EPISODE: The Gentleman From New Orleans
Reviewed by Ginny
Season 5 Episode #152 Airdate Feb. 2, 1964
Guest Star: John Dehner and Shelton Altman
Written by William Bruckner
Directed by Don McDougall
(Coincidentally, Lorne Greene appeared in the 1958 film “The Buccaneer” featuring Yul Brynner as Lafitte).
SUMMARY:
When the episode opens, Hoss runs into a drunk Mr. Whitaker coming out of the saloon and reminds Mr. Whitaker that he has an appointment at Attorney Bassett’s with his father. It seems that Mr. Whitaker bought a herd of Ben and claims he paid him for it, while Ben claims he hadn’t paid.
Hoss goes in the saloon and Sam the bartender is chuckling about the dapperly-dressed old gentleman who had been there all day drinking and dancing with one of the older saloon girls, Molly. Another woman comes in and accuses Molly of stealing her boyfriend. A catfight begins that tears the saloon up.
In the meantime, the old gentleman introduces himself to Hoss as Jean Lafitte, the real Jean Lafitte.
“DUM DE DUM DE DUM DE DUM DE DUM DUMMMM”
Since Sam claims Lafitte is responsible for the fight, he insists that he pay the damages. He doesn’t have any money, so Roy puts him in jail. Hoss says that Jean Lafitte was a war hero and should not be in jail. Roy laughs at Hoss and tells him that this couldn’t be the real Lafitte.
Hoss remembers that his pa met Lafitte once when he was a young apprentice seaman and goes to get him to identify Lafitte. Ben says it has been too many years, but agrees with Roy that he couldn’t be the real Lafitte and leaves the jail.
Our kind-hearted Hoss pays Lafitte’s bail and the damages, and also gives him some money. In return, Lafitte gives Hoss a “diamond”. Ben and Joe, scoff at this, and prove the diamond is a fake by crushing it with the butt of Joe’s gun.
Ben also tells Hoss that Whitaker didn’t show up at the lawyer’s office.
Hoss goes back to the saloon for awhile to keep and eye on Lafitte. Whitaker comes in and Hoss tries to talk to him about the payment for the herd. Whitaker admits that he forgot about the appointment and also admits that when he is drinking, he doesn’t remember things. However he claims that his foreman paid Ben for the herd. When Hoss leaves town to go home, Lafitte is still in the saloon.
Lafitte later shows up at the Ponderosa, saying he walked all the way. He acts old and pitiful (after walking out to the Ponderosa from town) and talks Hoss into inviting him to stay awhile. Hoss talks Ben into agreeing. Lafitte gives Hoss a “ruby” which Joe promptly crushes like he did the “diamond” (it must have come from the same ruby mine as Adam’s).
That same evening Roy comes to the ranch to tell Ben that both Whitaker and his foreman have been killed with a large knife. The same large knife that Lafitte showed them at the jail and called his pirate’s cutlass and arrests Lafitte.
The next day Molly, accompanied by Attorney Bassett (hmmm, what a coincidence), comes in the jail and tells Roy that Lafitte was with her till 2:00 A.M. (the murders were supposedly done around 3:A.M). Lafitte says that he was with her ‘til dawn. She says he is lying. He also says he is not the real Jean Lafitte.
Lafitte has Hoss bring him his bag from the Ponderosa. When Lafitte is alone, he pulls a set of keys from the bag and uses them to unlock the cell and escape. He finds Hoss and persuades him to go with him to Bassett’s office, where he proceeds to break in. He tells Hoss that the only person who could have stolen his knife was Molly. He cracks open Bassett’s safe and (lo and behold!) inside is the money that Whitaker gave him to pay Ben for the herd. Lafitte closes the safe back up and straightens the painting that covers it, just in time, as they hear someone coming. He tells Hoss to hide in the closet, and he hides behind the drapes. Bassett comes into his office and (lo and behold) not longer after Molly comes in. (Surprise! Molly and Attorney Bassett are in cahoots!) They are going to take the money and open a dance hall somewhere.
In the meantime, Hoss has fallen asleep in the closet and his snoring alerts Bassett, who opens the closet and forces Hoss with a gun to come out. He figures Lafitte is hiding there somewhere also. Hoss inadvertently looks at the drapes, and Bassett riddles the poor innocent drapes with bullets. Lafitte’s dead body does not come tumbling out. Hoss looks toward the safe and notices that the painting is now hanging crooked. Bassett opens the safe to find the money gone.
He tells Hoss that he is going to kill him and tell the sheriff that he thought Hoss was a prowler, when “CRASH”! Lafitte comes leaping through the window. A fight ensues, with Lafitte swinging around on the chandelier, and Hoss doing the actual fighting. Of course, Bassett is shot and Molly is taken to the sheriff.
The next day sees Lafitte mounting a horse to leave the Ponderosa. Hoss has given him the horse and saddle and more money. Ben asks Lafitte who he really is. Lafitte says he is really Jean Lafitte; he denied it at the jail because it was inconvenient to be himself at the time. Lafitte says he is now going where the music is gay, the wine is good, and the women are beautiful.
After he leaves, Hoss shows Ben and Joe another fake diamond that Lafitte has given him. Again, Joe is going to crush it, but this time it doesn’t crush. Vindicated, Hoss swaggers into the house.
REVIEWS:
"Love the facial expressions from Joe when the last gem proves to be real; they will never know if it really was Lafitte or not. I quite enjoy this ep, as Hoss is so sweet in it. I like the way he helps people, even when his family ridicules him for doing so, and he does end up recovering Ben's money and capturing the murderer, so he's not as gullible as they think he is." Lynne Little Joe forever
"This is another paradoxical example of continuity and lack of continuity in one episode. Not only did Little Joe tell Lotta in the pilot that his grandpappy was a pirate or hung or something with Lafitte, now Ben (who has sailed a gazillion times around the world before being a rancher, militia commander, judge and moehl) know Lafitte too. And they remember Adam's ruby rip off (and why did Little Joe have to pay Adam back? Hmmmmmmmmmmm), but a geriatric rogue can hot foot it a gazillion miles from Virginia City to the Ponderosa without suffering cardiac arrest. Must be his Nike hiking gambling rogue boots?" Robin
"I do wonder about that fake stone. Is that notion a repeater like the legendary Blue dress? It seemed odd at the time when I saw the episode, but then again, they did do some unusual features of "infamous" people or wanna-be's on Bonanza, like the kid who was like Napoleon, and the poet, who's name alludes me." Miss Maggie
"This is a typical Hoss episode, with him getting involved with an underdog who he thinks needs his help. I like the running bit about Joe smashing the "gems" only to find that the last diamond is real. John Dehner is wonderful as Lafitte -- appropriately roguish and never letting the viewer know for sure who he really is." Susan Grote
"Great Hoss ep. Shows his kind heart, compassion and good nature. The writer also adds some comedic interludes and actually has me believing that this old eccentric gentleman may very well be Lafitte. My favorite scene is the safe scene and Hoss snoring in the closet. Hoss has that honesty and faith to see the good in everyone, the gentle giant." Nancy