Overview
Clayton Farlow is a fictional character in the popular American television series Dallas, played by Howard Keel from 1981 to 1991.
Background
Clayton Farlow, along with his sister Jessica (Alexis Smith), was raised on the Southern Cross Ranch (Co-ordinates: 32°43'N 96°30'W) in San Angelo, Texas. Clayton and Jessica's father was described as a "big man that liked the oil business, but ranching was his real love". Clayton's father took him to his first cattle auction when he was six years old and began teaching him ranching and the oil business. Like his father, Clayton became a successful oilman and rancher. Jessica was wild in her teenage years and developed a serious violent mental condition. She gave birth to a son Steven "Dusty" Farlow (Jared Martin) in London, England. Clayton and his new wife, Amy, became Steven's legal parents when they listed themselves on Steven's birth certificate, while Jessica married an English lord and remained in England. Clayton and Amy returned to Texas with Steven. Jessica, thinking Amy wanted to replace her as Steven's mother, set the house on fire while Amy was sick in bed - and Clayton was in Galveston on business with his oil refineries. Clayton returned home too late to save Amy. Steven, who was nicknamed Dusty, showed no interest in the oil business or the ranch, choosing instead to become a rodeo star. Steven (Dusty) Farlow met Sue Ellen Ewing at the Ewing Rodeo, and they soon began an affair. When Dusty was on a private flight to Fort Worth to meet Sue Ellen, his plane crashed. He survived and recovered at a home in Denton.
Storylines
Clayton was helping Dusty recover from his plane accident when he first met Sue Ellen Ewing (Linda Gray) and the rest of the Ewing family; Sue Ellen found Dusty after he secretly put up her bail when she was accused of shooting her husband, J.R. (Larry Hagman). Sue Ellen filed for a divorce, taking their son John Ross with her to Southern Cross. When he found out, Jock (Jim Davis) was furious and told J.R. that he wanted John Ross back on Southfork no matter what. After failed attempts to get John Ross back, J.R., with Jock's full support, bought all of the oil that went into Clayton's refineries. J.R. agreed to give it back if Clayton kicked Sue Ellen off the Southern Cross. Clayton refused, but Sue Ellen left on her own, returning to Dallas, and eventually remarried J.R. and moved back to Southfork.
From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).