TOP HAND

 

 

Top Hand - first shown January 17th 1971

 

'Ben agrees to do a cattle drive with Weatherby, providing his foreman will be trail boss. Weatherby agrees, without knowing that Ben's foreman is Kelly James. Kelly used to work for Weatherby before he served time for murder.'

 

Guest Stars: Ben Johnson as Kelly James, Roger Davis as Bert Yates, Walter Barnes as Weatherby, Richard Farnsworth as Sourdough.

 

*****

 

 

As the Cartwrights start a major cattle drive with other ranchers, it is decided that Ben's foreman, Kelly, will be the trail boss for the drive. Weatherby, one of the ranchers with Ben, once employed Kelly who did time for murder. Consequently Weatherby wants to replace Kelly with his own wrangler, Yates. Ben won't have this.

The confrontation between Kelly and Yates is not the expected fight but, with a nice twist, Kelly rescues the cocky Yates from being dragged to death by a magnificent wild stallion that Yates was trying to capture.

Ben Johnson gives a great performance as the experienced, now law abiding Kelly and does some truly magnificent riding and stunt work. Roger Davis does a good job as the unpleasant Yates who actually learns his lesson in the end and comes to respect Kelly. Weatherby has to grudgingly admit that Ben was right all along.

In so far as the spectacular riding, roping and horse scenes go, the crew who performed these were wonderful, as were the scenes of wild horses and cattle drives.

In terms of Bonanza this episode was a DREARY DISASTER! The whole episode revolves around the Kelly character and the Cartwrights just get stereotyped bit parts. Someone in the world of Bonanza seemed to think that Hoss was just about food, Joe was just about tight pants and good looks and Ben was just about expounding words of wisdom.

I wondered if the studio actually drastically altered this episode as it was co-written by the excellent John Hawkins and it's hard to
imagine that he would have side-lined the Cartwrights so much.

Hoss has one line about biscuits and coffee to the wonderful Richard Farnsworth (notably Matthew in "Anne of Green gables" and Alvin Straight in "The Straight Story"). Dan looks bored to tears in the few "cut-out" scenes where he is actually present. Joe gets to wear fringed chaps, smile handsomely and do a stunt with the wild stallion. (At least Michael could enjoy looking good and being athletic LOL!) Ben never does have the confrontation that would be expected with Weatherby and poor Lorne has to do a bit more riding than he probably liked, knowing that he wasn't too happy on horses!

If, like me, you want to be able to say that you have seen every Bonanza episode then do watch but I wouldn't recommend a second viewing unless you are a Joe fan who wants to do some screen captures of Joe-in-Chaps LOL!!!!