THE GOLD PLATED RIFLE

 

The Gold Plated Rifle - first shown January 10th 1971

 

'Jamie is picked on by a gang of bullies. To prove himself, he tells them he owns a gold-plated rifle, and shows them Ben's most treasured possession. He accidentally breaks it, and Ben punished him. Tired of authority, Jamie runs away.'

 

Guest Stars: George Paulsin as Frank Schneider, Jessica Myerson as Mrs Hagen.

 

*****

 

The storyline deals with the issue of bullying and its effect on Jamie, especially as he has no blood family of his own. In addition to
general cruelty, the school bullies bait Jamie by saying that the Cartwrights don't care about him.

Understandably Jamie attempts to do something to prove to the bullies that he is a worthy person and makes the mistake of taking Ben's gold plated rifle and pretending it is his own. (The rifle was a gift to Ben from the local cattlemen in appreciation of his service to them as president of the Cattlemens' Association so the gun is cherished by Ben.) Jamie then accidentally breaks the rifle......

Jamie's schoolwork suffers, he is afraid to confess about the rifle and the bullying continues. Consequently he runs away from the
Ponderosa and finds work in a stable in Virginia City. I felt really sorry for Jamie as bullying is so damaging and still prevalent in our society.

Ben finds him and there is a memorable speech when Ben tells the angry and hurt youngster: "I didn't pick my sons - they were born to me. But I did pick you........Hoss and Joe and I want you to be a part of our family."

Ben leaves Jamie to think things over but tells him that he will have responsibilities too such as chopping wood.

After a very worrying wait for Ben and Hop Sing in the evening, Ben eventually hears the sound of wood being chopped and Jamie has returned to what will be his real home.

While the story was a good one and Mitch gave a good performance, I again felt very annoyed and cheated by the fact that Jamie was cast in the central role with the Cartwrights in a supporting one. Now it is possible to have a youngster as an essential part of the story but to still place the Cartwrights centre stage. For example in Gabrielle the main story is about is what the Cartwrights should do with the girl when she is orphaned and with only an eccentric, cantankerous grandfather. In "The Wish", John Davis (the boy who has the wish) is part of Hoss's dilemma and Hoss has the central role of to how to help the family without offending their pride and their race.

I thought that this rifle episode should have given much more time to Ben's responsibilities and to sharing them with Hoss and Joe to get their input. Now there was an opportunity for this. While waiting for Jamie to return, Ben talks to Hop Sing in the kitchen and says: "I thought what worked with Hoss and Joe….....well.....…". The fact that it isn't working with Jamie could have been the start of several really good scenes where Ben, Hoss and Joe talk things over in detail and devise ways to help Jamie.

This is one of those episodes where I really believe that the studio misjudged its audience and started Bonanza going downhill. I also believe that if it had not been for Michael's brilliant creative skills Bonanza would have ended even sooner.