friends outside, you've still got something left. Maybe the most important thing, boy.
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The Virginian:"You're really letting him get under your skin, aren't you."
Trampas:"Well, you're not making it any easier for me, making me work with him every day."
The Virginian:"Because he's actin' like a kid is no reason for me to treat you like one."
Trampas:"You mean to tell me with all the hired hands you've got I'm the only one that can work with Frank?"
The Virginian:"I figure you're the best one to work with Frank."

The Gentle Tamers [6.19]

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Ranch Hand: Anybody here know how to play poker?
Dick Shane: Matter of fact, I give lessons.
Trampas: Now, that's what I like to hear. Why, I got so I know personally every dollar bill in the house. Over here, boys.

The Crooked Path [6.22]

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[Trampas is a bit unhappy about having to look after Mr. Graingers' niece while the Graingers are away]

Trampas: So we've uh.. inherited Miss Melissa Wainwright for one week.
Virginian: Not we!
Trampas: Now wait a minute!
Virginian: Me!
Trampas: Oh.

[Young Kiley Cheevers has the tables turned on him after he tells some tall tales.]

Kiley: I don't know what I'd have done if I hadn't skipped out the back of that teepee.
Rondell: I do. I was captured by those same Indians.
Kiley: Yeah?
Rondell: That's right. Just like you I was surprised they didn't kill me, but stuck me instead inside a teepee. And I want to tell you boy, if you hadn't escaped, you'd sure know what they was going to do to ya'.
Kiley: What's that?
Rondell: They were going to fatten you up, just like they did to me. Cornbread, Venison Meat, Gravy. I just couldn't figure it. Finally I saw a great big stew pot on the fire. Then I saw it. They was fattening me up to eat me.
Kiley: How'd you escape?
Rondell: Well son, I didn't. They ate me.

Stacey [6.23]

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[Stace broke his arm, and is taking a few weeks off.]

Trampas: How about it Stace? Want to come along?
Stacey: Nah, I've got something more exciting to do.
Trampas: Yeah? Like what?
Stacey: You know that patch of grass up on the porch?
Trampas: Yeah.
Stacey: I'm going to sit in the shade and watch it grow.
Trampas: You're going to si-- Well. Alright.


Season 7

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Crime Wave in Buffalo Springs [7.17]

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Trampas: Oh, Ohhh. Well, looks like the party's over. And you did a pretty good job of keeping me here while your sister and her boyfriend pulled off another robbery.
Geraldine: Where are you going?
Trampas: To complain about the champagne. It was flat.

The Price of Love [7.18]

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The Virginian yells at Trampas for getting in a fight against orders, and Trampas' new friend, Denny (the instigator of the fight) enters the bunkhouse.
Trampas: I... it... well, it just couldn't be helped, that's all.
Virginian: Just couldn't be helped. You had to step in there and start swinging at Kimbro's man.
Trampas: Well they... I couldn't let them beat up on a man like that.
Virginian: Well why'd he start the fight in the first place? He got a hot temper or something?
Trampas: Well no, not exactly... Oh you'll like him. Wait till you meet him.
Virginian: I'm going to meet him right now. Grainger's invited me to supper.
Trampas: Good, good.
Virginian: Now look Trampas, I hope your new friend hasn't said anything to Mr. Grainger about this fight in town.
Trampas: Yeah.
Virginian: He'd be pretty unhappy to hear about it.
Trampas: Ummhum.... Yeah, he would.
Virginian: He wants those water rights settled in court, not in a bar room rout on the range.
Trampas: Uh huh..
Virginian: Yeah, you say "Uh huh" and you nod, but this isn't anything I want you to shrug off. Now I mean it Trampas! You better learn to control yourself when you get in a situation-
Denny: (enters) Hey, hey, hey, what's all the yelling about, huh?
Trampas: Oh we're not yelling. Uh, this here's the foreman - this here's Danny.
Denny: Oh well, you're the one Mr. Grainger sent me down to fetch. Supper's almost ready.
Virginian: I'll get my hat.
Denny: You know from the way Trampas described you, I'd expected somebody different.
Trampas: Uh Danny...
The Virginian: You saying something to me?
Denny: I just don't like being yelled at, or seeing my friends yelled at.
Trampas: Denny. (in a nervous voice) Denny... uh..he's the foreman.
The Virginian: You keep in mind what I said.
Trampas: Oh, you bet. (The Virginian walks out) Uh, Denny look, uh, thanks for trying to help but uh... Denny? No, not with him... See, he'd my best friend! Best friend I got. And, uh, sometimes we just yell at each other...you know, doesn't mean anything... I yell at him...he yells at me.

Season 8

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The Long Ride Home [8.1]

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Jim Horn: Trampas? The other night when I tried to pick that fight with you, I know what you done for me, and well, anyway, I appreciate it.
Trampas: "Well, I used to be a pretty feisty yahoo myself. So I know how it feels to be so hopping mad inside you want to take a swing at the whole cock-eyed world. The last time I tried was about eight years ago in a saloon full of cavalry troopers. It took about two black eyes and a mouthfull of knuckles to decide it wasn't too much fun when the world swung back."

The Girl in the Shadows [8.03]

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Trampas: Howdy. Uh, what shall I do with these?
Liz: Hmm.. Well, why don't you bring them in.
Trampas: Hey! That's a good idea! (comes in and stops across the room) Uh, where shall I put 'em?
Liz: What do you think about the floor?
Trampas: (looks down) It's nice. (stops) Oh. (Sets boxes down.)

You Can Lead a Horse to Water [8.17]

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[After going to the water to soak her swollen ankle, a woman falls in. Trampas comes to her rescue, but thinks at first she is just having fun.]
Trampas: She's done it again. [Walks over to the water hole] I thought you were just going to soak your ankle.
Mary: I...can't...SWIM! [goes under]
Trampas: [chuckles at first, then grows quiet] Oh. [jumps in]

The Gift [8.24]

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Trampas: Harp? Whew!!!
Harper: What's the matter with you?
Trampas: Boy, it makes my eyes water! I don't know what you're boiling in that pot, but don't expect me to eat any of it!
Harper: I don't. This is my laundry.


Cast

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