MRS WHARTON AND THE LESSER BREEDS

 

 

Episode First Shown: January 19^th 1969

While away from the Ponderosa Candy meets a British lady, Mrs Wharton. When the lady’s jewels get stolen Candy tried to help her. Mrs Wharton insists on going into the lawless town where her jewels have been taken, and Candy goes with her (though he fears they may not get out alive).

 

 

I had a quick whizz through this episode and it is a good comedy/thriller with Candy in the central role. If you're a Candy fan, and you haven't yet seen this episode, I think that you'll like it. I always enjoy Candy's range of expressions and you certainly get them here! Mildred Natwick plays Mrs.Wharton, an aristocratic Englishwoman who brooks no nonsense and has a lot of gumption. (Something of the Margaret
Thatcher style about her LOL!)

She and Candy are travelling by stage and outlaws steal her jewellery. She decides to follow them and, with Candy's help, get her property back.

There are some very nice comedic interchanges between Candy and Mrs.Wharton as well as some good action. It's a question of brains and brawn (I use brawn positively!) as Mrs.Wharton's clever thinking and Candy's physical action outwit the baddies.

Mildred Natwick gives an excellent performance as Mrs. W. Her British accent was very good and it didn't worry me at all. In fact I simply enjoyed her performance. Now with Clementine Hawkins in the Burma Rarity I find myself cringing at the pseudo-English accent. (On a par with Dick van Dyke's accent in Mary Poppins!)

I also thought that this was a good role for an older woman, even down to the hairstyle (no "beehives"!) and outfits e.g. a grey travelling dress that a woman in those times would have worn.

Also, her role is not too far-fetched. There were amazingly brave and enterprising women from the UK (and other countries I'm sure) who travelled all over the world at a time that was both noticeably dangerous and unacceptable for women.

Candy's expressions are a joy, when he smiled I found that I often grinned back, as David Canary's infectious grin, both in amazement or mischief is one that I really like.

 

Only a token appearance by the Cartwrights so this episode is primarily a treat for the Candy fans.

Trivia: Mildred Natwick also appeared in "Trapper John"!

Hilary

 

 

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