The Virginian (1946) film screening

On Friday, August 19, at 6 p.m., the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum is partnering with the Buffalo Theatre, located at 537 Sixth St. in Pawnee, to hold a film screening of The Virginian (1946). This screening is being held in conjunction with the Oklahoma Humanities Let’s Talk About It book series discussion at Pawnee Bill Ranch featuring author Owen Wister’s book upon which the movie is based.

Before the 6 p.m. screening, from 5 to 6 p.m., Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum staff will be giving summer carriage rides around town! The historic Buffalo Theatre buvette (snack bar) will be open for preshow snacks. The Pawnee Bill Ranch will also bring a pop-up museum store to sell some of the book titles in this year’s Oklahoma Humanities Let’s Talk About It book series. This will provide an opportunity for people to sign up for the program and take home the latest book in the series.

The following day, on Saturday, August 20, at 6 p.m., the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum will host the evening Oklahoma Humanities Let’s Talk About It book discussion featuring “The Virginian” (1902) by Owen Wister.

The book club meetings are taking place as monthly in-person and online gatherings at the museum on Blue Hawk Peak and will feature a different book title each month from July to November.

All five of the books in the program have the overarching theme of the historical cowboy—the hired man on horseback who rode the ranges and trails of the post–Civil War West. The readings for this program may help to explain the primacy of the cowboy over all other western types from the 19th century. Each month, a scholar will give a 45-minute synopsis of the chosen book. After the synopsis, the scholar will lead an open forum discussion with the participants.

For more information about Let’s Talk About It, contact the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum at 918-762-2513. The ranch is located at 1141 Pawnee Bill Road in Pawnee.

Funding for this program is provided in part by a grant from Oklahoma Humanities (OH) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of OH or NEH.