Gunsmoke

I watched lots of Westerns when I was growing up. Gunsmoke was my dad's favorite show. My older brother loved it so much he wanted to name the new baby, Matt Dillion. The new brother did get "Matt" as part of his name. In fact, Matthew is his middle name. My two brothers were always playing cowboy games. For guns, they used sticks, and our dogs and chicken were the livestock. Skeeter, the family dog, got tired of getting locked up in a pen and ran off to hide under our house.

My older sister pretended to be Miss Kitty. She wore big hats and lots of make-up. Of course, hoops skirts were no longer in, but that did not bother her. She wore dresses with long fringe on her dresses. When she danced, the fringe swayed back and forth, too. Like Miss Kitty, my sister painted a mole on her face. I thought it looked hideous, but she adored it. She also wore long wigs or falls attached to her hair. As she walked out the door, she flung her head around to make her long blond hair swing.

My favorite actor on Gunsmoke was Festus. He was funny but smart, too. I love the way he talked out of the side of his mouth and rolled his eyes when he talked. Apparently, he had his own language. Sometimes, my husband talks like him. There was never a dull moment on Gunsmoke. Matt Dillion looked ten feet tall as he stood ready to shoot intruders. Surprisingly, none of my brothers turned out to be sheriffs. Gunsmoke played an influential role in my family. Every evening, we came together to eat supper and watch the exciting Western saga. Miss Kitty had a mother's heart but a hooker's body. I think she was born in the wrong time period. She probably wanted to have a family, but Matt Dillon was too busy fighting to uphold the law. 


Westerns often made frontier life look glamorous. Of course, it was not. There was no running water or antibiotics to fight disease. The Doc had his hands full trying to keep infections down. I realize the magic of Westerns lies in nostalgia. But it does not hurt to dream of a simpler time. Matt Dillon always captured the outlaws and brought justice to his town. He was a fair man that everyone respected. I think his character was a good influence on my brothers. As far as my sister goes, she did not turn out to be a scarlet woman or own a bar, like Miss Kitty. But she still dresses up. Some things never change.

Bonanza

 Bonanza was one of my favorite television series that ran from 1959 to 1973. I grew up watching this classic western because my dad loved westerns. 


I still watch Bonanza reruns today and enjoy the show just as much as I did when I was a child. The barroom brawls, cattle drives, and wild romances represent the wild frontier that I love so much.


The series chronicles the adventures of the Cartwright family living on a ranch near Virginia City, Nevada, during the Civil War era. The ranch is called the Ponderosa and is run and defended by the widowed fathr, Ben, and his three unmarried sons, Adam, Hoss, and Little Joe. 


Of course, my favorite actor is Little Joe. The three brothers have different mothers, all of whom had passed away years earlier.

The Cartwrights are hardworking, prosperous, and an honorable family that is highly respected in their area. The Ponderosa is large and requires horseback riding to reach its perimeters.Trips are often necessary to buy or sell cattle and supplies. Of course, these excursions are often eventful. Although hospitable, the Cartwrights spend much of their time defending their ranch from intruders and jealous townsmen.

The Cartwrights do shoot their guns but only shoot to kill when they have no other choice. 
 I enjoy the warm relationship that Ben and his three sons share. The brothers do fight occasionally; however they will defend each other to death. Ben is a successful man who is looked up to in the community. Adam, the oldest son, is rational and smooth, compared to the younger brothers. Hoss, the middle brother, is a huge man with a big heart. He loves to eat but is shy around women.

Little Joe is the youngest brother and has a hot temper. I love his innocent manner, good looks, and charming way with women. I always rooted for the boys to fall in love and get married, but this never happened. Every time, the woman dies or moves away. 

I must not forget Hop Sing, the infamous cook. He was great in the kitchen because he was an excellent cook and always helped out.

Bonanza is full of wonderful action and demonstrates family values. The Cartwrights are always the noble heroes in the middle of villainous bad guys. I wish there were more shows like Bonanza on television today. 

A full episode can be seen online
(The Spitfire):

http://www.imdb.com/video/hulu/vi1843568153/

Bonanza is an American western that was produced by NBC. It lasted fourteen seasons and 430 episodes. It is ranked as the longest running western series, behind Gunsmoke, and still continues to air today. I did not realize the filming was in the area around Lake Tahoe, Nevada. 

The show stars Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker, Michael Landon, and David Canary. In 2002, Bonanza was ranked #43 on TV Guides' 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. 



Bonanza  brings back lots of childhood memories. I still cheer for the Cartwright boys as they struggle to preserve their honor and integrity. Bonanza is a show that never goes out of style. I adored Little Joe's paint horse. It was smaller than the other horses, but he could run like the wind. 

Bonanza captured the last frontier and the search for the American dream. Regardless if one enjoys Adam's intellect, Hoss's sense of humor, or Little Joe's innocent scrapes, this show is a family show with high morals and strong role models. These men were real men! They were not afraid of a challenge or a beautiful woman. I like the historical presence, the family relationships, and the pioneer spirit in this Western. It makes the show come alive for me!


Michael Landon died of pancreatic cancer after struggling four months with the illness. He left a legacy of family shows and films for which he will be well remembered. Bonanza is one of those legacies that I cherish. He was born on October 31, 1936 and died July 1, 1991.