Three Queens Full (12 Nov. 1961)

Moose and Small Paul Wheelwright ? The Subrosa Ranch ? Hilarious "Bonanza" parody with Bart squirming in the middle between 3 naive, pa whipped brothers and their worldly mail-order brides ... See full summary »

Director:

Michael O'Herlihy

Writers:

William Bruckner (teleplay), William Bruckner (story),

Stars:

Jack Kelly, Merry Anders, Kasey Rogers

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Jack Kelly	...	Bart Maverick
Merry Anders	...	Cissie
Kasey Rogers	...	Emma
Allyson Ames	...	Lou Ann
Joseph Gallison	...	Small Paul Wheelwright (as Evan McCord)
Jake Sheffield	...	Moose Wheelwright
Larry Chance	...	Henry Wheelwright
Frank Ferguson	...	Sheriff Mattson
Harry Lauter	...	Braze
Willard Waterman	...	Whittleseed
Don Kennedy	...	Humbolt
Jim Backus	...	Joe Wheelwright

Storyline

Moose and Small Paul Wheelwright ? The Subrosa Ranch ? Hilarious "Bonanza" parody with Bart squirming in the middle between 3 naive, pa whipped brothers and their worldly mail-order brides from the Barbary Coast, after matchmaker Whittleseed (Willard Waterman) is murdered. Episode also has fine performances by Kasey Rogers, Jake Sheffield as the amorous Moose, and Jim Backus as the blustery pa of the Wheelwrights, who always stick together - and we even find out why they have to ! "Three Queens Full" is adorned with splendidly over-the-top music too.

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Plot Keywords:

mail order bride | parody | barroom brawl

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Genres:

Action | Western | Adventure | Comedy

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Details

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 November 1961 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Stage 22, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros. Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is a parody of the NBC western series Bonanza.

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Quotes

Bart Maverick: Well, that return stage doesn't leave until tomorrow, so what I'd better do is ask Ma Potter if she'll put you girls up for the night.
Emma Watt: Oh, that won't be necessary, Mr. Maverick. We've decided to stay after all.
Bart Maverick: What?
Emma Watt: You can drive us out to the Wheelwright Ranch anytime you're ready.
Bart Maverick: What?
Emma Watt: You know, you really should do something about that hearing, Mr. Maverick.

User Reviews

"Gun Shy" It Ain't

Okay, Maverick's spoof of Gunsmoke ("Gun Shy") worked really well, so why not a spoof of another big western of the day, Bonanza. It's a good plot— rounding up 3 girls of dubious reputation and selling them off as refined ladies for the 3 Wheelwright (Cartwright) boys. Lots of laughs there, getting the girls to mind their manners at the same time their schooling is courtesy the San Francisco saloon circuit. The trouble is that the Wheelwrights just aren't that funny. Well, Jake Sheffield certainly looks funny as the overfed brother Moose (Hoss, of Bonanza). He peers out from somewhere beneath a hat pulled down around his socks, looking like the son Pa (Jim Backus) would be advised to keep in the barn. But the other two brothers, Small Paul and Henry, (Little Joe and Adam) don't even look funny and come across as just another couple of guys hanging around town. And oddly, comedy actor Backus in the Lorne Greene role seems unsure how to play the part when a caricaturing of the lordly Ponderosa patriarch is clearly in order. I'm not sure whether the problem is with the casting, the directing, or the writing, but the satirical side is a long way from the satisfactions of Gun Shy. Anyway, a few humorous compensations remain, so the hour is still likely worth a look-see.