1 9 0 2 ▁novel ▁The ▁Virgin ian ▁by ▁O wen ▁W ister ▁and ▁adapted ▁from ▁the ▁popular ▁ 1 9 0 4 ▁the atr ical ▁play ▁W ister ▁had ▁collabor ated ▁on ▁with ▁play w right ▁Kir ke ▁La ▁Sh elle . ▁ ▁The ▁Virgin ian ▁is ▁about ▁a ▁good - n ature d ▁cow boy ▁who ▁roman ces ▁the ▁new ▁school m arm ▁and ▁has ▁a ▁crisis ▁of ▁conscience ▁when ▁he ▁lear ns ▁his ▁best ▁friend ▁is ▁involved ▁in ▁cattle ▁rust ling . ▁The ▁film ▁is ▁well ▁known ▁for ▁Cooper ' s ▁line , ▁" If ▁you ▁w anna ▁call ▁me ▁that — sm ile ", ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁a ▁c uss ▁by ▁the ▁ant agon ist . ▁ ▁Plot ▁A ▁man ▁known ▁only ▁as ▁the ▁Virgin ian ▁( G ary ▁Cooper ) ▁is ▁ran ch ▁for eman ▁at ▁Box ▁H ▁R anch ▁near ▁Medicine ▁Bow , ▁Wy oming . ▁At ▁a ▁sal oon ▁in ▁Medicine ▁Bow , ▁he ▁and ▁the ▁cattle ▁rust ler ▁Tr amp as ▁( W alter ▁H ust on ) ▁vie ▁for ▁the ▁att ent ions ▁of ▁a ▁bar ma id ; ▁when ▁Tr amp as ▁ins ult s ▁him , ▁the ▁Virgin ian ▁pull s ▁a ▁gun ▁and ▁tells ▁him ▁to ▁smile . ▁So on ▁afterwards , ▁Mol ly ▁Wood ▁( M ary ▁Brian ), ▁a ▁new ▁school te acher ▁from ▁Verm ont , ▁arriv es ▁in ▁town . ▁The ▁Virgin ian ▁and ▁a ▁dr if ter ▁named ▁Steve ▁( Rich ard ▁Ar len ) ▁vie