The Virginian (1929)

Synopsis: An extraordinarily popular novel by Owen Wister, THE VIRGINIAN had been filmed twice in the silent era, but director Victor Fleming's version easily outstripped its predecessors. Working with Gary... An extraordinarily popular novel by Owen Wister, THE VIRGINIAN had been filmed twice in the silent era, but director Victor Fleming's version easily outstripped its predecessors. Working with Gary Cooper as the Virginian, Fleming's fluid camera movements and realistic use of sound created a gripping dramatic love story. The tale begins when the Virginian encounters an old friend, Steve (Richard Arlen), and offers him a job on his Box H Ranch. Both men meet Molly Wood (Mary Brian), the new schoolteacher from New England. When the Virginian walks Wood home one night, they enter a friendship that blossoms into amorous affection. Meanwhile, Steve becomes involved with the miscreant Trampas (Walter Huston) and his band of cattle rustlers. When Steve is captured by a posse, the Virginian oversees Steve's hanging. The act proves too much for Molly to stomach, and she rejects the Virginian. But when the Virginian is wounded, she nurses him and their mutual admiration to health, leaving only a duel with the villain Trampas in the way of their happiness. Cooper's performance as as the bashful, moral rancher is superlative, creating an archetypal persona that would be mimicked in countless Westerns. [More]

Starring: Gary Cooper, Walter Huston, Mary Brian, Richard Arlen

Starring: Gary Cooper, Walter Huston, Mary Brian, Richard Arlen

Director: Victor Fleming

Director: Victor Fleming

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