Seasons & episodes

S3 · E13Portrait of a Widow 1964-12-09＋

French-accented portrait painter Charles Boulanger (John Gavin) says goodbye to Betsy Garth and Maggie Mencken (Vera Miles) who have been visiting Chicago. Maggie is a good friend of Judge Garth and the Judge is the executor of her late husband's estate. Charles accent is phony and he is wanted by hoods trying to collect a gambling debt so he escapes to Medicine Bow by saying he will paint Maggie's portrait. At Maggie's house Charles discovers an important art work purchased by her late husband and while romancing Maggie, makes plans for faking the painting and selling the original to pay off his debts. However, two things stand in his way: his growing affection for Maggie, and Judge Garth, who suspects Charles is not what he seems.

S3 · E14The Payment 1964-12-16＋

Ryker invites the man who raised him to come to Medicine Bow after being released from 10 years in prison. When Ryker finds Abe has invited his family to join him, he knows there are problems as Shiloh makes a record sized cattle shipment.

S3 · E15Man of the People 1964-12-23 · 90 min＋

Trouble comes to Medicine Bow in the form of a number of settlers who camp on land they say has been promised to them but that Judge Garth and others traditionally have leased from the government for grazing cattle. The land settlement has been promoted by Congressman Matt Cosgrove (James Dunn) who had read law with the Judge 30 years before. The Judge knows the soil is no good for farming but is told government reports support the reverse. While the Judge and Cosgrove are at odds, Cosgrove's nephew, Army Lt. David O'Mara (Martin West), and Betsy Garth find each other more to their liking.

S3 · E16The Hour of the Tiger 1964-12-30＋

A landslide blocks the pass needed to drive the Shiloh cattle to the rail line. The only alternative route would have to cross the property of Junius Antlow (Tom Tully), an arch enemy of Judge Garth, and Antlow refuses permission to use that route. The Judge hires Big Jim Lafferty (Leo Gordon), foreman of a crew of Chinese coolies, to clear a way through the blocked pass. Amongst the Chinese, disguised as a man, is a girl, Kam Ho (Cely Carrillo) who falls in love with the Virginian even though she is promised in marriage to one of the other workers named Chang (Kam Tong). Junius Antlow attempts to sabotage the work, hoping the cattle will starve, and in the process some of the Chinese labourers are killed and others wounded. His actions bring him into conflict not only with the Judge but also with his own son, Chris (Tom Simcox), and tragedy results.

The Virginian hires some workers to help drive some cattle to Shiloh from Cheyenne, among whom is an easy going and timid hand who reads Shakespeare named Eddie Laredo (Fabian). Eddie accepts a full-time job at Shiloh but he is razzed by locals, including the unsavoury Bojo Sanders (Rayford Barnes) and saloon girl Molly Weems (Elizabeth McRae), because he likes literature. Bojo is murdered and Molly testifies that Eddie killed Bojo but because of her unsavoury reputation the charges are dismissed. Molly Weems is also killed and Trampas sees Eddie riding away from the scene. It looks like Eddie is guilty and will face the death penalty despite the efforts of Judge Garth to defend him.

S3 · E18Hideout 1965-01-13＋

Betsy Garth investigates rumours of wild broncos in the mountains and while there she encounters a young man, Clint (Andrew Prine) and his father Martin (Forrest Tucker) living in an isolated cabin. Clint gets Betsy to promise not to reveal their presence but when Betsy is bitten by a rattlesnake he is forced to take her to Dr. Spaulding (John Bryant) in Medicine Bow, thereby saving her life and earning the Virginian's gratitude. However, Martin is a wanted man and Emmett Ryker is on his trail. Betsy must choose between her growing friendship with, and promises to, Clint and revealing the hideout to the law.

S3 · E19Six Graves at Cripple Creek 1965-01-27＋

Emmett Ryker learns that a man named McMasters, who had killed his good friends, a rancher and his daughter, two years before, was one of six men supposedly killed by Indians. Believing the man still alive, and seeking revenge, he accompanies a young woman, Lucille Carver (Sheilah Wells), whose father was also reported as among those killed, to the massacre site at Cripple Creek. The trail eventually leads him to Deadwood where he suspects a man who has made a gold strike, and may be Lucille's father, is McMasters.

S3 · E20Lost Yesterday 1965-02-03＋

A man dies due to a gunshot wound but not before he reveals to his sweetheart, Clara Malone (Shirley Knight), that robbery money is hidden near Medicine Bow. Faking suicide to escape the rest of the robbery gang, Clara takes the stage to Medicine Bow along with one other passenger, the Virginian. In a stage accident she is injured and the Virginian takes her to Shiloh Ranch to be nursed by Betsy. Suffering from amnesia, Clara can not recall her past and she and the Virginian begin a romance. However, her past catches up with her when the robbery gang discovers she is still alive.

S3 · E21A Slight Case of Charity 1965-02-10＋

Trampas is in Albuquerque to pick up some money on behalf of the cattlemen's association. He encounters and is robbed of some of the money by Charity (Kathryn Hays). She was in love with a man, Byron Prescott (Jerome Courtland), who was forced to jilt her by his wealthy family. Charity is trying to get to Rancho Valdez to sell a ruby ring, a family heirloom which had been given to her by Byron. Although Trampas catches up with Charity, she in turn has been robbed by a local guide, Judd (Warren Oates). They set out after Judd, tailed not only by Byron Prescott, but also by Emmett Ryker who has come looking for the overdue Trampas.

S3 · E22You Take the High Road 1965-02-17＋

The Virginian makes the acquaintance of a young man, Mark Shannon (Richard Beymer), who along with his sister (Diana Lynn) and her love interest, trail boss Jack Slauson (Myron Healey), is taking a cattle herd to the army. When near Medicine Bow it is learned the Shannon herd could be carrying Spanish fever. Those cattle are largely immune but the local cattle are not. The local ranchers, with the Virginian acting as their delegate, try to get the herd to bypass the Medicine Bow area. By taking another, but more direct, route, the herd would avoid infecting the local cattle. However,there would be substantial losses to the Shannon herd because of a drought affecting the other route. Mark refuses and this leads to a showdown not only with the Virginian and Medicine Bow ranchers but also with Slauson.

S3 · E23Shadows of the Past 1965-02-24＋

Emmett Ryker's good friend, storekeeper John Conway (Jack Warden), is to marry a woman he met in San Francisco and has known for only a very short time, Rita Boland (Marilyn Erskine). When Rita comes to Medicine Bow, her relationship with John becomes strained because of her seeming unwillingness to consider having children. She turns to the bottle and it is clear she is haunted by some event in her past. Meanwhile, Emmett's past also threatens to catch up with him as two Garr brothers (John Milford and James Beck) whom he had sent to jail for a robbery attempt, and whose third brother he had killed in that same attempt, come seeking revenge. The two disconnected stories become intertwined, and then resolved, in a fateful showdown.

S3 · E24Legend of a Lawman 1965-03-03＋

In Cobb's Run, Kansas, while waiting for the Virginian, Randy Benton is framed for a $50,000 payroll robbery. His defence, that the legendary but aging town marshall, Floyd Buckman (Ford Rainey), had inadvertently allowed the robbers into the bank, is scoffed at by the locals. As a result, Randy is sentenced to be hanged. The Virginian tries to track down the the real robbers to prove Randy's innocence and in desperation even breaks Randy out of jail. In the end however, Randy's salvation is in the hands of the legendary lawman.

S3 · E25Timberland 1965-03-10＋

Local ranchers are upset with the lumbering of Charles Daniels (Arch Johnson) which they believe will destroy a valuable watershed area and ruin grazing land. Daniels refuses to listen to their entreaties as delivered by the Virginian and Emmett Ryker has to try and keep the peace despite the growing tension. Complicating matters is a budding relationship between Daniels' daughter Katie (Joan Freeman) and the son of one of the local ranchers opposed to the logging, Dave Ferguson (Martin Milner). This relationship is frowned upon not only by Daniels but also by Daniels' foreman, Paul Rogers (William Smith). When Rogers is killed accidentally by Ferguson, Daniels believes it murder and seeks revenge.

S3 · E26Dangerous Road 1965-03-17＋

Trampas escorts a murderer back to a town where he knew the sheriff. There is a question of the man's innocence plus Trampas learns the sheriff died in a horse accident two days later. He decides to investigate the questionable stories.

S3 · E27Farewell to Honesty 1965-03-24＋

A deputized Virginian arrives in the very misnamed Honesty, Wyoming looking for Major Ralph Forrester (Richard Carlson) who had defrauded Judge Garth. However, the local judge is in the Major's pocket and, using the excuse that the Virginian is not a full-time deputy, refuses to let the man be taken back to Medicine Bow. While waiting for Deputy Ryker to arrive, the Major is murdered and the Virginian is accused of the crime. Ryker arrives and with help of a local lawyer, John Harrison (Harold Gould), tries to sort out who the murderer is from amongst a number of suspects including the murdered man's wife (Dorothy Green), a former acquaintance of the Virginian who runs the local saloon and was being blackmailed by the dead man (Kathleen Crowley), and the Major's business partner(Douglas Henderson).

S3 · E28Old Cowboy 1965-03-31＋

An older man, Murdoch (Franchot Tone), and his young grandson Willie (Billy Mumy), arrive at Medicine Bow on foot. Much to the Virginian's chagrin, Trampas feels sorry for Murdoch and offers him a job at Shiloh. Murdoch's ineptitude causes several problems, and he begins to resent his grandson's admiration for top cowboy Trampas. In the end, however, Murdoch more than proves his worth and gains the admiration of all, including his grandson.

S3 · E29Showdown 1965-04-14＋

The Virginian is forced to take sides in a bitter dispute between a family of ranchers and two domineering marshals.

S3 · E30We've Lost a Train 1965-04-21＋

In this pilot episode for the Laredo TV series, Trampas must pick up a bull for Shiloh Ranch in Mexico, and along the way he runs into Texas Rangers Reese, Joe, and Chad. Trampas ends up helping the Rangers recover stolen gold, and bring in the Bandits that stole it.

S4 · E1The Brothers 1965-09-15 · 90 min＋

Matt Denning (Robert Lansing), a good friend of Emmett Ryker's, believes his younger brother Will (Andrew Prine) innocent of a crime and breaks him out of a military jail where he is awaiting execution, accidentally killing a guard in the process. Along with Matt's wife (Jan Shepard) and son (Kurt Russell), they escape into an area where many Sioux Indians are out for blood, and are trailed by Ryker, army Sgt. Cohane (Myron Healey) and three soldiers. They find the escapees but the party is attacked by the Sioux. Will is killed, confessing as he dies that he was guilty as charged and leading Matt to realize all has been for nothing. Despite the fact the guard's death was clearly an accident, and the fact Emmett and Cohane testify on his behalf, Matt is found guilty and Emmett is forced to uphold the law and turn Matt over to the Sheriff who will escort him to prison.

S4 · E2Day of the Scorpion 1965-09-22＋

An Australian, Adam Tercell (John Anderson), has bought a local ranch and plans to graze sheep on open range, a strategy which would destroy it as grazing land for cattle, so the locals want to negotiate an area set aside for sheep. However, Tercell's bullying son, Abel (Jon Locke), refuses and even stockwhips a local rancher (Edward Faulkner) which brings him into conflict with the Virginian. Abel tries to bullwhip the Virginian and falls and is accidentally killed when he hits his head on a rock. Adam Tercell arrives in Medicine Bow and tries to get the Virginian charged with murder but is unsuccessful and things become complicated when Tercell's daughter Reagen (Maura McGivney) begins to fall in love with the Virginian. Events continue to escalate and eventually lead to a fateful confrontation between Adam Tercell, his estranged daughter, and the local ranchers.

S4 · E3A Little Learning 1965-09-29＋

After release from prison, Bert Kramer (Bruce Dern) comes to Medicine Bow to find his estranged wife who is the new school teacher, Martha Perry (Susan Oliver). A Shiloh hand, Rafe Simmons (Albert Salmi), tells the Virginian he is quitting. He goes to town, get a job in the harness shop and gets Martha to teach him to read. Bert Kramer arrives in town and is spotted by Emmett Ryker who recognizes him as a hired gun. Rumours are spread that Rafe and the schoolteacher are having an affair. A local barber, Cal Beeson (Harry Townes), who has had a run in with Rafe, and Bert Kramer plot together to ambush the harness shop worker. However, Rafe manages to get the upper hand. In a struggle over a gun, Bert is killed but Rafe is cleared by the actions of the Virginian and Martha who get Beeson's young son to own up to the plot.

S4 · E4The Claim 1965-10-06＋

Trampas becomes discouraged with being a ranch hand and sets off with an old friend, Luke Milford (William Shatner), to Deadwood City in the Dakotas where gold strikes are reported. They learn that most of the gold is off limits in Sioux territory but they meet and help a man named Finley (Strother Martin) who claims to have a gold strike outside of Indian land and who agrees to cut them in if they will stake him for equipment. They do strike gold but it turns out it is on Indian land. Trampas runs into trouble not only with the Sioux but inevitably ends up in a showdown with Luke who has become fixated on finding and retaining the gold.

A destitute former Minister, David Henderson (Glenn Corbett), who has had a crisis of faith, comes to Medicine Bow just as a dispute breaks out at a local mine over safety issues. Emmett Ryker entreaties Judge Garth to try and find a solution to the problem. When an accident occurs at the mine David's assists in a rescue attempt but hurts his leg. He is taken to Shiloh where Betsy Garth nurses him and they become romantically involved. David's actions gain him the respect of the miners, he becomes their leader, and he calls a strike over the working conditions. Despite an attempt to intimidate the miners by importing scab labour, with Judge Garth's help the owners and miners manage to reach an agreement. David rediscovers his calling and asks Betsy to marry him. They are married at Shiloh Ranch and head off to start a new life at a parish David has been assigned in Pennsylvania.

S4 · E6Ring of Silence 1965-10-27＋

Emmett Ryker is amongst a group of stagecoach passengers and crew waylaid by and trapped in an isolated cabin by a group of Mexicans from a small cross-border town. The Mexicans want one of the passengers, a cowboy named Wylie (Earl Holliman), for murdering a woman but Emmett believes Wylie should be turned over to the American authorities for a proper hearing. A siege and gun battle ensues but in the end, the Virginian and Trampas, who are waiting for Emmett in a nearby town, come to the rescue of their missing friend.