James Drury remembers ‘The Virginian’ co-stars

Ninety years ago, Paramount released “The Virginian” starring Gary Cooper. The 1929 western and Cooper’s first talkie film was based on the 1902 novel by Owen Wister.

“I read the book in high school, so was well aware of the story,” said James Drury from his home in Houston. But young Jim never imagined he would portray the role of the unnamed cattle ranch cowboy himself decades later in a long-running western TV series in the 1960s.

Originally airing on NBC from 1962 to 1971, and currently rerunning on several cable networks, the enduring popularity of the “The Virginian” doesn’t surprise 85-year-old Drury (see www.thevirginian.net).

“It still holds up,” he said. “The old westerns were morality plays that showed the triumph of good over evil and I think that's important for young people to see on screen these days because it will inspire them to live their lives that way.”

An astonishing parade of notable guest stars on most episodes also contributed to the show’s success.

“Episodes were 90-minutes, the writing brilliantly told appealing stories, and big movie stars would walk over broken glass to appear on the show,” explained Drury. “We had people like George C. Scott, Yvonne De Carlo, Vera Miles, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford.”

As foreman of the show’s Shiloh Ranch set in Medicine Bow, Wyoming, Drury’s character answered to the ranch’s owner, played by several actors throughout the series.

“Lee J. Cobb was the first, and left during the fourth season,” said Drury. “I enjoyed working with him — he brought all those years as a Hollywood star to the role, but he hated the show. He was making a ton of money from the series, then just quit. He did an interview saying he thought the show was terrible and wished he could buy up all the film and turn it into banjo picks!” 

Cobb was replaced by veteran supporting film actor Charles Bickford.

“We had John Dehner for a short time then Charles came along and he did just a wonderful job,” recalled Drury. “He loved the show and told me he wished he had been on from the beginning. But he died unexpectedly (during season 6). We finished the show on a Friday night about midnight and it was a bitterly cold evening.  He wasn’t well and everybody wanted him to go home but he insisted on finishing his part and staying around. It turned into pneumonia and he died Sunday morning.”

Well-admired character actor John McIntire was hired to complete the sixth season.

“After Charles passed on, we got John McIntire and Jeanette Nolan to run the ranch, who were actually husband and wife and often worked together. They did very well and John was perfect in every scene I ever saw him do.”

The final (ninth) season saw major overhauls including a new name and theme, and Stewart Granger was brought in.

“He was a disaster and I couldn't stand him,” admitted Drury. “He wanted everything changed to make him the star of the show. But guess what, the name of the show is ‘The Virginian!'  He also fired the whole camera crew and hired a new crew for his episodes.”

And then there was Doug McClure, playing fellow ranch hand Trampas. A villain in the original book and 1929 movie, the writers transformed him into a high-spirited and often comedic character in the series.

“Off-screen Doug was quite like his character and you couldn’t help but smile when he walked into a room because he was full of good humor and good spirits all the time,” recalled Drury. “He could cheer anybody up. He became my best friend and I still miss him terribly — you couldn't ask for a better co-star.”

A familiar and popular guest for years on the western convention and autograph circuit, Drury has been cutting back on travel. “My wife is not well and I'm her personal caregiver, so I'm involved looking after her.”

He appreciates the well-wishes from fans and especially enjoys hearing their memories of “The Virginian.”

“People now tell me about their grandkids who discover the show on cable and start watching it,” he said. “It’s a wonderful feeling to know the show is still viable after all these years.”

Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery, Ala., and has written features, columns, and interviews for over 750 magazines and newspapers. See www.getnick.org.