What Was James Drury's Favorite Episode of The Virginian?
For nine seasons and over 200 episodes, James Drury played the title character in The Virginian, one of the longest-running and most beloved Western series in American TV history.
Airing from 1962 to 1971 on NBC, the show stood out not just for its cinematic production style and 90-minute format, but for how it grounded morality tales in the rough-edged terrain of frontier life.
Drury, known for his stoic screen presence and commanding voice, rarely got personal about individual episodes. But when asked which one stood out most to him, he didn't hesitate: Felicity's Spring.
The episode, a bittersweet romance set against the backdrop of the Old West, gave Drury a storyline that was deeply emotional — and surprisingly difficult behind the scenes.
"Well, Felicity Spring — that's quite a story," Drury said. "A young actress named Catherine Kaufman was cast as the girl I was deeply in love with. It was a very bittersweet, poignant love story."
But there was a problem. Off camera, he and Kaufman couldn't stand each other.
"At that time, I couldn't stand Catherine Kaufman. She had a certain quality — I couldn't stand to be in the same soundstage with her. And I'm of the opinion that she felt exactly the same way about me."
Despite the friction, both actors pulled off convincing performances. According to Drury, they barely spoke outside of the scenes, retreating to opposite corners of the set as soon as the cameras stopped rolling. The tension was real — but it never made it to the screen.
"We'd finish a scene and go to separate corners. Never had any conversation except what had to do with the actual work," he recalled. "We've since become good friends. I don't even have any idea why I didn't like her back then. I just didn't."
The experience gave him a renewed respect for what good actors can pull off under pressure.
"It just goes to show: if you know what you're doing as an actor or as an actress, you can surmount any personal problem that may be in the way. And we did."
While The Virginian delivered plenty of action, frontier justice, and tough moral choices, Drury's favorite episode wasn't about guns or outlaws. It was about heartbreak, restraint, and doing the job — even when you'd rather be anywhere else.
In hindsight, the performance — and the friction — clearly stuck with him. And maybe that's the point. Not every favorite comes easy.