"Bonanza" The Mission (1960)

User Rating:

9.1/10   

Director:

James Neilson

Writers:

David Dortort (creator)
Robert E. Thompson (writer)

TV Series:

"Bonanza" (1959)

Original Air Date:

17 September 1960 (Season 2, Episode 2)

Genre:

Action | Romance | War | Western

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Ranch | Nevada | Half Brother | Brother Brother Relationship | Strong Man

Cast

Dan Blocker	...	Eric 'Hoss' Cartwright
Lorne Greene	...	Ben Cartwright
Pernell Roberts	...	Adam Cartwright
Michael Landon	...	Joseph Cartwight
Henry Hull	...	Charlie Trent
John Dehner	...	Captain Pender
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Adler	...	O'Hara
Holly Bane	...	Kelly (as Michael Ragan)
Lane Bradford	...	Monk
Harry Carey Jr.	...	Corporal Burton
Don Collier	...	Sergeant
Ray Hemphill	...	Johnson
Don Rhodes	...	Latigo
Dale Van Sickel	...	Morgan
Peter Whitney	...	Lewt Cutter

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

National Broadcasting Company (NBC)

Trivia:

Copyright has expired and is now in the public domain.

"Pisoned wells"

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

The town drunk, Charlie Trent, is a scout, he once led soldiers into an ambush. Hoss is looking after him a little one day when an Army troop passes through, transporting gold across the desert to a fort. The scout they hired knows he's needed, won't leave the saloon before he's ready. The captain hires Trent, whose reputation still has force.

North and south are Indian tribes, the desert is the only way. The dismissed scout, Cutter, had planned to lose the troop in the desert and come back alone, while his gang stole the gold. Now he won't have any explaining to do.

Each well Trent finds is "pisoned". The third is guarded by Cutter and his gang. Trent and Hoss go ahead and are captured, send a false signal and bring on the soldiers in a flanking maneuver.

Henry Hull has the job of Trent in the desert, low, flat and wide, summoning all his wits to find water. Neilson contributes adroit compositions with the zoom lens to compress a scene. Peter Whitney is mighty good as Cutter.