This is a film noir. And it works largely because of Doug McClure performance. John Wayne said a big part of acting is learning how to take a punch. And McClure handles fight scenes with the best of them. It's up to Trampas to find out who did and protect plus recover stolen gold. The cast is good. They do a good job of playing unlikeable people. Lee Kroeger plays a fiendish woman. Some of the worst women appear in Westerns. Steve Carlson plays the conniving brother. There's plenty of action and a twist at the end. It's a good look at what lengths people will go for money. And people find ways to justify it.
Reviews
307 Reviews
Poor Miss Cathcart Is Just Trying For A Date
24 June 2024
This is a funny one. Still I have to mark it a little lower because Dennis is too much of an operator. Putting valentines in mailboxes to get them to send valentines not knowing who sent them in the first place. No wonder people say sales is a racket. Mary Wickes gets a lot of screen time in this one. Miss Cathcart is truly a beleaguered spinster in this one. She does get excited. A funny scene comes where the lawn care guy is unknowingly going through courting. Hard to imagine more comic misunderstandings than you find in this short. It is a good promo for greeting cards. It's also a reminder you can keep the holiday spirit going year round. Even screwball comedy can have a message.
Who Are You Going To Believe?
24 June 2024
Michael Witney plays an outlaw who escapes from the Sheriff played by Morgan Woodward. Then he gets recaptured with the help of the Cartwrights (those pesky handcuffs). Witney is a real loud mouth. And he keeps trying to get Joe to back off escorting Witney to prison. Witney even comes across a Mexican sister and brother and works to turn them against Joe. It shows how far bad people are willing to go to achieve their ends, even trying to convince others they're good. There's some mean people in this one. It's up to Joe to use his resources to pull this one out. Always interesting to see what he comes up with.
Can He Get A Witness?
14 June 2024
Candy meets a flawed lady, who's working with an outlaw. The outlaw assaults and robs Candy. Then the baddie played by Byron Mabe robs and murders an elderly woman, and it's pinned on Candy. It's up to Ben, Joe and Griff to find the money and get a witness. Sally Kemp is the lady who can clear Candy. Stephen Nathan gives a strong performance as an attorney. It's a shame the final season was cut short. We'll never know how good the rest of the episodes would have been. The reduced season is a blessing for those eager to get back to the first season. I like the addition of Tim Matheson to the show. And this is a good episode for him. Good attorney jousting, too The abbreviated 14th season stands on its own well.
Rough Time To Have A Baby
6 June 2024
Murray Macleod has a pregnant wife played by Sian Barbara Allen. He gets involved with outlaws, and they won't let him rejoin her. Ben finds the woman on the floor alone in their house. I had some misgivings about the dialog the first time I saw this one. This time around I like the discussion about Christian names. It seemed overdone and redundant the first viewing. James Olson and Albert Salmi play outlaws, and they are plenty mean. This episode gets a little too grim near the end. And the action does strain plausibility. Still it all sustains interest. And there is the reality a woman benefits from knowing how to use a firearm.
Welcome Aboard Griff
5 June 2024
This episode picks up with ending of the previous one. The line of the prison worker is reminiscent of the end of Caged. There is some humor in the early part of this one, making it less grim than other episodes from the final season. Still it's sad watching Griff try to adjust to the Ponderosa. Ronny Cox puts in a good performance. He's even drawn into a complex situation. Michael Landon is used sparingly. Mitch Vogel appears even less. Still he helps with the comic relief. It's a great episode for Candy. I've enjoyed watching Bing Russell play a deputy in the series. Russell has his share of trouble in this one.
Flower Power
5 June 2024
No this isn't Russ Tamblyn pretending to be a cat in Seven Brides For Seven Brothers. It's Dennis trying to get Mr. Wilson's flowers back in his garden after he gets Dennis to take up gardening. The goal is to keep Dennis out of Mr. Wilson's garden. Of course none of this works. Madcap fun ensues with Dennis and his dad putting flowers back in Mr. Wilson's garden. And Mr. Wilson helping Dennis with his garden. And of course there's a hose. Mrs. Mitchell can't help but laugh when Henry is drenched. Mr. Merrivale adds to the humor by laughing at sweet potatoes in Mr. Wilson's garden. There's a contest involved too.
Inspection Time Uncovers Inhumane Prison
4 June 2024
Ben Cartwright goes on a fact finding mission to see how prisoners are being treated. It turns out the conditions are so bad the prisoners have demands to change things. And they're willing to take hostages including sympathetic Ben. It turns out one of the level-headed inmates is Griff played by Tim Matheson. This is Matheson's introduction to the series. After being on the Virginian, Matheson is a welcome addition to Bonanza. Aldo Ray does a good job of playing a corrupt guard and Denver Pyle gets to play a feckless warden. The suspense is solid. And Joe and Candy are utilized for intense action scenes.
A Pact That Goes Too Far
3 June 2024
An initiation results in the death of a boy. Ron Howard convinces the others to keep quiet to due to Howard's concerns about the legal consequences. Jamie and the others aren't fans of the silence even less so when an unemployed man is accused of murdering the boy. This isn't an episode for those who watch Bonanza for laughs. A lot of episodes were serious, so it's no reason to expect whimsy in every movie. Besides Hop Sing provides laughs in this one. Maybe if the final season had run its course there would have been some funny episodes. Still the final season, despite ending in January, is solid. This one of the better Jamie shows in the series.
Dirty Water Makes For A Real Mess
2 June 2024
It's a wonder the McCulloughs go to hiking trails or lakes at all. And this series has a way of coming up with villains. Corporate greed and willful pollution are exposed in this short. Poor Lassie. She gets in the worst messes. This series has her recovering from illness and injury along the lines of 1940s Lassie movies. A problem with this one is the adults do a poor job of communicating to the kids what the problem is. It sure isn't Megan's fault for taking a swim. Luckily Lassie is around to get help. I wonder how Megan's photography assignment went. That sure was a nice camera for the time period.
Hard to Get A Fresh Start
2 June 2024
This episode has a film noir quality. At times it seems a little too grim, even soapy. Yet the story unfolds in best oater fashion. Much of the credit for the success of this movie belongs to Lorne Greene. He was never better than he is here. The scene where he reigns in Robert Lansing with payback is one of the best in series history. Greene is the best friend Lansing and his wife could have. It's a good look at corrupt public officials, who are supposed to be protecting the people. It's good for Ben to get away from the Ponderosa once in a while and clean up a mess. The other Cartwrights and Candy do well in small parts.
Lassie is a Chaperone
1 June 2024
Poor Lassie. The problem for dogs is they get in the way, when family members want to focus on human companions. Still this doesn't justify Megan's date putting Lassie in the family vehicle on a hot day. This is a reminder why it's a good idea to lock your car. Thank goodness, Will has a friend of the opposite sex, too. Somebody has to figure our what's going on. The ending is heart warming enough to make up for the sadness of Lassie getting heat illness. Too bad Wendy has a penchant for meeting the wrong guy. At least the brother and sister get along in this series. They seem like normal kids, right down to room switching talk.
Right Dog, Wrong Owner
1 June 2024
The TV police might have a field day, pointing out the implausibility ofthe wrong person ending up with the dog. And it's a nefarious man, who gets him. It does raise the question how grateful the real owner should be if the dog is returned to her. Still it's a good caper with Lassie looking for the dog. And the dog thief has plenty more dogs. Oddly enough the bad guy uses the term add when multiply would make more sense to calculate the amount of money they can make from dog napping. No one thinks of bad guys as geniuses. It's an interesting look at a time before the prevalence of mobile phones. It takes a long time before Will accesses a pay phone. Good thing Mister McCullough has a car phone.
Watch Out For Hunters
1 June 2024
It's not hunting season, yet someone is out hunting and shoots uncle Steve, who is with Lassie. The guy, who is the careless hunter, is mean and blames the dog for his trouble. And animal control sides with the odious Mr. Foster. Oh well, the McCulloughs stick together. And since it's a Lassie movie there has to be an escape. This movie shows how law enforcement officers can be misguided in large part because of government policy. Fortunately the animal control officer gets to help Lassie, Mr. McCullough and Will find Steve. It's a good start to a series, which deserved a wider audience and ended too soon.
Lassie Chases A Cat And Gets Lost
1 June 2024
This reboot of the Lassie series is a little darker than the series' in the 1950s and 60s. At least its the tone of this episode. Still it's heartwarming including the adorable closing credits one is accustomed to with Lassie. In this short he chases a cat and gets trapped in a truck. The family is in panic, and the son and father go out searching for him. Like other Lassie movies there's at least one friendly person he comes across. A troubled boy befriends him and keeps him away from a gang. Mike is needed by Lassie, and the dog doesn't forget him. The episode has a good message about redemption and of course family.
Tux Trouble For Dennis And The Adults
28 May 2024
It's not good when Dennis doesn't have time for hot dogs and chocolate cake. Dennis uses a washing machine after not taking Mr. Wilson's tuxedo to the cleaners. Then it's the wrong size. And he starts swapping with his dad's and Seymour's dad. Seymour is the smallest of the boys, but he has the biggest dad. Tommy's concern about Dennis getting an ulcer is well founded. The more kids get in on it the worse it gets. Even errands seem to go awry when Dennis gets involved. Eloise thinks it's funny at least. We can't help but share Mrs. Wilson's laughter. This one borders on nonsensical. Still it's funny.
Roll Over And Make Way for Mr. Wilson's Review
24 May 2024
Mr. Wilson has had it with the Public School System. He ends up becoming a student for a day. Didn't he learn his lesson (no pun intended), when he was a kid for a day? Oh well, he asks for it. And Harold Gould is more than happy to accommodate John or Johnny as Dennis' teacher calls him. Needless to say it's a rib tickler. This series gets its share of mileage out of the Twist. No wonder Chubby Checker recorded all those dance songs. Seymour gets in on the fun even though he's in a younger class. It's not clear Wilson learns much from all this. He gets a slice of humble pie. And Eloise is quite willing to point out the Establishment's response to Wilson's quibbling.
The Far Country
(1954)
Cattle and Gold Make For Gunfights And Romance
18 May 2024
Far Country is an underrated Western. It probably doesn't get the credit it deserves when compared to Anthony Mann's earlier Bend Of The River. Bend starred Jimmy Stewart, also. Far Country has a lot going for it, also. John McIntire always puts in a solid performance. Too bad he has to play the top bad guy in this one. Ruth Roman and Corrine Calvet make a good love triangle with Stewart. It's a story similar to Spoilers. As much as I like John Wayne this film resonates more with me. Connie Gilchrist and Kathleen Freeman get the best parts of their careers running a rival tavern to Roman's in Dawson. Jimmy Stewart gives a great performance and the action never stops.
Save The Children
12 May 2024
Neville Brand leads a group of escaped convicts, who hijack a prison wagon and take Jamie and three other hostages. Brand played his share of mean outlaws, and this film is no exception to type. Still you got to like the way the kids stick together. Christopher Beaumont needs to be set straight on some things, when he is trying to overcome the captors. This movie brings to mind Man Who Knew Too Much. The suspense is good. It deals well with how to go about dealing with hostage takers. The baddies don't seem like the smartest. Yet that's to be expected with villains. Jamie seems to be fully on board with the Cartwrights at this point. In the series.
Seeing Double
18 April 2024
This episode is an oddity to say the least. Hollywood loves to have fun with a dual role. Ben has a lookalike in this movie. And his doppelganger is a charlatan. The ending has to he seen to be believed. And there's an unsatisfying feeling to the viewing experience. Still it's funny. I never thought of Lorne Greene has a comedic actor. Laughs seem more the territory of Buck Sexton and Michael Landon. This is one is worth a watch for a scene involving Victor Sen Young. Young is so good in this and many other episodes. It's a wonder he's not in the opening credits or at least in the guest star portion. It's not as funny as Three Stooges or even Honolulu or Parent Trap. Still it's a good one.
Year Of The Cat
16 April 2024
I don't get it. A movie with Pernell Roberts and Peter Breck going after a cougar and people don't like it. This episode has plenty of action. And the acting is solid. Lee Majors and Breck draw the viewer in right away. Maybe some viewers see this show as running out of steam in season four. This perception explains why the show didn't make it for a fifth season. To see Majors on a horse in the early 70s you have to watch the final season of The Virginian. In this oater Linda Evans does a good job of trying to talk Breck about avenging the attack by the cat. Barbara Stanwyck can't talk sense into him either. Yet Evans and Stanwyck can explain Breck to Richard Long. A good watch with a great poker game involving Roberts and an outlaw, who has a bond wife. The conversation Breck has with the woman is a moving one, recalling a scene in Lost Weekend.
Far Haven
(2023)
A Town In Need Of Constant Attention.
15 April 2024
This movie begged my attention from INSP notifying me of its airing and the negative reviews on IMDB. I decided to give it a go because of the comments about the wholesome nature of the movie. Turns out a good movie can still be made with Hays code standards. A famous Psalm (22 or 23 depending on Bible translation) helps start the story. It's more a Christian friendly movie than a Christian film. The story has plenty of Western cliches and references to other genres. A scene near the end recalls a memorable town meeting scene in Hoosiers. Bailey Chase does a commendable job as the lead. Martin Kove and Don Most elevate the film with their performances. Experience is a plus in front of the camera.
A Writer Needs To Type
13 April 2024
Poor John Boy can't get any stories published if they're handwritten. No matter how good they are, a publisher won't read them. Grandpa inadvertently tips him off about a typewriter the Baldwin sisters have. Trouble is bound to happen, when John Boy types his story out in a tool shed, so his disapproving ( of the Baldwins) mother won't find out. The Baldwins like that John Boy writes about their moonshine recipe in his story. Too bad Mary Ellen sells it to a junk dealer played by venerable character actor George Tobias. One thing this episode does is reference the superior pilot episode Homecoming. Homecoming is well worth seeing for the uninitiated. This episode gets a one star increase for the moving moments with John Boy and Mary Ellen.
Carrie Needs A Family
13 April 2024
Paul Fix and his granddaughter played byJewel Blanch are working a mine on the Cartwrights' property. An accident and an injury to Fix cause Blanch end up with a greedy couple played by William Bramley and Madeleine Sherwood. Sherwood was memorable playing a Secretary in the Columbo movie Dawn's Early Light. This is a terrific episode for Jamie. Michael Landon does enough problem solving and mentoring to make this look like a Little House on the Prairie episode. Not that any resemblance to another series is a problem. Lorne Greene and Dan Blocker have good moments, too. Any episode celebrating family is well worth watching.
Undercover Cartwrights Catch Up With Leader
10 April 2024
Joe and Hoss get their money stolen in a stagecoach robbery, and they want their money back. They go undercover as outlaws involved. Hoss gets more than he bargained for with the identity he assumes. Family situations aren't spelled out when the plan is thought up. A story unfolds, which is a cross between Southern Yankee, Tales of Wells Fargo with Voice of The Turtle thrown in the third act. What makes this movie work is Strother Martin. He plays the whole thing with brilliant comedic timing. There's even some moving moments in a comedy awash in absurdity. This is one of the better humorous episodes.
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