Bonanza - Death on Sun Mountain | Episode 02 | Best Western Series | Lorne Greene

Bonanza - Episode 02 - Death on Sun Mountain - The Cartwrights go up against two San Francisco men who plan to get rich by killing off the antelope herds--which the Indians rely on for their food--and selling the meat to Virginia City's swarms of silver miners.

Death on Sun Mountain
Director: Paul Landres
Writers: Gene L. Coon, David Dortort
Stars: Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker
Genre: Western
Country: USA
Language: English
Release Date: 19 September 1959 USA
Filming Locations: Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Storyline:
Burdette and Thorne are selling native antelope meat to the "diggers of Sun Mountain" (the miners) at outrageous prices. The lack of their native food causes the Paiutes to steal Ponderosa beef. The Cartwrights decide to sell their beef directly to the miners, hoping to ease the tensions with the Paiutes and keep their herd from being rustled. This interferes with Burdette's business plan and he tells Thorne to stop the beef from arriving in Virginia City. Thorne and his men accomplish this by dressing up as Indians and killing all but one miner. Harris is left alive to tell everyone it was the Paiutes that ambushed them.

Reviews:
"Any kind of a mining boom will always bring out those like Barry Sullivan and Leo Gordon who will find a way to exploit the situation. In Sullivan's case it's food and he has Gordon and a crew of hunters killing off the wild antelope on which the Paiute Indians subsist.

Which brings Ben Cartwright into the situation. Lorne Greene on behalf of the Paiute chief Winnemucca confronts Sullivan and says he'll undercut Sullivan by selling beef cattle to the miners at reasonable prices. Something goes against the Cartwright grain concerning exploiting starvation for indecent profit.

Sullivan in the end has something of a conscience, Leo Gordon does not and that sets up the final confrontation between miners, exploiters, Cartwrights and Paiutes.

Also note a good performance from Jeanne Bates as an understanding saloon girl.

Good second episode of the series." Written by bkoganbing on IMDb.com

"I think it's in this episode (it's in one of the early episodes but not the pilot), but count how many times someone mentions the Comstock Lode silver strike and the reply is always, "It's not just a silver strike, it's a BONANZA." Apparently, this was an attempt to explain the series title to the audience but it was done a couple times too many within a single hour. Just one of the many things we all love about the series. Also, as in most early first season episodes, notice the adversarial relationship between the Cartwrights and the townfolk. This would, of course, change in later episodes. Basically, the town is against them and their values early on but the Cartwrights later become Virginia City's leading citizens. It's only the jealous criminals who are against them in subsequent seasons.

Overall, a good episode and worth watching for the early series and character development." Written by paulw-18 on IMDb.com

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