Interesting Facts you won’t want to miss about Bonanza!
Bonanza was one of the most popular shows of its time and many of its actors went on to become beloved household names. It also happened to be one of the last of the popular Western period in television. Spend some time clicking through and find out behind the scenes facts, little-known information about the stars and things only the most die-hard fans would know!
A Different Kind Of Man
Quite frequently during this period, television portrayed fathers and dads as being micromanaged by their controlling wives. So, in an attempt to rebel against the typical, taboo father on TV, producers created the unique, wise and hardworking persona of Ben Cartwright. Even going as far as “killing off” the previous wives that only appear in Ben’s flashbacks, all of the attention was on the father and his sons. The dedication to creating such a noble character like Ben Cartwright even led to the extension of the show’s airing from a half-hour to a full hour. Producer David Dortort felt so strongly about this that any time a woman was courted on the series, she would either die from a disease, murdered, or left with another character.
No Wardrobe Changes
In an attempt to increase their ability to use stock footage and save money on set, the cast was constantly dressed in the same clothes after the fourth season. Not only did it help to reduce the budget of the series, but it even made it simpler for stunt doubles to dress like the characters from the show. Ben was always shown in a sandy t-shirt, leather vest, gray pants, and cream colored hat throughout the series. His son Adam would always be dressed in a black shirt, black pants, black hat and a cream trail coat. The other son, Hoss, was always seen in a white shirt, brown vest, brown pants and a ten-gallon hat while the character of Liltte Joe was seen in a beige shirt, a green corduroy jacket, tan pants and a beige hat. This made it easier for famous stunt doubles Hal Burton, Bob Miles, Bill Clark, Lyle Heisler, Ray Mazy to portray these characters on screen.
