The bloody conflict was also depicted in Michael Cimino’s Western epic Heaven’s Gate (1980). This violent conflict pitted ragtag homesteaders against established ranchers and cattle companies who sought to acquire public domain land in the Wyoming Territory during the 1890s. If you have any interest in American history and Western folklore, you’ve probably heard of the Johnson County War. Although there are differences – the kid is older in the book and acts as the narrator, for example – the novel tells the same story as the movie and TV series. More than twelve million copies were sold, with dozens of editions, and translations into thirty languages. Houghton Mifflin published the complete story under the title of Shane in 1949, and the novel became a hit. Rider From Nowhere told the story of pioneers trying to make a home in the Wyoming Territory with land acquired via the Homestead Act of 1882. In 1946, 39-year-old journalist Jack Schaefer wrote a three-part Western story for Argosy Magazine. Here are some fun facts about a Western series that took a bullet far too soon: But, with an on-going narrative that bridges all the episodes, and the longing looks between the two leads, Shane has a decidedly contemporary vibe. The series aired for one truncated season on ABC before hanging up its six guns. Also returning is evil cattle baron Rufe Ryker ( Bert Freed), who apparently recovered from the fatal gunshot Shane delivered in the film’s climatic gunfight. Added for the series is Marian’s father-in-law ( Tom Tully), because two sexy singles living together in a tiny cabin wouldn’t fly in the Old West (or in 1960s primetime). Christopher Shea plays her son Joey, fatherless and lobbying for the title character to take the job. Jill Ireland is Marian, his newly widowed boss. And you can see that rarely rerun Western classic weekend mornings at 10am ET on getTV!ĭavid Carradine stars as Shane, now working at the Wyoming homestead he helped save in the movie. That iconic final line from Shane (1953) – ranked in the top 50 movie quotes of all time by the American Film Institute – proved prophetic, as the titular gunslinger returned thirteen years later for a short-lived TV series. “Shane…come back!” eight-year-old Joey Starrett pleads, as his hero rides off into the sunset.

Actor jill ireland