Dallas: The Early Years

Dallas: The Early Years
Based on	Dallas by David Jacobs
Written by	David Jacobs
Directed by	Larry Elikann
Starring	David Grant Dale Midkiff Molly Hagan David Wilson Hoyt Axton with Larry Hagman
Theme music composer	Jerrold Immel
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
Production
Producer(s)	Joseph B. Wallenstein
Cinematography	Neil Roach
Editor(s)	Harry Kaye
Running time	180 minutes
Production company(s)	Lorimar Television Roundelay Productions
Distributor	Warner Bros.
Release
Original network	CBS
Original release	March 23, 1986 (1986-03-23)
Chronology
Related shows	Dallas

Dallas: The Early Years is a 1986 made-for-television movie prequel to the TV series Dallas. It aired on CBS on March 23, 1986 between the 26th and 27th episode of the ninth season of Dallas (1985–86).

Plot summary

Written by series creator David Jacobs, the movie chronicles the exploits of John Ross "Jock" Ewing (Dale Midkiff), Eleanor "Miss Ellie" Southworth Ewing (Molly Hagan), and Willard "Digger" Barnes (David Grant) from 1933 to the early 1950s, and firmly established the background story of TV's Dallas with the long and ongoing feud between Jock and Digger. Larry Hagman appears in the opening sequence as his character J.R. Ewing, being interviewed by a reporter who is researching the Barnes – Ewing feud.

While focusing on the triangle of Jock – Ellie – Digger, the movie also features Jock's brother Jason (David Wilson) and Ellie's father Aaron (Hoyt Axton) as starring characters. It shows the origin of Ewing Oil, and Jock's schemings to make it big, and it deals with the inter-family relations of the Ewings, the Barnes, and the Southworths; also showing Jock's first marriage to Amanda Lewis, and Ellie's relation with her brother Garrison and mother Barbara.

Cast

Starring

• David Grant as Willard "Digger" Barnes
• Dale Midkiff as Jock Ewing
• Molly Hagan as Ellie Southworth Ewing
• David Wilson as Jason Ewing, Jock's brother
• Hoyt Axton as Aaron Southworth, Miss Ellie's father

Introduced by

• Larry Hagman as (the contemporary) J.R. Ewing

Also Starring

• Bill Duke as Seth Foster
• Geoffrey Lewis as Ed Porter

Guest Starring

• Diane Franklin as Amanda Lewis Ewing, Jock's first wife
• Marshall Thompson as Dr. Ted Johnson
• William Frankfather as Newman
• Wendel Meldrum as Honey
• Joe Rainer as Sam Culver
• Marjie Rynearson as Barbara Southworth, Miss Ellie's mother
• Liz Keifer as Cherie Simmons
• Matt Mulhern as Garrison Southworth
• Davis Roberts as The Preacher
• Kevin Wixted as J.R. Ewing

Co-Starring

• Ryan Beadle as Bobby Ewing
• Angie Bolling as Deborah Culver
• Johnny Felder as Cliff Barnes
• Rhashell Hunter as Priscilla Foster
• Bennie Moore as Benjamin Foster (1933)
• Norma Moore as Maggie Barnes
• Terrence Riggins as Benjamin Foster (1951)
• Andrea Wauters as Pamela Barnes

DVD release

Warner Home Video released Dallas: The Early Years on DVD April 12, 2011 on Dallas: The Movie Collection 2-disc set.

External links

• Dallas: The Early Years at IMDb
• Ultimate Dallas: Official Guide to the series