THE VIRGINIAN - Season 9 - MEN FROM SHILOH - Theme and Graphics

[joker43602]

the old intro was much better

this is like a sergio leone film

[AgentMelton]

Loved the whole MFS season. It's well worth the $50.

[RagShop1]

FINALLY have the DVD set! It sure was worth the wait! This theme is "Timeless" and the show, even though it's not the familiar "Virginian", is great and a TV classic to be certain. Love 'Shiloh' and 'The Virginian', one of TV's landmarks. Thanks so much for all of your information, Victoria!

[RagShop1]

I see Shiloh on Timeless's website, as you promised, Victoria. Will be placing my order ASAP!

[VictoriaGreenly]

Timeless Media is scheuled to release the ninth season of The Virginian (Men From Shiloh) Oct. 25,  2011.

[lovebaja]

@VictoriaGreenly That is fabulous news! I have already pre-ordered mine!

[bluesenshi]

Ennio Morricone (who wrote the music for Clint Eastwood's spaghetti westerns) wrote the theme music for the 9th season, and it shows. The graphics are also based on the opening titles of the spaghetti western movies. They were very popular at the time, so that's why Morricone (and this opening) were used.

[Cool2BCeltic]

@bluesenshi The Americans realised that the Italians were beating them at their own game!

[RagShop1]

This outstanding main title makes me want to see "Men From Shiloh" all the more though the actual episode clips are so good they hardly need it. Can't wait for the official DVD release!

[conniffpuki]

wow yeah ennio moricone

[RichHartley19671]

I remember looking up the tv guides from the 1962-63 season, and I recall that there was great anticipation for "The Virginian" because it wasn't like "Gunsmoke," it was an actual 90 minute western every week. To think that the fans tuned in for 9 seasons,every year-that's something to look forward to, to really enjoy and to depend upon, no matter how times may change. It's easy to see that today, there's no programming on television that can even pledge to be around within a year, much less 9.

[bear022013]

Somehow I missed this entir season back then/something to look forward to.thanx

[ebloraine]

How can I watch the entire episode (all of them)

[VictoriaGreenly]

@ebloraine Men from Shiloh will be released on DVD by Timeless Media in the near future. They are currently restoring and digitally remastering Season 3 of The Virginian with a planned release date of March 15, 2011. They plan next to release MFS. Then start on Season 4-8. When the DVDs are released they will be available at Timeless Media, several retail stores, and other online stores. James Drury autographed DVDs are available at thevirginian (dot) net.

[ilovethejoy]

Season 9 is a gr8 way to go out!!

The intro is just magic. It depicts the era perfectly. The casting of Lee Majors as Tate is top notch!!

[mocrg]

Nice mustaches.

[the60sKid]

This was when the opening went from Grand Western to Spaghetti Western.

[mulroon02]

Encore Westerns is presently showing the first 8 seasons of The Virginian, but not the 9th.

[purplecrepemyrtle]

This is one of the best westerns they made!!!!

[hoesey]

After watching this mess I can understand why it was the last season for The Virginian.

What an awful "last stand" for what had been the best western on the tube. Sad.

[rosilva0909]

rosilva0909

I don't remenber this is.

Very bad,i don't like.Very bad...

[purplecrepemyrtle]

It was one of the best westerns they made. I loved it!!!

[purplecrepemyrtle]

This is one of the best westerns they made!! Love the theme song!!

[franl155]

thanks for this! I've been trying to find this theme for quite some time - much prefer it to the original one!

[ryoushii]

Wow, I don't remeber this at all, and my dad was a faithful fan of the show.  Is this like 1971?

[VictoriaGreenly]

Yes, ryoushii, the series was renamed 'Men from Shiloh' for the 1970-1971 season (Season 9).

[NP4Mayans]

@VictoriaGreenly The German title was Die Leute von der Shiloh Ranch . (The People from the Shiloh Ranch). Check it out. Just cut and paste the title. (It won't let me use the url.)

[RagShop1]

@VictoriaGreenly Ms. Greenly, I've been doing searches for Men For Shiloh and don't see a DVD offer that looks official. Do you know any more of Timeless Media's plans to release that final season? I can't wait! Thank you so much!

[VictoriaGreenly]

@RagShop1 The latest we have on Men From Shiloh is, they are working on restoring and remastering the film and it will be Timeless Media's next Virginian release. They will then go back to Season 5-8. You are correct, other offers of Men From Shiloh are not official releases.

[stantler16]

how do you know so much about the virginian?

[VictoriaGreenly]

I watched the show from the beginning in 1962 and I am manager of James Drury/The Virginian web sites.

[stantler16]

so you know him? That rocks with the site!

[tuxguys]

I was never a big fan of this show, and stopped watching it well before the name-change, so here's a few thoughts from an outsider: Faith's original theme thrilled me, Morricone's does not, but it, plus the gritty opening graphics, seem to anticipate "Deadwood" by 30+ years; And the "Jack Cole" to whom the opening graphics are attributed: Is that the great Will (Spirit) Eisner-associate, who created the FIRST elastic superhero, PLASTIC MAN?

[pawt1963]

No. The Jack Cole who created Plastic Man committed suicide in 1958.

[stantler16]

IT sounds like the good, the bad and the ugly music, sort of.

[MeIancholyMan]

stantler.. maybe because the same man who did the music for The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly, Ennio Morricone, did the score... ;)) that might possibly be why ;)

[vividwatch47]

@MeIancholyMan, this was Morricone's only main title for an American television series, though he scored several television movies and miniseries made in Europe that were seen in the U.S.

[rarebutgreat]

A great theme music, it almost makes you feel that you should be sitting in the cinema watching it

[VictoriaGreenly]

The Virginian TV series will be Officially Released on DVD. More info as we receive it.

[mountainstreamTW]

Was this the only score Morricone ever wrote for a US TV series? I can't think of another.

[HughHue]

I believe so, although of course it was just a title theme and not a whole score. The great Italian master was not happy with the result, because apparently this is not HIS orchestration ~ this is a sort of Morricone redux.

I'd love to hear it the way the composer intended.

{Anybody who doesn't know it: check out "The Five Man Army' /watch?v=3L2eQcHkSCg}

After the Americans BUTCHERED his music on the TV epic 'Marco Polo' he vowed, never again.

He now refuses U.S. cinema too ~ even Tarantino

[HughHue]

"The great Italian master was not happy with the result, because apparently this is not HIS orchestration ~ this is a sort of Morricone redux."

I may have got that totally wrong ~ it turns out there is a very different version over the end titles, which sounds much more conventional:

watch?v=FYA9vSswwEw&feature=re­lated

THAT was probably what Morricone did not like them doing to his work ~ quite understandably!

[scorejames]

This is a great theme from Ennio Morricone that uses many must-hear Morricone elements...whistling, whips and other effects...but I still prefer Faith's Virginian theme, which is much more dynamic and builds to a great climax. Thanks for posting this, haven't heard it in over 30 years.

[iolani77]

Yes, I tend to agree. This is a great theme but the original Virginian theme is more along epic lines and evocative of the West. "The High Chaparral" provides another excellent example.

[Lavender1251]

Easy to recognize Ennio Morricone.

[britfrenir]

Thank you for posting this. I read about "The Virginian, In book about tv shows and saw an episode from the 7th season at The Museum Of Broadcaset Comunications" in Chicago and then I saw episodes from the second season on the "Hallmark" chanel in 2005. "The Hallmark Channel" caneled it before I could see this season. It moved to another channel that my parents did not have.

[Gerryb6]

I always thought that this was the best intro of any television program I have ever seen, certainly better than Percy Faith's original opening. I never cared for the series much though. From what I remember, each character starred alone in an episode with little interaction with the others. What a waste of a great opening theme.

[VictoriaGreenly]

I agree, the main fault of MFS was the lack of interaction of the main characters. The network powers took on the premise of rotating stars from 'The Name of the Game' a hot show at the time.

[Gerryb6]

I appreciate that there is someone that knows so much about these shows than me. I have loved the Virginian since the beginning but was always taken by surprise by cast changes (I never did figure out why Steve disappeared)and in the last season, The Men From Shiloh.  Whatever its faults, TMFS did have some decent shows and the opening title theme is a real treasure. Thank you so very much for taking the time to post these. I only wish I had a tenth of your knowledge of this show.

[VictoriaGreenly]

Thank you, Gerryb6, for those kind words. I have been a lifelong follower of 'The Virginian' and James Drury. If you are really interested to know about 'The Virginian' series and its stars, there is a wonderful, totally comprehensive book at thevirginianbook(dot)com. It is pricey but worth every penny.

About Steve (Gary Clarke), by his own admission, he got too big for his britches and made too many demands and the producers said, Bye, Bye!

[Gerryb6]

Thanks, I just ordered the book.

[beacboy61]

Great titles and music,and a great cast,hadn't seen this in many years a forgotton gem. Loved the original Virginian series and along with High Chaparral the two greatest western series ever,lets have DVD releases of both. Brilliant.

[britfrenir]

I hope it will be uncut and with retain the closing logo from Universal at the end.

[Cool2BCeltic]

Definitely influenced by the spaghetti westerns and the music is very reminiscent of Ennio Morricone. Interested to see it starred Lee Majors before he became Steve Austen and Doug McClure before he started battling rubber dinosaurs.

[pawt1963]

Majors slid over to Shiloh immediately after The Big Valley was canceled. When Shiloh bit the dust after 1 season, he spent a couple of years on Owen Marshall before headlining The Six Million Dollar Man. When that show ran its course, he resurfaced on The Fall Guy. All in all Majors spent about 20 straight years on prime time TV, not bad for guy who was not exactly the world's greatest actor.

[kyspentay]

This actually was written by Ennio Morricone!

[kresblain]

@Cool2BCeltic You forgot the part about the space-aged detective agency and time-freezing alien teens. LOL

Anyone notice that, aside from Drury, McClure was the only other cast member to stay all 9 seasons?

[purplecrepemyrtle]

I love this song!!!!! Wished they still made westerns like this!

[elsuperbrain]

Thank you for this fine colaboration. For decades I wanted to hear this muscial theme again. I remember I loved it as a kid, but didn't remember a note of it. (Please excuse my english.)