Return to Lonesome Dove

Infobox Film
name = Return to Lonesome Dove


caption =
director = Mike Robe
producer =
writer = John Wilder
narrator =
starring = Jon Voight
Barbara Hershey
Rick Schroeder
music =
cinematography =
editing =
distributor = Artisan Home Entertainment
released = 14 November 1993
runtime = 340 min.
country = USA
language = English
budget =
gross =
preceded_by = Lonesome Dove
followed_by = Streets of Laredo
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0106112

"Return to Lonesome Dove", written by John Wilder, is a TV Miniseries involving characters created in the Pulitzer Prize-winning western novel Lonesome Dove. The story focuses on a retired Texas Ranger and his adventures driving mustangs from Texas to Montana. Many fans of the Lonesome Dove Series of novels do not consider this Miniseries to be legitimate because it was not written by Larry McMurtry and its production seems to have been motivated by the success of the Lonesome Dove Miniseries.

It was nominated for an Emmy Award. Although not part of the Lonesome Dove series of novels it is a part of a set of TV Miniseries based on the series of novels. It chronologically follows "Dead Man's Walk", "Comanche Moon" and "Lonesome Dove" but precedes "Streets of Laredo".

Plot

Captain Woodrow F. Call (Jon Voight), having just buried his friend Augustus McCrae near Lonesome Dove in Texas, plans to return to his ranch in Montana. In order to make the trip profitable he decides to take a herd of wild Mustangs and drive them north with the help of Gideon Walker (William Petersen) and Isom Pickett (Louis Gossett Jr.).

Call sends word to Newt Dobbs (Rick Schroder) that he intends to meet him at the home of Clara Allen (Barbara Hershey) but Newt becomes involved in a bar fight that concludes with the death of two local men. Newt is to be hanged for the incident before he is rescued by a neighbor, Gregor Dunnigan (Oliver Reed). Newt is paroled into his custody and develops a close relationship with Gregor's young wife, Ferris Dunnigan (Reese Witherspoon).

Call captures an outlaw named Cherokee Jack Jackson (Dennis Haysbert) and barely escapes with his life after Jack's gang rescues him. After his return to Montana, Call is upset to find Newt working for Dunnigan but Newt is determined to repay his debt to Call's neighbor. Newt becomes disillusioned with Dunnigan because of his campaign to drive the other ranchers of the region out of business.

Characters in "Return To Lonesome Dove"

*Captain Woodrow F. Call - Call works long and hard and sees no reason why others should not do the same. A former Texas Ranger who won a merit award from the Governor of Texas for "courage under fire", he served with Gus McCrae when both were young men. Though Call has utter disdain for lazy men who drink, gamble, and whore their lives away, he has his own secret shame which he hides carefully from his comrades. Call's ability to "break" unmanageable horses is also well-known.
*Newt Dobbs - A young orphan raised by Gus and Call. His mother was a prostitute named Maggie Tilton, who died when he was a child. He knows that Call is his father despite Call not formally admitting it.
*Pea Eye Parker - The wrangler and blacksmith of the Hat Creek Cattle Company, Pea Eye served as a corporal in the Rangers under Gus and Call. Pea Eye (his real name long forgotten) is not especially bright, but he is reliable, brave, and kind. He follows Call's lead without question.
*Gideon Walker - Former Ranger who agrees to help Call herd his Mustangs.
*Isom Pickett - African-American cowboy that agrees to help Call herd his Mustangs.
*Agostina Vega - A latina wrangler on the Mustang drive to Montana. In the film, she is revealed to be the daughter of Augustus McCrae.
*Gregor Dunnigan - A wealthy Montana rancher on a spread near the Hat Creek Cattle Company.
*Ferris Dunnigan - The young wife of Gregor who befriends Newt.
*Clara Allen - Former love of Gus McCrae and owner of a ranch in Nebraska. Clara blames Call for her failed relationship with Gus.
*July Johnson - A former sheriff of the town of Fort Smith, Arkansas. July has become a hand on the property of Clara.
*Cherokee Jack Jackson - An African-american outlaw raised by the Cherokee.