When looking at the posts I've made on this blog so far, I feel a little bit like Maria in The Sound of Music: "These are a few of my favorite things"! Here's another one of my favorite things: the show Bonanza. It was one of the longest-running Westerns on TV, having fourteen seasons (1959-1973). And it's family friendly, which I really appreciate. I discovered it in 2016 when my family watched an episode for my dad's birthday, and I was hooked!
Bonanza is set in Nevada (near Lake Tahoe) in the 1860's. It's a show about family, a father and his three sons. I feel that the best way to introduce the show is to introduce the main characters. So I present to you...the four Cartwrights!
Ben Cartwright owns the Ponderosa, the biggest ranch in Nevada Territory. There are two things in Ben's life that he really, really cares about: his sons and his land. If anyone threatens Ben's boys or the Ponderosa, Ben will come after them. (And an angry Ben Cartwright is one of the most terrifying things in the West!) Ben is a wise man and a kind one, and he has a great sense of humor! He brings up his boys to be honest, compassionate, loyal, and gentlemanly. He's played by Lorne Greene (who was also in Battlestar Galactica).
Adam Cartwright (played by Pernell Roberts) is Ben's oldest son. He went to study architecture in a college in Boston, but returned to the Ponderosa afterwards. Adam loves Shakespeare, music, and logical arguments. He can build a sawmill, out-fox wily outlaws, and bust the toughest of broncs. As Ben's oldest son, Adam has a lot of responsibilities...overseeing ranch hands, making business deals, going on long trips, buying horses...and he fulfills them all!
Hoss Cartwright (played by Dan Blocker) is the middle son, and at about 6'4" he's the biggest of the Cartwrights! (Hoss's name is really Eric, but nobody calls him that.) Hoss is one of the kindest and gentlest men in the West. He loves taking care of children and animals, and he's always bringing strays home to the Ponderosa to see if he can help them! Hoss is a fantastic tracker, a champion wrestler, and a patient brother. And he needs all the patience he can get, because his little brother is quite a handful!
"Little" Joe Cartwright, played by Michael Landon, is the youngest. (You may recognize the actor from Little House on the Prairie...he grew up to play Pa Ingalls!) Joe is always in and out of trouble. He rushes into dangerous situations, chases girls, and comes up with crazy schemes (and ropes Hoss into them!) He has a quick temper and a fast gun to match, and he's got a lot of growing up to do. But he's got a lot of love for his Pa and his brothers, and he's not afraid to show it. With Little Joe around, life on the Ponderosa is never dull!
The Cartwright family always sticks together. When there's trouble, they're united to meet it. And there often is trouble, since this is the Wild West! The Cartwrights deal with cattle rustlers, bank robbers, and outlaws of all descriptions. They travel through scorching deserts. They go out of their way to help neighbors who are dealing with problems like poverty, drought, or blackmail. And through it all, they maintain a terrific sense of humor!
Some of my favorite episodes:
- "Ponderosa Matador" (Comedy). Adam, Hoss, and Little Joe are all trying to impress the same girl...and Hoss and Joe decide to put on a bullfight!
- "The Wooing of Abigail Jones" (Comedy). The ranch foreman, Hank Meyers, wants to marry a woman named Abigail Jones who's not interested in him. Hoss and Joe try to save the day by talking Adam into proposing to Abigail on behalf of Hank!
- "San Francisco" (Drama). Ben, Hoss, and Joe go to San Francisco and get kidnapped by men who are trying to force them to become sailors.
- "The Rescue" (Drama). The Cartwrights deal with cattle rustlers.
- "The Ride" (Drama). Adam witnesses a murder, but to prove who committed the crime he's got to prove that someone can ride from Goat Springs to Virginia City in an hour and a half.
- "The Gunmen" (Comedy). Hoss and Little Joe are mistaken for two hired gunmen called the Slade Brothers.
This short post doesn't do this terrific show justice...if you're interested, there's a terrific Bonanza fan website at http://www.bonanzaboomers.com . (I moderate two forums on that website under the username "CowgirlAtHeart.")
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