In this episode from the first season of Bonanza the fictional Cartwrights meet up with a young writer named Samuel Langhorne Clemens who did in fact spend some time in Virginia City during the Comstock Lode silver rush. It is here we learn how Clemens who had been using the pen name of Josh got to find the name that he became immortal with.
Howard Duff guest stars as Clemens and he's writing for the Territorial Enterprise and decides to also do some investigative reporting. Edmon Ryan is a ruthless railroad executive who is looking to grab off chunks of the Ponderosa for the line, something the Cartwrights just won't allow. Ryan's bought the territorial judge though in the person of John Litel who has a wife in Dorothy Green, but he's also up for re-election at the time as it turns out.
The wit of Sam Clemens is brought to bear on the judge and he proves to the Cartwrights and the rest of us that the pen really can be mightier than the sword even if it needs some swords or in this case guns to back it up. In the process he comes up with the name we know him all by today, Mark Twain.
As you would expect from this subject the episode is handled with wit and though Howard Duff was quite a bit older than the real Sam Clemens was when he was in Virginia City, still he carries the part off well.
One of Bonanza's better episodes.
Howard Duff guest stars as Clemens and he's writing for the Territorial Enterprise and decides to also do some investigative reporting. Edmon Ryan is a ruthless railroad executive who is looking to grab off chunks of the Ponderosa for the line, something the Cartwrights just won't allow. Ryan's bought the territorial judge though in the person of John Litel who has a wife in Dorothy Green, but he's also up for re-election at the time as it turns out.
The wit of Sam Clemens is brought to bear on the judge and he proves to the Cartwrights and the rest of us that the pen really can be mightier than the sword even if it needs some swords or in this case guns to back it up. In the process he comes up with the name we know him all by today, Mark Twain.
As you would expect from this subject the episode is handled with wit and though Howard Duff was quite a bit older than the real Sam Clemens was when he was in Virginia City, still he carries the part off well.
One of Bonanza's better episodes.
