Reviews

I grew up in Binghamton, NY. I got married in Apalachin, NY. I know the house and surrounding area. , and the event pretty well.This film got the DSP uniforms right, and the vehicles are period correct. Beyond that, this film fails almost across the board. As of this writing there is only one trivia entry here at IMDb, and the says no one liked the film enough to say anything interesting about it. To be honest, I believe the drama department at what was Harper College (now Binghamton Univ) could have done a much better job with this subject.

Of all the storyline lines that came out of this great series, this one is the hardest to swallow. Teddy Roosevelt showing up at Medicine Bow, Wy to recruit for the Rough Riders. That aside, Shilo owner Judge Garth just lets the backbone of his ranch head off for training and then deployment to forgiven soil. The reality is that the chunk of time would take months to do it right.

Still, the storyline Is a good one that pits The Virginian Trampas and Steve up against seasoned military cavalry troops. The trio does very well indeed in this fanciful story and it all fits in one episode. Enjoy the episode, folk. Thanks to IMDb for such a great site to review, learn about, and to have input on films and small screen entertainment.

Of all the key players in all the episodes, this could not have been as well done without Clay Granger and his wife played by Janette Nolan. When they joined the cast of regulars it brought great talent, versatility and tremendous depth. This episode relied heavily on the Grangers, The Virginian and Trampas to make it work so well. The ending was predictable, but the journey was so much better with these core regulars. So, grab a beverage, some popcorn, and settle back for a darn good episode of this classic western series. The Virginian at it's best

It seems every western series had a version of this formula story line. Arrested for the silliest charges and off to the mine. From the arrest through all the required sub plots, the story line was just tired. The storyline seemed very hard to take seriously, but It made for easy shooting and plenty of controlled studio scenes, just the ticket for bad weather days. Despite some wildly odd settings ( meals in the mine to dressed up sit down ones in the "big house"), Cheyenne pulled it off as well as any series. In the end, when you have already been through one episode on another western, you really have seen them all. This may not have been the worse episode, but the story line was near the bottom of the pile.

This is a great movie. There are remakes that fall flat and fail, and that is the usual case. Some remakes are good as the original and can stand alone. I think the The Thomas Crown Affair remake and The Upside are films that can stand alone. I love this for it's acting and what it brings out. Reading the very first review here says a lot and underscores everything that needs to be said. That first review is the takeaway message and I applaud the writer. Sit back and enjoy this film, my friends, it is a great one. The Upside will leave you feeling pretty darn good.

This story formula was seen again later on an episode of The Virginian. The ranch was not near Shilo but Trampas played a role similar to Slim's. William Windom was the fella who began the "halfway house" ranch. John Dehner (aka Morgan Star) played the local Marshal who was dead set against the idea of such a ranch in his territory. The marshal saw them all as criminals who should still be locked up. Trampas had some help with a local progressive judge and the marshal's daughter sided with the ranch too. Unlike this episode, the ranch in the episode of The Virginian was allowed to stay with the eventual support of the marshal. Great story line both here and on The Virginian.

Losing Judge Garth seems to have been a bigger blow than expected for The Virginian. The replacement with Morgan Star just never felt right at all. His character was written in as a stern uncompromising, taking no inputs, and silent leader, that hurt the feel of everything at Shilo. John Dehner was the perfect fit for this role. While there was some warming of his character, this opening episode was just too hard to shake off. Perhaps that was the plan all along, but the series seemed to falter a bit with Morgan Star in the big house at Shilo Ranch.

Things seemed to get somewhat back on track after Morgan Star when the powerful Charles Bickford cane in as the new owner of Shilo. Still, it was not until the warmth of John McIntyre and the wonderful depth of Janet Nolan that things settled back down again.

The Virginian was such a strong series. The combination of writers and core actors carried the series through many enjoyable years. Even today, The Virginian series is a popular as ever. Enjoy, my friends and a big thank you to IMDb and all it brings to us.

Set back with an open mind, and just watch Men In Black International as it plays. There is some "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" (TTSS), some "Avatar" grade CGI, and even some hints of "007" in there. We may even be looking at Chris Hemsworth as a good candidate for James Bond when Daniel Craig hangs steps away; Hemsworth is very strong and cool agent for the MIB gang and, make no mistake, this is an all MIB film.

In this episode there are plenty of new things including a new agent in a probation training role. The new agent in training more than holds her own against what the evil aliens throw at her. The added bonus is a mole high up in the agency that needs to be dealt with as in "Tinker, Tailor,Soldier, Spy" fashion. This is a darn good film worthy of being in the line of preceding MIB films. Make no mistake, this is not a lame sequel by any means.

Like others have said, watch this film with an open mind. Don't go looking for replicas of Tommy Lee Jones or Will Smith, and you will really enjoy this latest MIB episode. So sit back my friends, with some snacks and a beverage or two and I'm pretty sure you will find this film is another enjoyable MIB installment.

This episode introduces the guitar strumming and country/folk singing Randy Boone. The storyline for this episode, and the acting is enjoyable enough. The addition of young Randy is a mixed bag.

Randy is related to the famous Boone lineage that includes the storied Daniel, actor Richard, and even pop-heart-throb Pat Boone. Randy is written into episodes that seem to showcase his musical talents. As with all such musical scenes comes the just awful screen shots of fellow actors smiling, nodding, and trying to show enjoyment of the tunes. These painful scenes just seem so out of place, at best, and downright awkward in most cases. While Randy brings decent acting and singing ability, with decent acting skills, it just seems out of place week after week. It came across as shoehorning a musical interlude into the storyline, adding little in the end. To Randy's credit, there are episodes where it all fits together nicely and Randy is a decent addition to the cast. Randy fit in nicely with the cast and the storylines, it just got a bit odd at times with musical sideshow.

Still, the series remained strong and survived other changes like replacing the Judge. Perhaps is was a reflection of the time , or maybe a whim from the studio heads. The episodes remained strong and entertaining despite the addition of a troubadour. The series remained strong and popular for many years with and without the musical sideshow. Enjoy my friends.

If you are any kind of fan of this series, this episode is a must watch. It is all about the Virginian, (Drury) and how he came to Shilo Ranch.

When Drury rides into Medicine Bow, he makes friends with a Peterson Ranch (Shilo rival) hand. The ranch hand is in a bit of trouble with a couple of Shilo ranch hands and he needs some help. The ever clever Drury Instigates a bar brawl to allow his new friend a way out of the bar unharmed, Drury, always honest, winds up with a night in jail for his part in things. It leads to a job at Peterson's and Drury meets the always lovely Mariette Hartley, the owners daughter. Things are heating up between the Judge and Peterson, with the Peterson foreman (Stager) making things worse at every opportunity. As time passes, Drury becomes a problem for Stager across the board. Hartley is engaged to Stager, and Drury easily pulls her away from the manipulative Stager. Meanwhile, things continue to heat up between the two ranches. Stager sees an opportunity and moves to hurry things along by shooting and killing Peterson (Erikson). With Peterson's murder, it puts the ranch in Hartley's hands, and Stager's. Stager takes over the ranch, and implicates Shilo in Peterson's murder. Feeling some newfound courage, thanks to The Virginian, Hartley stands up to Stager to tell him that the ranch is hers and she intends to run it. As things continue to escalate between the two ranches, always with Stager's help. Stager then fires Drury to get him out of the picture all together. Hartley sees Stager's move and stops Stager to keep Drury on. Stager then ambushes Drury right where Peterson was murdered. Drury does not die, but Stager does not know this. Hartley has to take Stager at his word about the Virginian and his departure from the ranch.

Drury is found by Garth who saves his life, and saves the round he was shot with. Drury recovers with a new take on the Judge and Shilo. Drury begins a search for the Sharps rifle and the person who fired it. The search takes him right to a surprised Stager. Drury also implicates Stager in Peterson's murder as well. Things reach the boiling point between the two ranches as well as Drury and Stage, with Hartley right in the middle. So how does it all play out, and take Drury to Shilo?

I'll stop here and suggest that ya get a beverage or two and some snacks. Settle back and watch one of the more important episodes of the series. Enjoy, my friends.

I've seen this episode a couple of times and the acting is good enough to hold my interest each time. The Judge takes in hire Hank, (played by Chris Robinson), the eldest son of a good friend. His friend, well acted by Lloyd Nolan, pleads with the Judge to take his son back to Shilo and make him a man. At a ranch where he is not the owners son.

Once at Shilo, The Virginian heads out and Trampas is stuck with the chore "to make Hank into a man". Hank is a square peg who works overtime to become more square with every word and act. He becomes impossible for anyone to even talk with. The reason becomes plain in watching Lloyd Nolans role develop, he is a class A jerk.

It all comes to a head in the first weekend when the angry and bitter Hank leaves Shilo, and of course goes to town. It all comes down to a bar room gunfight with Hank drawing on Trampas who has his back turned to leave the bar. Trampas turns and shoots Hank dead on the spot. After the fight, the Judge wires Lloyd Nolan about the gunfight and his sons death.

Lloyd Nolan does what you might expect and uses his surviving son, a young Ryan O Neal, to gun down Trampas in revenge. Watch the episode to see the ending. This is a good episode and well worth watching. The episode is well written and the acting is quite good. Enjoy, my friends.

This is one of the better episodes in the series. The Virginian goes to collect a debt for the judge. The journey takes him to a town where an old flame owns a saloon. The saloon owner is played by the fetching Gena Rowlands, and she is superb. They both learn that their feelings went much deeper than either realized at the time. As the story unfolds, Gena is jailed for murdering the son of the town's most powerful man.

The murder victim is killed with a pair of scissors, and Gena is blamed. The victim attacked Gena in what Inspector Clouseau would call a drunken "rit of fealous jage". When Drury visits Gena in jail it is clear she had been physically beaten by the victim. Druary gets the Judge to come to Gena's defense in a court trial the is a sham. She is found guilty and sentenced to hang one week later. Judge Garth is furious and heads to the Gov for a stay and retrial. The victims father browbeat the judge into moving the execution up by six days, well before Judge Garth can stop it.

The Virginian breaks Gena out of jail and they flee the town to save her life, and to give Judge Garth the time he needs to secure a new trial. The ending is not what I expected in such stories, and I'll leave it at that.

TV stories depend heavily on writing and acting, a bit more than directing, and all the principals in this story, Cobb, Drury and Rowlands are superb. This episode stands out because of the storied look into The Virginian's past, and the story around the murder. Grab a beverage and some snacks 'cause this is one of the better ones in the long series. Enjoy, my friends.

While it is the beginning of its' second season, this is one of the core episodes if "The Virginian". This is the story of Trampas, his father, Frank Trampas, and how Trampas came to Shilo. If you read the bio of Sonny Tufts, aka Frank Trampas, you will see the irony of Sonny playing this role. Frank and his son live on the edge and brushes with trouble and the law are the norm. After Frank is killed in self defense, and a chance meeting with Judge Garth. The judge saves the young Trampas from drowning after which they part ways. Trampas makes his round about way to Medicine Bow and yet another brush with the law there. Having met Garth, the name saves him from jail an to a job at Shilo. Still driven by the anger and seeking revenge over Frank's shooting it comes to a head at Shilo. Royal Dano puts on a stellar performance as a fellow ranch hand, and becomes the father Trampas has so badly needed. Saying more will spoil the enjoyment, so sit back and enjoy the story about Trampas, his journey to Shilo, and finally growing up. This is required viewing for any fan of "The Virginian ".

I've read the book, and with 20 + years of active military service, I have a pretty good background in "wilderness survival". Make no mistake here, this is a story of cleansing and rebirth for Chris/Alex. The sad part is that he almost pulled it off. This is so well written, and acted that it deserves more than it really gets. Hal Holbrook puts in what is probably his best ever roles, and only Hal could have done this so well.

Before really deciding to pan this film, read the book. Take a careful look at what Chris/Alex is really doing here. As I've said this is one more about a rebirth, and not so much escape, after realizing what his father really is. As his sister says, they were out of wedlock children, and the father only made that worse, day in and day out. The ending I would have liked to see is Chris/Alex finally squaring with his guilt and returning to the character Hal Holbrook played so well. If Chris had some survival training, he might have just pulled it off. Do give this film another look see before giving it your final grade.

"Half hour" TV westerns were very dependent on the writers, and Lawman had great writers. It was such a short run for this series but it always had a great script. With the series regulars you could count on great acting. This formula script had some nice twists that made it stand out from the others. I loved the ending in Laramie where Johnny and Dan are just "business as usual" calm and well collected. A great episode from a superb series.

If you have someone you don't like very much, convince them this is a great film, despite the reviews. It's hard to imagine payback that would be as bad as this disaster.

As for "spoilers", how can this be spoiled more than it already is.

I grew up in the hometown of Rod Serling, and my wife is a BCH grad. So every episode brings a slice of home. This episode showcases the great Donald Pleasance and his acting is superb, as always. His makeup is so well done, that I did a double-take of the cast to be sure it was him. This is such a great episode that is both touching and heart warming. A solid ten from Rod Serling and Donald Pleasance.

What a simply delightful film. Superb cast, well written and directed with the perfect music for this film. I love everything about this film from the story line right down to the little detail of Ula's over achieving wee ones. This is one that I've saved and rewatch when I need a little "pick-me-up"; and lately it is a great break from the "news". So, get some popcorn, sit back in your favorite chair 'cause I guarantee you are going to love this romp in Hawaii.

What a great cast for a Rod Serling penned film. "Assault on a Queen", just falls rather flat with things a tick off all the way through. The musical score is probably one of this films' shortfalls . The musical score just does not seem synched all that well, and that can make an ok film better, but; here it just fails. In the end, the director will have to take the hit here. "Assault on a Queen" had so much promise and potential with so much veteran talent in the cast, and I guess that made this even more disappointing. Even the ending just seems to fall flat on is's face. I walk away from this film feeling really let down. "Assault on a Queen" is worth watching, once.

At times there is a background noise. It is rather a piercing high pitched noise that I suppose is meant to raise the suspense level and is presented as background music. This noise at times makes the film very difficult to endure. I have tried to get through this thing a couple of times, bit I simply can't stand it. Quintet seems to be two hour film that feels like it is six hours long with a musical score right out of hell.

This is not a new plot by any means. This has been used on the big screen with Kirk Douglas in the staring role. What makes this episode interesting is seeing Brian Keith and Ben Johnson at work. Brian Keith dusts off his role as mentor to the greenhorn. He excelled in this role teaching Steve McQueen in "Nevada Smith", and does it again here too. While not the best in the series, it is better with Brain Keith and Ben Johnson on the payroll. I would liked to have seen Ben Johnson with a larger role, but the plot formula did not leave him much room.

The last year of this series saw a move well away from the original show make up and tone. Even the intro music and opening scenes were totally removed from what was before. This final episode was so far away from the original "Virginian" that it looked like just another western. Lee Majors is a great actor in many genres, but this episode with Lee up front looked like anything but "The Virginian". This was just a random small screen, western show. It just seems like a sad way to close out the series.