Bonanza's Guest Stars

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    I'm amazed at the stature of some of the people who guest starred on Bonanza. During its' run, it had some really outstanding people as guest stars, even in the early episodes.

    De gustibus non est disputandum

    Hi Stumpy


    It quite an impressive list. Even from te first show, it conjures up some fascinating people. In a lot of cases you have what has been described as the middle echelon of supporting actors, with the occasional star thrown in.


    I suppose thats where American television will always have the edge because of the huge weight of stars available.



    Regards


    Arthur

    Walk Tall - Talk Low

    :cowboy: Funny this should come up. Lately i have been researching who was on this show as well as many others. I don't have any notes with me but, you will see people like Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Leonard Nimoy, Deforest Kelly, and so many others.

    Es Ist Verboten Mit Gefangenen In Einzelhaft Zu Sprechen..

    Quote

    Originally posted by itdo@Feb 3 2005, 12:11 AM
    I bought the book because I always wanted to know why Pernell Roberts wanted out.

    [snapback]14255[/snapback]



    So what is the answer to that question, itdo?


    Two summers ago, we had the good fortune to be able to visit the Ponderosa spread at Lake Tahoe. That filming location had been a tourist attraction ever since the end of the Bonanza series. We had a great time, and I found it interesting looking at the house they used for indoor shots, and how the cameras were positioned in different locations.


    Unfortunately, within the past year, the property was sold and is supposed to be developed into something else (condos? resort? hotel?). In trying to find out a little more about that event, I stumbled upon another web site dedicated to Bonanza, which has a forum for the show, and in scanning the posts briefly, came upon one related to Pernell Roberts. I must admit, I didn't have time to read the whole thing, but post it here for those who might be interested.


    Chester :newyear:

    I was thrilled to set foot on Mr. Cartwright's spread myself one time. Only one thing was wrong: they tell the tourists "Yep - that's where it all happend." The hell it did. Bonanza was shot on soundstages of Warner Brothers - the whole Ponderosa set was built there - and even though it was a great set, it's clearly visible (painted backdrops) in most shots dealing with the immediate outside of the ranch. Of course they travelled to Tahoe every once in a while to do some cover shots, to "blurr" the lines between sets and real outdoor shots. The indoor ranch set which must be a working set - so you can take walls away to move the camera and have lights in the ceiling etc. - was done at Hollywood as well.


    Pernell Roberts wanted out because he felt he had more to give as an actor than to play the same part over and over. And there was a feud between him and Little Joe which he regretted later.

    Hi -


    I went to that Pernell Roberts board that Chester suggested and couldn't believe the word fighting going on there. I know from looking at the posts here on the John Wayne Message Board that there are discussions from time to time, but nothing like the acrimony and hatefulness going on there. This board is certainly much more user-friendly and that is probably one of the reasons why the membership seems to be growing by leaps and bounds.


    Jay :)

    Cheers - Jay:beer:
    "Not hardly!!!"


    You can say that again. I recently quit posting on a Bonanza message board because of the in-fighting between the "Little Joe" and "Adam" factions. The majority of posters are middle-aged women who still coo over Pernell Robert's eyelashes and Michael Landon's smile. It was getting to be like I was reading a 40 year old copy of "Tiger Beat." Funny how so many women go goo-goo over most TV westerns, but these same women steer clear of the Duke and most of the other movie western stars. I guess it's because (IMO) the shows are more like a soap opera and there are lots of "cute guys" to watch, whereas Duke, being "Feo, Fuerte y Formal", just doesn't appeal to MOST women. IMO, of course.

    "Day off?"
    "Off day."