American Values, Television, and the Wild West
As I approach seventy-five and am a full-time Trophy Husband, I’m watching more television before and after my naps. One genre that has caught my eye is westerns, which I did not watch much in the golden age of TV, the late fifties and mid-sixties.
More specifically, I’ve watched Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The Rifleman and Wagon Train. Each has its own theme, and each tries to portray the idea of a good American – a good guy with a gun. In the next few weeks, I’ll deal with each, but first: Bonanza
Here is an overview from a website:
The series centers on the Cartwright family, patriarch Ben and his sons, Adam, Hoss, and Joseph. In his youth, Ben, a former sailor, has a dream to leave the east coast and settle in California. However, a lack of funds prevents him from making a move, so he marries his fiancée, Elizabeth Stoddard, and starts a ship chandler’s shop, selling equipment, supplies and other sailing essentials. Elizabeth has a son, Adam, but shortly afterwards she dies.
Ben, knowing she wanted him to pursue his dream, sells his business, packs up young Adam and travels to Missouri, where he settles for a while. He meets and marries Inger, a lovely Swedish girl, who loves and supports his aspirations. Ben organizes a wagon train west and during the rough journey, Inger gives birth to Eric Hoss. When hostile Indians attack the pioneers, Inger is killed.
Defeated, Ben gives up on California, and puts down roots in Nevada, on his one thousand square-mile ranch, the Ponderosa. On a trip to New Orleans, Ben falls in love with Marie DeMarne, the widow of one of his ranch hands. They marry and have another son, Joseph, but marital bliss will yet again evade Ben, as Marie is thrown from a horse and dies.
The Cartwright’s are hard-working, honorable, and well-regarded in the territory. They are invested in their community and often become involved in politics and town matters. Because they are wealthy, jealousies arise among outsiders, and the boys find themselves having to defend their land. Even if the sons disagree with each other to the point of a fistfight, they always stand united to protect each other and the family’s upstanding reputation.
Ben Cartwright is a strong role model for his sons. He is a man of deep faith and solid morals. A self-made person, he built his ranch from nothing to become a prosperous family legacy.
What the overview fails to mention is the number of people the Cartwrights kill during the show’s run. It’s a great example of American values, even in the twenty-first century!
Ben: 35
Adam: 28
Hoss: 36
Joe: 67
Group Kills:
Ben, Adam, Hoss and Joe 1
Adam, Hoss and Joe: 1
Joe and another character: 2
Total Kills = 166 + 4 group kills
A great American family. I’m guessing they outdid the Corleone family, which also fought to defend its territory from the other four families.