Bonanza (TV Series) Devil on Her Shoulder (1965) User Reviews

Lecherous Ben after girl half his age...embarrassing episode.

[rixrex · 3 November 2015]

In an episode written before the departure of Pernell Roberts, but filmed afterwards, and which was specifically for Adam to discover a love interest in a girl eventually accused of witchcraft. Instead we get Lorne Greene as Ben lecherously taking over the role.

It's a pretty sad thing to see him leering at the young lady, and creating situations where he can be alone with her, up to the point of trying to get her to stay in his house after a dinner drink when a boy in her travel group calls for her to return, as people in her group are ill and need her.

The dialog would have fit a thirty something like Adam just fine or even Hoss or Little Joe, but it's just out of character for Ben and makes the program an embarrassment. I suppose Lorne Greene wanted the chance to show he was still full of vitality, or something.

Flat Earthers

[bkoganbing · 4/10 · 23 May 2016]

This time it's Lorne Greene doing a bit of romancing in this Bonanza story with Ina Balin who is traveling with a bunch of Holy Rollers on a small wagon train to California. She's a doctor's widow who is also the brother-in-law of the head roller John Doucette. Doucette's wife Adrienne Marden is an even worse case of arrested development.

This particular Bonanza story went a way over the top as these religious folks become caricatures. Granted that a lot of these people are real backward, but objecting to Balin teaching the little ones that the earth is still flat was a bit much for the 19th century American west.

On the plus side are compelling portrayals by Doucette and Marden of religious fanaticism. These two would be leading the American Family Association today. But even they haven't repudiated the round earth.

sinful stench to the nostrils of the self righeous

[glitterrose · 8/10 · 14 May 2022]

My headline comes from a snippet from "Little House on the Prairie" that occurred during an episode episode called "Whisper Country".

Let me start off by saying that you probably thought Whisper Country and this episode were offensive if you were/are religious. I'm sitting over here and laughing my butt off during the Little House episode and during sections of this episode of Bonanza. It's beyond me how some of the people in both episodes were able to keep a straight face while saying their lines. They're not hammy actors but they know how to play these crazy religious scenes in an over the top manner.

But you know what? I think Sarah's the craziest one of them all. Yes. This poor woman is such a kind lady and she truly wants to help people. She wants the children to learn instead of being brainwashed into ignorance. She's a confidant of another lady that's talking about wishing she could be prettier in order to land a man. Sarah gives her a beautiful flower to pin on her the next time she see's this man she's hot to trot for. You got somebody sick, she's gonna be there! She continually proves she's a nice person. And the people treat her like absolute garbage. They accuse her of being a witch, burn her property, hack her hair off. No apologies are ever offered. The ending just makes it seem like things are gonna change for the better. Imo I'd be wary. I'd rather stick with Ben Cartwright than put myself out there with these nutcases again.

And let's talk about Ben. If this was meant to be a storyline for Pernell, well, I do think Lorne did a great job of stepping up to the plate and handling the storyline. I judged the episode fairly and I never thought of Ben being a dirty old man. Lothario was a dirty old man. Ben's not. I'm a pretty big anti-romance person so it's not like I'm over here in a desperate search for a man. IF I was interested in romance/ marriage and things of that nature, I would absolutely love to have a man like Ben Cartwright. I stress on the importance of being a gentleman. Ben has proven time and time again that he's a kind hearted man, he's loyal, he's supportive. Just check out the scene after Sarah had her hair hacked off. She wants to wear her little cap to cover her shorn hair because she's so embarrassed and Ben comforts her. He's truly comforting her. It's not under some lewd excuse of "Comfort her about the hack job and I'll be hitting it tonight." That's lewd and disgusting.

A lady couldn't go wrong with a man like Ben Cartwright. You might end up dying an early death but I bet you'd be happy the times that you were with him. Just look at how much laughing and fun Sarah was having around Ben. Bet she didn't laugh and have fun on the "crazy train" with all those fanatics screeching about satan and witches.

Anyway, I enjoyed the episode. Would highly recommend.

more propaganda

[locorogue-68626 · 1/10 · 22 February 2021]

Grew up ignorantly watching Bonanza, then my mind matured alongside my age, and started re-watching Bonanza. most of the episodes are pure propaganda, against whites, promotes insanity aka religion, etc. it's one thing to make fantasy, to take you away for a while, but hollywood's singular purpose is to destroy minds, Bonanza is just more proof. but then again, Bonanza is hollywood...anti-human propaganda machine. idiot box, remember that term?