The Virginian (1929)

A good-natured cowboy who is romancing the new schoolmarm has a crisis of conscience when discovers his best friend is engaged in cattle rustling.

Director:

Victor Fleming

Writers:

Owen Wister (by), Kirk La Shelle (by),

Stars:

Gary Cooper, Walter Huston, Mary Brian

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Gary Cooper	...	The Virginian
Walter Huston	...	Trampas
Mary Brian	...	Molly Stark Wood
Richard Arlen	...	Steve
Helen Ware	...	Mrs. Taylor
Chester Conklin	...	Uncle Hughey
Eugene Pallette	...	'Honey' Wiggin
Victor Potel	...	Nebrasky
E.H. Calvert	...	Judge Henry

Storyline

Molly Wood arrives in a small western town to be the new schoolmarm. The Virginian, foreman on a local ranch, and Steve, his best fiend, soon become rivals for her affection. Steve falls in with bad guys led by Trampas, and the Virginian catches him cattle rustling. As foreman, he must give the order to hang his friend. Trampas gets away, but returns in time for the obligatory climactic shootout in the streets.

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Plot Keywords:

virginian | shootout | cowboy | lynching | showdown | 

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Taglines:

Like An All Talking "Covered Wagon"!

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Genres:

Western

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 November 1929 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bragdernas man

Filming Locations:

Lone Pine, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$425,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min 85 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Gary Cooper's first all-talking film. He felt that sound would ruin him, believing his voice wasn't adequate to the task. Yet, it was "The Virginian" that turned him from a promising young leading man into a full-fledged star.

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Goofs

Although the story spans the late 1870's through the early 1880's, Molly refers to her grandfather being killed in the Cherry Valley Massacre. As that took place in 1778, at least 100 years earlier, that seems highly unlikely.

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Quotes

Trampas: This world isn't big enough for the both of us!

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Connections

Version of The Virginian (2000)

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Soundtracks

"Bury Me Not On the Lone Prairie"
(uncredited)
Traditional
Hummed and sung by Richard Arlen

User Reviews

An old, OLD western is good fun

"WOW, is this movie ever outdated!", I thought to myself as I started to watch The Virginian. It's weird how the early sound films can seem older than the silent movies made five or ten years before them. But as the movie went on I was genuinely caught up in the story of man's man Gary Cooper romancing schoolteacher Mary Brian while trying to fend off the evil deeds of cattle thief Walter Huston. It's fascinating watching Cooper's best friend Richard Arlen slip into Huston's ring of thieves. Both friends are "wild" and "ornery" but Arlen has less of a sense of himself and his morals and his weakness is his downfall. Talented director Victor Fleming keeps things going despite the technical limitations. *** out of ****