The Virginian: Season 7, Episode 14Stopover (8 Jan. 1969)Frank Hammel known as a gunman arrives on the stage in Medicine Bow shortly after The Virginian arrives in town. When the people of Medicine Bow learn of Hammel's arrival many of the ... See full summary » Director:Joel Rogosin |
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Herb Jeffries, forever etched in western movie history as the first black singing cowboy, plays notorious gunslinger Frank Hammel in this smart, subtle episode. Frank is not the typical, moody gun hawk viewers expect. He's friendly and courteous, never making an aggressive move or hostile gesture. Yet he's feared, and shunned. A mother forbids her child to accept candy from him. A saloon patron demands that the bartender refuse service to him. When a character finally cuts loose with "we don't want his kind in this town," it becomes apparent that an undercurrent is flowing beneath the story's surface that the writer didn't need to clarify.