Based on the best-selling love story of the West, The Virginian stars Joel McCrea as a local ranch hand who risks losing his best friend and the woman he loves when forced into a showdown with ruthless cattle thieves. When Molly Wood (Barbara Britton), a well-educated Easterner, arrives in a small Wyoming town to be the new schoolteacher, the Virginian (McCrea) and his best friend, Steve (Sonny Tufts), immediately vie for her affection. Against the warnings of his friend, Steve falls in with the corrupt Trampas' (Brian Donlevy) gang and is caught cattle rustling. The Virginian must choose between their friendship or upholding the severe laws of the West. Filmed in glorious Technicolor, this action-packed western is classic storytelling at its best. © 1946 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.