LARAMIE: GLORY ROAD (TV)
Summary
One in this series of western dramas about ranchers in the Wyoming territory of the 1870s. In this episode, friendly female preacher Essie Bright, who travels the country encouraging followers to "see the light," offers piano player Roany Bishop a ride as she heads toward Laramie. They stop at Sherman Ranch, though Jess panics upon spotting Roany and instructs Andy to claim that he is no longer there. Essie meets Jonesy and invites him to play her piano, if he wishes, and after they depart, Slim sternly questions Andy about his lie. Jess refuses to elaborate beyond stating that Roany once saved his life, but Roany then unexpectedly returns and, spotting Jess, urges him to come along to Laramie. Jess prepares to leave, telling Andy that he has simply grown tired of ranching, though Andy deduces that he is afraid of Roany and sadly wonders if his friend will ever come back. Essie, Jonesy, Roany and Jess all head off, but when several men pass by in another coach, joking loudly about Essie's evangelical mission, Roany flies into a rage and chases after them, accidentally sending Jonesy flying into a ditch.
The four eventually make it to Laramie, where Essie requests to hold a Sunday-morning service in the local saloon, and Jess finally explains to Jonesy that Roany once rescued him when he was stranded in the desert, but then later showed his dark side when he nearly killed a young woman for "laughing at him." Roany quickly develops strong feelings for Essie, declaring that she and Jess are his only two friends, and he later tries to win her affections by injuring his own hand with his brass knuckles and claiming it was an accident with a horse, telling her that animals should be blamed for their actions when frightened. He urges her to consider settling down in Laramie, and he later overhears her telling Jonesy and Jess about meeting her husband in her own saloon and finding God after his premature death. She notes that Roany wishes to settle in Laramie, and an overexcited Roany awakens Jess in the middle of the night and asks him to find a ranch for himself and Essie to live on, reminding Jess that he "owes" him for saving his life.
On Sunday morning, Essie holds a no-guns-allowed service and eagerly tells all of the attendees about her mission to spread God's love, but Roany is taken aback when she states that she plans to continue traveling until the end of her life, suggesting that she will never remarry. He loudly accuses her of breaking her "promise" to him and causes a chaotic scene, forcing Essie to pull a gun on him. She begs him to end things calmly, but he threatens her life as well, and Jess is forced to shoot him. He assures her that it is "just as well," and Essie sadly sings a hymn for him as he dies. Later, Slim and Andy are delighted when Jess returns to the ranch, piano in tow. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: November 30, 1999 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:51:48
- COLOR/B&W: B&W
- CATALOG ID: B:16001
- GENRE: Drama, western
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, western; Religion
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1959-1963
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Promos - "Laramie" upcoming episode
CREDITS
- Robert Pirosh … Producer
- James E. Newcom … Associate Producer
- Herschel Daugherty … Director
- Kathleen Hite … Writer
- Cyril Mockridge … Music by
- John Smith … Cast, Slim Sherman
- Hoagy Carmichael … Cast, Jonesy
- Robert Crawford Jr. … Cast, Andy Sherman
- Robert Fuller … Cast, Jess Harper
- Nanette Fabray … Cast, Essie Bright
- Eddie Albert … Cast, Roany Bishop
- Ray Teal … Cast, Bartender
- Read Morgan … Cast, Man on Stage
- Francis J. McDonald … Cast, Old Man
- Boyd Stockman … Cast, Frankie
- Dick Crockett … Cast, 2nd Townsman
- Leonard P. Geer … Cast, 1st Townsman
- Joanne Timmons … Cast, Woman on Stage