MovieChat Forums > The Virginian (1962) Discussion > The Virginian stole a story from Bonanza

The Virginian stole a story from Bonanza

posted 15 years ago by heathentart
8 replies | jump to latest

In 1961, Bonanza aired an episode, "The Friendship," guest-starring Dean Jones as a young man who was orphaned and when he was 13, was transferred to a prison. He hadn't committed a crime, but they didn't know what to do with him.

In 1963, The Virginian aired an episode, "The Evil That Men Do," guest-starring Robert Redford, as a young man who grew up in an orphanage who was then transferred to a prison at 18 - not for any crime but just because they didn't know what to do with him.

Coinkydinks?

[–] Captain_Augustus_McCrae 15 years ago

Probably.

[–] cedavis3-1 15 years ago

Yes, I saw that Virginian episode and noticed that it was the same story. They were both good.

[–] tazjjh 15 years ago

It was an extremely common practice to use the same story lines and change an aspect or two. Bonanza did the same thing with an episode staring Dan Duryea called “A Badge without Honor.” It was done by Cheyenne 4 years before hand called “The Bounty Killers.” A couple of aspects were changed but, they were basically the same. I can think of 3 episodes that were done by the Virginian that were later turned into Alias Smith and Jones. There were many common story lines that were used again and again.

A commonly used story line is when a main character goes into town and gets accused of doing something just so they can put him on a chain gang. He starts to work on this chain gang with the promise after a certain amount of time he will be released. But, nobody has ever been released. Then there is typically one prisoner who is set to be released who gets killed. Then, he typically runs into the main mastermind and his wife who helps him escape. He leads a rebellion and rides off into the sunset.

I have seen this story line in Cheyenne, Cimarron City, Wanted: Dead or Alive and in the last season of Gunsmoke.

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] shelby0296 15 years ago

In The Virginian, Robert Redford's character was sent to prison at 15 because he nearly beat another boy to death in the orphanage. Then he misbehaved in prison (fighting, trying to escape) and had his sentence extended.

[–] bear022013-588-696101 15 years ago

What on Earth is your problem? What is with all of these negative attacks?
Do you want a real negative? BONANZA was a terrible series,just awful.
The Virginian is to Bonanza.........as BABE RUTH is to today's sissy baseball players.....GET IT?

[–] roddy98 14 years ago

The Virginian also adapted several of the Universal "B" movies for stories also,
Man Withour a Star, and Joe Dakota among them

[–] debrajosbo 14 years ago

If you notice the writing credits in the early days of TV (late 50's into the 60's and even the early 70's) you will see some names that constantly appear.
Some of these writers (such as TRUE BOARDMAN) wrote many episodes of many series. It was only natural to recycle some scripts, maybe when the writer was ill or suffering from writers block. Another example of a recycled story was a
Virginian episode that had Madeline Rue as the guest star. The Virginian was in New Orleans on business. He's out for an evening stroll when he hears some
beautiful piano music coming from a house he is passing. He approaches the open patio door and waits for the lovely young woman to finish playing. He compliments her talent but she seems nervous. She agrees to accompany him to dinner. The next he attempts to see her again only to find the house completely
empty of furniture, totally vacant. No one seems to know anything about the young woman (who was played be Madeline Rue). Mystery and adventure ensue as The Virginian sets out to find out what is going on. This same script was tinkered with a bit and was one of the early episodes of "Ironside" starring
Susan St. James (in one of her first roles) as the girl and Don Galloway (Sgt.
Ed Brown) as the one who falls for her. Anyway, that's my info on the recycling
of scripts!

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