Great bio.

It should also be mentioned that Mr Ebsen reprised his Barnaby Jones character for a brief scene in the 1993 Beverly Hillbillies movie.

IMO, one of the best cameo appearances ever, though the movie is otherwise largely forgettable.

Great theme. I'm curious how often he was in jail. I've never count this.

I counted them up and there are five episodes that I could find where Ben is arrested:

The Ballad of the Ponderosa
The Avenger
The Gamble
The Younger Brothers Younger Brother
and The Bride


To which one should add Season ...

Mitch Vogel was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role beside Steve McQueen in The Rievers.

According to Mitch, David Dortort offered him a part either on High Chaparral or Bonanza after seeing his performance in that film. At that time, Mr D had not quite decided on how to cast him but ...

Thanks for a nice walk down Memory Lane with Joe and Jamie. One wonders how the relationship would have developed further had Bonanza carried on for another season or two.

Thanks for a great week with Ben and Jamie - Ben certainly displayed his good fatherly traits again with this young 'un, even though he was major trouble at times and would cause almost any other parent of that time to give him a severe strapping.

Thanks for a wonderful week with Jamie and Hoss, who got along as well off screen as on.

Attached is an old publicity still of Mitch and the blackbird from Honest John.

The scene was accompanied by another of David Rose's compositions - The Stripper.

Mitch Vogel had already excelled in doing risqué scenes as he did The Reivers where he came of age visiting a brothel and according to some sources had his dialogue edited out of the final cut.

emilysean wrote:The best part of the show is the family feelings.

So true, although Jamie had not yet been adopted at the time of The Grand Swing.

BTW, we just missed Mitch Vogel's 60th birthday (how time flies), which fell last Sunday, 17 January.

Although Jamie is not a universally liked character, I feel that some of the episodes where he was the central character or played a large part in were among the best Bonanza has to offer, regardless of season.

The introductory episode A Matter Of Faith, The Weary Willies, The Gold Plated Rifle ...

I thought Joe died in Cuba and Adam was dead by the time the movie took place. In truth there was nothing Cartwright or Bonanza about the movie other than the name.
I wonder what happened to Jamie. :shrug

Agree with you - the TV movies were all done with a commercial bent and owed little, if ...