The Big Valley (1965-1969)

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  • THE BIG VALLEY


    LEVEE-GARDNER-LAVEN PRODUCTIONS/ ABC TELEVISION



    INFORMATION FROM IMDb


    Plot Summary
    Victoria Barkley heads her adult brood on the Barkley Ranch
    in California's San Joaquin Valley, near Stockton, in the 1870s.
    Heath is the illegitimate son of Victoria's husband Tom
    (who is dead at the time of the series).
    Bank robbers, horse thieves, revolutionaries and land grabbers keep the Barkley's hopping.
    Written by Ed Stephan


    Series Cast
    Richard Long ... Jarrod Barkley (112 episodes, 1965-1969)
    Peter Breck ... Nick Barkley (112 episodes, 1965-1969)
    Lee Majors ... Heath Barkley (112 episodes, 1965-1969)
    Linda Evans ... Audra Barkley (112 episodes, 1965-1969)
    Barbara Stanwyck ... Victoria Barkley (112 episodes, 1965-1969)
    Napoleon Whiting ... Silas (36 episodes, 1965-1969)
    Douglas Kennedy ... Sheriff Fred Madden / ... (23 episodes, 1965-1969)
    Harlan Warde ... Arthur Kleeber / ... (11 episodes, 1965-1969)
    Paul Sorensen ... Blacksmith / ... (11 episodes, 1965-1969)
    Harry Swoger ... Bartender / ... (10 episodes, 1965-1969)


    and others including some of Duke's 'Pals'
    Coleen Dewhurst, Bruce Dern,
    Karl Swenson, Paul Fix,
    William Fawcett, Strother Martin,
    Chuck Roberson, John Carradine,
    Ron Howard, Dennis Hopper,
    Katharine Ross, George Kennedy,
    Dub Taylor


    The Big Valley was well-known
    for the showing of many guest stars.
    Among others:
    * Julie Adams* Jack Albertson
    * Claude Akins * Chris Alcaide
    * John Anderson * Richard Anderson
    * R. G. Armstrong * Lew Ayres
    * Diane Baker * Joe Don Baker
    * Anne Baxter * Milton Berle
    * Charles Bronson * Michael Burns
    * Conlan Carter * Kelly Corcoran
    * Noreen Corcora * Dennis Cross
    * Royal Dano * Bradford Dillman
    * Richard Dreyfuss * Maurice Evans
    * Harold Gould * Robert Goulet
    * Lee Grant * James Gregory
    * Steve Ihnat * Russell Johnson
    * I. Stanford Jolley * L.Q. Jones
    * Robert Karnes * Martin Landau
    * Cloris Leachman * Flip Mark
    * Read Morgan * Leslie Nielsen
    * Kathleen Nolan * Warren Oates
    * Susan Oliver * Gregg Palmer
    * Regis Philbin * John M. Pickard
    * Stephanie Powers * Lou Rawls
    * Wayne Rogers * Jill St. John
    * William Shatner * Susan Strasberg
    * Adam West * Robert Walker Jr.
    * James Whitmore * Morgan Woodward
    * Anthony Zerbe


    Series Directed
    Virgil W. Vogel (48 episodes, 1965-1969)
    Bernard McEveety (11 episodes, 1965-1968)
    and many others..


    Series Produced
    Arthur Gardner .... producer / executive producer (112 episodes)
    Arnold Laven .... producer / executive producer (112 episodes)
    Jules V. Levy .... producer / executive producer (112 episodes)
    Lou Morheim .... associate producer / producer (112 episodes)


    Series Writing Credits
    A.I. Bezzerides (112 episodes, 1965-1969)
    Louis F. Edelman (112 episodes, 1965-1969)
    and many others...


    Series Original Music
    Lalo Schifrin (26 episodes, 1968-1969)
    Elmer Bernstein (24 episodes, 1967-1968)
    George Duning (21 episodes, 1965-1967)
    and others...


    Filming Locations
    CBS Studio Center - Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA
    Golden Oak Ranch - 19802 Placerita Canyon Road, Newhall, California, USA
    Iverson Ranch, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA
    Sonora, California, USA
    Thousand Oaks, California, USA
    Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park -Agua Dulce, California, USA

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited 11 times, last by ethanedwards ().

  • The Big Valley is an American western television series which ran on ABC from September 15, 1965, to May 19, 1969.
    The show stars Barbara Stanwyck, as the widow of a wealthy nineteenth century California rancher.
    It was created by A.I. Bezzerides and Louis F. Edelman, and produced by Levy-Gardner-Laven for Four Star Television.


    This hugely successful series, was a joy to watch.
    It was well cast, well directed and had great music,
    scored by some of the finest.
    Linda Evans, apart from being just stunning, was superb.
    Barbara Stanwyck so credible as a 'female' Ben Cartwright!
    Richard Long, Peter Breck, and Lee Majors
    who was to go on to even bigger things
    were all credible in their parts.

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited 8 times, last by ethanedwards ().

  • Quote

    and notably-
    Warren Oates, Bradford Dillman,
    Pernell Roberts,Dennis Hopper


    And don't forget Charles Bronson. He did an episode where he was trapped in a mine after an earthquake with Victoria Barkley.


    I loved this show back in the day. I have caught a few episodes over on Hulu lately. And Linda Evens was stunning and easy on the eyes. :wink:

    "I couldn't go to sleep at night if the director didn't call 'cut'. "

  • what a great series the big valley is.great cast and great guess stars.my favourite cast member is lee majors.i saw the series when i was 10 years old and it just blew me away.
    bararbara stanwyck is just brill.she's my favourite actress.now there making a film version with susan sarandon in talks to take the sanwyck role.

  • And don't forget Charles Bronson. He did an episode where he was trapped in a mine after an earthquake with Victoria Barkley.


    Stangely Mark, IMDb didn't list anyone with just one appearance ,
    bur I have now included the Wikipedia guest list into the opening thread.

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited 2 times, last by ethanedwards ().

  • It was a great cast. Of course, Barbara Stanwyck was a major superstar. I had already heard of Richard Long from his Nanny And The Professor show and he also starred in one of the Warner Bros. detective shows, Bourbon Street Beat. And Peter Breck had his own western series a few years back, Black Saddle, which I always thought was a good show. Only Lee Majors and Linda Evans were relativley newcomers but, this show sure allowed them to eventually make their mark.

  • I haven't seen this show in years, but I dimly recall that there was another Barkley younger brother who was in only a couple of episodes and then sank out of sight without further mention. I remember he was there when Heath first arrived.
    Lou Morheim, an associate producer, had the same credit on "The Magnificent Seven". I always thought that the Valley theme was similar in style to Bernstein's. It was interesting to note that he did score for the series, but I'm pretty sure he didn't write the theme fo it.





    We deal in lead,friend.

  • I always thought that the Valley theme was similar in style to Bernstein's. It was interesting to note that he did score for the series, but I'm pretty sure he didn't write the theme fo it.
    We deal in lead,friend.


    It seems that it was George Duning who besides scoring episodes
    also wrote the main theme.
    George Duning

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited once, last by ethanedwards ().

  • The youngest son, Eugene (played by Charles Briles) was only in the first season & then, he was written out. Wikipedia indicates that Briles was drafted & went to Vietnam...

  • Wow. Thanks for the information about Eugene. At my age sometimes my memory gets a tad off center. This will make a great bar bet trivia question.



    We deal in lead, friend.

  • They are making a movie of the old TV show,



    Stephen Moyer ... Jarrod Barkley


    Richard Dreyfuss ... Charles Crocker


    Sara Paxton ... Audra Barkley


    Jessica Lange ... Victoria Barkley


    Aidan Quinn ... Fred Lyman


    Bruce Dern ... George Adams


    John Savage ... Deane Floyd


    Lee Majors ... Tom Barkley


    Josh Stewart ... Claude

    Travis Fimmel ... Heath

    Buck Taylor ... Sheriff Munroe


    Jason Alan Smith ... Nick Barkley


    Lawrence Turner ... Drunkard

    Jullian Dulce Vida ... Guido Fante


    Mary Bonner Baker ... Nellie Worth

    Stephen Russell ... Frank Worth


    Theodora Greece ... Peggy


    Richard Jackson ... Jed Mitchell


    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1472462/



    I loved the original show.


    I hate Jessica Lange. Originally, they said Susan Sarandon was going to play Victoria. She's not my favorite actress but she's better than Lange.

  • Peter Breck was my fave on the show, altho I liked the whole cast. It was always fun to see Nick in one of his brawls with 2-3 guys and come out on top.

  • No post here in quite a while.
    Looking for quotes from friends of Gibbons and mine, I found a very good friend of ours. He and his wife Frenchy were the ones who got the limo for us who had Robert Walker, Jr of War Wagon as the chauffeur. Frenchy died long ago, but Marty is very much alive and still entertaining at 90 years of age! He called last week and we caught up after 35 years or so. He told me he had just lost his best friend. I told him I had devoted my whole Facebook page to him.....it was Ernie Borgnine, and Marty had told us many stories about their motorcycling escapades and many of the times they had together. Just got a package today from Vegas with a pic of him and two DVDs. Anyway, he was once a guest star in Big Valley. And for the crazy comedian he was, he did a right fine job......i actually remember the show....it was before I met him. Here is a small part that actually shows you his acting ability.....not the greatest, but he was only in about 10 TV shows......his thing was stand-up comedy. So, for those who would like to see my friend Marty Allen, here it is:
    [extendedmedia]

    [/extendedmedia]

    God, she reminds me of me! DUKE

  • Forgot these two pics. Marty still rides his motorcycle. This pic is at 88, but he still rides at 90! Keith



    Marty and Audra Barkely Big Valley Episode THE JONAH


    God, she reminds me of me! DUKE

  • Still riding his motorcycle at the age of 90? I hope I can still WALK at the age of 90. I am glad he still remembered you after 35 years. You must have left an impression on him. :wink_smile:


    I am envious of him in that he got to sit that close to Linda Evans. Thanks for sharing the pictures, Keith.


    Mark

    "I couldn't go to sleep at night if the director didn't call 'cut'. "

  • Still riding his motorcycle at the age of 90? I hope I can still WALK at the age of 90. I am glad he still remembered you after 35 years. You must have left an impression on him. :wink_smile:


    I am envious of him in that he got to sit that close to Linda Evans. Thanks for sharing the pictures, Keith.


    Mark


    Did you see the little part of "The Jonah". Can't wait to find the whole movie...pretty sure he will have it somewhere. As for remembering me, he visited us often in St. louis where I was a golf pro before taking the pro job in the Spings at Mission Hils. And, we did lots of things together after I moved out there, (...Gibbons made my place his home base in the Spings while his his house was being temporarily rented). Most of the times we were in LA, we either met Marty and Frenchy somewhere or just went out to their house. So, lots of memories there. However, you are correct in that, at his age, amazing he remembers as well as he does. So far, his mind is clear as a bell. He got a good laugh remembering my excitement at seeing that a movie star was going to Chauffeur US all around the studios!
    Keith Need to find a few more still alive.....working on finding the wives of some....most of them were a bit younger than their husbands! HAGO, Mark, KEITH

    God, she reminds me of me! DUKE

  • I do remember a little of that episode. I remember getting a chuckle out of his character's name. Deefindorfer (sp?) It's funny what you can remember from long ago when a memory is jarred loose by a video or picture.


    Mark

    "I couldn't go to sleep at night if the director didn't call 'cut'. "

  • I do remember a little of that episode. I remember getting a chuckle out of his character's name. Deefindorfer (sp?) It's funny what you can remember from long ago when a memory is jarred loose by a video or picture.


    Mark

    "I couldn't go to sleep at night if the director didn't call 'cut'. "

  • May, thank you for the update


    Unless it is a typo, May2 commented on the remake of The Big Valley in September of 2010, which at that time one was planned. It kept being delayed although it may have been a good one. It called for Lee Majors to play Tom Barkley the father who was already dead when the series started and have him seen with his wife and something about his illicit love affair before he was killed off.
    However, last time I saw, around July or so of this year, court proceedings had found that the supposedly director, producer, or something has absconded with a tremendous amount of money sheduled for the remake. And, I haven't seen since where any plans for making the movie have been made after it was scrapped due to the misappropriation of the finances needed. If anyone finds where it has been changed, and I hope it has, as I looked forward to it....let us know. Thanks, KPKEITH

    God, she reminds me of me! DUKE