Bonanza: The Lost Episodes
Introducing Jamie Hunter

377.) The Gold-Plated Rifle
         January 10, 1971
         Written by: Preston Wood
         Directed by: Joseph Pevney

         When Jamie runs away from breaking a rifle he was told not to touch, Ben follows him and tells him: "I didn't pick my sons-they were born to me.  But I did pick you.  I didn't have to, but I did.  You might consider that a point in your favor.  Hoss and Joe and I want you to be a part of our family".

         Guest Stars: Mrs. Hagen...Jessica Myerson,...Frank...George Paulsin,...Hop Sing...Victor Sen Yung,...Sheriff Coffee...Ray Teal,...1st Boy...John Daniels,...2nd Boy...Jimmy Brown,...Dusty Rhoades...Lou Frizzell.

         Filming date: October 29 to November 7, 1970.

378.) Top Hand
         January 17, 1971
         Written by: John Hawkins, Arthur Heinemann
         Directed by: William F. Claxton

         The Cartwrights are about to start a major cattle drive with other ranchers.  It has been decided that Ben's foreman will be trail boss on the drive.  Weatherby, a fellow rancher who is also with Ben, has agreed to have Kelly as trail boss, until he finds out that Kelly was previously on a cattle drive with him, and fired him for drinking.

         Weatherby also suggests that his younger wrangler take the job as trail boss, and a conflict is started between both Ben's foreman and Weatherby's wrangler.  A marvelous performance by expert horseman/actor Ben Johnson.  One of several episodes where David Rose plays a beautiful and moving instrumental score he would later use as the theme song in "Little House On The Prairie"

         Guest Stars: Jim Kelly...Ben Johnson,...Burt Yates...Roger Davis,...Weatherby...Walter Barnes,...Quincy...Jerry Gatlin,...Sourdough...Richard Farnsworth,...Jimpson...Bill Clark,...Bones...Ed Jauregui,...Smokey...Hal Burton,...Haley...Evans Thornton...(uncredited; bit part),...Hal Burton...(uncredited; horse corral double for Michael Landon),...Henry Wills...(uncredited; horseback double for Roger Davis).

         Trivia: Ben Johnson makes his last appearance as Kelly, and Roger Davis makes his last as well, both seen in earlier seasons of "Bonanza".  The late Richard Farnsworth makes an appearance, later seen in thirteen's, "He Was Only Seven".  Walter Barnes makes his third appearance, previously seen in eleven's, "Anatomy Of A Lynching", and, "The Long Way To Ogden".

         Stunt Trivia: In the horse corral scenes, stuntman Jerry Gatlin and Hal Burton (doubling Joe) work on breaking the wild stallion. Michael only does his medium size camera shots with Gatlin.

         Trivia: Henry Wills served as second unit director working on this episode.  Henry was one of two stuntmen who would double Pernell Roberts and he also worked on "The High Chaparral".

         Trivia: The opening and closing acts of the cattle drive footage consist of stock footage taken from Paramount films, one in particular shot at Lone Pine, California.

         Location Scenes Filmed at: Patagonia and Old Tucson, Arizona.

         Filming date: October 1970.

379.) A Deck Of Aces
         January 31, 1971
         Written by: Stanley Roberts
         Directed by: Lewis Allen

         Bradley Meredith, a Ben Cartwright look-a-like, causes trouble when he sells land to the railroad.  Ben has already turned down the deal, but Meredith, acting as Ben, accepts the deal, which stirs up all kinds of trouble.

        Guest Stars: Wentworth...Allan Oppenheimer,...Dixie...Linda Gaye Scott,...Turk...Jeff Morris,...Nicholson...Charles Dierkop,...Dan Fielding...Tom Basham,...Sheriff Coffee...Ray Teal,...Ned Blaine...Jack Collins,...Hop Sing...Victor Sen Yung,...Milt Jarvis...Guy Wilkerson,...Mel Waters...Stephen Coit,...Telegraph Operator...Sam Jarvis,...1st Poker Player...Ralph James,...Bartender...Bern Hoffman,...Desk Clerk...#1...John Gilgreen,...2nd Poker Player...Lee McLaughlin.

         Trivia: Allan Oppenheimer makes his first appearance, he would later be seen in thirteen's, "The Customs of the Country" and "A Visit To Upright".  He played Dr. Rudy Wells, in ABC's, "The Six-Million Dollar Man".  Linda Gaye Scott as Bradley's scheming accomplice, later seen as a saloon girl, in thirteen's, "Warbonnet".  Charles Diekrop as Bradley's accomplice, previously seen in ten's, "The Fence", as Sawyer, and later in fourteen's, "New Man", as a Ponderosa hand.

         Trivia: Split-screen photography is employed when Ben finally catches his look-a-like imposter, Bradley, and in act four as well, when Bradley breaks jail, as Ben!

         Location Scenes Filmed at: June 1970 stock footage of Hoss and Joe riding through the river at Garner Ranch, Idyllwild, San Bernadino National Forest, California.

380.) The Desperado
         February 7, 1971
         Written by: George Lovell Hayes
         Directed by: Phillip Leacock

         Hoss is held prisoner by a fugitive black couple who they admit hate white people and have nothing to lose by killing them.

         Guest Stars: Buck Walters...Lou Gossett, Jr.,...Sheriff Solomon...Ramon Bieri,...Liza Walters...Marlene Clark,...Thad...Michael Mikler,...Andy...George Dunn,...Davy...Sandy Rosenthal,...Cal...Warren Vanders.

         Trivia: Lou Gossett, Jr., makes his only appearance, and Ramon Bieri makes his first, later seen in fourteen's, "The Marriage Of Theodora Duffy".  He would later be seen in both "Little House On The Prairie", and in "Highway To Heaven".  Warren Vanders makes his last appearance as the Deputy, alongside Ramon Bieri (the Sheriff).  He was previously in nine's, "The Trackers", seven's, "Ride The Wind", and in six's, "The Far, Far Better Thing".  Michael Mikler makes his second and last appearance on the series, this time as Thad.  He was previously seen in five's "Twilight Town" in a dual-role as the bushwhacker who steals Joe's horse and as the ghost of outlaw Felix Matthews.

         Location Scenes Filmed at: Old Tucson and Sabino Canyon, Arizona.

         Filming date: October 1970.

381.) The Reluctant American
         February 14, 1971
         Written by: Stanley Roberts
         Directed by: Phillip Leacock

         An English couple comes to Nevada to learn why a ranch owned by the British investment firm is the only company holding not showing a profit.

         Guest Stars: Leslie Harwood...Daniel Massey,...Gillian Harwood...Jill Haworth,...Bolton...Daniel Kemp,...Big Mac...J. Pat O' Malley,...Gore Stanhope...Ronald Long,...Clem...Bing Russell,...Hop Sing,...Victor Sen Yung,...Haida...Sandra Ego,...Reverend Williams...Pat Houtchens,...Stokely...Red Morgan,...Ed Jauregui...(uncredited: horseback double for Lorne Greene),...Bill Clark...(uncredited; wagon & horseback double for Dan Blocker),...Hal Burton...(uncredited; horseback double for Michael Landon & Daniel Massey),...Richard Drown...(uncredited; horseback double for Mitch Vogel).

         Trivia: J. Pat O' Malley makes his last appearance on "Bonanza", previously seen in four's, "Rich Man, Poor Man", and in two's, "The Duke".

         Stunt Trivia: In some filmed cuts in act one on location, Ben is doubled by Bill Clark and Joe by Hal Burton, riding Paint horse #5, chasing the cattle rustlers, in long shots.  In the climax, when going after Bolton, Hoss and Joe ride up to a rugged draw and come to a halt.  In the medium shots, Hal Burton in the Joe costume on Paint horse #12, expertly rides quickly through and chases after Bolton (actor Daniel Kemp) and in the next shot, Hal jumps off the Paint horse and grabs Kemp's stuntman to the ground and fights him, the only time on the series, Hal ever doubles Joe in a fight.  Hal blocks and does a one-two punch sending Kemp's stuntman to the ground.  Hal also horseback doubles actor Daniel Massey when Leslie is breaking the horse earlier in this episode.

         Location Scenes Filmed at:  Agoura, Southern California with June 1961 stock footage at Solitude Canyon, Lake Tahoe Nevada, and June 1970 stock shot at Garner Ranch, Idyllwild, San Bernadino National Forest, California.

         Filming Date: November 1970.

382.) Shadow Of A Hero
         February 21, 1971
         Written by: John Hawkins, B. W. Sandefur, Mel Goldberg
         Directed by: Leo Penn

         Ben is shocked to learn the Army general he is backing as governor, advocates a policy of genocide towards all Indians.

         Guest Stars: Ira Cloninger...Dean Jagger,...Freed...Laurence Luckinbill,...Donovan...John Randolph,...Bertha Cloninger...Linda Watkins,...Willis...Lane Bradford,...Sam Greybuck...Ruben Moreno,...Sheriff Baker...Stuart Randall,...Thomas Greybuck...Steve Shemayne,...Hal Burton...(uncredited; horseback fall for Steve Shemayne).

         Trivia: Ira Dean Jagger portrays General Ira Cloninger in this episode.  At his side is serial actor Lane Bradford who portrays Willis and character actor John Randolph portrays Donovan in the show.  Guest star Laurence Luckinbill portrays Freed, who is the reporter who claims the General is planning a genocide to wipe out the Indians.

         Trivia: The desert backdrops can be seen in this episode, the last time they are ever seen on "Bonanza".

         Music Trivia: Composer Fred Steiner conducted David Rose' orchestra for the military themes heard throughout this episode.

         Location Scenes Filmed at: Vasquez Rocks, California.

383.) The Silent Killer
         February 28, 1971
         Written by: John Hawkins, Edward De Blasio
         Directed by: Leo Penn

         An epidemic of influenza hits the Ponderosa and the only person who seems sure of what to do is the wife of a doctor, whom Doc Martin says is a fraud.  This episode contains a stock shot of Virginia City from Paramount, although the series was now being made at Warner Brothers.

         Guest Stars: Evangeline Woodtree...Meg Foster,...Harriet Clinton...Louise Latham,...Dr. Joshua Martin...Harry Holcombe,...Deputy Clem...Bing Russell,...Hop Sing...Victor Sen Yung,...Smokey...Bill Clark,...Barney Bates...Hal Burton,...Dr. George Woodtree...Ion Berger.

         Trivia: Louise Latham makes her last appearance on "Bonanza", previously seen in eight's, "A Real Nice, Friendly Little Town".  Harry Holcombe makes another appearance as the Doc.

384.) Terror At 2:00
         March 7, 1971
         Written by: Michael Landon
         Directed by: Michael Landon

         Three men gun down two army soldiers and take the Gatling gun that they were transporting.  When they arrive in Virginia City, they pose as reporters/photographers, working for the St. Louis Daily Journal, assigned to cover a treaty signing between the Paiute Indians and the U.S. Army.  They check into their hotel room overlooking the street and haul in their box of "camera equipment".  But there is no camera equipment in the wooden box; it is the Gatling gun, capable of firing 600 rounds a minute.

         They plan to execute every citizen on the street at 2:00, the scheduled time for the peace treaty signing.  Their leader, Mr.Ganz, wants to start another Indian war, hoping that all the redmen will eventually be exterminated.  He sees nothing wrong with sacrificing white men's lives to accomplish his mission.  After all, he had killed his only son, when he married a Paiute squaw.  The outlook is very grim, and only Joe's intervention at the last minute prevents tragedy from taking place.

         Guest Stars: Mr. Ganz...Steve Ihnat,...Sam Dawson...Dabbs Greer,...Deputy Clem...Bing Russell,...Hunter...Byron Mabe,...Graham...Ron Foster,...Mrs. Carruthers...Helen Kleeb,...Mr. Loomis...Bruce Kirby,...John Baines...Chubby Johnson,...Toby Harris...Jess Vint,...Teddy Daws,...Kerry MacLane,...Buck...James Jeter,...Winnemucca...Iron Eyes Cody,...Fred Caldwell...Robert Noe,...Hal Burton...(uncredited; stunt for Ron Foster),...Bill Clark...(uncredited; stunt for Dan Blocker),...Ray Mazy...(uncredited; stunt double for Steve Ihnat).

         Trivia: Steve Ihnat in a stellar performance as the Indian-hating Mr. Ganz, making his last appearance on Bonanza.  Ihnat, an extremely gifted actor, born in Czechoslovakia, moved to Canada in the 50's, eventually coming to Los Angeles a short time later.  He was in TV Westerns throughout his career, and made a stellar performance in the classic Star Trek episode, "Whom Gods Destroy", as Captain Garth, a Starfleet Captain changed from mental illness, into a madman.

         Ihnat was also a writer/director/producer, until his untimely death in Cannes, France on May 12, 1972, just one day prior to Dan Blocker's death that year.  He suffered a fatal heart attack at age 37.  His wife, Sally Carter and their two children left behind, she later married "Hollywood Squares", Peter Marshall, and divorced in 1988.  Steve is interred at Pierce Brothers Memorial Park, in Westwood, California.  He was previously in six's, "Dead And Gone", and nine's, "A Dream To Dream".

         Trivia: Ron Foster makes his last appearance as Ganz's accomplice, Graham, seen in previous seasons, along with a first appearance by Bryon Mabe, playing Ganz's second accomplice, Hunter, later seen in fourteen's, "The Witness".  Dabbs Greer makes his last appearance as Sam Dawson, the senior reporter for the Territorial Enterprise.  James Jeter makes another appearance, previously seen in eleven's, "Caution: Easter Bunny Crossing", and later in thirteen's, "The Younger Brother's Younger Brother", and as the storekeeper in fourteen's, "Forever".

         Helen Kleeb makes another appearance, this time as Mrs. Carruthers, previously seen in eleven's, "A Lawman's Lot Is Not A Happy One", as Mrs. Franklin, and in fourteen's, "Forever", as the storekeeper.  She was later seen in various episode of "The Waltons", "Little House On The Prairie", "Lou Grant", and in "Highway To Heaven".

         Iron Eyes Cody makes his second and last appearance, in his Indian costume, previously seen in nine's, "The Burning Sky".  Chubby Johnson makes another appearance on Bonanza as the senior Army soldier, who is gunned down by Mr. Ganz and his men in act one, and in one more episode in the thirteenth season.

         Trivia: Hal Burton makes another appearance, doubling for actor Ron Foster in the scene where Graham is holding Joe and Clem hostage, in back of the hotel.  Michael slams the back door right through him, sending him to the ground, and is off to the hotel to rescue Hoss and Sam, and faces a sea of bullets from Mr. Ganz's Gatling gun, to stop him from killing everyone in Virginia City, in "Terror At 2:00".

         Trivia: Michael's writing and directing talents are again showcased in this episode, especially where Mr. Ganz is having recollections of his son and the Paiute squaw he killed; a very emotional and impacting scene ever seen in the series' history.

         Stunt Trivia: Bill Clark doubles Hoss when Mr. Ganz runs over, knocks him over the head with his pistol, and he falls on the floor, as Joe is breaking the door down with his rifle stock in the final act.

385.) The Stillness Within
         March 14, 1971
         Written by: Suzanne Clauser
         Directed by: Michael Landon

         Blinded by an explosion, Joe wallows in self-pity, and at first resists the efforts of a woman trying to teach him to live without sight, not knowing she is also blind.  Poignant highlight of the series, with the assistance of the Braille Institute Of America.

         Guest Stars: Ms. Ellen Dobbs...Jo Van Fleet,...Dr. Martin...Harry Holcombe,...Hop Sing...Victor Sen Yung,...Sally Morris...Jeannine Brown,...Ranch Hand #1...Robert Noe.

         Trivia: The late Jo Van Fleet as Ms. Ellen Dobbs, who assists in helping a blinded Joe, out of self-pity to regain control of his life.  A marvelous performance by her, as with her first appearance as Amy, in eleven's, "The Trouble With Amy".  Little does Joe know Ms. Dobbs is blind herself, leading to one of the most heartwrenching endings in the series' history.  Harry Holcombe makes another appearance as the Doc.  Another fine story written by Suzanne Clauser, and again directed by Michael Landon.

         Script Trivia: When Suzanne Clauser wrote the script she originally had the blind teacher as a younger woman who Joe falls in love with.  But when Michael Landon read the script, he said he was sick of Joe falling in love with every woman that came along, and it was his idea to make Ms. Dobbs older.

         Filming date: December 14 to 21, 1970.

386.) A Time To Die
         March 21, 1971
         Written by: Don Ingalls
         Directed by: Phillip Leacock

         While visiting the Ponderosa, Ben's friend, April Christopher, is bitten by a rabid wolf.  Ben and April and her daughter must come to terms with her illness as they all realize the terrible fate that awaits April.

         Guest Stars: April Christopher...Vera Miles,...Dr. Phelps...Henry Beckman,...Hop Sing...Victor Sen Yung,...Sam...Rance Howard,...Deputy Clem...Bing Russell,...Perkins...Michael Clark,...Girl...Kimberly Beck,...Caller...Homer Garrett,...Lori...Melissa Newman.

         Trivia: Vera Miles makes her second and last appearance, this time as April Christopher, perhaps the best choice for Mrs. Ben Cartwright.  She was previously seen in eight's, "Four Sisters From Boston", and was the first wife of Bob Miles, located on my stunt doubles page.

         Location Scenes Filmed at: Franklin Lake, Southern California and June 1970 stock footage at Garner Ranch, Idyllwild, San Bernadino National Forest, California.

387.) Winter Kill
         March 28, 1971
         Written by: John Hawkins, Robert Pirosh, Jack Rummler
         Directed by: William Wiard

         The foreman of a neighboring ranch shoots a special steer belonging to the Cartwrights, and his scheming boss plots to take unfair advantage of the mistake.

         Guest Stars: Howie Landis...Glenn Corbett,...Marie Landis...Sheliah Wells,...Jake Quarry...Clifton James,...Griggs...John Pickard,...Denman...Robert Knapp,...Fred Tyson...Stuart Nisbet,...Bartender...Remo Pisani,...Gorley...Troy Melton...Hal Burton (uncredited; horseback double for Michael Landon).

         Trivia: Glenn Corbett makes his second and last appearance, this time as Howie, a good friend and neighbor of Ben's, who is threatened by Mr. Quarry, played by Clifton James, who was in ten's, "The Passing Of A King".  Glenn Corbett was also in seven's, "Mighty Is The Word", as Reverend Paul Watson, and many TV series and feature films, including Star Trek's, "Metamorphasis", as Zefrem Cochrane, the inventor of Warp Drive engines.  Sheliah Wells makes her second and last appearance, as Howie's wife, previously seen in nine's, "A Girl Named George".  Troy Melton makes another appearance, this time as Mr. Gorley.

         Stunt Trivia: In a filmed cut at Cedar Lake, Hal Burton doubles Joe on the Paint horse, as he takes him up a deep snowbank to the top of the ridge. The horse's legs sink all the way into the fresh snowpack and the only time we see Joe doing this feat in the history of the series.

         Location Scenes Filmed at: Cedar Lake, at Big Bear Lake, California.

         Filming date: January 1971.

388.) Kingdom Of Fear
         April 4, 1971
         Written by: Michael Landon
         Directed by: Joseph Pevney

         In the most phenomenal and tension-filled episode made in the series' history, the Cartwrights and Candy are captured on charges of trespassing on private property and put on a chain gang and forced to work in a mining camp from which no one has ever escaped from.  They are summarily sentenced to the brutal prison camp by a despot known as The Judge, who specializes in acquiring slave labor to work his gold mine, then in killing his most innocent workers when they've outlived their usefulness.  Joe manages to escape, but will he be able to save the others?

         Hoss makes a reference to Adam and David Canary's sudden "return" to the series is billed as a "special appearance", since he was no longer with the series when this episode aired. Made in June of 1968, for a slotted September airing, but was shelved by NBC for almost three years because of governmental concerns over the assassination of Robert Kennedy.  It was finally broadcast on April 4, 1971 when Canary was no longer with the series.

         Complete Guest Cast: The Judge....Alfred Ryder....Deputy Hatch....Luke Askew....Farley....Richard Mulligan....Billy....Charles Briles....1st Guard....Jay Jones....Second Guard....Warren Finnerty....Third Guard....Bill Clark (and stunts; uncredited for Dan Blocker).

         Trivia: Veteran actor Alfred Ryder as The Judge makes his only appearance on the series as well as Luke Askew as Deputy Hatch, who plays heavies so well in television and film.  Richard Mulligan makes the first of his two appearances on the series.  He plays the prisoner Farley in the story and Richard Mulligan turns out such a realistic, heartwrenching, and sensitive performance it is unforgettable.  He would later work with Michael in thirteen's "Don't Cry, My Son", as Mark, the doctor.

         Jay Jones plays the first guard who eventually pitts himself against Hoss in a whip fight, and Hoss almost kills him.  Warren Finnerty as the second guard who the Judge has killed by the guard dogs after he tries to help the Cartwrights and Candy escape.  Charles Briles plays the ranch hand Billy, who is gunned down in cold-blood by Deputy Hatch.  He was seen in eleven's "The Medal" as Dell and played Eugene Barkley in the first season of "The Big Valley"-1965-66.

         Finally stuntman Bill Clark plays the third guard and also doubles for Dan Blocker in the long shots of the whip fight with stuntman Jay Jones.  According to Michael's script, the year is 1865.  David Rose's musical score is nothing short of being the most cinematic ever, filled with so much tension and emotion ever heard on the series that gets tenser as the story progresses through each act to its conclusion.  This was the very first episode cinematographer Ted Voightlander worked on, his first assignment as he was added onto the crew the tenth season and he would alternate with Haskell Boggs doing the show's photography.

         Photography Trivia: In one of the last scenes, Farley is saying goodbye to his dead and buried wife Sara.  As the camera cuts to Ben and Hoss, you see that their gunbelts are both on their left sides, where they are right-handed.  This trick is called "backwards printing", in which the film is printed opposite the way it is supposed to be.  The reason?  Seeing Ben and Hoss' guns in an emotional and touching scene, where a man is saying farewell to his dead wife, is very inappropriate, the death that violence can cause.  When Ben and Hoss are walking down the slope to their horses, their gunbelts are clearly visible on their right sides.  This photographic trick is seen in many TV series and serials.

         Trivia: Robert Kennedy was assassinated on June 5, 1968 in Los Angeles and it was a terrible tragedy. The script Michael wrote just happened to be ultraviolent in nature and partly based on the film 'Cool Hand Luke'. The next day was June 6th and the cast found out about Kennedy's death at their Reno lodgings before filming began. Two months prior, Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated on April 4, 1968.

         Kent McCray and the film crew were already on location at Gooseneck Meadow in Truckee. They were waiting for the cast and other actors to show up, so they could begin filming at 9:30 AM. Vet director Joe Pevney had to apply self-censorship to a few scenes to sanitize the story and keep it as non-graphic as possible. NBC was very concerned about Kennedy's violent death and the episode mirroring it in the story.

         The first scene they cleaned up was the shooting of ranch hand Billy, who is shot and falls off his horse by Deputy Hatch in act one. Instead of seeing the character (or his stunt double) fall off and die was ruled out of the filming, and he had close-ups filmed of the Cartwrights and Candy react to it in horror. In a few other instances, the Judge's dogs go after a guard who betrays him and later Deputy Hatch, but no shots were filmed of the actual dogs attacking and killing their victims. This was another way of self-censoring the story to omit the excess violence in the script.

         Incidentally, the animals used were real attack dogs and not actor dogs, who were too mellow. Jay Jones spoke of this and he was the one who was in charge of them for the scenes. The other actors weren't very easy around them and Alfred Ryder was terrified of them.

         "Kingdom of Fear" was the second of three episodes filmed at Lake Tahoe and Truckee and NBC approved the script, prior to the filming of it. The Kennedy tragedy had the network concerned about the violence in the script, and when they returned to the studio, the network had to delay it until they felt it was appropriate for airplay.

         By the spring of 1971, three years had elapsed and the network felt it was time to assemble the episode for airing. They took the prints into editing and one scene when Candy kills a prison guard with a knife was cut out. The final print was ready for the music tracks and David Rose had to write the effect music for the story, which would be laced in with standard theme cues, that were recorded the year before, at the start of the season. One effect piece Rose wrote and had recorded was so haunting, he felt it was necessary to re-record it, as NBC wouldn't let him use it for a certain scene.

         The newly-made season twelve main title and cast credits were cut in, as were the familiar end titles by the editor. Had this been aired in fall of 1968, one would have seen the guest star shots they had filmed and the original theme cues, but they were updated by Dortort and Rose at the start of the 1970-71 season, as the series was gracefully aging. The editor cut in the watercolor sketch, used to give incorrect screen credit to the Ponderosa Ranch, at Incline Village for the end titles sequence.

         The audio source tracks were re-recorded and mixed with the final cut at the studio. Reprints were struck for airplay on all NBC stations. "Kingdom of Fear" was aired on April 4, 1971, which coincidentally, was the third anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King.

         Location scenes filmed at: Gooseneck Meadow and Gooseneck Reservoir, Truckee, California, and the highest scenes overlooking Lake Tahoe's spectacular Crystal Bay and Stateline Point were filmed on a service road that runs below the face of 9,710-foot Rose Knob Peak, a few miles up the Mount Rose Highway, above Incline Village, Lake Tahoe, Nevada.

         Filming date: June 6-12, 1968.

389.) An Earthquake Called Callahan
         April 11, 1971
         Written by: Preston Wood
         Directed by: Herschel Daugherty

         The only person who can get Dusty out of jail is a professional fighter who will not return to Virginia City, so Joe stays on the man's heels no matter where he goes.

         Guest Stars: Tom Callahan...Victor French,...Angeline...Sandy Duncan,...Otto...Dub Taylor,...Alex Steiner...Larry D. Mann,...Marshal...Ted Gehring,...Shad Willis...Hal Baylor,...Sheriff...Don Haggerty,...Barber...Roy Johnson,...Meyers...John Mitchum,...Woman...Beth Peters,...Deputy Clem...Bing Russell,...Dusty Rhoades...Lou Frizzell,...Hal Burton...(uncredited; horseback double for Michael Landon).

         Trivia: Victor French as Callahan making his last appearance on Bonanza, until we see him as Mr. Edwards on "Little House On The Prairie", in 1974.  Dub Taylor makes another appearance in between playing Luke Calhoun on the series, as a similar character, along with another appearance by alumni, Ted Gehring, later seen in thirteen's, "The Younger Brother's Younger Brother".  And the marvelous Sandy Duncan.  Her character goes wild everytime she sees anything wearing red, and charges head first!

         Trivia: Last episode made and aired the twelfth season.

         Stunt Trivia: Hal Burton horseback doubles Michael on Paint #5 at Idyllwild in newly filmed stock footage at the river and valley, in the last episode made and aired in the twelfth season of the series.

         Location Scenes Filmed at: Newly filmed January 1971 stock footage of Joe riding Cochise across the river and through the flat at Garner Ranch, Idyllwild, San Bernadino National Forest, California.

         Filming date: January 22 to January 29, 1971.

Production Cost Per Episode: $200,215

Crew Credits

Executive Producer: David Dortort

Produced by: Richard Collins

Associate Producer: John Hawkins

Production Manager: Kent McCray

Music by: David Rose, Harry Sukman, Fred Steiner

Theme "Bonanza" by: David Rose

Director of Photography: Ted Voightlander, A.S.C. Haskell Boggs, A.S.C.

Art Director: Earl Hedrick

Edited by: Jack Harnish, A.C.E., George Gittens, A.C.E., Daniel A. Nathan, A.C.E., Richard Van Enger, A.C.E., Harry Coswick, A.C.E.

Unit Production Manager: Don Daves

Supervising Editor: Marvin Coil, A.C.E.

Color Consultant: Edward P. Ancona, Jr.

Post Facility Coordinator: Bill Wistrom

Story Consultant: Jack B. Sowards

Casting Supervisor: Milt Hamerman

Assistant Directors: Bill D'Arcy, Charles R. Scott, Jr.

Set Decoration: Grace Gregory

Makeup Artist: Tommy Thompson

Hair Stylist: Jeanette Marvin, C.H.S.

Costumer: Dario Piazza

Sound Recording: Jack Lilly, Joel Moss

Script Continuity: May Wale Brown

Chief Set Electrician: Wilbur Kinnett

Processed By:
Consolidated Film Industries

An NBC Production

Filmed at Warner Brothers Studios
Burbank, California

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