5 reviews
The Notorious Slade Brothers
Although when you see a dirty and disheveled Dan Blocker and Michael Landon massacre an entire saloon full of drinkers you might be shocked and with a title like The Gunmen for an episode, you are actually seeing one of the few episodes that every season on Bonanza were reserved for comedy.
That was merely an introduction to tell you the kind of people that Hoss and Little Joe are mistaken for when they ride into a Texas town on their way back to Nevada and the Ponderosa. Folks think they're the notorious Slade Brothers and it turns out that even after sheriff Henry Hull arrests, someone who sent for the Slade Brothers on the Q.T. breaks them out of jail.
But are Hoss and Little Joe out of harm's way? Not hardly because Douglas Spencer the head of one of two feuding clans has hired these guys because they're professional killers and can take out all the men on the opposite side with dispatch. So Blocker and Landon still end up trying to convince people they're not the notorious Slade Brothers.
Funniest scene in the film is with King Donovan who knew the brothers way back when they only had one or two notches on their guns is brought in to identify them. Hoss and Little Joe think this might be their salvation, but he's blasted out of mind and seeing Donovan trying to identify them in his alcoholic stupor was pretty funny.
Ellen Corby is in the episode as well as head of the women in the town who are the ones who finally take matters in their own hands. As you can see this episode has one fine cast of some of the best players around. A really good episode on the comic side.
That was merely an introduction to tell you the kind of people that Hoss and Little Joe are mistaken for when they ride into a Texas town on their way back to Nevada and the Ponderosa. Folks think they're the notorious Slade Brothers and it turns out that even after sheriff Henry Hull arrests, someone who sent for the Slade Brothers on the Q.T. breaks them out of jail.
But are Hoss and Little Joe out of harm's way? Not hardly because Douglas Spencer the head of one of two feuding clans has hired these guys because they're professional killers and can take out all the men on the opposite side with dispatch. So Blocker and Landon still end up trying to convince people they're not the notorious Slade Brothers.
Funniest scene in the film is with King Donovan who knew the brothers way back when they only had one or two notches on their guns is brought in to identify them. Hoss and Little Joe think this might be their salvation, but he's blasted out of mind and seeing Donovan trying to identify them in his alcoholic stupor was pretty funny.
Ellen Corby is in the episode as well as head of the women in the town who are the ones who finally take matters in their own hands. As you can see this episode has one fine cast of some of the best players around. A really good episode on the comic side.
- bkoganbing
- Nov 4, 2010
- Permalink
The gunmen
The Slades have been hired by the McFaddens in their feud against the Hatfields in the small Texas town of Kiowa Flats.
Hoss and Joe ride into town and wonder about the actions of the townspeople (who've been warned the Slades were coming.) In the saloon, Hoss wonders if he smells funny or something. He asks the bartender, Sully (Bill McLean) if there's anything wrong with them. Sully nervously assures him, "No sir!" When Hoss comments on the nice day, Sully is nearly in tears nervously agreeing. Hoss and Joe leave, tipping their hat to the sheriff as they go and head over to the hotel. They don't know it, but the whole town follows them over and peeks through the door at them. Sully still terrified by the way Hoss looked at him.
Rather entertaining and comedic episode where Hoss and Little Joe have doppelgängers who strike fear into people - they are mistaken for the gunslinging outlaws and what occurs is a few twist and turns, plenty of humour and more of the same. Nice light episode -loved the town of Kiowa flats and the eccentric town folk. Amazing that the fued occurred over a hog! Makes a change from land and women. Speaking of which, the women folk were plain funny with the young 'uns cooing over Little Joe.
Hoss and Joe ride into town and wonder about the actions of the townspeople (who've been warned the Slades were coming.) In the saloon, Hoss wonders if he smells funny or something. He asks the bartender, Sully (Bill McLean) if there's anything wrong with them. Sully nervously assures him, "No sir!" When Hoss comments on the nice day, Sully is nearly in tears nervously agreeing. Hoss and Joe leave, tipping their hat to the sheriff as they go and head over to the hotel. They don't know it, but the whole town follows them over and peeks through the door at them. Sully still terrified by the way Hoss looked at him.
Rather entertaining and comedic episode where Hoss and Little Joe have doppelgängers who strike fear into people - they are mistaken for the gunslinging outlaws and what occurs is a few twist and turns, plenty of humour and more of the same. Nice light episode -loved the town of Kiowa flats and the eccentric town folk. Amazing that the fued occurred over a hog! Makes a change from land and women. Speaking of which, the women folk were plain funny with the young 'uns cooing over Little Joe.
I'm not who you think I am...really!
The town is really scared after two men with the spitting image of Hoss and Little Joe gun down several in a bar for no apparent reason. There's word that they are coming there to kill, so when look alikes, Hoss and Little Joe ride into town they panic and decide they have to string them up.
The episode is on the funny side, which would be okay if you like this kind of silliness. Don't get me wrong, there are several Bonanza silly episodes I like, and I thought this was one of them, but after trying to endure the whole thing I've decided it's not as funny as it once was. There are some funny parts in it and some funny lines, but I can live without it.
The episode is on the funny side, which would be okay if you like this kind of silliness. Don't get me wrong, there are several Bonanza silly episodes I like, and I thought this was one of them, but after trying to endure the whole thing I've decided it's not as funny as it once was. There are some funny parts in it and some funny lines, but I can live without it.
Poor attempt to be humorous
This episode is intended to be humorous, but it largely fails at the task. It opens with two brutal killers that look a great deal like Hoss and Little Joe Cartwright shooting up a bar, killing several of the patrons before taking the money they were playing poker with. Shortly after this, Hoss and Little Joe arrive in that area of Texas, they are there to purchase some Texas Longhorn breeding stock.
Since no one knows them, they are mistaken for the killers and nearly everyone is terrified of them. The only exceptions are the local women that are determined to keep the town as clean as possible. Their actions are very much exaggerated. The two of them are thrust into the midst of a shooting feud between two local clans, one side sent for the killers in order to finally win the battle.
The dialog of the humor is weak, and the acting does not play it well. Bonanza was an excellent action series with strong themes of law and order, here is descends to the level of absurdity. This is one of the worst episodes of the series.
- cashbacher
- Feb 29, 2020
- Permalink
Insulting
Seems like every television series has to do the "duplicate of the star" episode. Bonanza, Sugarfoot, The Rifleman, etc. Slap a fake beard on the star and the audience is supposed to believe that such a double exists. Only twins could resemble that closely. Writers really know how to insult the intelligence of their audience.
- sugarmountainf
- Feb 24, 2021
- Permalink