The Virginian (1946)

Synopsis

Storyline:
Arriving at Medicine Bow, eastern schoolteacher Molly Woods meets two cowboys, irresponsible Steve and the “Virginian,” who gets off on the wrong foot with her. To add to his troubles, the Virginian finds that his old pal Steve is mixed up with black-hatted Trampas and his rustlers…then finds himself at the head of a posse after said rustlers; and Molly hates the violent side of frontier life.
Written by
Rod Crawford <[email protected]>
User Reviews: Cowboy Joel McCrea pals around with pretty eastern-bred schoolteacher Barbara Britton and squares off against black-clad cattle rustler Brian Donlevy and McCrea’s amiable pal, who threw in with the rustlers in order to make some easy cash.

This version of the popular novel takes way too much time to get moving, spending a majority of the first fifty-or-so minutes on the uninteresting wooing of Britton by McCrea. The last thirty-five minutes are okay, with decent action and suspense scenes, though never quite as good or plentiful as you’d like them to be. However, the hanging scene does pack a wallop.

The best thing this has going for it is the old-fashioned Technicolor and that old Hollywood sheen.