EPISODE: The Legacy

Reviewed by Gina

Episode # 145, Season 5, Original Airdate December 15, 1963

Guest Stars: Robert H. Harris, James Best, Philip Pine, Percy Helton, Rory Stevens

Written By: Arthur Wilson

Directed By: Bernard E. McEveety

SUMMARY:

I have always viewed this episode as the dramatic twin of "Springtime" for it's a similar story which follows each of the three sons and shows how differently (or similarly) they approach situations and carry on their father's legacy.

In this particular episode, they thought it was for good, for they believed Ben had been murdered. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

The show opens with Ben and Joe tracking some (in Ben's words) "stupid, senseless" poachers. After determining from the tracks that there's only one horse, so supposedly only one culprit, Ben sends Joe back to the Ponderosa to help Adam and Hoss with the mountains of work to be done. Joe obeys, albeit reluctantly, leaving his father with the words, "Watch yourself, Pa."

A short time later Ben, hearing gunshots, approaches a stand of trees. He calls to whoever is in there, only to be answered with not one, but two gunshots. We see him fall from Buck and laying unconscious with a head wound, his beloved "silver 'C' in the stock" rifle next to him.

(Those beautiful opening strains of music as four way-cool cowboys ride smiling towards the camera...yeeeehaaaaawwww)

In the next scene, we see three similarly dressed fellows pining for home -- one's been gone 5 years, one for 3 years, and the last 5 years as well. They seem to be all headed in different directions and are within spitting distance of their goals. They are interrupted by Ben Cartwright's horse Buck limping into their camp. Each accuses the other of having had to do with the disappearance of the horse's rider, and it's disclosed that the three were recently released from Huntsville prison. Not wanting to be accused of yet more crimes, the three scatter, leaving Buck to wander back to the Ponderosa.

The next scene we see is a red-hot Little Joe depositing his father's bloody saddle onto Sheriff Coffee's desk in the middle of the night. He's convinced his father has been murdered and wants immediate action. Adam and Joe get into a mini-spat with Hoss trying to play peacemaker --Joe doesn't see why they haven't tracked the perpetrators already, with Adam trying to speak reason to him. Hoss discloses a shard of material bearing the name of Huntsville Prison and Joe is now completely convinced that his father interrupted a gang of outlaws and has been murdered. Sheriff Roy agrees. He urges the Cartwright sons to wait, but they insist on returning to the campsite so they'll be there by sunup and can start to track the bad guys ASAP.

As they are tracking, the boys come across a little old man who informs them that there are actually 3 young men without food or money, but one had a mighty fine rifle -- one with a "C" on the stock. Joe's mood darkens considerably. The old man inquires as to what the men have done. "Killed our Pa," Joe intones flatly. The old man sends each of the brothers off into different directions, a grim task ahead of them.

Happily, we see in the next scene that Ben is very much alive and being tended to by a peddler. He has to get back to the Ponderosa, to alleviate his sons' worries. Shaken and weak, he insists on pressing on to try to get home. He offers to pay the man dearly to help him get home. Ben is surprised to discover he's been out of commission for no less than 2 days.

(Here's where it gets good. ;-) "Those boys of mine, they're intelligent men; they wouldn't do anything rash." Ben is trying to convince himself as much as the peddler, I think! "That oldest boy of mine, Adam, he's reeeal calm in an emergency, REAL calm.

Cut to a shot of Adam, unshaven, holding a man by his collar and shaking him. "All right, let's try it again!" he demands as the man continues to plead ignorance as to the whereabouts of the fugitive. Getting nowhere with the man, Adam is interrupted by a saloon girl who claims to know much about the town's goings-on.(No charge) She tells Adam the man he is seeking had been in town a few days ago, but unable to find work, set off for San Francisco. Adam divulges during the short exchange that he is not interested in returning the man to Huntsville Prison....

Excusing herself from Adam, she goes straight to the fugitive who is actually working in a general store, accusing him of pulling something on the way back home. The man maintains his innocence, only to be interrupted by Adam who has followed the girl. Continuing to say he has no idea what transpired, the man pulls a gun to keep from having to go back to prison. Adam is faster. He tells the man he'll wait for him outside to settle the score for the man killing his father and stealing his rifle. The man tries to reason with Adam, “Why would I kill a man and risk going back to prison?! For a gun?” But Adam won't hear him. He grimly heads out the door to wait for the showdown in the street.

Cut back to Ben riding on the peddler's wagon. The peddler muses that it must be a fine thing to be blessed with three strong sons. Ben agrees, but adds that it's quite a responsibility, too. As an aside, he urges the peddler to try to make faster time so that his sons won't have to worry longer than they need to. The peddler's sedate nag isn't very responsive to the idea, so they continue along at a leisurely pace. The talk returns to Ben's sons, the peddler reminding Ben that he's sure the oldest, wisest son will have everything under control. Ben agrees, but admits that a father worries, nonetheless. "Adam couldn't do anything, without giving it some real deep thought, any more than Hoss could do anything without giving it some real deep feeling."

"Hoss, eh? Strong back, I betcha', but kinda slow...?" the peddler asks.

(Here's another of my FAVORITE lines from the whole series)

"Well, if by slow you mean slow to anger, slow to condemn, slow to hurt living things, you might call him slow." 'Nuff said ;-)

Cut to a scene of Hoss standing in the front yard of a farm house, not a very fancy one. He's looking around, knocks on the door. Receiving no answer, he lets himself in. He cautiously checks the house out, grim-faced all the while, remembering he's seeking his father's murderer. He's surprised by a young boy. "What are you doing?" the boy asks. "Who are you?"

"I'm lookin' for a man named Page," Hoss replies. "He owns this place."

"That's right, that's my Pa you're talking about."

Hoss looks surprised and troubled. "Look...has your Pa been off on a long trip? Just got back?" he asks cautiously.

"Yep. Three years he's been gone away. That's why the farm looks so run-down. But me and Pa will have it looking neater'n a pin soon."

Hoss inquires as to the man's whereabouts, and the boy informs him he's out working in the fields. "But what do you want to know for? You a friend of his?"

"Let's just say, uh, I know your Pa."

The boy brightens considerably. "Well why didn't you say so? Where were you stationed with him?" The boy goes on to repeat the story that he knows his father has been serving in the cavalry for the past three years. Hoss countenance grows darker and sadder. "Look, ain't you got somewhere you need to be, boy?”

The little guy extends his hand and introduces himself as Danny Page. Hoss sadly shakes his hand and introduces himself, Hoss Cartwright. The boy claims not to recall the name. Hoss assures him he knows his Pa and adds, "Why don't you run off and pester someone else, huh?"

The boy turns to leave, but pauses and asks if Hoss will be staying for supper. "No," Hoss replies grimly.

“Are you sure you won't stay for supper?" the boy persists.

"Look, are you SURE you don't have someone else you can go pester?!" Hoss asks in exasperation.

"I told you, my Pa's out in the fields, my uncle's in town, and my Ma's off on a trip..."

"A trip?" Hoss is confused by this bit of information. The boy then tells the version he's been told about how his Ma left a long time ago, before his Pa went to the 'army'. “Ma borrowed some money from Pa to go on a trip with her friend in town...I think his name was Harry. I stayed with my uncle while Pa was in the army. Pa went to town to make sure they got off all right, and then he went into the army; I guess to make some more money."

At that time, the boy announces his Pa is returning to the farmhouse. The boy tells his father that his "old friend from the Army is here to see you." Hoss' face turns deadly dark and he warns the man to send the boy away. "Get him out of here."

"What's this all about?" asks Page.

"I don't want to hurt the boy. Get rid of him. I'm after the man who killed my father."

The man claims ignorance and Hoss fills him in on the poacher story, telling him he has all the proof he needs. "I ain't never killed nobody," the man persists.

"You killed your wife. That's why you spent 3 years in the penitentiary."

"She deserved to die," Page replies coldly. "Besides, I spent my time for that. I ain't never gonna kill again."

Hoss warns him to get ready to use that gun again.

"Now wait a minute, you saw my son! He's been waiting 3 years for me. What's he gonna do without a Pa?”

"I don't know," Hoss says sadly. "I ain't got used to the idea myself......"

We see Danny peeking out from the barn as the scene fades away to Ben sitting in Roy Coffee's office inquiring as to his sons' whereabouts. Roy reminds him that they all assumed Ben was dead and the boys have gone after the fugitives.

"I just never seen them boys like that," Roy states. He shows Ben the paper from Huntsville Prison with the names of the three inmates. Ben looks troubled, saying Roy knows his sons better than to think they'd go off to take the law into their own hands. "Yeah, but I also know they thought their Pa had been murdered." Roy sighs. "I'm going after the doc."

The peddler reminds Ben that he should be proud to know his sons are willing to kill to avenge their father's murder, but Ben isn't comforted. "No...no....they've been taught the exact opposite."

"Then why you worried?" the peddler presses.

"Why does any father worry? It's like you plant seeds, blind. You don't know if they're gonna grow, keep growing, long after you've passed on."

The peddler states that from what he's heard about the 2 oldest sons, he's not too worried...but he hasn't heard Ben say much about his 3rd son.

"I don't know how much I know about that third boy of mine. Sometimes I see an anger in him... Three wives, three sons. All of them so different."

"So you have doubts about what he'll do," observes the peddler

"No, I have doubts about me. About whether I was able to make him understand," Ben replied

(This is one of those scenes that just gives me goosebumps: the dialogue, the delivery, the thought...wowee!!)

Cut to a scene of a very tired Joe questioning townsfolk about a man who may have ridden in during the past 3 days or so, possibly carrying a fancy rifle with a "C" on the stock. Joe ends up losing his cool and pulling his gun, but relents and puts it away, beaten with fatigue and despair. After Joe goes into the saloon, Scotty (from the Starship Enterprise) jumps onto a horse and hightails it out of town.

Next we see Joe in the saloon asking for a pen and paper from the barkeeper. He announces that he's offering an IOU for $5,000 for any information about the man who might have arrived with his father's rifle. Appealing to their greed, he tells them he'll wait for them outside. He never makes it, as a bad guy cracks him over the noggin with a pistol. Enter a man called "The Colonel". Scotty shows Joe to the Colonel and says, "That's him, that's the man who's been asking." They drag Joe away.

Joe comes to at a remote campsite, his father's beloved rifle stock right before his blurred vision. He lunges at the man holding it, but is held back by several men. “Let him go," commands the Colonel. He introduces himself and asks Joe who he is and what it is he wants.

"I’ve been looking for him." Joe indicates the man holding Ben's rifle.

"What do you want with him?" asks the Colonel.

"I'm gonna kill him," Joe states plainly.

The Colonel asks his son, ("don't lie to me, Billy") if he knows Joe and Billy denies having ever laid eyes on him in his life. The Colonel asks Joe what he claims Billy did. "He killed my father. That's my father's rifle he's got with him," Joe declares grimly.

Billy denies it, but it's clear his father doesn't really believe him. “I swear to God..." Billy starts to say, but his father interrupts, "If you're lying, don't make it worse by blaspheming."

The Colonel tells his men to take Joe away and warns him never to return. Billy wants to take on Joe, but his father cautions him against it. "You wouldn't have a chance against a man like that. You wouldn't even understand."

The Colonel leaves, and Billy just can't help himself. He orders the men away and gets ready to take Joe on himself. A dandy fight ensues and Joe eventually overpowers Billy. Picking up Ben's rifle, Joe aims it at the scoundrel......

The picture fades to an exterior view of the Ponderosa and we see Hoss riding up to the house. Adam rushes out to meet him. "He's here, he's gonna be aright," Adam announces gleefully.

Hoss is overjoyed as he greets his father. "Pa! Doggonnit, I thought you was gone for sure. What happened?!"

Ben recounts the story of the ambush and how the peddler was kind enough to take him into town. Ben states that he was ambushed by one man, only one. Hoss looks concerned. Adam admits that he 'found his man', but he couldn't go through with killing him. What the man said made sense to him, and he just couldn't do it. He left the man with the sheriff pending an investigation.

Hoss divulges that the same thing happened to him; the man he found had a son, 'a cute little feller', and he just didn't have the stomach to go through with killing him. “I reckon that don't make much sense," Hoss laments.

Ben smiles ironically. "It makes a lot of sense, son," Ben sighs with relief.

The peddler pipes up. "In my business, a man can count himself lucky if he's 2/3 successful..."

Hoss looks worried. "Little Joe ain't back yet, huh?"

The question hangs in the air and Ben tries to persuade Adam and Hoss to go on to bed to get some rest. Hoss says, "Naw, you don't need to worry. He's hot-tempered, but he's still one of your sons, Pa. Why don't we all go to bed?"

But no one does.

Hours pass and the sun rises over the Ponderosa. Adam begins to think aloud; that even if Joe had found his man and killed him, he did it believing the man had killed Ben. Ben and Adam begin to debate it when they hear something outside. Joe comes riding into the yard on Cochise, his father's rifle in his hand.

"Sheriff Coffee told me you were all right; I was afraid to believe it. How do you feel?" Joe asks in a choked voice.

"Fine, boy, fine."

"I see you found Pa's rifle," Hoss says..."Found your man," says Adam.

"Yeah, I found him," Joe states.

"Joe?" Ben asks breathlessly.

"No, Pa, I didn't kill him,” Joe finally replies in a tired voice. “Nobody deserved killing more than he did. I had your rifle pointed at him, had my finger on the trigger, but I just couldn't pull it. Maybe because it was your rifle. I took him to his father and he confessed. Sheriff Coffee's going to pick him up sometime tomorrow."

The peddler quietly starts to leave and Ben offers to repay him for his kindness.

"I've been paid," the peddler says, looking at each of the boys. The Cartwrights walk arm-in-arm into the house as the peddler drives away.

REVIEWS:

"Structurally, it is reminiscent of "Springtime," which is probably the penultimate character study of Adam, Hoss and Joe.  Here, significant irony is employed, in that each son reacts exactly opposite to his father's description to the peddler, at least on screen.  Each son's segment is left at the moment of decision, when Pa's teaching is on the line, and not until later does the viewer learn that the true Cartwright character has prevailed over the portrayed anger.  Excellent dramatic technique and tension in the script sustains high interest throughout. You have pointed out the beautiful lines in this episode, such as Ben's response to the peddler's description of Hoss as "slow," his concern for how much he knows about "that third son of mine," etc.  So many lovely moments, with the final triumph so impressive that it truly negates any monetary gain the peddler might otherwise have made.  The look on the peddler's face says it all; it is a privilege to have been touched by the lives of the Cartwrights, however briefly.  Couldn't we all say the same?" Puchi Ann

"I haven't seen this one in a long while, but I remember thinking it is terrific--it really is a serious version of Springtime." Meira 

"A very different one that examines each of the Cartwrights.  I really like this one and watch it all the time.  Even when the man in black was losing his cool, he was still cooooollll....Hoss' face really did "darken" and he was so torn up about that little kid....and Joseph!  Well, Joe is Joe.  Anybody hurt his Pa, well, they are going to pay!!!" Gail

"I loved the unshaven Adam.  There is something about that look...." Miss Maggie

"This is also one of my most favorite episodes...One of the few I remember watching in the first run. I loved the peddler so much that I even used him a fan fic. The thread about fathers and sons was so strong...Not only Ben and his sons but the man Hoss was chasing wanting to do right by his son (even though he shot his wife for cheating on him...guess that was how you settled child custody in those days) And the relationship with Billy and the Colonel. Billy is rotten and his father raised him to be rotten. Didn't the father want to cover up Billy's misdeeds? Even though Ben frequently claims the boys are all different because of their mothers (heredity) it is Ben who shaped their values and character and morals (nurture) Heck Adam and Hoss didn't even have teeth when their mother's died... And Joe didn't even really remember REAL Marie. It was Ben who "planted the seeds" as well as raised the crop and now he was harvesting the fruits of his labor. I love when Joe says "I couldn't shoot him with your gun" I wonder if he would have shot Billy with his own gun? This was also one of those transitional Joe times that was between Joe being the hot headed kid and Joe maturing into a still passionate man who has more self control." Robin

"The Legacy has always been one of my favorites. Especially when Pa puts all of his sons into his perspective. To me it shows what a caring father he really was to know each of his sons the way he did. Even that third unpredictable one!" Judy

"This is one of my favorites as it shows the diversity of all of Ben's sons and how they each handle a problem in a bit different way. Of course with Joe being the youngest, the most hot tempered and the one most often shot stabbed and mutilated naturally Pa had to worry about what would happen to him!  I think it show cased the talents of all four of the actors and even that peddler dude did a fine job." Wrangler

"I've always thought that this one showed as much insight into Ben as in any of his sons.  As he's telling the peddler his story, it becomes clear that the confident face he presents to the world, especially at home, covers insecurities about his own success as a role model and teacher.  He's sure that he knows just how Adam and Hoss will react, and we see that he's only partially correct there, but can't say for sure which way Joe will jump.  I've always thought Joe was the most like Ben personality-wise, and Ben's doubt in him nicely showcases those doubts in himself.  Also, the father of the man Joe is pursuing makes a different, but equally significant, contrast to Ben.  He is a man who knows he has failed but is still trying to protect his son from himself, just as Ben fears he will have to do if Joe has taken revenge.  An excellent, thought-provoking episode." Helen

"The ending is terrific. Ben, Adam and Hoss are waiting for Joe and each of them are reassuring the other that Joe will do the right thing, even though it's obvious that none of them are sure of that. When Joe rides in, the emotion on his face when he sees is father is very moving -- relief, happiness and concern all mingled together. Then Adam and Hoss try to find out what happened without really asking Joe -- they hint at the question by saying things like "see you found your man". Ben also is a bit reticent -- he can't bring himself to ask the question directly. Joe shows his true Cartwright colors by admitting that he couldn't bring himself to shoot the bushwhacker in cold blood. The relief on Ben's face is obvious when he finds out his youngest son stayed true to the values he has been trying to teach Joe over the years." Susan Grote 

"The look on Joe's face as he tells his Pa that he was afraid to believe that he was alive always gets to me.  That look matches the words so perfectly. Also, the expression on Ben's face as he waits for Joe to tell him he didn't kill his man told his feelings so well. That is what impresses me the most about their acting (all 4 of our guys).  They almost don't need the dialogue; everything shows on their faces and in their eyes.  From the very first ep to the last." Ginny

"This ep. always amazes me.  I can picture so clearly the look on Joe's face when he comes home and faces Ben.  It puts a lump in my throat.  I can "feel" his emotions and I am amazed at ML's acting ability here.  The expression can't be an act, you know deep down, he was feeling something, perhaps from his own life experiences, but I am sure it is "real" in this scene, and a few others that are similar." Prairie Susan 

“Personally, it is one of my least favorites. The reason why I dislike it, mainly, stems from the fact that the whole episode hinges on the boys believing that their father is dead and them all riding off, with vengeance on their mind. But I just think that they jump to that conclusion way too fast and I don’t understand why they don't go and look for Ben. I mean, if the man was dead, then there would be a body, as poachers were hardly going to carry the body away with them, and even if they had buried Ben, there would have been a grave. But as there was neither, then the logical conclusion, to me anyway, was that Ben wasn't dead and he'd managed to make his way to the nearest town, or back to the ranch. I also hate the way that Ben talks about Joe, saying that he's not sure that he really knows his youngest boy. IMO, he knows Joe the best and is well aware that Joe's quick temper could cause him to act irrationally. I would say that it was Adam that he didn't know as well as he thought he did, as I am surprised that Adam is happy for Joe to go off, alone, to find his man. He didn't let Joe do that in Vengeance, when they were more sure that it was Red Twilight who had shot Hoss, but he was happy for Joe to go after a man who was only 30% likely
to be the culprit, knowing that Joe's quick temper could make him kill an innocent man. Anyway, those are my reasons for not liking this ep. The only part I like is when Hoss tells his man that he hasn't got used to the idea of being without a Pa, yet, and what Ben says to the peddler, about Hoss, as he sums him up well. We don't even get an emotional scene at the end, as Joe already knows that his Pa is alive. I would have preferred it if he hadn't known, until he saw him in the yard.” Little Joe forever Lynne

“I really love Joe when he gets hot-headed and ugly.  Angst...angst...angst, give it to me!  Love the line where Hoss says...""I don't know," Hoss says sadly. "I ain't got used to the idea myself......". Then there's Adam...give me an unshaven MIB any day.  Lastly there's Joe and the scene where he is holding the gun over Billy with that expression of grief and hatred. I think I liked this episode so much because it really featured each of "the boys" personalities and PR, DB and ML as well as LG did such an excellent job of bringing all of that onto the screen for all of us to appreciate.” Nancy

“I always believed the three Cartwright boys had  singular bonds with each other...each on their own level...each with their own perspective...each with their uniqueness...Legacy is one of those episodes that personifies the Cartwright credo of loyalty and integrity.  I like this episode...and yes, give me a five o’clock shadow on my DDG MIB anytime.” Lillian

“This is a show I always enjoy watching.  Even though I know Joe isn't going to shoot "his" guy I always hold my breath.” Deb

“This is one of the best episodes of all 14 seasons.  The way Adam assures his father that Joe won't kill the guy shows not just Adam's concern for his
father, but his insight and closeness to his youngest brother.  (I don't know how anyone could watch that, and still say that Adam and Joe didn't get along). I wish they would have showed Adam coming home, also.” Ginny

“When we leave each son at his moment of decision, we have enough information to expect that the son will fall back to Ben's characterization of him. Adam waits out on the street for his man, but we can see that the man's last logical statement is gnawing at Adam's calm intellect. Hoss is getting ready to have a gunfight with his man, but the image of that little boy gnaws at his heart. So although we are left hanging at the dramatic moment, we are pretty sure Adam and Hoss will each revert to his true nature... a good thing. But the way we leave Joe is a little more dicey. Joe has that gun aimed, and we know how hotheaded he can be by nature. So, like his family, although we are pretty certain Joe will do the right thing, we have that lingering doubt. I know I've said this before, but the shot of Joe pointing the gun at Billy always makes me think of that scene in "Vengeance" where Joe has a gun to the bad guy's head. In "Vengeance", it took Adam to talk Joe out of killing the man. In "The Legacy", this more mature Joe makes that decision all by himself.” Sue W.