Bonanza (TV Series) Stallion (1972) User Reviews

Jealous Resentful Ire

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 28 November 2018]

Michael Landon as Little Joe Cartwright rode that pinto horse since the series began in 1959. So it was a big surprise that Lorne Greene imported as a birthday present a nice new bred for speed stallion. It's one beautiful animal but when Greene and Landon take possession of the horse at the railroad junction it arouses the jealous resentful ire of Clu Gulager who was looking for work there.

Gulager and wife Mitzi Hoag and son Vincent Van Patten have moved into an abandoned mountain cabin. Gulager is one of those resentful peckerwood types of anyone who has more than he does. He's also a racist lout who won't take a job involving real work or association with other white people. And he's an abusive bully to his wife.

Gulager steals the horse and that sets up the rest of this story. Gulager is truly one hateful individual. Hoag gives a quiet understated performance as an abused wife with nowhere else to go.

Gulager really makes this episode.

Ripoff of earlier episode

[dday07-1 · 6/10 · 3 September 2021]

A somewhat ripoff of a season 2 episode called ''The Gift'' Not surprised the co-writer of that episode was involved in the writing of this episode too.

Great to Get a New Horse

[nlathy-839-300677 · 8/10 · 23 January 2023]

Joe gets his dream horse. And a neer do well played by Clu Gallagher wants it. Apparently this is similar to season 2 episode of Bonanza. Brings to mind some Virginian episodes. Gallagher played Sheriff on Virginian. This movie calls to mind a Virginian where a horse is stolen. This one involves class envy. It looks like True Grit at times too. Regardless of antecedent Landon is great as usual with music, which is recycled in Little House on the Prairie. Shame profanity made its way into later episodes. Still there's a good message about importance of right and wrong meaning more than material goods. Also forgiveness isn't easy. Vince Van Patten shines in Westerns.

You gotta work for what you want/need

[jilljohnson-80359 · 7/10 · 5 March 2024]

I found this episode most disturbing. Billybrenner a shiftless good for what with errors in thinking. A belligerent, abusive bully to his wife 😔 and his son idolized him to the point where he believes in his father has it so hard. The son Tommy was a good kid, and his poor mother Alice I can't believe Tommy didn't once witness his father abusing his mother.

Billy after all is the man. He has to wear his gun on his hip around his family because he's a man. He's lazy therefore no food except fastback and greens with sunflower seeds. I don't agree with one reviewer criticizing ben for nothiring him due to enough help. Billy only asked due to his plan to steal the stallion. "A conductor!yeah I. Can do that" his terms easy work. Which he would most likely be dismissed. Railroad and coal mining due to prejudice of men from different walks of life for the first and "I can't work down in hole" it's a job as ben put it. Alice presses Billy more about work their son needs proper nutrition he's growing fast. Billy again hurts and threatens her. He won't sell his horse he'd sell her wedding ring first so she takes it off gives it to him. His family's in rags no decent food no home except for this miners cabin. It was hard to watch. Him scheming to steal the horse and sell it to farm that's a laugh farming is hard work, that's one thing Billy won't do or stick to. Nobody's gonna te.l me what to do. He does not want his son to see him, who he really is.

He steals the horse running it mercilessly, Alice suspects foul play and finds out Billy stole it. Well Joe and he gets in a gun battle the son grabs shotgun to help his PA and gets shot. Joe takes off over the mountain to get help for the boy he took a liking to. Billy peaking over side of door, he's a horse thief. Finally Alice has it with that lazy petulent child she's tethered too and tells him off. Of course it wasn't billys fault it was cartwright. I loved her more when she refereed to him as faultless Billy Brenner. "They stole the horse, it's their fault you can't get a job, it's someone else's fault you can't keep the job you get!" No decency, no honor, and no love" Alice you're the best! Joe and doc arrive he saves booy. The doctor tells him he needs good food to get better not greens and fat back! Billy apologizes to Joe. He wasn't interested tells Brenner it's all words!and to tell his family maybe they'd forgive "I dont" why should he Alice pleas Joe not to arrest him for horse stealing which was a grave offense. He spared him for the boys sake. Well, Billy appeared penitent. As he addressed him as mr. Cartwright I hope so. He needed to grow up.

This episode made me sad and angry all at once. Clu guliger gave a stellar performance! We do need to work to get even the most basic of our existance.

The decline of Bonanza

[jpgarcesv · 3/10 · 10 June 2022]

In spite of very good performances, this episode is uncharacteristic of the Bonanza tradition of conveying noble values to their audience.

It is true that the sacrifice of Little Joe for saving the life of the young boy is very commendable. But he ends up wasting his noble attitude by not forgiving the father of the boy (Gulager) for his previous misdeeds, despite the man's pleading for forgiveness. Ugly! Joe's lack of forgiveness and bearing of a grudge only tarnishes his otherwise noble soul and does nothing to help the outlaw mend his ways.

On the other hand, one cannot condone Gulager's resentful and hateful attitude, which leads him to mistreat his own family and commit crime. But how much of that is caused by society closing all doors on him? At the beginning of the episode he is actively looking for an honest job, and nobody will give it to him. Even Ben Cartwright denies him a job without even asking about his personal circumstances. Had Ben inquired about his desperate family situation, he could have perfectly hired him as a hand, at least temporarily, to alleviate that family's poverty. To do so would not have impoverished a bit the tremendously rich Ben Cartwright, and Gulager could have been employed in any task in that enormous ranch. There is absolutely no compassion in.the erstwhile merciful Ben Cartwright.

Ben and Joe Cartwright are left permanently tarnished in this episode. They are no heroes anymore. And Bonanza becomes a lame-duck show. From here it's just a slippery slope to the end.