The Virginian: If You Have Tears (1963)
Season 1, Episode 20
Like Sand Through the Hourglass...
10 October 2023
So are The Days of Our Lives... This one reads like a soap opera ad nauseum-- slow and tedious with lots of close-ups and pseudo dramatic dialogue.

Robert Vaughn was a bright spot, though he toned it down to match the 'tears' concept of the show. Nancy Sinatra had the voice but hadn't donned her sex kitten look yet. The Virginian had his same clothes on and he rode his same horse, but that wasn't him-- it was him playing Mickey Horton before John Clarke originated the role on the same network a few years later.

Trampas never looked better. The grey-brown palette of the first year was killer--the blue of his remaining years on the show washed him out a little imo. I guess they were trying to bring out his eyes- but this show seems to swim in blue eyes at times and it can be overdone.

Dana Wynter and Phyllis Avery acted like sisters well enough after our eyes told us they couldn't be, and Britt Lomond portrayed a weak character completely detached from the valor both Trampas and the Virginian claimed for him. Maybe connoisseurs of soap understand this boring nonsensical hilarity but i don't and wouldn't recommend it for uninitiated others.

Lomond's Kyle shows up at Shiloh looking for his Cuban war fighting buddies, Trampas and the Virginian. He's been measured for murder and needs a hideout. They know he's no killer, so they hide him out then go investigate what happened. A series of unlikely events in the saloon gets the Virginian placed in the center of the story and establishes Trampas as the friendly but potentially deadly backup.

Vaughn's Simon is brother-in-law to Kyle and serves as part comic relief, part red herring. As the only warmth in the family, he does a marvelous job- Avery's Martha is hard as stone while Wynter's Leona is cool as ice.

That's the setup. Better than an infomercial but not as good as a rerun of My Favorite Martian.

A star for Trampas, one for Nancy, one for Vaughn and one for John Milford snarling the words "snuggle up".
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Recently Viewed