EPISODE: The Actress

Reviewed by Nancy

Episode #122 – Season 4 – Air date February 24, 1963.

Guest Stars:  Patricia Crowley as Julia Grant

                     Joey Scott as Tommy Grant

                     John Rodney as Edwin Booth

Written by:  Norman Lessing

Directed by:  Christian Nyby               

SUMMARY:

All I’ve got to say is, “what, are you Julia Grant, nuts!”  Just had to get that out and on that note, after reading my review, I’ll let you decide. Would you give up a manly, buff, handsome, rich man whose family owns half the state of Nevada for a career in the theater?  I think that’s a no brainer!  What do all of you think?

The episode begins with Julia Grant and her son Tommy arriving at the ranch.  Julia is angry and looking for Ben Cartwright.  Joe comes out of the house and Julia assumes Joe is Ben.  Joe is amused and Julia bonks him on the head with her umbrella. She goes on to explain that she came all the way from Carson City to answer the ad in the paper for a school teacher and nowhere did it say they were looking for a man.  Joe then explains that he is a Cartwright but only one of them -- “one of the sons” -- and that Ben is not home but will be soon.  He assures Julia that his father should be able to straighten this out and invites her and Tommy in for some food and to wait for Ben’s return.  Julia agrees and we cut to the “Bonanza Theme”. 

Well, Ben arrives home with apologies for Julia Grant over the misunderstanding.  Joe suggests that Julia stay at the ranch a few days to rest, for her and Tommy’s sake, and again Julia agrees.  That evening, at dinner, Julia reveals her career aspirations: becoming a famous stage actress.  There is this huge dramatic silence and some disapproving glances from Adam and Ben and then we see Joe taking Tommy up to bed.  Julia says that Tommy is really taken with Joe and Ben reminds her in his own fatherly way that Joe isn’t much more than a boy himself…just turning 22.  (I say, what a boy!)

Next I have a dilemma.  A fellow Bonanarchy member graciously taped this episode for me but the station airing it cut it terribly.  So my version jumps right to Joe and Julia fully involved in their picnic.  Now I know there was some dialogue between Joe and Tommy before this and I know Tommy goes off exploring and Joe kisses Julia.  Then Julia gets nervous and suggests to Joe that they should head back to the ranch.  I start my viewing at this point, where Julia tells Joe that “you’re just a boy” and Joe replies, “And how old are you, grandma?” (love that line). Another favorite line of mine in this scene is when Joe says, “What are you afraid of?”  Well they talk about the age difference and Julie reveals her dream of becoming an accomplished actress to Joe. She is surprised that he doesn’t laugh.  Joe tells her that it’s good that she believes so strongly in something and that he can tell it means a lot to her…acting.  Julie goes on to tell Joe that she doesn’t want to hurt him but will do anything to act, and Joe claims she could only hurt him if she went away. 

Hence, cut to the next scene where Ben, feeling guilty about her wasted trip, offers Julia a month’s wages.  Julia declines Ben’s help, saying there are lots of touring companies looking for actresses this time of year in San Francisco and heads up the stairs.  Joe, who is listening, joins Ben and Adam at the table to hear Adam commenting on Julia’s acting.  Lashing back, Joe defends Julia but Adam ends the scene saying something about how someone should talk to Julia about giving up her desires because he doesn’t know how she will survive relying on her acting ability.  

Next you see Julia reassuring Tommy about going to San Francisco and telling him this time she’ll get a big part.  She kisses Tommy goodnight and goes to her own room.  Joe knocks on the door and asks her if she’d like to earn a few hundred dollars to take with her to San Francisco.  He tells her his friend Jim Larkin is always looking for a good singer and he owns one of the finest night clubs in Virginia City.  At first Julia is hesitant; she doesn’t want to sing at a saloon but agrees when Joe says no saloon pays fifty dollars a week.  The scene ends with Joe kissing her on the bed…sigh!

Our next image is of Adam, Joe and Hoss at “the club” listening to Julia’s performance.  Julia sings her heart out and woos Little Joe but unknowingly leads on a few of the other cowboys in the club too.  One persistent fellow offers to buy Julia a drink.  Joe gets jealous and punches are thrown.  One of the funniest scenes is where Adam and Hoss sit back and watch Joe carrying on, then comment that maybe they should help.  Hoss then says he’s never been in a fight without his hat and they get up and get at it like only our Cartwrights can.

Later, back at the ranch, an angry Jim Larkin storms into the big room where Julia, Ben and the boys are gathered, complaining about the damage to his club and telling Joe he’d better make it right.  He blurts out that “just because Joe is paying the woman’s salary doesn’t give him the right to wreck his place.”  Well, as you can imagine, this bit of shared information does not settle well with Julia, and Joe and Julia have an argument in front of the family. Julia storms up the stairs to begin packing to leave.  Joe sulks and tells everyone, “Now you all know how I feel about her.”  Ben encourages Joe to go and talk to her, but Joe, defeated, confesses that he doesn’t know what he could say to make it right.  Adam shares then that his friend Edwin Booth, the actor, is coming to town and he’s sure he could set up a private reading for Julia.  Excitedly Joe shoots up the stairs and shares this information with Julia, who is elated. She thanks all of the Cartwrights with a kiss on the cheek. 

Back at the Cartwright house again, the private reading has just occurred and Mr. Booth tells Ben, Adam and Joe that Julia’s talent is unique but that he wasn’t wrong.  She has no professional standards and as a dramatic actress, she is distressingly bad. (He kind of reminds me of Simon on American Idol).  Joe is about to break the bad news to Julia when he hears a door slam. He runs up the stairs to find Julia denying the news she has overheard.  She plans to ignore what Edwin Booth has said and go to San Francisco anyway, breaking our Little Joe’s heart. 

Our next scene opens at the night club.  Joe is with Julia in her dressing room where she is apologizing for how she acted yesterday.  Joe reminds her there are lots of things in this life other than the stage and Julia confesses that she’s wanted to love Joe from the first moment she saw him.  (Oh, love that line…need I say more!)  Then Joe gives us that ever famous, most popular line, “I want you…I want you more than anything else in the world.” And then the kiss. (What would you say if Joe Cartwright said that to you? Focus girl…) Well, they continue to profess their love.  Julia, without saying it, infers she’ll give up the theater to stay with Joe. (Like I say, who wouldn’t!)  Joe tells her to “sing good” and, after much playful kissing, Joe joins the whole family, this time along with Mr. Edwin Booth and his companion, to watch the show.  Julia sings a little ditty about “pretty purple shoes” and brings down the house.  Mr. Booth makes a comment that she would be perfect for the female lead in “The Bohemian Girl”.  Ben interjects graciously saying something like, “I’m afraid you gentlemen are too late; that girl is giving up the theater.”  Edwin Booth makes a statement about, “there is an old saying in the theater: the theater never gives you up...”

We see Joe exit anxiously to meet Julia backstage.

Julie meets him outside her door and greets him affectionately (who wouldn’t!)  Then Joe asks her what if she received a part…a big part in a show in San Francisco.  At first Julia thinks he’s teasing her and Joe painfully shares that Mr. Booth and his companion think she would be perfect for a new production in San Francisco.  If she accepts the roll, she would have to leave for San Francisco in the morning.  Julia is jubilant until she sees Joe.  She tries to convince him that she doesn’t want to leave, that she wants to stay with him.  Joe tells her otherwise, that he’s never seen her so happy and he could never take that away from her.  Oh they could get married but she’d never really be happy; she’d always be missing something and Joe could not live life on the road, traveling from town to town.  I though this was pretty wise, insightful and emotionally mature for a twenty-two year old Joseph Cartwright. 

So the final scene shows Julia and Tommy at the ranch, with the wagon packed and on their way.  Joe gives Julia one final kiss and off she goes. 

REVIEWS:

“Joe was fortunate that Julia was too stupid to marry him.  She wasn't good
enough for him at all.” Ginny

“I would have to agree that Julia was crazy to leave Joe for a stage career, especially when you consider that actresses were looked at as not so pure women during that time period. But that aside, I just don't see how anyone could leave Joe, who was all man to me in this ep and not a youngster.  :)  I'm glad she did leave though, because I just did not like her as a match for Joe. There was just something about her that I did not care for at all. Joe didn't seem terribly broken up by her decision either, so I don’t think he was all that much in love.” Leesa

“I'm an actress and I can understand Julia, but I have to admit, Little Joe would be someone that could have made me think about whether I wanted to stay with the stage. LOL” Sylvia

“I can't believe anyone would turn Joe's affections away and go off to other things. He was so wonderful with that little boy too. What a dad he would have made. I loved the way the whole family got involved and ML did such a good job, as always. I really like this show and liked the gal as well. She would have kept Joe on his toes for sure. I thought he was mature beyond his years to understand that she needed to live her dream even though it would not be with him.” Deb

“I like this episode a lot mainly just because Joe is so garsh-darn cute in it. He exudes sexuality...how could Julia leave that!” Peggy (Fox)

“Who would give up an offer of marriage from our wonderful and perfect Joe? On the other hand, she was not a young, naive girl with stars in her eyes swooning over a handsome guy and a happy ever after. She had already been married and had been widowed and had been the single parent trying to be putting food on the table and be responsible for Tommy. Joe wasn't willing to compromise one inch on what he wanted from his wife and was wise enough to know himself. He said something about not LETTING her perform as he couldn't share his wife with anyone else. She had her dreams too.” Robin

“Julia and Joe never actually kissed at the picnic-they leaned in to do so, but Julia caught herself and changed her mind. Foolish girl.” Debbiejo

“I always thought Julia Grant would be a good match for Joe. She's feisty, confident and fun, unlike those shrinking violets that Joe usually falls for. Why she ever gave up Joe to have a career on the stage, I'll never know. She must have wanted that Tony award awful bad…My favorite line is when Julia protests to Joe that she's 27 and Joe just turned 22, and Joe says "That may have meant a lot when I was 1 and you were 5, but it doesn't mean much now." I wonder if Joe "did the math" with Julia Bulette?” Susan Grote

“Joe seemed to have a thing for "older women"!  LOL!!!  Must be a hold over from that come-on phrase of "you remind me of my Mother."  Miss Maggie