Bonanza Brand Episode Guide: Season 9

Season 9 Episode Guide
Episodes 270- 303

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Welcome to the BonanzaBrand Episode Guide!

Episodes appear in order of original air date which may not coincide with when they were actually filmed.

Episode #270
Second Chance
September 17, 1967
Renegade Indians have been on the rampage. Joe is shot in the shoulder with an arrow. Hoss searches for help and comes upon a wagon train with an odd assortment of people, including a former soldier known for being a coward.
Written by: John Hawkins, Paul Schneider
Directed by: Leon Benson
Guest Stars: Mulvaney(James Gregory), Estelle Dawson(Bettye Ackerman), Issac Dawson(Joe De Santis), Frazier(Douglas Kennedy), Anna(Jane Zachary), Breck(Ken Drake), Lt. March(Jim Beck).

Trivia: James Gregory(Mulvaney) is best known for his portrayal of Inspector Luger on the 70's Sitcom, 'Barney Miller'.
This was Joe De Santis' third of four appearances on the series. While playing a role with Frank Sinatra on the made-for-TV movie 'Contract on Cherry Street' (1977) (TV), Sinatra remarked to Joe that he "should have played the Godfather." Joe cherished this comment to the end of his days.

Episode #271
Sense of Duty
September 24, 1967
Ben, Hoss, and Joe come to the aid of a militia escort.
Written by: John Hawkins, Gil Laskey
Directed by: William Witney
Guest Stars: Candy(David Canary), Sergeant Ankers(Gene Rutherford), Wabuska(Michael Forest), Steve(Ron Foster), Chief Winetka(Richard Hale), Deputy(Ben Gage), Colonel Brill(John Matthews), Tim Kelley(Kip Whitman), Wells(Gregg Palmer).

Trivia: David Canary makes his first of 81 appearances as Candy Canaday.

Gene Rutherford(Sgt. Ankers) was a character actor best known for his role in the western Will Penny (1968). He retired in the early 1970s and settled in Memphis, making several appearances at the Memphis Film Festival in the ongoing years.

Episode #272
The Conquistadors
October 1, 1967
Mexican prospectors take Joe hostage and demand $25,000 in gold from Ben. A gang of men from Virginia City plan to steal the gold for themselves before Hoss and Ben can deliver it.
Written by: Walter Black
Directed by: Leon Benson
Guest Stars: Blas(John Saxon), Anderson(John Kellogg), Quail(Mike de Anda), Miguel(Carlos Rivas), Emiliano(Rodolfo Hoyos), Roy Coffee(Ray Teal), Perkins(Eddie Ryder), Charlie(King Moody), Boke(Clyde Howdy), Aldrich(Jim Boles).

Trivia: This was John Saxon's second of three appearances on the series. Saxon was discovered by an agent who saw him in a posed shot on the cover of "True Romances" magazine.

Episode #273
Judgement at Olympus
October 8, 1967
Candy is arrested for murder. Joe accompanies Candy to Olympus to make sure things go smoothly, and winds up being accused of killing a witness. Joe is locked up for murder with Candy and it is eventually up to Hoss to find the killer.
Written by: Walter Black
Directed by: John Rich
Guest Stars: Dayton Fuller(Barry Sullivan), Mary Elizabeth Fuller(Brooke Bundy), A. Z. Wheelock(Arch Johnson), Sheriff Henning(Robert Brubaker), Deputy Gibbs(James Griffith), Eggers(Vaughn Taylor), Dawes(Dabbs Greer), Judge(Rusty Lane), Telegrapher(Olan Soule).

Trivia: Barry Sullivan makes his second and last appearance on the series. He also appeared on 'Little House on the Prairie' in the Season 6 episode, 'Author, Author!' ~ playing Caroline Ingalls' father, Frederick Holbrook.

Episode #274
Night of Reckoning
October 15, 1967
A brutal outlaw named Dibbs along with his gang, take over the Ponderosa, holding Joe, Hoss, and Candy prisoners.
Written by: Walter Black
Directed by: Leon Benson
Guest Stars: Dibbs(Richard Jaeckel), Donny Buckler(Ron Hayes), Kelly Lincrom(Joan Freeman), Carew(Teeno Pollick), Rusher(William Jordan), Webster(James Wainwright), Dr. Martin(Grandon Rhodes), Harriet Guthrie(Eve McVeagh).

Trivia: This was Richard Jaeckel's second and last appearance on the series. Although he appeared in over 70 films, he was very active in television series such as "Frontier Circus" (1961), "Banyon" (1972), "Firehouse" (1974), "Salvage 1" (1979), "At Ease" (1983), "Spenser: For Hire" (1985) and "Supercarrier" (1988). From 1991-94 he played Lt. Ben Edwards on the hit series "Baywatch" (1989). He passed away after a three-year battle with melanoma cancer on June 14, 1997, at the Motion Picture and Television Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. Jaeckel was 70 years old.

Episode #275
False Witness
October 22, 1967
After completing a cattle drive, Candy, Hoss, and Joe are placed in protective custody in Sand Dust, after they witness a robbery and murder.
Written by: Eric Norden
Directed by :Michael Moore
Guest Stars: Valerie Townsend(Davey Davison), Billy Slater(Michael Blodgett), Doug Slater(Bill Fletcher), Sheriff Dunkel(Robert McQueeney), Matt Haskell(Frederic Downs), Jeremiah(Jerry Douglas), Judge Wheeler(Russ Conway), Deputy Jensen(Len Hendry), Deputy Strand(Frank Gerstle),Deputy Farrell(Bill Henry).

Trivia: This was Davey Davidson's second and last appearance in the series; she also appeared in Season 5's 'Twilight Town.'
This was actor Michael Blodgett's only appearance; he is best known for his excellent portrayal of a blitheley decadent and hedonistic playboy 'Lance Rocke' in Russ Meyer's campy treat "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" in 1970. He was married to the actress Meridith Baxter from 1995 until his death in 2007.

Episode #276
The Gentle Ones
October 29, 1967
Most people consider Mark Cole a coward, but he steps forward when his brother attempts to break a horse by torturing it.
Written by: Frank Chase
Directed by: Harry Harris
Guest Stars:: Mark Cole(Robert Walker, Jr.), Dana Dawson(Lana Wood), Frank Cole(Pat Conway), Major Dawson(Douglas Henderson), Trask()Stuart Anderson, Clem(Bing Russell), Hop Sing(Victor Sen Yung).

Trivia: Robert Walker Jr.(Mark Cole) makes his only appearance in the series. He is the son of actors Robert Walker Sr., and Jennifer Jones, and the stepson of David O. Selznick. His long career in movies and television has included a Golden Globe award for 'Most Promising Newcomer' in 1964.

Lana Wood(Dana Dawson) is the younger sister of the late actress Natalie Wood. She is best known for playing Bond girl Plenty O'Toole, the unfortunate casino gal who gets thrown half naked out of a hotel window and into a pool in Diamonds Are Forever (1971).

Episode #277
Desperate Passage
November 5, 1967
Driving horses to Utah, the Cartwrights and Candy discover only two people left in a town wiped out by rampaging Paiute Indians. Mary Burns and Josh Tanner travel through hostile territory, along with the Cartwrights and Candy.
Written by: John Hawkins
Directed by: Leon Benson
Guest Stars: Josh Tanner(Steve Forrest), Mary Burns(Tina Louise), Clem(Bing Russell), Paul Burns(James Forrest).

Trivia: This was Tina Louise's only appearance in the series. Although she is most associated with playing Ginger in "Gilligan's Island" (1964), she detests the role and has not appeared in any of the series' various reunion specials. According to Russell Johnson(Professor), Tina was told she would be the main star of the show when she was initially approached about doing it, and when she arrived in Los Angeles after accepting the offer, she found out otherwise. Johnson also recalls that while Tina remained professional throughout the show's run without raising a fuss, she "divorced herself from the show as soon as it went off the air".

Steve Forrest(Tanner) is the brother of actor Dana Andrews. This is his first of two appearances in the series, later sean in Season 11's 'To Stop a War.' Forrest is a well known character actor in the 60's and 70's, probably best remembered for his portrayal of Team Commander Dan 'Hondo' Harrelson in the ABC Series "S.W.A.T."

Episode #278
The Sure Thing
November 12, 1967
A young girl's ownership of a stallion is jeopardized by the "big plans" of her scheming father.
Written by: Sidney Ellis, Robert Vincent Wright
Directed by: William Witney
Guest Stars: Trudy Loughlin(Kim Darby), Bert Loughlin(Tom Tully), Harper(William Bryant), Carter(King Moody), Townsman(Duane Grey), Official(Matt Emery).

Trivia: Kim Darby(Trudy) makes her first and only appearance in the series. An actor for 40 years, Darby was twenty-one when producer Hal Wallis saw her in an episode of 'Run For Your Life' and decided to offer the coveted role of Mattie Ross, opposite John Wayne's Rooster Cogburn, in 1969's 'True Grit.' The classic western earned Wayne his only Oscar and made Kim Darby a film star. Still acting, since 1990 she has also been teaching her craft and is asked to give seminars at universities and film schools throughout the country. Her own training and lifelong experience over the last four decades has provided her with a rich perspective as well as a diverse collection of skills which she enjoys sharing with enthusiastic students.

Episode #279
Showdown At Tahoe
November 19, 1967
Jamison Fillmore and his gang plan to rob a million dollars from Ben's timber operation, then use his paddle wheel steamboat, the Dixie, to escape across Lake Tahoe.
Written by: Thomas Thompson
Directed by: Gerald Mayer
Guest Stars: Jamison Fillmore(Richard Anderson), Captain Nells Larson(Karl Swenson), Julie Larson(Shelia Larken.), Brother Guy(Kevin Hagen), Testy(Christopher Dark), Houston(Troy Melton).

Trivia: Two future cast members of 'Little House on the Prairie,' Karl Swenson(Larson) and Kevin Hagen(Brother Guy) appear in this episode. They would portray Lars Hanson and Doctor Hiram Baker on Michael Landon's next series.

Episode #280
Six Black Horses
November 26, 1967
Ben's old friend has stolen money from corrupt politicians in New York and plans to invest in Nevada.
Written by: William Jerome and Michael Landon
Directed by: Don Daves
Guest Stars: Onie Dugan(Burgess Meredith), McCoy(Richard X. Slattery), Julie(Judy Parker), Tierney(Hal Baylor), Patrick O' Neill(Don Haggerty).

Trivia: This was Burgess Meredith's first and only appearance in the series. Meredith is probably best known for his portrayal of The Penguin on the 1960s television series 'Batman,' as well as his performance as Rocky Balboa's trainer Mickey in the 'Rocky' movies of the '80's and '90's.

Because of his very liberal political views, he collided with Senator Joseph McCarthy and was blacklisted from films in the late 1950s. Meredith, one might say, got revenge on McCarthy by portraying Joseph Welch, the man who humiliated McCarthy on national television, in 'Tail Gunner Joe' (1977). On the "Batman" (1966) TV series, he developed his grunting Penguin laugh out of necessity. Meredith had given up smoking some twenty-odd years earlier, but his character was required to smoke with a cigarette holder. The smoke would get caught in his throat and he would start coughing. Rather than constantly ruin takes, he developed the laugh to cover it up. "Actually, it was a pretty funny noise for a penguin to make," said Meredith. "I sounded more like a duck." Needless to say, Meredith gave up smoking again immediately after the series ended. Interestingly enough, producers had originally wanted Spencer Tracy in the role, but Tracy wouldn't sign unless his character was allowed to kill Batman. Obviously, they did not want to kill the main character, so the role went to Meredith.

Episode #281
Check Rein
December 3, 1967
The Cartwrights help to prevent a young man's uncle from wrongfully acquiring an exceptional stallion.
Written by: Robert I. Holt, Olney Sherman
Directed by: Leon Benson
Guest Stars: Jace Fredericks(James MacArthur), Cathy(Patricia Hyland), Gabrielle Bingham(Ford Rainey), Rio(Charles Maxwell), Sheriff Buhler(Robert Karnes), Asa(William Fawcett), Cowboy(Tom Fadden).

Trivia: This was James MacArthur's(Jace) only appearance in the series. He is best known for his portrayal of Detective Danny Williams on the CBS Drama, "Hawaii 5-0" from 1968-1979. He is the adoptive son of screen legend Helen Hayes and playwright Charles MacArthur.

Episode #282
Justice Deferred
December 17, 1967
Hoss cannot convince Andy Buchanan they convicted the wrong man of murder, and when Andy refuses to testify against the real killer, the results are devastating.
Written by: Jack Miller
Directed by:Gerald Mayer
Guest Stars Frank Scott and Mel Barnes(Simon Oakland), Gladys(Nita Talbot), Andy Buchanan(Carl Reindel), Eleanor(Shannon Farnon), Eads(John Hubbard), Judge(Tol Avery), Roy Coffee(Ray Teal).

Trivia: This was the second of Simon Oakland's three appearances in the series. One of the movies' most memorable tough guys, Simon Oakland actually began his career as a concert violinist, turning to acting in the late 1940s.

Episode #283
The Gold Detector
December 24, 1967
Hoss wants to buy a mine thought to be worthless and orders a fancy invention to prove it isn't and becomes the local laughingstock in town.
Written by: Ward Hawkins
Directed by: Don Daves
Guest Stars:Professor Albert McNultey(Wally Cox), Barney(Paul Fix), Casey(Caroline Richter), Vern Higgins(Kelly Thordsen), Simon(Dub Taylor), Cash(Chubby Johnson), Corrales(Mike de Anda ).

Trivia: This was character actor Chubby Johnson's 6th of 8 appearances in the series. This gruff western comedy sidekick was a jack-of-all-trades in real life -- at different times of his life was a reporter, columnist, journalist, radio announcer and even a butcher.

Episode #284
The Trackers
January 7, 1968
Ben helps hunt down an ex-con he helped convict of bank robbery five years before, when the bank is robbed again. The man claimed he was innocent the first time and had nothing to do with the latest robbery.
Written by: Louis Bercovitch, Fredrick Louis Fox
Directed by: Marc Daniels
Guest Stars: Sam Bregan(Warren Stevens), Kully Mako(Bruce Dern), Buzz(Warren Vanders), Grifty(Ted Gehring), Tom Evans(Robert P. Lieb), Sean(Christopher Shea), Kevin(James Sikking), Snell(Arthur Peterson), Phillips(Lincoln Demyan)

Trivia: This was Warren Stevens'(Bregan) third of four appearances in the series. He was a close friend of the actor Gregory Peck.

This was Bruce Dern's first of two appearances in the series. He has the distinction of being one of the few actors to have killed John Wayne on screen (The Cowboys (1972)). He even received some death threats out of it. Dern is the father of actress Laura Dern, from his marriage to actress Diane Ladd.

Episode #285
A Girl Named George
January 14, 1968
Trick photography is used to help a killer beat a murder rap. However, the camera also proves to be his undermining.
Written by: William H. Wright
Directed by: Leon Benson
Guest Stars: Enos Blessing(Jack Albertson), George(Sheliah Wells), Kato Troxel(Gerald Mohr), Judge Neely(Fred Clark), Roscoe(Andy Devine), Mrs. Neely(Patsy Kelly), Coroner(Harry Harvey, Sr.), Deputy(Steve Gaines).

Trivia: A former song-and-dance man and veteran of vaudeville, burlesque and Broadway, Jack Albertson is best known to audiences as "The Man" in the TV series "Chico and the Man" (1974), for which he won an Emmy. In 1968 Albertson, the brother of actress Mabel Albertson, won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in The Subject Was Roses (1968), a part which also won him the Tony award during its Broadway run.

Episode #286
The Thirteenth Man
January 21, 1968
The ranchers are losing stock to rustlers and not everyone agrees with range detective Marcus Alley's preventive methods.
Written by: Walter Black
Directed by: Leon Benson
Guest Stars: Marcus Alley(Albert Salmi), Arch Holenbeck(Richard Carlson), Issiah Heath(Kenneth Tobey), Prudence Welles(Anna Navarro), Johannsen(Myron Healey), Allison(Bill Quinn).

Trivia: This is Albert Salmi's second of three appearances in the series. In 1967 he was presented with the Western Heritage (Wrangler) Award from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame for his role in the "Gunsmoke" (1955) episode entitled "Death Watch". This bronze cowboy on horseback became his most cherished award. Salmi demonstrated his versatility, however, as years went on. Tall, brawny and sometimes quite intimidating, he was often cast as the bad guy or the authority figure. He was equally convincing, though, as a wronged or misunderstood good guy or a good-natured sidekick. A method actor, Salmi had the ability to make you love or hate his character. Sadly, both he and his wife were found dead in their home in April 1990. They had both been shot, and to this day it is unclear whether it was a murder or suicide.

Episode #287
The Burning Sky
January 28, 1968

Written by: William H. Wright, Carol Saraceno
Directed by: John Rich

Guest Stars: Moon(Dawn Wells), Will Holt(Michael Murphy), Bridger Gore(Bobby Riha), Aaron Gore(Victor French), Muley(Gregg Palmer), Deputy(Robert Foulk), Clem(Bing Russell).

Trivia: This was Dawn Wells' second and last apppearance in the series. Born in Nevada, she was crowned 'Miss Nevada' in 1959 and competed in the 1960 Miss America Pageant. She is best known for her portrayal of Mary Ann Summers on the 60's TV sitcom 'Gilligan's Island.'

Episode #288
The Price of Salt
February 4, 1968
Ben finds that his friend's fiancee intends to exploit the ranchers' desperate needs of obtaining salt for their dying herds
Written by: B. W. Sandefur
Directed by: Leon Benson
Guest Stars: Ada Halle(Kim Hunter), Vern Shaler(James Best), Cash Talbot(John Doucette), Williams(Myron Healey), Padre(Robert Patten).

Trivia: This is James Best's (Shaler) third and final appearance in the series. Best is the cousin of Phil and Don Everly.

Kim Hunter(Ada) is best remembered for her role as Dr. Zira in the 'Planet of the Apes' movies. She was blacklisted in films and TV even though she was never a Communist or even held pro-Communist views. But as a strong believer in civil rights she signed a lot of petitions and was a sponsor of a 1949 World Peace Conference in New York. Her testimony to the New York Supreme Court in 1962 against the publishers of "Red Channels" helped pave the way for clearance of many performers unjustly accused of Communist connections.

Episode #289
Blood Tie
February 18, 1968
Joe is tricked into hiring a thief who plans on robbing the Ponderosa.
Written by:
Directed by: Seymour Robbie
Guest Stars: Tracy Blaine(Robert Drivas), Fargo Taylor(Leo Gordon), Clay Taylor(Conlon Carter).

Trivia: This Leo Gordon's (Taylor) second and last appearance in the series. Besides acting in Bonanza, he also was a co-writer for two Bonanza episodes: season 4's 'The Boss' and season 6's 'The Flannel-Mouthed Gun.'

Episode #290
The Crime of Johnny Mule
February 25, 1968
Hoss is the only one who believes simple-minded Johnny Mule when he swears he had nothing to do with killing a local man.
Written by: Joel Murcott
Directed by: Leon Benson
Guest Stars: Johnny Mule(Noah Beery Jr.), Mary(Colleen Gray), Virgil Lowdon(Lee Patterson), Cleve Lowdon(Jack Ging), Prosecutor(John Archer), Sheriff(John Lodge).

Trivia: This is Noah Beery Jr.'s second and final appearance in the series. He is best known by the public for his role as Joseph "Rocky" Rockford on "The Rockford Files" (1974). Joseph 'Rocky' Rockford, Beery's character on "The Rockford Files" (1974), was ranked #45 in TV Guide's list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time" [20 June 2004 issue]. He was only 15 years older than James Garner when he played his father on "The Rockford Files".

Episode #291
The Late Ben Cartwright
March 3, 1968
In order to ruin the plans of a corrupt politician, Ben allows everyone to think that he's dead.
Written by:Walter Black
Directed by: Leon Benson
Guest Stars: Samuel Endicott(Sidney Blackmer), Broom(Bert Freed), Wilburn White(William Campbell), Judge John Farraday(Simon Scott), Purdy(George Gaynes), Porter(Tyler McVey).

Trivia: This is Sidney Blackmer's second and final appearance in the series. He won Broadway's 1950 Tony Award as Best Actor (Dramatic) for "Come Back, Little Sheba." While he portrayed Republican President Theodore Roosevelt more times than any actor on screen (eight in all), he himself noted that he was, ironically, a Democrat.

Episode #292
Star Crossed
March 10, 1968
Candy falls in love with a woman being blackmailed by a Marshal.
Written by: Thomas Thompson
Directed by: William F. Claxton
Guest Stars: Laura Jean Pollard(Tisha Sterling), Marshal Passmore(William Windom), Mrs. O' Brien(Jean Willes), Bartender(Bruno Ve Sota), Saloon Girl(Martha Manor).

Trivia: This was William Windom's only appearance in the series. A well known televison actor, Windom appeared in many shows in the 60's, 70's, and 80's. Windom was a pupil of kindergarten teacher Margaret Hamilton until she threw him out for rambunctious behavior - Hamilton later became an actress in her own right, forever remembered as the Wicked Witch of the West in the classic 'The Wizard of Oz.'

Episode #293
Trouble Town
March 17, 1968
The Ponderosa ranch hands are in Riverbend during a cattle drive. Candy meets an old friend working in a saloon. He decides to stay and help Lilah and it's not long before Ben, Hoss, and Joe are involved.
Written by: David Lang
Directed by: Leon Benson
Guest Stars: Sheriff Claude Booker(Robert J. Wilke), Lila Holden(Elizabeth MacRae), Deputy Horn(Steve Brodie), Lupe(Joseph Turkel), Shorty(James Daris).

Trivia: This is Robert Wilke's fourth of five appearances in the series. An expert golfer, his friend Claude Akins once said that Wilke earned more money on the golf course than he ever did in movies. He died in 1989.

Episode #294
Commitment at Angelus
April 7, 1967
When a horse steps on Candy's hand out on the trail, he and Joe go to Angelus to find a doctor. When they arrive, Joe sees a friend of his and offers him a job. The man is killed when a horse of Joe's throws him. Joe blames himself and feels responsible for his widow.
Written by: Peter Germano
Directed by: Leon Benson
Guest Stars: Stephanie Regan(Marj Dusay), Emmet Hudson(Peter Whitney), Thad(Ivan Triesault), Deputy Garrett(Ken Lynch), Kabe(Greg Mullavey), Steve Regan(Hal Lynch), Polk(Alan Reynolds).

Trivia: This was the first of Marj Dusay's two appearances in the series. She is the mother-in-law of producer David Blocker, Dan Blocker's son.

Episode #295
A Dream To Dream
April 14, 1968
Hoss brings happiness to the family of a bitter alcoholic rancher. /font>
Written by: Michael Landon
Directed by: William F. Claxton
Guest Stars:Sarah Carter(Julie Harris), Josh Carter(Steve Ihnat), Timmy Carter(Johnny Whitaker), Sally Carter(Michelle Tobin), Bartender(William Tannen).

Trivia: This was Steve Ihnat's second of three appearances in the series. Actress Julie Harris is a five time Tony Award winner and Oscar nominee. in his autobiography "A Life," Eli Kazan said that he was grateful to have Harris on the set of East of Eden (1955) because she had a calming influence on James Dean. Kazan praised Harris as both an actress and as a human being. She was the recipient of the 2005 Kennedy Center Honors along with Robert Redford, Tina Turner, Tony Bennett, and Suzanne Farrell.

This was the first complete script Michael Landon wrote for the series that NBC approved for filming.

Episode #296
In Defense of Honor
April 28, 1968
Ponderosa ranch hand Davey was abandoned by a Ute tribe. He was found by Ben who has taken care of him ever since. While Ben is arranging a treaty between the Utes and white men, Davey falls in love with Bright Moon, the daughter of Chief Lonespear. This leads to situations that threaten the treaty and Bright Moon's husband to be. The actions of two town bigots complicate matters even more.
Written by: William Douglas Lansford, Richard Wendley
Directed by: Marc Daniels
Guest Stars: Davey(Lou Antonio), Chief Lonespear(Arnold Moss), Bright Moon(Cherie Latimer), White Wolf(Ned Romero), Skinner(Troy Melton), Jud(Lane Bradford), Deputy(John Lodge), Judge(Arthur Peterson).

Trivia: This episode was orinally scheduled to air on March 31, 1968; however, due to coverage of President Johnson's announcement that he was not seeking re-election, the episode was aired on April 28, 1968 instead.

Lou Antonio(Davey)is a successful director of many TV series, but does continue to act occasionally.

Episode #297
To Die in Darkness
May 5, 1968
Ben and Candy have been missing for over a month. Everyone, including Joe and Hoss assume they're dead. But, they are being held prisoner in a mine shaft by an ex-convict wrongly convicted on Ben's testimony in court.
Written by: Michael Landon
Directed by: Michael Landon
Guest Stars: John Postley(James Whitmore), Warden(Noah Keen).

Trivia: This was Michael Landon's second complete script and his directorial debut. It has been said that this was David Canary's favorite episode.

Episode #298
The Bottle Fighter
May 12, 1968
Hoss is accused of stabbing a man to death, and his only hope of acquittal is a once great trial lawyer who is now a hopeless drunk.
Written by: John Hawkins, Colin Mackenzie, S. H. Barnett
Directed by: Leon Benson
Guest Stars: Barney Sturgess(Albert Dekker), Sheriff(Douglas Kennedy), Ogleby(Harlan Warde), Becker(Alan Baxter), Furguson(Robert Sorrells), Judge(Charles Irving), Winter(Jon Lormer).

Trivia: A stage actor from 1927, Albert Dekker(Sturgess) was an established Broadway star when he made his film debut ten years later. This was his only appearance on the series, and shortly after this episode aired, Dekker was found dead from what has been called an accidental hanging.

Episode #299
The Arrival of Eddie
May 19, 1968
A young man rejects an offer to work at the Ponderosa because Hoss shot his father, but a rancher intent on making trouble for the Cartwrights blackmails him into taking the job.
Written by: Ward Hawkins, John M. Chester
Directed by: Marc Daniels
Guest Stars: Eddie Makay(Jan-Michael Vincent), Sam Butler(Jim Davis), Clem Foster(Bing Russell), Amos(Lincoln Demyan), Major(Francis De Sales).

Trivia: This was the first of Jan Michael-Vincent's two appearances in the series. He was a staple in 60's, 70's and 80's movies and televison, but is probably best remembered for his 1984 TV series 'Airwolf' which co-starred Ernest Borgnine.

Episode #300
The Stronghold
May 26, 1968
Joe and Candy sell a herd to the Farrell Brothers in Arizona, but are paid a worthless bank draft.
Written by: John Hawkins, W. R. Burnett
Directed by: Leon Benson
Guest Stars: Mike Farrell(Paul Mantee), Josh Farrell(Michael Witney), Lisa Jackson(Lynda Day), Dude O' Brien(James Davidson), Abner Jackson(William Bryant), Kelty(Hal Baylor), Moore(Martin Blaine), Sheriff(Robert Brubaker), Perdo(Ref Sanchez).

Trivia: This was Lynda Day's only appearance in the series. An American leading actress and television star, Lynda Day George first garnered attention when she appeared in the popular TV series "Mission: Impossible" (1966) as Lisa Casey, a role for which she received a Golden Globe nomination. She is now retired from acting.

Episode #301
Pride Of A Man
June 2, 1968
Joe reluctantly takes a job as a substitute teacher when his girlfriend is hurt and he must deal with two older students who have no use for an education.
Written by: Ward Hawkins, Helen B. Hicks
Directed by: William F. Claxton
Guest Stars: Willie McNab(Kevin Coughlin), Abby Pettigrew(Anne Helm), Will McNab(Morgan Woodward), Billy McNab(Steve Cory), Mary(Barbara Hunter), Tommy(Billy Corcoran), Kathy(Heidi Musselman).

Trivia: This was Morgan Woodward's sixth of eight appearances in the series. He holds the record for having done more guest starring roles on the series "Gunsmoke" (1955) (19) and "Wagon Train" (1957) (11) than any other actor.

Episode #302
A Severe Case Of Matrimony
July 7, 1968
An untalented gypsy girl tries to get the Cartwrights to finance her career as an opera singer.
Written by: Michael Fessier
Directed by: Lewis Allen
Guest Stars: Rosalita(Susan Strasberg), Encermo(J. Carrol Naish), Paco(Andre Philippe), Dolores(Lili Valenty), Hop Sing(Victor Sen Yung).

Trivia: This was Susan Strasberg's only appearance in the series. She was the daughter of the famed acting coach Lee Strasberg. She originated the role of Anne Frank in the original 1955 Broadway production of "The Diary of Anne Frank" and was nominated for a 'Best Dramatic Actress' Tony Award for her performance.

Episode #303
Stage Door Johnnies
July 28, 1968
Hoss and Joe rival for the affections of visiting entertainer Mademoiselle Denise, though she is more concerned for her little dog, Andre, than anything else.
Written by: Alex Sharp
Directed by: William F. Claxton
Guest Stars: Miss Denise(Kathleen Crowley), Mr. Fillmore(Walter Brooke), Big Man(Mike Mazurki), Stage Driver(Shug Fisher), Roy Coffee(Ray Teal), Bartender(Bruno Ve Sota), Waiter(Ted Ryan), Man(King Moody), Hop Sing(Victor Sen Yung).

Trivia: Playing Madamoiselle Denise was Kathleen Crowley's third and last performance in the series. Kathleen Crowley represented her home state of New Jersey in the Miss America pageant in 1949, placed sixth and (with the scholarship money she won) enrolled at the American Academy of Dramatic Art in New York. She played the plum title roles in prestigious TV productions of "A Star Is Born" and "Jane Eyre", caught the eye of Hollywood and became a 20th Century-Fox contractee in 1952. Freelancing after leaving the studio, she kept busy in feature films (mostly Westerns and horror/sci-fi titles).

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Bonanza Ventures is the official worldwide rights holder to the television programs created by David Dortort: BONANZA (and its prequel, THE PONDEROSA), and THE HIGH CHAPARRAL. Any person or entity interested in doing anything related to these series and/or its characters must obtain permission first, and may do so by contacting Bonanza Ventures through its attorney:
Andrew J. Klyde
141-15 72nd Avenue
Kew Gardens Hills
New York 11367-2331 U.S.A.
Phone: (718) 261-4128; Fax: (718) 261-4408
email: AJKLYDE@yahoo.com