The Virginian (1946)

Director:

Stuart Gilmore

Writers:

Owen Wister (novel)
Kirk La Shelle (play) ...

Release Date:

5 May 1946 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Western

Tagline:

The All-Time Best-Selling Love Story of the West... Now On the Screen In Spectacular Technicolor!

Plot:

Arriving at Medicine Bow, eastern schoolteacher Molly Woods meets two cowboys, irresponsible Steve and...

Plot Keywords:

Rustler | Cowboy | Foreman | Saloon | Remake

Cast

Joel McCrea	...	The Virginian
Brian Donlevy	...	Trampas
Sonny Tufts	...	Steve Andrews
Barbara Britton	...	Molly Wood
Fay Bainter	...	Mrs. Taylor
Tom Tully	...	Nebraska
Henry O'Neill	...	Mr. Taylor
Bill Edwards	...	Sam Bennett
William Frawley	...	Honey Wiggen
Paul Guilfoyle	...	Shorty
Marc Lawrence	...	Pete
Vince Barnett	...	Baldy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Al Bridge	...	Sheriff
Minor Watson	...	Judge Henry

Also Known As:

Owen Wister's American Classic: The Virginian (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Australia:PG | UK:U | Denmark:7 (2003) | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #10516) | West Germany:12 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Andy Jauregui Ranch - Placerita Canyon Road, Newhall, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

One of over 700 Paramount Productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since.

Goofs:

Continuity: The color of Molly's horse changes.

Quotes:

Virginian: When you call me that, smile.
Trampas: With a gun against my belly, I always smile.

Movie Connections:

Version of The Virginian (1914)

The Virginian

Owen Wister, himself, is fascinating to me. The movie version of his book doesn't include the rather excellent banter between the schoolmarm and the hero, nor does it include the evidence of growth and maturity in the early antics of the hero and his friend, Lin. What great fun they had before falling for the schoolmarm. You have to read to get that.

Molly appears a bit ditsy in the '46 version and a bit underdeveloped in the book. Thank goodness for the remake with Bill Pullman and Diane Lane. Molly seems to have more depth with Lane playing the role.

The '46 version is great, the '99 version is great, but I hope you get to see both to fill in the gaps each seems to have.

Its a great plot, fabulous development of romance, and the ending is intense (more so in the '99 version though).