Bonanza (season 1)

Season of television series

Bonanza

Season 1

Cast of Bonanza in 1959

Starring|

* Lorne Greene
* Pernell Roberts
* Dan Blocker
* Michael Landon

Country of origin| United States
No. of episodes| 32
Release
Original network| NBC
Original release| September 12, 1959 (1959-09-12) –
April 30, 1960 (1960-04-30)
Season chronology

Next →
Season 2

List of episodes

The first season of the American Western television series Bonanza premiered on NBC on September 12, 1959, with the final episode airing April 30, 1960.[1] The series was developed and produced by David Dortort, and season one starred Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon. The season consisted of 32 episodes of the series's total 431 hour-long episodes, the entirety of which was produced in color.[2] It aired on Saturdays from 7:30 pm–8:30 pm on NBC[3] and placed at number 45 in the Nielsen ratings.

## Synopsis[edit]

Bonanza is set around the Ponderosa Ranch near Virginia City, Nevada and chronicles the weekly adventures of the Cartwright family, consisting of Ben Cartwright and his three sons (each by a different wife), Adam, Eric ("Hoss"), and Joseph ("Little Joe"). A regular character is their ranch cook, Hop Sing.

## Cast and characters[edit]

See also: List of Bonanza characters

### Main cast[edit]

* Lorne Greene as Ben Cartwright
* Pernell Roberts as Adam Cartwright
* Dan Blocker as Eric "Hoss" Cartwright
* Michael Landon as Joseph "Little Joe" Cartwright

### Recurring[edit]

* Victor Sen Yung as Hop Sing

### Guest stars[edit]

* Philip Ahn
* Claude Akins
* Lewis Allen
* John Anderson
* Edward Ashley
* Raymond Bailey
* John Beal
* Alma Beltran
* Whitney Blake
* Sebastian Cabot
* Harry Carey Jr.
* Paul Carr
* Jack Carson
* Anthony Caruso
* James Coburn
* Ellen Corby
* Ricardo Cortez
* Walter Coy
* Hazel Court
* Kathleen Crowley
* Yvonne De Carlo
* Richard Deacon
* Philip Deidesheimer
* Don Dubbins
* Howard Duff
* Buddy Ebsen
* Chana Eden
* Bert Freed
* Jane Greer
* Alan Hale Jr.
* Stacy Harris
* Susan Harrison
* Adrienne Hayes
* James Hong
* Henry Hull
* Arthur Hunnicutt
* David Ladd
* John Larch
* Wesley Lau
* John Litel
* Jack Lord
* Ida Lupino
* George Macready
* Joe Maross
* Patricia Medina
* Don Megowan
* Adah Menkin
* Robert Middleton
* John Milford
* Mort Mills
* Cameron Mitchell
* George Mitchell
* Vic Morrow
* Lloyd Nolan
* Susan Oliver
* Paul Picerni
* Steve Rowland
* Ruth Roman
* Everett Sloane
* Fay Spain
* Inger Stevens
* Onslow Stevens
* Barry Sullivan
* Karl Swenson
* Gloria Talbott
* Jack Warden
* Helen Westcott
* David White
* Jean Willes
* Adam Williams
* Grant Williams
* Rhys Williams
* Ian Wolfe
* Morgan Woodward

## Production[edit]

### Development[edit]

By 1959, RCA had made progress in producing color television, but American consumers were not adopting the new technology. As the owner of NBC, they sought to produce a pioneer color program. David Dortort created the concept as an hour-long show.[4] It was the first Western to be released in color.[3]

Season one, episode 26, "The Avenger", was the pilot for an unsold spinoff.[5]

### Casting[edit]

The character of Hoss was the first to be cast, then Little Joe, with Michael Landon being chosen to appeal to the teenage audience. Dortort had worked with both of the actors in The Restless Gun.[6] After seeing Lorne Greene on an episode of Wagon Train, Dortort chose him for the role of Ben Cartwright, having felt Greene had the qualities he was seeking for the family patriarch.[6] Originally, Dortort wanted Guy Williams for the role of Adam, but he was already committed to Disney's Zorro at the time, so Pernell Roberts was cast instead.[6]

NBC originally wanted guest stars, but the costs of filming the show in color cut into the budget significantly. Instead, Dortort would select a guest cast of unknowns.[7]

### Writing[edit]

Dortort had input on most of the script writing. He was credited with four of the scripts in the first season.[8]

### Production design[edit]

Sets were designed by Hal Pereira, Earl Hedrick, and David Dortort. Set decoration was handled by Grace Gregory.[7]

### Filming[edit]

Dortort originally planned to shoot on location, but film costs related to color production also cut into the budget for filming, resulting in the compromise of filming annually in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Most of the filming was done at Paramount Studios.[7]

Other filming locations included:[9]

* Los Angeles and surrounding areas (episode 1)
* Iverson Movie Ranch (episodes 2, 4)
* Big Bear, California (episodes 3, 11, 15)
* Bronson Canyon (episode 7)

### Music[edit]

Jay Livingston and Ray Evans wrote the original theme song. It was originally planned that the leads would sing the lyrics while riding out of Virginia City, but ultimately, the song was used instrumentally. Dortort, not liking the lyrics, agreed to use the song under the provision that it would not be used within the episodes.[7] Dortort selected composer David Rose to write the music for the show, who scored the show's music with a 35 member orchestra.[8]

## Themes[edit]

The show focused more on relationships than gun fights. It also tackled social issues.[8] "The Fear Merchants" addressed bigotry against Chinese immigrants.[10][11]

Occasionally, scripts would be based on true events, albeit loosely, as often the historical events would not have taken place in the time period of the show.[8] "The Paiute War" was based on the Paiute War that occurred in May and June 1860. "The Julia Bulette Story" was based on the murder of Julia Bulette, which occurred in 1867 in Virginia City. "The Saga of Annie O'Toole" was based on true events. "The Philip Deidesheimer Story" tells the story of Philip Deidesheimer's work developing square-set mining in the Comstock Lode's Ophir Mine in Virginia City in 1960.[12]

## Episodes[edit]

See also: List of Bonanza episodes

Bonanza, season 1 episodesNo.
overall| No. in
season| Title| Directed by| Written by| Original air date

|
|
|
|
|

1| 1| "A Rose for Lotta"| Edward Ludwig| David Dortort| September 12, 1959 (1959-09-12)
Mining tycoon Alpheus Troy uses an actress called Lotta Crabtree (Yvonne De Carlo) in a plot to hold Joe Cartwright hostage in exchange for timber wood. George Macready guest stars.
2| 2| "Death on Sun Mountain"| Paul Landres| Gene L. Coon and David Dortort| September 19, 1959 (1959-09-19)
A pair of greedy opportunists kill antelope on Indian grounds and sell them to Virginia's city silver miners for a large profit. Barry Sullivan and Karl Swenson guest star.
3| 3| "The Newcomers"| Christian Nyby| Thomas Thompson| September 26, 1959 (1959-09-26)
The Cartwrights discover an old enemy killing steers on the Ponderosa. Hoss falls for the fiancée of a treacherous prospector who suspects the Cartwrights of hiding gold. John Larch and Inger Stevens guest star.
4| 4| "The Paiute War"| Paul Landres| Gene L. Coon| October 3, 1959 (1959-10-03)
A sinister trader starts a war between the tribe and a local militia when he frames Adam for the assault of two Paiute women. Anthony Caruso, Walter Coy, and Jack Warden guest star.
5| 5| "Enter Mark Twain"| Paul Landres| Harold Shumate| October 10, 1959 (1959-10-10)
The Cartwrights help Virginia City reporter Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain (Howard Duff) in his investigation against a corrupt judge (John Litel).
6| 6| "The Julia Bulette Story"| Christian Nyby| Al C. Ward| October 17, 1959 (1959-10-17)
Ignoring the admonitions of his father and brothers, Joe falls for a much older woman, the owner of the town's saloon, a madam named Julia Bulette (Jane Greer).
7| 7| "The Saga of Annie O'Toole"| Joseph Kane| Thomas Thompson| October 24, 1959 (1959-10-24)
Annie O'Toole (Ida Lupino) arrives to Virginia with her old Da and sets a canteen in a silver mine with Adam's help. Alan Hale Jr. guest stars.
8| 8| "The Philip Deidesheimer Story"| Joseph Kane| Thomas Thompson| October 31, 1959 (1959-10-31)
Pied Piper Philip Deidesheimer (John Beal), with the help of Adam and Hoss, tries to create a method for saving the silver mines of Virginia City from a cave-in.
9| 9| "Mr. Henry Comstock"| John Brahm| David Dortort| November 7, 1959 (1959-11-07)
When they are threatened by a man who fraudulently sold a part of the Ponderosa, the Cartwrights remember the day they met claim-jumper Henry Comstock (Jack Carson), whose discovery of the Comstock Lode laid the foundation for Virginia City.
10| 10| "The Magnificent Adah"| Christian Nyby| Donald S. Sanford| November 14, 1959 (1959-11-14)
The Cartwright boys suspect actress Adah Menkin (Ruth Roman) of having an ulterior motive for marrying their father. Adah's old lover John C. Regan (Don Megowan) comes along seeking his former glory.
11| 11| "The Truckee Strip"| Christian Nyby| Herman Groves| November 21, 1959 (1959-11-21)
A silver baron schemes to promote a fight between Ben and his neighbor just to get his hands on timber. Joe Cartwright falls in love with Amy Bishop (Adrienne Hayes) and the two lovers try to stop the family feud between the Cartwrights and the Bishops. James Coburn guest stars.
12| 12| "The Hanging Posse"| Christian Nyby| Carey Wilber| November 28, 1959 (1959-11-28)
Adam and Joe attempt to stop a posse bent on catching the murderers of Vannie Johnson from changing into a lynch mob. Arthur Hunnicutt, Onslow Stevens, and Adam Williams guest star.
13| 13| "Vendetta"| Joseph Kane| Robert E. Thompson| December 5, 1959 (1959-12-05)
Ben is seriously wounded as he and Hoss seek help in fighting the vengeful Morgan brothers, only to be confronted with cowardice when all the friends they thought he had in town decide to hide away. Whitney Blake, Harry Carey Jr., John Milford, Mort Mills and Steve Rowland guest star.
14| 14| "The Sisters"| Christian Nyby| Carey Wilber| December 12, 1959 (1959-12-12)
Adam is falsely accused of killing a dance-hall girl (Fay Spain) after she's shot in his arms and the real killer he shot at gets away. Buddy Ebsen and Jean Willes guest star.
15| 15| "The Last Hunt"| Christian Nyby| Donald S. Sanford| December 19, 1959 (1959-12-19)
Joe and Hoss protect a pregnant Indian woman who tried to rob their hunting camp from a blizzard as well as a group of Shoshones given orders to find her. Raymond Bailey and Chana Eden guest star.
16| 16| "El Toro Grande"| Christian Nyby| John Tucker Battle| January 2, 1960 (1960-01-02)
Joe and Hoss go south lands to buy a unique bull for the Ponderosa, but they discover that the bull has been spirited away by a little boy. Alma Beltran and Ricardo Cortez guest star.
17| 17| "The Outcast"| Lewis Allen| Thomas Thompson| January 9, 1960 (1960-01-09)
An outcast woman named Leta Malvet is helped by the Cartwrights after her father and brother are hanged for murder. Clay Renton, Leta's beau, arrives in town. Jack Lord and Susan Oliver guest star.
18| 18| "A House Divided"| Lewis Allen| Al C. Ward| January 16, 1960 (1960-01-16)
Confederate sympathizer Frederick Kyle schemes to tear apart Virginia City and the Cartwrights. Ben tries to uncover his agenda after he befriends Little Joe. John Anderson, Stacy Harris and Cameron Mitchell guest star.
19| 19| "The Gunmen"| Christian Nyby| Carey Wilber| January 23, 1960 (1960-01-23)
Hoss and Joe get themselves involved in a family feud in a small Texas town when they are mistaken for bloodthirsty hired killers. Ellen Corby, Henry Hull, and George Mitchell guest star.
20| 20| "The Fear Merchants"| Lewis Allen| Story by : Frank Unger
Teleplay by : Frank Unger and Thomas Thompson| January 30, 1960 (1960-01-30)
The Chinese citizens of Virginia City are targeted by a manipulative mayoral candidate's campaign to "hate outsiders". Philip Ahn and Helen Westcott guest star.
21| 21| "The Spanish Grant"| Christian Nyby| Story by : Morris Lee Green
Teleplay by : Leonard Heideman and David Dortort| February 6, 1960 (1960-02-06)
A pair of swindlers team with a dance-hall girl (Patricia Medina) to get their hands on Nevada land, including the Ponderosa. The Cartwrights try to stop them by disproving the validity of a Spanish land grant. Sebastian Cabot and Paul Picerni guest star.
22| 22| "Blood on the Land"| Felix Feist| Robert E. Thompson| February 13, 1960 (1960-02-13)
Jeb Drummond (Everett Sloane) is a greedy sheepherder determined to fatten his animals on the Ponderosa grasslands: he takes Adam hostage to force Ben to sign over part of the Ponderosa.
23| 23| "Desert Justice"| Lewis Allen| Donald S. Sanford| February 20, 1960 (1960-02-20)
Adam and Hoss try to help a ranch hand (Wesley Lau) who's being taken to California for trial by a brutal U.S. marshal (Claude Akins), but things are not as they first seem.
24| 24| "The Stranger"| Christian Nyby| Story by : Oliver Crawford
Teleplay by : Leonard Heideman| February 27, 1960 (1960-02-27)
The vengeful police inspector LeDuque (Lloyd Nolan) from New Orleans jeopardizes Ben's bid for the governorship over a twenty year murder.
25| 25| "Escape to Ponderosa"| Charles F. Haas| Story by : Bill Barrett and Malcolm Stuart Boylan
Teleplay by : Robert E. Thompson| March 5, 1960 (1960-03-05)
Ben starts to have second thoughts about helping a brutal stockade commander track down three prisoners on the lam when he realizes what they had to deal with. Joe Maross, Gloria Talbott, and Grant Williams guest star.
26| 26| "The Avenger"| Christian Nyby| Clair Huffaker| March 19, 1960 (1960-03-19)
A mysterious stranger called Lassiter (Vic Morrow) helps Hoss and Joe to save Ben and Adam before they're hanged like his father. The drifter is searching for the men who committeed a lynching in Kansas years ago. Ian Wolfe guest stars.
27| 27| "The Last Trophy"| Lewis Allen| Bill S. Ballinger| March 26, 1960 (1960-03-26)
A British couple visits the Cartwrights - and the woman (Hazel Court) thinks her own husband is a coward. Everything changes when the couple is kidnapped for ransom along with Adam Cartwright. Edward Ashley and Bert Freed guest star.
28| 28| "San Francisco"| Arthur Lubin| Thomas Thompson| April 2, 1960 (1960-04-02)
The Cartwrights finish a cattle drive in San Francisco with Hop Sing. Ben is shanghaied at the Barbary Coast while searching for a pair of ranch hands. Kathleen Crowley, Richard Deacon, James Hong, and David White.
29| 29| "Bitter Water"| George Blair| Harold Jack Bloom| April 9, 1960 (1960-04-09)
The Cartwrights are worried their water will be polluted when their neighbor Andy (Rhys Williams)'s son, Todd (Don Dubbins), threatens to sell his land to a miner.
30| 30| "Feet of Clay"| Arthur Lubin| John Furia Jr.| April 16, 1960 (1960-04-16)
Hoss attempts to comfort a boy (David Ladd) whose mother has just died and whose father is in jail, but not for long.
31| 31| "Dark Star"| Lewis Allen| Anthony Lawrence| April 23, 1960 (1960-04-23)
Joe romances a Gypsy named Tirza (Susan Harrison) who thinks she's a witch. Her people also believe she's bewitched and she's banished from the community.
32| 32| "Death at Dawn"| Charles Haas| Laurence E. Mascott| April 30, 1960 (1960-04-30)
A criminal gang that has taken over Virginia City in the form of a protection racket kidnaps Ben. Paul Carr, Robert Middleton, and Morgan Woodward guest star.

## Release[edit]

The season aired on Saturdays from 7:30 pm–8:30 pm on NBC.[3] The timeslot was deliberate. It was a time when many people were shopping in department stores, and they could see the show displayed on color televisions at period when color television sets had not yet been widely adopted.[4] However, many people watching at home were still tuning in to Perry Mason in that timeslot.[4]

## Reception[edit]

The first season lost the Saturday night ratings to Perry Mason.[13] Released at a time when television was saturated with Westerns, the premier episode garnered the following review from Variety:

> Another western is just what Saturday night television needs least, and that's what Bonanza appears to be -- just another western. For all its pretensions, with a large cast, name guests, color and an hour's length, proves to be little more than a patch work of stock oater ideas without a fresh twist to distinguish it...[4]

Poor ratings and high production costs led to NBC considering cancellation early in the process, leading to rumors that the show actually was cancelled; but fans wrote in and NBC realized it did have a viable audience.[4]

The first season of the series failed to break the Nielsen ranking top 30.[14]

## References[edit]

### Footnotes[edit]

1. ^ Shapiro 1997, pp. 65, 70.
2. ^ Shapiro 1997, pp. 5, 65–157.
3. ^ a b c Brooks & Marsh 2007, p. 164.
4. ^ a b c d e Shapiro 1997, p. 5.
5. ^ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 38.
6. ^ a b c Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 15.
7. ^ a b c d Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 16.
8. ^ a b c d Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 17.
9. ^ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 28.
10. ^ Shapiro 1997, p. 68.
11. ^ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 35.
12. ^ Shapiro 1997, p. 65-66.
13. ^ Shapiro 1997, p. 8.
14. ^ "1959-1960 TV Ratings". classictvguide.com. Retrieved 2023-09-16.

### Bibliography[edit]

* Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. New York: Ballantine Books. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.
* Greenland, David R. (2010). Bonanza: A Viewer's Guide to the TV Legend. BearManor Media. ISBN 978-1-62933-722-7.
* Greenland, David R. (2015). Michael Landon: The Career and Artistry of a Television Genius. BearManor Media. ISBN 978-1-59393-785-0.
* Leiby, Bruce R.; Leiby, Linda F. (2015). A Reference Guide to Television's Bonanza: Episodes, Personnel, and Broadcast History. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. ISBN 9781476600758.
* McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
* Shapiro, Melany (1997). Bonanza: The Definitive Ponderosa Companion. Cyclone Books. ISBN 978-1-890723-18-7.

## External links[edit]

* Bonanza season 1 at IMDb
* Bonanza: Episode 19 - The Gunmen is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
* Bonanza: Episode 20 - The Fear Merchants is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
* Bonanza: Episode 21 - The Spanish Grant is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
* Bonanza: Episode 22 - Blood On The Land is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
* Bonanza: Episode 23 - Desert Justice is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
* Bonanza: Episode 24 - The Stranger is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
* Bonanza: Episode 25 - Escape To Ponderosa is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
* Bonanza: Episode 26 - The Avenger is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
* Bonanza season 1 at TV Guide
* Bonanza at epguides.com

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Bonanza

TV series|

* Seasons:
* 1
* 2
* 3
* 4
* 5
* 6
* 7
* 8
* 9
* 10
* 11
* 12
* 13
* 14

Lists|

* Episodes
* Characters

TV movies|

* Bonanza: The Next Generation
* Bonanza: The Return
* Bonanza: Under Attack

Related articles|

* Ponderosa
* Ponderosa Ranch
* Ponderosa and Bonanza Steakhouses

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