Bonanza (season 1)

The first season of the American Western television series Bonanza premiered on NBC on September 12, 1959, with the final episode airing April 30, 1960.[1] The series was developed and produced by David Dortort, and season one starred Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon. The season consisted of 32 episodes of the series's total 431 hour-long episodes, the entirety of which was produced in color.[2] It aired on Saturdays from 7:30 pm–8:30 pm on NBC[3] and placed at number 45 in the Nielsen ratings.

Bonanza
Season 1
Cast of Bonanza in 1959
Cast of Bonanza in 1959
Starring
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes32
Release
Original networkNBC
Original releaseSeptember 12, 1959 (1959-09-12) –
April 30, 1960 (1960-04-30)
Season chronology

Synopsis

Bonanza is set around the Ponderosa Ranch near Virginia City, Nevada and chronicles the weekly adventures of the Cartwright family, consisting of Ben Cartwright and his three sons (each by a different wife), Adam, Eric ("Hoss"), and Joseph ("Little Joe"). A regular character is their ranch cook, Hop Sing.

Cast and characters
See also: List of Bonanza characters

Main cast

Recurring

Guest stars

Production

Development

By 1959, RCA had made progress in producing color television, but American consumers were not adopting the new technology. As the owner of NBC, they sought to produce a pioneer color program. David Dortort created the concept as an hour-long show.[4] It was the first Western to be released in color.[3]

Season one, episode 26, "The Avenger", was the pilot for an unsold spinoff.[5]

Casting

The character of Hoss was the first to be cast, then Little Joe, with Michael Landon being chosen to appeal to the teenage audience. Dortort had worked with both of the actors in The Restless Gun.[6] After seeing Lorne Greene on an episode of Wagon Train, Dortort chose him for the role of Ben Cartwright, having felt Greene had the qualities he was seeking for the family patriarch.[6] Originally, Dortort wanted Guy Williams for the role of Adam, but he was already committed to Disney's Zorro at the time, so Pernell Roberts was cast instead.[6]

NBC originally wanted guest stars, but the costs of filming the show in color cut into the budget significantly. Instead, Dortort would select a guest cast of unknowns.[7]

Writing

Dortort had input on most of the script writing. He was credited with four of the scripts in the first season.[8]

Production design

Sets were designed by Hal Pereira, Earl Hedrick, and David Dortort. Set decoration was handled by Grace Gregory.[7]

Filming

Dortort originally planned to shoot on location, but film costs related to color production also cut into the budget for filming, resulting in the compromise of filming annually in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Most of the filming was done at Paramount Studios.[7]

Other filming locations included:[9]

Music

Jay Livingston and Ray Evans wrote the original theme song. It was originally planned that the leads would sing the lyrics while riding out of Virgina City, but ultimately, the song was used instrumentally. Dortort, not liking the lyrics, agreed to use the song under the provision that it would not be used within the episodes.[7] Dortort selected composer David Rose to write the music for the show, who scored the show's music with a 35 member orchestra.[8]

Themes

The show focused more on relationships than gun fights. It also tackled social issues.[8] "The Fear Merchants" addressed bigotry against Chinese immigrants.[10][11]

Occasionally, scripts would be based on true events, albeit loosely, as often the historical events would not have taken place in the time period of the show.[8] "The Paiute War" was based on the Paiute War that occurred in May and June 1860. "The Julia Bulette Story" was based on the murder of Julia Bulette, which occurred in 1867 in Virginia City. "The Saga of Annie O'Toole" was based on true events. "The Philip Deidesheimer Story" tells the story of Philip Deidesheimer's work developing square-set mining in the Comstock Lode's Ophir Mine in Virginia City in 1960.[12]

Episodes
See also: List of Bonanza episodes
Bonanza, season 1 episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
11"A Rose for Lotta"Edward LudwigDavid DortortSeptember 12, 1959 (1959-09-12)
Mining tycoon Alpheus Troy uses an actress called Lotta Crabtree (Yvonne De Carlo) in a plot to hold Joe Cartwright hostage in exchange for timber wood. George Macready guest stars.
22"Death on Sun Mountain"Paul LandresGene L. Coon and David DortortSeptember 19, 1959 (1959-09-19)
A pair of greedy opportunists kill antelope on Indian grounds and sell them to Virginia's city silver miners for a large profit. Barry Sullivan and Karl Swenson guest star.
33"The Newcomers"Christian NybyThomas ThompsonSeptember 26, 1959 (1959-09-26)
The Cartwrights discover an old enemy killing steers on the Ponderosa. Hoss falls for the fiancée of a treacherous prospector who suspects the Cartwrights of hiding gold. John Larch and Inger Stevens guest star.
44"The Paiute War"Paul LandresGene L. CoonOctober 3, 1959 (1959-10-03)
A sinister trader starts a war between the tribe and a local militia when he frames Adam for the assault of two Paiute women. Anthony Caruso, Walter Coy, and Jack Warden guest star.
55"Enter Mark Twain"Paul LandresHarold ShumateOctober 10, 1959 (1959-10-10)
The Cartwrights help Virginia City reporter Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain (Howard Duff) in his investigation against a corrupt judge (John Litel).
66"The Julia Bulette Story"Christian NybyAl C. WardOctober 17, 1959 (1959-10-17)
Ignoring the admonitions of his father and brothers, Joe falls for a much older woman, the owner of the town's saloon, a madam named Julia Bulette (Jane Greer).
77"The Saga of Annie O'Toole"Joseph KaneThomas ThompsonOctober 24, 1959 (1959-10-24)
Annie O'Toole (Ida Lupino) arrives to Virginia with her old Da and sets a canteen in a silver mine with Adam's help. Alan Hale Jr. guest stars.
88"The Philip Deidesheimer Story"Joseph KaneThomas ThompsonOctober 31, 1959 (1959-10-31)
Pied Piper Philip Deidesheimer (John Beal), with the help of Adam and Hoss, tries to create a method for saving the silver mines of Virginia City from a cave-in.
99"Mr. Henry Comstock"John BrahmDavid DortortNovember 7, 1959 (1959-11-07)
When they are threatened by a man who fraudulently sold a part of the Ponderosa, the Cartwrights remember the day they met claim-jumper Henry Comstock (Jack Carson), whose discovery of the Comstock Lode laid the foundation for Virginia City.
1010"The Magnificent Adah"Christian NybyDonald S. SanfordNovember 14, 1959 (1959-11-14)
The Cartwright boys suspect actress Adah Menkin (Ruth Roman) of having an ulterior motive for marrying their father. Adah's old lover John C. Regan (Don Megowan) comes along seeking his former glory.
1111"The Truckee Strip"Christian NybyHerman GrovesNovember 21, 1959 (1959-11-21)
A silver baron schemes to promote a fight between Ben and his neighbor just to get his hands on timber. Joe Cartwright falls in love with Amy Bishop (Adrienne Hayes) and the two lovers try to stop the family feud between the Cartwrights and the Bishops. James Coburn guest stars.
1212"The Hanging Posse"Christian NybyCarey WilberNovember 28, 1959 (1959-11-28)
Adam and Joe attempt to stop a posse bent on catching the murderers of Vannie Johnson from changing into a lynch mob. Arthur Hunnicutt, Onslow Stevens, and Adam Williams guest star.
1313"Vendetta"Joseph KaneRobert E. ThompsonDecember 5, 1959 (1959-12-05)
Ben is seriously wounded as he and Hoss seek help in fighting the vengeful Morgan brothers, only to be confronted with cowardice when all the friends they thought he had in town decide to hide away. Whitney Blake, Harry Carey Jr., John Milford, Mort Mills and Steve Rowland guest star.
1414"The Sisters"Christian NybyCarey WilberDecember 12, 1959 (1959-12-12)
Adam is falsely accused of killing a dance-hall girl (Fay Spain) after she's shot in his arms and the real killer he shot at gets away. Buddy Ebsen and Jean Willes guest star.
1515"The Last Hunt"Christian NybyDonald S. SanfordDecember 19, 1959 (1959-12-19)
Joe and Hoss protect a pregnant Indian woman who tried to rob their hunting camp from a blizzard as well as a group of Shoshones given orders to find her. Raymond Bailey and Chana Eden guest star.
1616"El Toro Grande"Christian NybyJohn Tucker BattleJanuary 2, 1960 (1960-01-02)
Joe and Hoss go south lands to buy a unique bull for the Ponderosa, but they discover that the bull has been spirited away by a little boy. Alma Beltran and Ricardo Cortez guest star.
1717"The Outcast"Lewis AllenThomas ThompsonJanuary 9, 1960 (1960-01-09)
An outcast woman named Leta Malvet is helped by the Cartwrights after her father and brother are hanged for murder. Clay Renton, Leta's beau, arrives in town. Jack Lord and Susan Oliver guest star.
1818"A House Divided"Lewis AllenAl C. WardJanuary 16, 1960 (1960-01-16)
Confederate sympathizer Frederick Kyle schemes to tear apart Virginia City and the Cartwrights. Ben tries to uncover his agenda after he befriends Little Joe. John Anderson, Stacy Harris and Cameron Mitchell guest star.
1919"The Gunmen"Christian NybyCarey WilberJanuary 23, 1960 (1960-01-23)
Hoss and Joe get themselves involved in a family feud in a small Texas town when they are mistaken for bloodthirsty hired killers. Ellen Corby, Henry Hull, and George Mitchell guest star.
2020"The Fear Merchants"Lewis AllenStory by : Frank Unger
Teleplay by : Frank Unger and Thomas Thompson		January 30, 1960 (1960-01-30)
The Chinese citizens of Virginia City are targeted by a manipulative mayoral candidate's campaign to "hate outsiders". Philip Ahn and Helen Westcott guest star.
2121"The Spanish Grant"Christian NybyStory by : Morris Lee Green
Teleplay by : Leonard Heideman and David Dortort		February 6, 1960 (1960-02-06)
A pair of swindlers team with a dance-hall girl (Patricia Medina) to get their hands on Nevada land, including the Ponderosa. The Cartwrights try to stop them by disproving the validity of a Spanish land grant. Sebastian Cabot and Paul Picerni guest star.
2222"Blood on the Land"Felix FeistRobert E. ThompsonFebruary 13, 1960 (1960-02-13)
Jeb Drummond (Everett Sloane) is a greedy sheepherder determined to fatten his animals on the Ponderosa grasslands: he takes Adam hostage to force Ben to sign over part of the Ponderosa.
2323"Desert Justice"Lewis AllenDonald S. SanfordFebruary 20, 1960 (1960-02-20)
Adam and Hoss try to help a ranch hand (Wesley Lau) who's being taken to California for trial by a brutal U.S. marshal (Claude Akins), but things are not as they first seem.
2424"The Stranger"Christian NybyStory by : Oliver Crawford
Teleplay by : Leonard Heideman		February 27, 1960 (1960-02-27)
The vengeful police inspector LeDuque (Lloyd Nolan) from New Orleans jeopardizes Ben's bid for the governorship over a twenty year murder.
2525"Escape to Ponderosa"Charles F. HaasStory by : Bill Barrett and Malcolm Stuart Boylan
Teleplay by : Robert E. Thompson		March 5, 1960 (1960-03-05)
Ben starts to have second thoughts about helping a brutal stockade commander track down three prisoners on the lam when he realizes what they had to deal with. Joe Maross, Gloria Talbott, and Grant Williams guest star.
2626"The Avenger"Christian NybyClair HuffakerMarch 19, 1960 (1960-03-19)
A mysterious stranger called Lassiter (Vic Morrow) helps Hoss and Joe to save Ben and Adam before they're hanged like his father. The drifter is searching for the men who committeed a lynching in Kansas years ago. Ian Wolfe guest stars.
2727"The Last Trophy"Lewis AllenBill S. BallingerMarch 26, 1960 (1960-03-26)
A British couple visits the Cartwrights - and the woman (Hazel Court) thinks her own husband is a coward. Everything changes when the couple is kidnapped for ransom along with Adam Cartwright. Edward Ashley and Bert Freed guest star.
2828"San Francisco"Arthur LubinThomas ThompsonApril 2, 1960 (1960-04-02)
The Cartwrights finish a cattle drive in San Francisco with Hop Sing. Ben is shanghaied at the Barbary Coast while searching for a pair of ranch hands. Kathleen Crowley, Richard Deacon, James Hong, and David White.
2929"Bitter Water"George BlairHarold Jack BloomApril 9, 1960 (1960-04-09)
The Cartwrights are worried their water will be polluted when their neighbor Andy (Rhys Williams)'s son, Todd (Don Dubbins), threatens to sell his land to a miner.
3030"Feet of Clay"Arthur LubinJohn Furia Jr.April 16, 1960 (1960-04-16)
Hoss attempts to comfort a boy (David Ladd) whose mother has just died and whose father is in jail, but not for long.
3131"Dark Star"Lewis AllenAnthony LawrenceApril 23, 1960 (1960-04-23)
Joe romances a Gypsy named Tirza (Susan Harrison) who thinks she's a witch. Her people also believe she's bewitched and she's banished from the community.
3232"Death at Dawn"Charles HaasLaurence E. MascottApril 30, 1960 (1960-04-30)
A criminal gang that has taken over Virginia City in the form of a protection racket kidnaps Ben. Paul Carr, Robert Middleton, and Morgan Woodward guest star.

Release

The season aired on Saturdays from 7:30 pm–8:30 pm on NBC.[3] The timeslot was deliberate. It was a time when many people were shopping in department stores, and they could see the show displayed on color televisions at period when color television sets had not yet been widely adopted.[4] However, many people watching at home were still tuning in to Perry Mason in that timeslot.[4]

Reception

The first season lost the Saturday night ratings to Perry Mason.[13] Released at a time when television was saturated with Westerns, the premier episode garnered the following review from Variety:

Another western is just what Saturday night television needs least, and that's what Bonanza appears to be -- just another western. For all its pretensions, with a large cast, name guests, color and an hour's length, proves to be little more than a patch work of stock oater ideas without a fresh twist to distinguish it...[4]

Poor ratings and high production costs led to NBC considering cancellation early in the process, leading to rumors that the show actually was cancelled; but fans wrote in and NBC realized it did have a viable audience.[4]

The first season of the series failed to break the Nielsen ranking top 30.[14]

References

Footnotes
  1. Shapiro 1997, pp. 65, 70.
  2. Shapiro 1997, pp. 5, 65–157.
  3. Brooks & Marsh 2007, p. 164.
  4. Shapiro 1997, p. 5.
  5. Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 38.
  6. Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 15.
  7. Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 16.
  8. Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 17.
  9. Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 28.
  10. Shapiro 1997, p. 68.
  11. Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 35.
  12. Shapiro 1997, p. 65-66.
  13. Shapiro 1997, p. 8.
  14. "1959-1960 TV Ratings". classictvguide.com. Retrieved 2023-09-16.

Bibliography
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