HONEST JOHN
Honest John - first shown
Jamie befriends an old wanderer named John and his black
crow, and learns a lot about trust.
Guest Stars: Jack Elam as Honest John, Bucklind Beery as
Luke.
*****
This is a story of Jamie's unhappiness at not really being a
part of the Cartwright family and having lost his father. Consequently he
easily falls into friendship with a rootless wanderer John and his pet crow.
Eventually Jamie decides to join John and run away from the Ponderosa.
While Jack Elam gives an admirable performance as the "Honest John" of
the title, this is really an episode aimed at a juvenile audience e.g. teenage
angst at feeling left out, having a cute pet etc. The story would have worked
very well for Ben Walton or Laura Ingalls but it was NOT Bonanza at all.
I felt really, really annoyed at the way that Jamie was given centre stage with
Ben and Hoss relegated to supporting roles and Joe limited to one walk-on-and-
Again I felt that the director (surprisingly the very experienced Lewis Allen)
gave us doleful Jamie instead of grieving and insecure
Jamie. Michael seemed to have a far better understanding of how to direct
youngsters, well before his Little House success. In "The Love Child"
Michael avoids Jamie being doleful and brings out the sorrowful and
compassionate sides of the youngster.
I've always said that I wanted to see every Bonanza episode from beginning to
end but this is one that I wouldn't bother with again. I felt decidedly cheated.