Miss Ellie Ewing Farlow | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dallas character | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Portrayed by |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Duration | 1978–1990 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
First appearance | April 2, 1978 Digger's Daughter | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last appearance | April 27, 1990 The Southfork Wedding Jinx | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Created by | David Jacobs | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spin-off appearances | Dallas: The Early Years | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Donna Reed as Miss Ellie Ewing Farlow | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Eleanor "Miss Ellie" Ewing Farlow (maiden name Southworth) is a fictional character from the primetime CBS television series Dallas , a long-running serial centered on the lives of the wealthy Ewing family of Dallas, Texas. Created by writer David Jacobs, family matriarch Miss Ellie was an important part of the show's structure and conflict and a principal character of the series. Stage and screen actress Barbara Bel Geddes originated the role, and was awarded both the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series Drama.
Halfway through the show's 13-year run, only days after filming wrapped for the 1982–1983 season, Bel Geddes underwent emergency quadruple bypass surgery. Consequently, the character of Miss Ellie went unseen until the 12th episode of the 1983–1984 season when Bel Geddes returned. Facing continued health issues, she was replaced by movie and television actress Donna Reed for the entire 1984–1985 season. When she returned to health, Dallas producers asked Bel Geddes to return to the role again for the 1985–86 season, where she remained through the character's final appearance in the 1989–90 season.
The character of Miss Ellie appeared on Dallas in almost every episode of the series, with the exception of the final season, for a total of 300 episodes, 276 episodes played by Barbara Bel Geddes, and 24 episodes played by Donna Reed.
Miss Ellie's storylines focus on her family's troubles. As the matriarch of the Ewing family, she is portrayed as a strong and loving mother. Miss Ellie's marriage to oil baron Jock Ewing was central to the character for the first few years she appeared in the show, until his death in an episode in 1981, following the real-life death of actor Jim Davis. [1]
Miss Ellie Ewing Farlow is one of the original characters invented by the creator of Dallas, David Jacobs. Before the creation of the show, Jacobs had quite a different idea of what he envisioned the show to be. He wanted to create a television show based on "family issues and examining relationships at the middle-class level". [2] The production company, CBS, turned down his original idea, as they wanted something more "glitzy" to put on the air, with wealthier characters. After the success of Dallas, Jacobs' initial idea later became the Dallas spin-off Knots Landing .
Born in 1915, Miss Ellie Ewing is the daughter of rancher Aaron Southworth, who instills in her a fierce pride in her heritage, deep-seated courage, and a strong belief in the strength of family. She was named after her paternal grandmother. During the first half of the 1930s, Miss Ellie was the sweetheart of Willard "Digger" Barnes. When the Great Depression hit, Miss Ellie's family came dangerously close to losing Southfork Ranch, and Miss Ellie began dating Digger's business partner and friend, Jock Ewing, who had just begun making his fortune in the oil business and building Ewing Oil. On the day that her family was going to lose Southfork, Miss Ellie married Jock, as he was the only man in Texas known to have enough money to save the ranch. While she initially married Jock to save Southfork and for his dependability, Miss Ellie grew to love him and they remained married for well over forty years. Together, Jock and Miss Ellie had three sons: J.R., Gary, and Bobby.
As the years and decades pass, Jock builds Ewing Oil into one of the biggest and most powerful independent oil companies in Texas, and Southfork grew into a very successful ranch again under Jock's leadership. Jock takes over raising J.R., showing him "tough love" and grooming him to be the heir of Ewing Oil, thus making him one of the most ruthless oilmen in the oil business. Miss Ellie has more influence on their second son Gary, who is Miss Ellie's favorite son, as Gary is more like the Southworths than the Ewings in loving ranching and the land over the oil business. Miss Ellie resents Jock's treatment of Gary, whom Jock considers weak, and Gary is regularly bullied by J.R., causing pressures which drive Gary to alcoholism, and to walk out on his family and baby daughter, Lucy. Jock and Miss Ellie's youngest son, Bobby, is Jock's favorite son, and is spoiled by both Jock and Miss Ellie.
In 1979, Miss Ellie is diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoes a mastectomy, from which she fully recovers. The following year, she learns that ranch foreman Ray Krebbs is Jock's illegitimate son from an affair with an Army nurse named Margaret Hunter in England during World War II. This revelation caused tension in Miss Ellie and Jock's marriage, as she felt that Jock had replaced Ray for their second son Gary. The tension almost leads Miss Ellie and Jock to divorce. However, they reconcile in 1981 and have a second honeymoon in Paris. Miss Ellie also accepts Ray into the family, though she is not his biological mother. Shortly thereafter, Jock goes to Venezuela on a mission to help the U.S. government explore oil in the jungle. In 1982, on his return to Texas from Venezuela, Jock is involved in a helicopter crash and is reported to have died, although his body is never recovered.
In 1983, Miss Ellie goes to court to overturn the terms of Jock's will, which set up a fierce and bitter competition between J.R. and Bobby for control of Ewing Oil. Miss Ellie loses the case after failing to convince the court that Jock was mentally incompetent at the time he wrote his will. Before Jock's death, Sue Ellen leaves J.R., taking John Ross to live at the Southern Cross Ranch near San Angelo, Texas, the home of her new boyfriend, rodeo cowboy Dusty Farlow. In an attempt to steal back John Ross, J.R. takes Miss Ellie on a visit, where she first meets Dusty's father Clayton. Later, Clayton and she settle a problem caused by J.R. involving Clayton's refineries. When Clayton helps Sue Ellen as she reconciles with J.R., Miss Ellie and he become friendly and eventually start dating. In 1984, Clayton and Miss Ellie marry, despite the attempts of J.R. and Clayton's sister Lady Jessica Montfort to stop the wedding.
In 1986, a man named Wes Parmalee claims that he is in fact her presumed late husband, Jock, who had actually survived the helicopter crash but underwent extensive plastic surgery which drastically altered his appearance. Miss Ellie is torn over whether to believe Wes' claims, and this puts a strain on her marriage to Clayton. Eventually, Miss Ellie tells her family that Wes told her that he was not Jock. In 1988, Ellie accepted her husband Clayton as co-owner of Southfork Ranch.
In 1990, Miss Ellie and Clayton go on a tour of the Orient. While overseas, Miss Ellie decides not to return to Dallas because she is tired of dealing with all the headaches and heartaches from J.R. and Bobby's lives. She deeds Southfork to her youngest son, Bobby. Miss Ellie died in 2001 and is buried on Southfork.
When her son J.R. died in 2013, Bobby's new wife Ann revealed that Miss Ellie had cut J.R. out of her will because "he was not a rancher", which greatly angered a bitter J.R., and left Bobby with enormous guilt. A final part of her will gave half of Southfork to her grandson John Ross Ewing III, to Bobby's dislike.
Dallas was an American prime time soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1978, to May 3, 1991. The series revolved around an affluent and feuding Texas family, the Ewings, who owned the independent oil company Ewing Oil and the cattle-ranching land of Southfork. The series originally focused on the marriage of Bobby Ewing and Pam Ewing, whose families were sworn enemies. As the series progressed, Bobby's elder brother, oil tycoon J. R. Ewing, became the show's breakout character, whose schemes and dirty business became the show's trademark. When the show ended on May 3, 1991, J. R. was the only character to have appeared in every episode.
John Ross Ewing Jr. is a fictional character in the American television series Dallas (1978–1991) and its spin-offs, including the reboot series (2012–2014). The character was portrayed by Larry Hagman from the series premiere in 1978 until his death in late 2012; Hagman was the only actor who appeared in all 357 episodes of the original series. As the show's most famous character, J.R. has been central to many of the series' biggest storylines. He is depicted as a covetous, egocentric, manipulative and amoral oil baron with psychopathic tendencies, who is constantly plotting subterfuges to plunder the wealth of his foes. In the PBS series Pioneers of Television, Hagman claimed the character of J.R. began its development when he played a similar character in the film Stardust, and that he was also inspired by a mean boss he once had.
Sue Ellen Ewing is a fictional character and one of the female leads in the CBS primetime soap opera Dallas. Sue Ellen was portrayed by Linda Gray and appeared on the show since its pilot episode, first broadcast on April 2, 1978. Dallas followed the trials of the wealthy Ewing family in the city of Dallas, Texas, into which Sue Ellen married when she wed J.R. Ewing. Gray played Sue Ellen until the twelfth season of Dallas, when her character finally leaves Texas after beating J.R. at his own game in the 1989 episode "Reel Life". Gray returned for the 1991 series finale "Conundrum" and the subsequent Dallas telemovies. She reprised the role for the 2012 continuation series of Dallas, which ran until 2014.
Dallas: The Early Years is a 1986 American made-for-television drama film and a prequel to the television series Dallas. The three-hour film aired on CBS on March 23, 1986 between the 26th and 27th episodes of the 1985–1986 ninth season of Dallas.
Robert James Ewing is a fictional character in the American television series Dallas and its 2012 revival. The youngest son of Jock and Miss Ellie Ewing, he was portrayed by actor Patrick Duffy. Bobby had been killed off in the final episode of the 1984–1985 season, and Patrick Duffy left the show for a year. Bobby returned in the famous "shower scene" at the end of the following season. The subsequent "dream revelation" at the start of the next season explained Bobby's accident, his death, and all but the final scene, as a dream of Bobby's fiancée and ex-wife, Pamela Barnes Ewing.
Pamela Jean "Pam" Barnes Ewing is a fictional character from the CBS primetime soap opera Dallas. Pamela is portrayed by actress Victoria Principal, first appearing on the show in the first episode, titled "Digger's Daughter", which was first broadcast on April 2, 1978. Dallas follows the trials of the wealthy Ewing family in the city of Dallas, Texas, which Pam has married into. Principal played Pam until the end of season 10 in 1987, when the character crashes her car into a truck carrying butane and propane and her body is severely burned. A year later, she was briefly played by actress Margaret Michaels in an attempt to write the character out. Pamela's storylines in season 1 focus on her relationship with her new husband, Bobby Ewing, and her fight against the considerable suspicion and hostility from within the Ewing family, due to Pamela being a member of the Barnes family. Pamela's love for Bobby remains a strong character trait throughout her tenure on the show, noted for its similarities to Romeo and Juliet, with two people from hostile families falling in love.
John Ross "Jock" Ewing Sr. (1909–1982) is a fictional character in the American television series Dallas created by David Jacobs. Jock was played by Jim Davis in the show's first four seasons from 1978 to 1981, and as a young man by Dale Midkiff in the made-for-TV movie prequel The Early Years in 1986. Jock founded Ewing Oil in 1930 and was the patriarch of the Ewing family. Steve Forrest portrayed Wes Parmalee who may or may not have actually been Jock who had survived the helicopter crash in Venezuela in 1982. The chopper crash storyline was necessitated by the death of Davis. Jock's body was never found, hence this storyline was played out in the original series.
Lucy Ann Ewing is a fictional character in the popular American television series Dallas. The character is played by Charlene Tilton and first appeared in the series premiere on April 2, 1978. Tilton left the show at the end of season 8 in 1985, before returning for the last two episodes of season 11 in 1988, becoming a series regular again in season 12. Lucy was then written out again in 1990.
Garrison "Gary" Arthur Ewing is a fictional character from the CBS soap opera, Knots Landing, a spin-off of Dallas. The character of Gary Ewing was first played by actor David Ackroyd in a two-part Dallas season two episode "Reunion" in 1978. Gary Ewing was the middle son of oil baron Jock and Miss Ellie Ewing, the father of Lucy Ewing and the ex-husband of Valene Ewing. Over a year later, the part of Gary Ewing was recast for the spin-off Knots Landing with actor Ted Shackelford in the role, and Gary became one of the main stars of the series in 1979. Shackelford played Gary Ewing in Knots Landing for its entire fourteen seasons (1979–1993), while continuing to make occasional appearances in Dallas during that time. The character of Gary made his last Knots Landing appearance in 1997 in the reunion series Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac. Shackelford reprised his character for the new, updated version of Dallas in 2013.
Clayton Farlow is a fictional character in the popular American television series Dallas, played by Howard Keel from 1981 to 1991.
Valene "Val" Ewing, portrayed by Joan Van Ark, is a fictional character in the CBS primetime soap opera Knots Landing, a spin-off from the long-running series Dallas, in which she also appeared. The character originated on Dallas in 1978 as the mother of Lucy Ewing and ex-wife of Gary Ewing. Van Ark made several guest appearances on Dallas before becoming one of the main stars of the spin-off Knots Landing in December 1979, though she continued to make small appearances in Dallas for the next several years. Van Ark played Valene in Knots Landing for thirteen of its fourteen seasons, which made her one of the show's longest running stars. The character made her last Knots Landing appearance in 1997, when she appeared in the reunion miniseries Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac. In 2013, Van Ark reprised her character for the sequel version of Dallas.
Ray Krebbs is a fictional character in the American television series Dallas, played by Steve Kanaly from 1978 to 1989. Ray Krebbs is the illegitimate son of Texas oil baron Jock Ewing. He later appeared in the reunion movie Dallas: War of the Ewings (1998) and made guest appearances in the 2012 continuation of Dallas.
Carter McKay is a fictional character that appeared in the later seasons of the popular American television series Dallas, played by George Kennedy from 1988 to 1991. The character reappeared in the reunion movies Dallas: J.R. Returns (1996) and Dallas: War of the Ewings (1998), again played by Kennedy.
Willard "Digger" Barnes is a character in the popular American television series Dallas created by David Jacobs. Digger was played by actors David Wayne and Keenan Wynn in the show's first three seasons from 1978 to 1980, and as a young man by David Marshall Grant in the made-for-TV movie prequel The Early Years in 1986. As the patriarch of the Barnes family, Digger was the father of Cliff Barnes and step-father of Pam Ewing. Digger shocked Pamela on his deathbed by revealing that Hutch McKinney was her father but that he had always loved her as though she were his own.
"A House Divided" is the 25th and final episode of the third season and 54th overall of the American television series Dallas. It is the episode known for spawning the eight-month "Who shot J.R.?" phenomenon. The episode ended with the mysterious shooting of J.R. Ewing in his office by an assailant whose identity was not revealed until the following season. The mystery was resolved in the fourth episode of the following season, entitled "Who Done It", which remains the second most-watched episode in American TV history.
"Who Done It" is the fourth episode of the fourth season and 58th overall of the American television series Dallas. The episode was written by Loraine Despres, and revealed who had shot J.R. Ewing in the third season finale "A House Divided". The perpetrator's fate was revealed in the subsequent episode one week later.
Dallas is an American prime time soap opera developed by Cynthia Cidre and produced by Warner Horizon Television, that aired on TNT from June 13, 2012, to September 22, 2014. The series was a revival of the prime time television soap opera of the same name that was created by David Jacobs and which aired on CBS from 1978 to 1991. The series revolves around the Ewings, an affluent Dallas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries.
The Ewing family is the fictional family of the American prime time soap opera Dallas and its 2012 revival, as well as the foundation of the spin-off series Knots Landing. In the original series of Dallas, the Ewings own and run Southfork Ranch and the oil giant Ewing Oil; in the revival series, Ewing Oil is replaced by Ewing Global, formerly Ewing Energies. Knots Landing features the large corporation of Gary Ewing Enterprises.
"Conundrum" is the title of the 22nd episode of the fourteenth season of the American television drama series Dallas. It is also the 356th and last episode of the original Dallas series. The episode was written and directed by showrunner Leonard Katzman and aired on CBS on Friday, May 3, 1991, as a double-length episode. Subsequent airings in syndication split the episode into individual hours, which raises the total episode count to 23 for the season and 357 for the series.