Bonanza DVD 4-Pack (1960)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Starring Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, Dan Blocker, and Pernell Roberts
Directed by Lewis Allen and Christian Nyby

Released by: GT Brands
Rating: NR, safe for all ages
Region: 1
Anamorphic: N/A; appears in its original 1.33:1 format.

My Advice: Get it if you’re a fan

Running from 1959 to 1973, Bonanza earned and still has a phenomenal following. This collector pack contains, on four DVDs, four classic episodes that ran between January of 1960 and April of that same year. This set allows you to return to the relative peace and innocence of Ben (Greene), Adam (Roberts), Little Joe (Landon), Hoss (Blocker), and the rest of the community that hangs out around the Ponderosa.

In the timely episode “The Fear Merchants,” Gene Evans plays a racist mayoral candidate who hates the Chinese immigrants so much that he eventually incites a lynch mob with some false allegations, leaving the Cartwrights to deal with this legacy of fear. Next, “The Spanish Grant” introduces a supposed Mexican heiress intent upon getting her hands on some valuable land. This episode is a particularly interesting look at lawlessness, law, and how things got done in the "Old West". “The Last Trophy” introduces another beautiful lady--this time, she's British and a real Lady--with a problematic husband. Finally, “Dark Star” takes a turn as a young gypsy is accused of witchcraft and lycanthropy.

The acting in this series is quite fine. The young Michael Landon as Little Joe is fun to watch, and Lorne Greene is always excellent. Guest stars include the gorgeous Susan Harrison (who is, incidentally, the mother of the ill-fated Darva Conger), as well as Hazel Court, Gene Evans, and Patricia Medina. Sebastian Cabot in “The Spanish Grant” is deliciously evil and particularly worth watching for. Everyone seems to enjoy and know their character, and that’s all you really want from your fun Westerns.

There are no features to this set, and I must say that I find it a bit odd that there is only one episode per disc. The price is commensurate with the number of episodes, but this could easily have been a two-disc set that was easier to store.

The audio and video quality are both about what you would expect from a TV show of this age. Good Times has done a good job of packaging the show, but there’s only so much you can do with faded original film. The colors are a bit washed out and muddy, but the show is still surprisingly attractive; it was very well-filmed in the first place, so it doesn’t show its age as gracelessly as some shows might. The sound is similarly respectable, especially the famous and beloved theme song.

In short, if you’re a fan of Westerns or vintage TV, then you’ll have to have this set in your collection. If a flashier set comes out someday with spiffy features, then you might want to trade this one in, but until then, pop up a bowl of popcorn, grab your kids, and enjoy the scenery on the Ponderosa.