THE WEARY WILLIES
Episode First Show:
The ‘Weary Willies’, a group of post-Civil war drifters, set up home on the Ponderosa, though they are not welcomed by the people of Virginia City. Billy, the leader of the group, becomes involved with local girl Angie, much to her father and boyfriend’s anger. Angie is attacked and Billy is arrested for the crime.
This is a very
good episode indeed, following the fortunes of a group of civil war veterans,
the Weary Willies, and their young leader Billy who is superbly played by
Richard Thomas. His performance is so good and so convincing that I never thought
of his subsequent John Boy Walton role. Unfortunately Hoss doesn't appear but
Ben plays a major role and Joe is also featured.
The script was by Oscar winning writer Robert Pirosh and his grasp of all the characters
- Cartwrights, Weary Willies and townspeople - is extremely good, making for a
gripping story to which there can be no
happy ending.
The episode opens with Billy singing and playing his guitar to his friends by a
river bank on the Ponderosa. The haunting song "Blood Brothers"
symbolises the camaraderie of the Willies and the folk songs featured provide
an extra enhancement to the story.
Billy is cocky, forward with women, rather insolent and work-shy yet is loyal
and disarming. The other Willies have a similar outlook whereby they want to
live easily without taking up regular work even though several of them have
good skills. Hence they are treated with suspicion and hostility by many that
they meet.
There is a nice scene early on where Ben, Joe and Jamie are in the Colter's
store and Jamie is eyeing the toothsome candy. However he doesn't want to break
the dollar he has earned working for Ben so he declines! Colter's daughter
Angie kindly slips him a small packet of candy as they leave and this also indicates
how her kindness will lead her into a risky association with the Willies,
starting with giving some guitar strings to Billy.
The Willies boldly camp on the Ponderosa where Ben and Joe are both firm and
sympathetic to them. Ben allows them to stay for a while and even offers Billy
work on the Ponderosa in order to let him pay for supplies. However most of the
Willies' supplies are donated by Angie who has formed a romantic relationship with
Billy, to the fury of her father (as the store owner) and her suitor, the very
possessive
Edward.
There are some very good scenes where Ben and Joe interact with the Weary
Willies. Ben's authority, quietly reinforced by Joe, is often challenged by the
rather impudent Billy. The contrast between Ben and
Joe's mature control and the immature, impetuous Billy produces some really
good interactions. Something that I really liked was the affectionate ease
between Ben and Joe each knowing exactly what the other is thinking and how
they will behave. I felt that I was also watching that deep bond between Lorne
and Michael too.
The Willies lackadaisical behaviour continues to rile both the more decent
citizens of
In Virginia City Angie manages to tell her father, the doctor and Ben that she
remembers little but that she fought and scratched the hand of her attacker.
Suddenly everyone realises that Edward, waiting outside, had a scratched hand
and he turns out to be the rapist and is quickly cornered by some neat gun work
by Ben.
The final scene is a very moving one. Ben and Joe arrive at the burnt out camp
to find a distraught Billy. Despite Ben trying to persuade Billy that fleeing
the world is not an answer, Billy cannot accept Ben's premise that people have
to stay in the world to make it a better place. There are some very fine facial
expressions - compassion, frustration, resignation - from Ben and Joe and also
from the grief stricken Billy. Eventually Billy dons his dead friend's hat and
bids the Cartwrights farewell, walking alone down the road away from the
Ponderosa with the "Blood Brothers" song playing as background music.
The viewer senses that Billy will not survive long, either mentally or
physically. A sad but excellent and realistic ending.
Additional information:
The "Blood Brothers" song was written by Owens "Boomer"
Castleman, played by David Rose and his orchestra and sung by Michael Martin Murphy.
The location for the beautiful scenery was
Hilary
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