EPISODE: The Fear Merchants
Reviewed by Bev
Episode 20, Season 1 First Broadcast January 30, 1960
Guest Stars: Gene Evans, Buddy Lee, Pat Michon
Written by: Frank Unger, Thomas Thompson
Directed by: Lewis Allen
SUMMARY:
A Season One episode dealing with the prejudices Chinese people faced in Virginia City. The episode begins with a circle of Chinese men, including Hop Sing, talking about how fortunate they are to be part of a new
civilization. They also offer up a toast to Lee Chang on the occasion of his son, Jimmy’s upcoming 18th birthday. Side note: Lee Chang is referred to as Hop Sing’s Uncle.] During this discussion, Hop Sing’s English was
impeccable and his voice was lower pitched (I realize they were probably supposedly speaking Chinese!). As soon as Hop Sing leaves the house, he is back to speaking Pidgin English in a higher pitched tone—the juxtaposition is quite jarring!
Hop Sing is set upon by some thugs and beat up just because he is Chinese. He comes riding into the Ponderosa yard and nearly collapses into Little Joe’s arms. He refuses to tell the Cartwrights who beat him up – “Chinese
business only” he mutters. Little Joe questions why anyone would want to beat up Hop Sing and his told by Pa “because he’s Chinese.” Hoss wants to go in and tear up the town, but Ben pooh-poohs that idea. Joe retorts, “I
suppose we just forget about it that somebody beat up on Hop Sing.” The ever-wise Adam says there is no reason to stir up more trouble for the Chinese.
On the day of Jimmy’s birthday party, which Hoss and LJ have been invited to, Lee Chang goes into the general store to buy 18 American flags to put on Jimmy’s birthday cake. One of the thugs (Jessie played by Christopher Dark) tells the clerk that “you don’t have any of them, do you.” The scared clerk mumbles, “oh yeah, I don’t have any of those.” Lee Chang leaves the store and runs into Ben and Adam – he mentions about not being able to buy American flags. Ben and Adam to the rescue! They go in and Adam and Jessie exchange words while Ben get the clerk to “find” the flags.
As they leave the store, Ben and Adam notice “Andy Fulmer For Mayor” signs going up. Adam and Ben’s reaction is not favorable – the town must be real hard up to find somebody to run for Mayor. A light bulb goes on in both Adam and Ben’s heads – “Hop Sing, the business with the flags with Lee Chang. . . sound like tactics that Fulmer would use to get the citizens all riled up.” Adam mentions that Jessie is a foreman at Fulmer’s ranch – it all starts to fit together.
Ben goes to confront Fulmer – “What’s your platform?” Fulmer replies, “Virginia City for Virginia City – the town belongs to the folks that made it what it is – we don’t want outsiders. We are being over run by foreigners who are willing to work for nothing -- taking the bread and butter out of the mouths of people who built this country.” [Does this sound familiar to what we are hearing today?] Ben objects and Fulmer retorts “Don’t give me any of your high flaunting talk about prejudices.” He also tells Ben that he has nothing to say about it because he doesn’t live in Virginia City and can’t vote anyway. Ben tells Fulmer he just wanted to know where Fulmer stood. Fulmer asks, “Does that mean you are against me? Ben leans on Fulmer’s desk and looks him right in the eye and says, “Andy, it means that if you or any of your boys had anything to do with beating up my cook, I’ll tie a rope around you and drag you up and down the streets of Virginia City!” Way to go Ben!!!!
Jimmy Chang has a job at the local livery store owned by. J. R. Ridley. Ridley’s daughter, Sally, comes riding in and one of Fulmer’s young “thugs” Billy makes advances and she fends him but he starts to get a little rough with her and Jimmy comes to her rescue. Billy hits him hard in the face and down goes Jimmy. Sally rushes to Jimmy’s aide which further infuriates Billy. Off he goes to tell Mr. Ridley that Jimmy and Sally are “an item.” Mr. Ridley comes dashing out in the barn with a gun and finds Sally attending to Jimmy. He aims his gun and Jimmy and makes some threats – Sally tries to wrestle the gun out of her father’s hand, it goes off and she collapse on the barn floor – dead. Billy and Sally’s sister, Amanda, come in the barn and finds Jimmy leaning over Sally with the gun lying next to him on the ground.
Cut to Jimmy Chang’s birthday party – Hoss and LJ are wondering where Jimmy is and Lee Chang is becoming concerned that Jimmy is over an hour late. Jimmy comes running into the house a few steps ahead of a mob that is out to get him. Hoss goes out to talk to them, with LJ covering him. Hoss tells them they will take Jimmy to jail which they do.
At the jail we meet a new sheriff never seen before and never to be seen again. I didn’t catch his name. The sheriff believes Jimmy’s version of what happen and declares that “Fulmer has been waiting for this type of thing ever since he declared himself for mayor.” He decides to lock Jimmy up for his own protection.
Andy Fulmer arranges a meeting with Ridley. Ridley admits to him that he shot his daughter, not Jimmy. But, Fulmer convinces Ridley that it was all Jimmy’s fault for causing the problem and that Sally would still be alive if it wasn’t for Jimmy. Lee Chang, meanwhile, requests the help of the Chinese Tong (Chinese protection society) to help him to fight to project his son. He tells the members of the Tong that his son has committed only one crime – he is Chinese. The Tong leader points out to Lee Chang that Jimmy has given up the ways of his people – has taken up American dress and customs – Jimmy has accepted the new ways and with this he has accepted the risk. They refuse to help Jimmy.
With the testimony of Sally’s father and that of her sister (who comes across very jealous of her sister — “everyone knows what kind of girl my sister was – mincing around boys and fluffing her hair”) at the inquest, Jimmy is charged with murder and taken back to jail.
Fulmer goes around town getting the townspeople more and more riled up about the Chinese. The sheriff deputizes all of the Cartwrights and basically abdicates his authority over to them –we don’t see him the rest of the show!!!
Adam tells Ben that he is going to go have a talk with Amanda – he has known her a long time and doesn’t think she has turned that bitter. When he enters Amanda’s house he mentions that they use to have some pretty good times in this house. Amanda replies that the family hasn’t entertained since mother died. She goes on about the obligations she has undertaken – “Do you think it has been easy keeping the household together with mother gone?” Adam knows that it’s not: “No, I don’t. I saw my own father doing it for years.” Amanda goes on to say that Sally did everything she could to undermine what I was doing. She finally breaks down and asks Adam what she should do – he, of course, advises her to tell the truth.
Amanda convinces her father that he needs to go back to Fulmer and tell him that Jimmy deserves a fair trial. Amanda and her father go to Fulmer who once again turns the father’s thinking around – that Jimmy was at fault for Sally’s death.
Amanda finally convinces her father to do the right thing – so, just as the crowd is preparing to rush the jail, Mr. Ridley heads for it to tell the truth. Fulmer tells Jessie to get him so of course Jessie shoots Ridley dead. Fulmer turns on Jessie and says why did you do that? A stunned Jessie is like “huh?” Fulmer starts yelling he killed my best friend. Jessie starts backing up with a gun in his hand. Adam yells at him to put the gun down but Jessie fires at him and Adam kills him. Amanda tells the town folks what happened. Fulmer is disgraced. The Cartwrights have saved the day. End of story.
REVIEWS:
“It is interesting in this episode to look at the relationship between Adam and Ben. They work in concert here -- like partners. Adam even takes the lead in some of the actions that are taken. Hoss and LJ are definitely treated like the "little brothers." I wonder if Pernell would have been a little happier if that relationship between Ben and Adam could have been maintained throughout the series. This was definitely not an episode where Adam stood around saying "Yes, Pa." Bev
“What disturbed me about this episode was the scene where Sally's father finds Jimmy in the stable and her father accidentally shoots her and kills her. What is more disturbing is the fact that he is so shallow that Fulmer can convince him to use Jimmy Chang as a scapegoat. Not a very loving caring father or man of morals. Now I know the Chinese were discriminated against. What nationality or race wasn't historically in those times? This just seemed a bit more extreme to me. It's almost as if the writers had a personal vendetta against the Chinese. Like a score to settle. It seemed to me like it was just a bit too much!” Nancy
“That show was a different one. I always wondered how a father could shoot his daughter and show no remorse or act guilty. It did a good job of showing the prejudice that existed. Maybe the writers thought if people saw the Cartwrights stick up for the Orientals other people would soften their views of foreigners. I did wonder too, why Hoss and LJ were the only two invited to the birthday party.” Deb
“I think "The Fear Merchants" does an excellent job at showing how prejudice and a mob mentality can result in even the best people getting swept up in things, and how unfair both are to innocent people. This was really a bold concept to present in 1960, when tension was very high in many cities about the civil rights movement. This was one of the first of many episodes in which Bonanza made a statement about a social issue. Besides the Cartwrights (and especially "shirtless Joe"), the willingness to take on social issues is one of the things that always endeared Bonanza to me and made me proud of the show.” Susan Grote
“This is one of those "Noble upright Cartwrights vs. Evil Morons of Virginia City" that makes you wonder why the Cartwrights don't just let their cattle stampede through the town and make it into a parking lot.” Robin
“This episode really bothered me because of the shallow- mindedness of so many people. This topic of prejudice unfortunately was relevant then, as today. At least the Cartwrights stood up to the misinformed and remained true to the goodness of all races.” Miss Maggie