Bonanza season 4

The fourth season of the American Western television series Bonanza premiered on NBC on September 23, 1962, with the final episode airing May 26, 1963.^[1] The series was developed and produced by David Dortort, and season four starred Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon. The season consisted of 34 episodes of a series total 431 hour-long episodes, the entirety of which was produced in color.^[2] Season four was aired on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. It ranked #4 in the Nielsen ratings, the highest rated Western for the 1962–1963 season.^[3]

Bonanza
Season 4
Cast of Bonanza in 1959
Starring	Lorne Greene Pernell Roberts Dan Blocker Michael Landon
No. of episodes	34
Release
Original network	NBC
Original release	September 23, 1962 (1962-09-23) – May 26, 1963 (1963-05-26)
Season chronology
List of episodes

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

• Lorne Greene as Ben Cartwright
• Pernell Roberts as Adam Cartwright
• Dan Blocker as Eric "Hoss" Cartwright
• Michael Landon as Joseph "Little Joe" Cartwright

Recurring

• Victor Sen Yung as Hop Sing
• Ray Teal as Sheriff Roy Coffee
• Bing Russell as Deputy Clem Foster

Guest cast

• James Bell
• Jack Betts
• George Brenlin
• Alan Caillou
• Eileen Chesis
• Barry Coe
• Don Collier
• Jeanne Cooper
• Ellen Corby
• Aneta Corsaut
• Patricia Crowley
• Kathleen Crowley
• William Demarest
• Michael Davis
• John Doucette
• Keir Dullea
• Robert Emhardt
• Jena Engstrom
• Felicia Farr
• Lee Farr
• John Fiedler
• Frank Gerstle
• Larrian Gillespie
• Leo Gordon
• Virginia Grey
• Don Haggerty
• Signe Hasso
• Ron Hayes
• John Hoyt
• Arthur Hunnicutt
• Chubby Johnson
• Betsy Jones-Moreland
• Barry Kelley
• DeForest Kelley
• Will Kuluva
• John Larkin
• Ruta Lee
• Perry Lopez
• Ken Lynch
• Ross Martin
• Judi Meredith
• Toby Michaels
• Carroll O'Connor
• Dan O'Herlihy
• Simon Oakland
• Slim Pickens
• Edward Platt
• Denver Pyle
• Ford Rainey
• Carl Reindel
• Addison Richards
• Grant Richards
• Dan Riss
• Robert Sampson
• Evelyn Scott
• Harvey Stephens
• Joyce Taylor
• Harry Townes
• Robert Vaughn
• Gregory Walcott
• Bobs Watson
• Dawn Wells
• Helen Westcott

Production

Casting

Bing Russell was added to the series as recurring character Deputy Clem Foster beginning with episode 18, "Half a Rouge".^[4]

Filming

On location filming for season four took place at Incline Village for episode 1, "The First Born"; episode 2, "The Quest", and episode 7, "The War Comes to Washoe".^[5] Additional locations were Griffith Park for episode 29, "Five into the Wind",^[6] and Bronson Canyon for episode 32, "Rich Man, Poor Man"^[7]

Episodes

See also: List of Bonanza episodes

Bonanza, season 4 episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
101	1	"The First Born"	Don McDougall	Judy and George W. George	September 23, 1962 (1962-09-23)
Joe must decide what to do when he learns that new ranch hand Clay Stafford (Barry Coe) is his mother's first-born son.
102	2	"The Quest"	Christian Nyby	John Furia[A] and Thomas Thompson	September 30, 1962 (1962-09-30)
In order to prove himself a man, Joe sets out to win a big timber contract for the Ponderosa. Grant Richards, Frank Gerstle and Dan Riss guest star.
103	3	"The Artist"	Don McDougall	Frank Chase	October 7, 1962 (1962-10-07)
Ben tries to help Matthew Raine (Dan O'Herlihy), an artist who's lost his sight. He's also supported by his friend Ann (Virginia Grey).
104	4	"A Hot Day for a Hanging"	William F. Claxton	Preston Wood and Elliott Arnold	October 14, 1962 (1962-10-14)
A sheriff (Denver Pyle) hopes to save his town from going bankrupt by framing Hoss for bank robbery and murder while he's making a payment delivery.
105	5	"The Deserter"	William Witney	Norman Lessing	October 21, 1962 (1962-10-21)
The Cartwrights face a dilemma when their neighbor Bill Winters (Robert Sampson) is wanted for deserting the Army ten years ago.
106	6	"The Way Station"	Lewis Allen	Frank Cleaver	October 28, 1962 (1962-10-28)
A desperate fugitive (Robert Vaughn) holds Adam and others captive at a remote way station. Dawn Wells guest stars as Martha "Marty" Johnson.
107	7	"The War Comes to Washoe"	Don McDougall	Alvin Sapinsley	November 4, 1962 (1962-11-04)
Statehood convention delegates debate over which side Nevada will take in the Civil War. Little Joe's romance with the daughter of a Confederate sympathizer brings tensions between him and Adam. Harry Townes, Joyce Taylor, Barry Kelley and Alan Caillou guest star.
108	8	"Knight Errant"	William F. Claxton	Joseph Hoffman	November 18, 1962 (1962-11-18)
Hoss inadvertently starts a romantic triangle when he meets his friend's mail-order bride, who falls in love with him. Judi Meredith and John Doucette guest star.
109	9	"The Beginning"	Christian Nyby	Preston Wood	November 25, 1962 (1962-11-25)
Joe tries to help Billy Horn (Carl Reindel), who was captured by Indians as a boy, adjust to life at the Ponderosa. A threat emerges when Milton Tanner (Ken Lynch) claims one-third of the Ponderosa and Billy wants to confront him the Indian way.
110	10	"The Deadly Ones"	William Witney	Story by : N. B. Stone Jr. Teleplay by : Denne Petitclerc	December 2, 1962 (1962-12-02)
Mexican patriots loyal to Benito Juárez come to the Ponderosa in order to rob a gold wagon needed for the Mexican revolution and smuggled by Emperor Maximilian. Will Kuluva, Leo Gordon, Lee Farr and Jena Engstrom guest star.
111	11	"Gallagher's Sons"	Christian Nyby	Dick Nelson	December 9, 1962 (1962-12-09)
Hoss helps out Will (Eileen Chesis) and Charlie (Larrian Gillespie), two orphaned girls who have been raised as boys. He doesn't know a posse is trailing them, looking for a bag of stolen money carried by one of the girls.
112	12	"The Decision"	William F. Claxton	Story by : Norman Jacob Teleplay by : Frank Chase	December 16, 1962 (1962-12-16)
A doctor (DeForest Kelley) convicted of murder is the only one who can perform surgery on Hoss, whose life hangs in the balance at the hands of a biased judge (John Hoyt).
113	13	"The Good Samaritan"	Don McDougall	Robert Bloomfield	December 23, 1962 (1962-12-23)
Hoss tries to play matchmaker for a ranch hand (Don Collier) and a widow (Jeanne Cooper). His friend seems determined to sabotage the possible affair.
114	14	"The Jury"	Christian Nyby	Robert Vincent Wright	December 30, 1962 (1962-12-30)
Hoss is the only one on a jury who believes a ne'er-do-well is innocent of murder. Since he doesn't agree with the other judges, he's accused of bribery. Jack Betts, Don Haggerty, James Bell and Bobs Watson guest star.
115	15	"The Colonel"	Lewis Allen	Preston Wood	January 6, 1963 (1963-01-06)
An old Army buddy of Ben's jeopardizes the Cartwrights and a Ponderosa land deal with his lies. John Larkin, Helen Westcott and Edward Platt guest star.
116	16	"Song in the Dark"	Don McDougall	Judy and George W. George	January 13, 1963 (1963-01-13)
Mysterious singer Danny Morgan (Gregory Walcott) has been charged with murder and Adam sets out to clear him.
117	17	"Elegy for a Hangman"	Hollingsworth Morse	Story by : E. M. Parsons Teleplay by : E. M. Parsons and Shirl Hendryx	January 20, 1963 (1963-01-20)
A man (Keir Dullea) forces the reopening of a murder case, believing his father was wrongfully executed. Adam helps him.
118	18	"Half a Rogue"	Don McDougall	Arnold Belgard	January 27, 1963 (1963-01-27)
Hoss takes in ornery hillbilly Big Jim Leyton (Slim Pickens), who has been framed for murder.
119	19	"The Last Haircut"	William F. Claxton	Charles Lang	February 3, 1963 (1963-02-03)
Joe pursues a cold-blooded killer who used a tricky legal maneuver to escape justice. Perry Lopez and Chubby Johnson guest star.
120	20	"Marie, My Love"	Lewis Allen	Story by : Anne Howard Bailey and Anthony Lawrence Teleplay by : Anthony Lawrence	February 10, 1963 (1963-02-10)
Ben remembers his courtship in New Orleans of Joe's mother and third wife, Marie (Felicia Farr).
121	21	"The Hayburner"	William F. Claxton	Alex Sharp	February 17, 1963 (1963-02-17)
Hoss loses his Kentucky racehorse in a poker game and he wants it back. The Cartwright brothers try to come out ahead in the Virginia City Sweepstakes. William Demarest and Ellen Corby guest star.
122	22	"The Actress"	Christian Nyby	Norman Lessing	February 24, 1963 (1963-02-24)
An actress (Patricia Crowley) is torn between her love for little Joe and her desire for show business.
123	23	"A Stranger Passed This Way"	Lewis Allen	William L. Stuart	March 3, 1963 (1963-03-03)
Hoss develops amnesia following a bushwhacking and is taken in by a Dutch couple mourning their son's death. They plan to take him to Michigan with them. Signe Hasso, Robert Emhardt and Addison Richards guest star.
124	24	"The Way of Aaron"	Murray Golden	Raphael David Blau	March 10, 1963 (1963-03-10)
Adam falls for a Jewish woman (Aneta Corsaut) after helping her and her father.
125	25	"A Woman Lost"	Don McDougall	Frank Chase	March 17, 1963 (1963-03-17)
Ben and an ex-prizefighter try to cure a woman (Ruta Lee) of her alcoholism.
126	26	"Any Friend of Walter's"	John Florea	Lois Hire	March 24, 1963 (1963-03-24)
Hoss befriends an old prospector (Arthur Hunnicutt) and his communicative dog as he helps them fend off gold thieves.
127	27	"Mirror of a Man"	Lewis Allen	A. I. Bezzerides	March 31, 1963 (1963-03-31)
A reformed convict is forced to switch identities with his evil twin, who is wanted for murdering a rancher and stealing a horse. Ron Hayes and Ford Rainey guest star.
128	28	"My Brother's Keeper"	Murray Golden	Seeleg Lester	April 7, 1963 (1963-04-07)
Adam considers rejecting the violent way of life in the West after shooting Joe by accident. Ken Lynch guest stars.
129	29	"Five into the Wind"	William F. Claxton	Meyer Dolinsky	April 21, 1963 (1963-04-21)
Joe and five people are stranded after a stagecoach wreck. Joe is accused of murder when a man is found killed by Joe's knife. Kathleen Crowley and Betsy Jones-Moreland guest star.
130	30	"The Saga of Whizzer McGee"	Don McDougall	Robert L. Welch	April 28, 1963 (1963-04-28)
Hoss befriends Whizzer McGee (George Brenlin), a little man with big ideas.
131	31	"Thunder Man"	Lewis Allen	Lewis Reed	May 5, 1963 (1963-05-05)
Joe's girlfriend Ann Wilson (Toby Michaels) and her uncle Fred (Harvey Stephens) are going to Joe's birthday party, but the girl is molested and killed by explosives expert William Poole (Simon Oakland) who then works to keep his guilt secret by getting a job on the Ponderosa and staying with widowed neighbor Mrs. Gibson (Evelyn Scott).
132	32	"Rich Man, Poor Man"	John Florea	Story by : Arnold Belgard and Robert Fresco Teleplay by : Richard P. McDonagh, Barbara and Milton Merlin	May 12, 1963 (1963-05-12)
Bumbling man Claude Miller (John Fiedler) loses his job and then tries to buy respect with his new-found wealth.
133	33	"The Boss"	Arthur H. Nadel	Leo Gordon and Paul Leslie Peil	May 19, 1963 (1963-05-19)
The Cartwrights attempt to start a rally against the tyrannical owner (Carroll O'Connor) of a freight-line. The local strongman is also a former friend of Ben.
134	34	"Little Man... Ten Feet Tall"	Lewis Allen	Story by : Eric Norden and Frank Arno Teleplay by : Eric Norden	May 26, 1963 (1963-05-26)
An Italian immigrant loses respect for his father (Ross Martin) when he meets Hoss.

Release

Season four aired on Sundays from 9:00 pm–10:00 pm on NBC.^[8]

Reception

Season four ranked #4 in the Nielsen ratings, the highest rated Western for the 1962–1963 season.^[3]

Awards and nominations

Award	Year[a]	Category	Nominee(s) / Work	Result	Ref(s)
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards	1963	Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction and Scenic Design	Earl Hedrick (scenic designer) and Hal Pereira (art director)	Nominated	[9]

1. Indicates the year of ceremony.