# Wister's "The Virginian"-was a Movie Version Ever Made? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 1, 2006, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wisters-the-virginian-was-a-movie-version-ever-made/355017 "2006-05-01T23:16:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wisters-the-virginian-was-a-movie-version-ever-made/355017/1 "2006-05-01T23:16:24Z")
Inspired by my “Old West” thread, I picked up a copy of Owen Wister’s classic novel. Frankly, its a tough read-the language is pretty stilted it is over 100 years old, so the expressions are not familiar to me. Anyway, was a movie version ever made? And if so, was it as popular as the novel? This guy Wister lead a pretty interesting life-he actually came on the scene in the last years of the frontier. Did he write any other best sellers? ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wisters-the-virginian-was-a-movie-version-ever-made/355017/2 "2006-05-01T23:22:36Z")
A few years ago, a made for TV version starring Bill Pullman was shown on the Hallmark Channel. I liked the movie but nothing else came of it. Make of that what you will. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wisters-the-virginian-was-a-movie-version-ever-made/355017/3 "2006-05-01T23:41:47Z")
Several times: In 1914, 1923, 1929, and 1946. And when you call me that, _smile_. ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wisters-the-virginian-was-a-movie-version-ever-made/355017/4 "2006-05-01T23:43:09Z")
There’s the old Joel McCrae movie version of the book – a fairly typical shit-kicker that I’ve seen a couple of times. No idea how close it kept to the book, though, since I haven’t read it. Also, there was a TV show version. It had Doug McClure in it, but that’s all I remember about it. I was born in 1960 and watched a lot of western TV shows on reruns growing up. But _The Virginian_ wasn’t one I followed very closely or watched often. ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wisters-the-virginian-was-a-movie-version-ever-made/355017/5 "2006-05-01T23:44:34Z")
I cross-posted with _RealityChuck_ – the Joel McCrae version must have been the 1946 one. I’d have guessed it at early '50s. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wisters-the-virginian-was-a-movie-version-ever-made/355017/6 "2006-05-02T00:22:41Z")
The TV series took several liberties, most notably, it made Trampas into a friend of the Virginian. In Wister’s novel, and the other two film versions I have seen, Trampas was a cattle rustler, and he and his gang are tracked down, captured and hanged by the Virginian and his boys. Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![priapus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@priapus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/priapus)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wisters-the-virginian-was-a-movie-version-ever-made/355017/7 "2006-05-02T20:52:30Z")
I’ve seen every version and I’m still distracted he doesn’t have a name.I mean,even the tv show ran forever(the show changed its name and got a good,the bad and the ugly theme opening) and it was always “he” or “him” ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wisters-the-virginian-was-a-movie-version-ever-made/355017/8 "2006-05-02T21:02:13Z")
First a thread on High Chapparral, and now the Virginian? Sorry, alls I know about is from TV - James Drury in his black leather vest, and Trampas. Apparently I was quite into TV westerns when I was a kid… ---
**Author:** ![priapus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@priapus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/priapus)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wisters-the-virginian-was-a-movie-version-ever-made/355017/9 "2006-05-02T21:04:05Z")
Gary Cooper had the best version ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2006, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wisters-the-virginian-was-a-movie-version-ever-made/355017/10 "2006-05-02T22:23:48Z")
I actually read the book back in college. I enjoyed it, but don’t remember much other than its famous tagline and the point that the cowboys brought canned tomatoes with them on the trail: the tomatoes for food, and the liquid for drink.