Bonanza (TV Series) The Saga of Muley Jones (1964) User Reviews

One powerful baritone

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 12 June 2019]

Bruce Yarnell playing Cartwright cousin Muley Jones comes to Virginia City to visit his relations. The man has one powerful baritone singing voice and he's not making friends busting all the glass in town when he clears those high notes.

But Yarnell proves quite useful in discovering the identity of some folks making illegal whiskey. His discovery scene at the climax of the episode is quite amusing.

Besides Yarnell who is best known for starring opposite Ethel Merman in a 1968 Lincoln Center revival of Annie Get Your Gun the cast includes Jerome Cowan as an Indian agent, Strother Martin and Jesse White as the still operators and Ralph Moody as an Indian chief.

One of Bonanza's best comic episodes.

Great Supporting Actor Performances and Soundtrack

[Bronco46 · 10/10 · 30 July 2011]

This would have been just another run of the mill episode if it wasn't for the amazing performance of the supporting actors. Jesse White and Strother Martin who given stellar performances in many outstanding films add a quality to this episode not usually seen in Bonanza. There are is one underlying story here involving Ben Cartwright trying to stop an Indian agent forcing the local tribe to a reservation. But that story takes a back seat to the story of the moon shiners (Jesse White and Strother Martin) their interaction is first class and hilarious. Add to that; the incredible singing voice of Bruce Yarnell whose beautiful rendition's of Beautiful Dreamer and Listen to the Mockingbird are amazing. He makes these old songs pop.

Silly, just silly.

[tles7 · 2/10 · 30 October 2020]

Bruce Yarnell sings along to his (or perhaps soneone else's) pre-recorded voice in this incredibly silly episode. A sung note can only break glass if it is a high tenor note and it has to be a special kind of glass. Singing an ordinary note, but pretty loud, his voice "breaks" bottles, chandeliers, windows and everything else. This is more F Troop or Carol Burnett than Bonanza. He then constantly sings at the top of his lungs which annoys everyone including the viewers. It may be the worst episode of series.

Put a cork in it!

[DeepFriedJello · 4/10 · 8 August 2023]

I enjoy most every Bonanza, but this one just is a pile of steaming road apples. Second cousin Muley comes into town and starts singing annoyingly loud and starts breaking up every piece of glassware, and china in the saloon and then in the Cartwright home. It doesn't matter if the glasses or cups have liquid in them or if they are in the next room, everything starts breaking. Windows popping out everywhere, flying shards of glass and pottery. Yet this Muley still has the need to wail at the top of his lungs whenever he has the chance. The money damages keep piling up, but he keeps on wailing. The Cartwrights offer him money to get the heck out of town, but he keeps on wailing away. If his voice is really that destructive, he would be deaf.

Chris Isaak, is that you? No...but now I can't unsee it

[bowyer-32258 · 30 October 2020]

Bruce Yarnell was the explosive bard causing all the breaking 💥 news in town, but I had to do a double-take and recheck the timeline for ages of characters when it seemed like Chris Isaak was deepfaked into the episode. Obviously it's just a coincidence they both sing, right?🤔😉 Cousin Muley goes to San Francisco and....Chris Isaak has an album called San Francisco Days?...😁 No relation...