EPISODE: Dead and Gone

Reviewed by Lyn Robinson

Season 6, Episode 195, Originally aired April 4, 1965

Guest stars: Hoyt Axton, Susanne Cramer

Written by: Paul Schneider

Directed by: Robert Totten

SUMMARY:

Last episode Pernell Roberts worked on, although he appears in the next two that were made prior to this episode and aired afterwards.

A couple is driving home when they stop to check the harness. The man Johnann Brunner complains at how much his sister has wasted buying materials for embroidery. As they move on, they find the road blocked and are ambushed by Howard Mead. Adam happens to be riding by and immediately comes to the rescue. While he is fighting Howard, the horses spook and a barrel of flour falls off the wagon. Adam soon takes command, but Howard seems only to be worried about his guitar.

The next day Adam rides in to see Roy and sign the complaint (Just why he didn’t do it when he took Howard in or why he should need to anyway isn’t clear). Adam is attracted by Howard’s singing “Poor Howard’s dead and gone, left me here to sing his song”. Howard has attracted a crowd and is making up verses to for his audience, first to a little girl in a red dress and then to Adam, (a great big man with a black hat on) much to Adam’s amusement (beautiful grin).

Adam goes in but wants to talk to Howard before he signs the complaint. He tries to talk but Howard but will only answer in song. Adam takes his guitar and starts to play, commenting that Howard handles a guitar a lot better than he does a gun.

Howard claims that he has never tried anything like it before, but, broke and hungry, he had seen the man with a big wad of money in the store and been tempted, that he’s glad Adam stopped him. Typically, Adam wants to give him a second chance; he’s always collecting lame ducks.

Roy thinks he’s wasting his time and says he doesn’t understand the music, but Adam tells him not to try and understand, just listen.

Adam explains Howard’s story to the Brunners. He admits Howard committed a crime but says that a man who makes one slip deserves a second chance and Hilda willingly withdraws her complaint but Johann won’t. The man tried to rob him and damaged $25 worth of supplies (one barrel of flour!)  Adam isn’t quite that gullible but offers him $15 out of his own pocket and Johann gives up the satisfaction of putting a man in jail for the money.

Adam takes Howard home where he soon gathers half a dozen ranch hands (among the most we’ve ever see) to hear him sing. ‘Smile as you go by’. Joe joins them for a moment and then goes in to find out who he is. Hoss says he’s a new hand Adam had brought in but Ben says “Not yet” (obviously very dubious). Joe has the mail but there’s no word from Sacramento on some millstones and so Joe is going to have to make a journey there, starting the following day.

Adam pushes his father about Howard, throwing back Ben’s own words that every man is entitled to one mistake. Hoss supports his brother: “If he can punch cows as well as he can sing, then they have a gem." Ben agrees to talk to him and Howard says all the right things -- that he will repay Adam and go apologize to the Brunners. Ben gives way and Adam joins Howard with his own guitar and sings on the choruses while his family watches and enjoys (Adam really look as though he is enjoying himself)

That evening, Adam takes Howard over to the Brunners. Howard says he has never done anything like that before and would like to make it up to them. Hilda asks her brother to invite them to sit. Johann is not nearly so forgiving; money means a lot to him (a blanket round his shoulder because he won’t waste money on a large fire) but he doesn’t want to offend the Cartwrights and gives way. They start to talk about music. Hilda has a harpsichord and with encouragement from Howard and Adam, she plays for them.

The next morning Adam comes in from trying to patch the mill again and wants to know if Joe is going to Sacramento. Joe comes down with his bag and asks Adam if he will take him into Virginia City. Adam agrees -- “Anything to get rid of you!" -- and Joe laughs but then Ben finds the cash is missing from the cashbox. Hoss comes in to tell them that Howard is gone, along with one of their best mares and a rifle out of the bunkhouse. The three Cartwrights know where the money has gone

Adam goes out to saddle up (in his yellow coat), tracks (no coat) and then finds Howard’s camp (wearing coat)

Howard is singing ‘My mother’s hard luck child.’ Then Sport whinnies. Howard levels the rifle at Adam, who makes no attempt to draw his own gun. He just glares at Howard: "You took the mare. You stole the money. God, use the gun; you stole that too.” Howard can’t and Adam grabs the gun away. “What sort of man are you, Howard?" Adam asks in exasperation.

“I don’t know,” Howard answers. “Maybe I was born wrong. Never had a mother either, Cartwright, but I didn’t have a Pa. He died in jail. What’s the use of talking about it? Nobody is listening.”

Adam sits down next to him and takes some of his rabbit which is roasting over the fire. “I’m listening.”

Howard says he can never settle, in jail or out. Adam insists he has too much going for him and should allow them to help. Howard says its charity and Adam tells him to sing; he does it better than talking. The two sing together “Every road I see leads away from me, there’s not a single one that leads me home.” (Adam whistles and hums at first but then joins in)

Adam takes him back to the ranch and promises to take the responsibility for him. Ben reminds him: “Fool me once, a curse on you; fool me twice, a curse on me.”

Hoss is impressed with the work Howard puts in and Howard heads off to clean up to go and see Hilda. She plays the harpsichord and sings ‘Early one morning’ for him (seem to love that song on Bonanza, but not as nice as Adam’s version)

Hilda asks Howard to play but Johann tells her off for turning the lamp up -- kerosene costs money. Howard agrees it’s nicer with the firelight, so Johann turns the lamp up. Hilda complains that Howard always sings such lonely songs and so he suggests they go to the dance in town. Johann says no for her and tries to order Howard out of the house. Hilda loses patience with her brother but is hurt when he says that Howard can only be after his money, not a plain little nothing like her. Johann tries to apologize to his sister and complains that it will leave him all alone, but as she says much as she love him, he is just her brother

In Virginia City, Adam has gone into collect Joe from the stage, back from Sacramento. Adam comments that he is surprised to see Joe back so soon. Weren’t there any pretty girls in Sacramento? Joe agrees there were but he has something he needs to tell Adam. Adam tries to tell him that there is a dance and he has warned their father they will be home when it’s over, but for once, Joe isn’t interested in the dance. He needs to talk to his brother and offers to buy Adam a drink. They go into the saloon but it’s Adam who pays for the beers. They sit down and Adam impatiently demands to know what Joe has to say. Joe hates having to tell his brother but breaks it to him that Howard is wanted by the law in California. Adam shrugs; he knew there had been some trouble. But then Joe tells him the trouble is murder. Adam, shaken, can’t believe it, but Joe shows him the Sacramento paper making it very clear that Howard is wanted for a string of robberies and killings clear across the country. While Adam is still trying to take it in, Johann comes into the saloon, having seen their horses outside. He wants to tell Adam that Howard has taken all the money from his cashbox. Adam tries to persuade Johann to take it to the sheriff but Johann is going to handle it his way, since Roy let him go last time. He storms out saying that he has the thief right where he wants him

 Worried, Adam follows him over to the dance, knowing Howard has taken Hilda there, and sends Joe for the sheriff.

At the dance, Hilda is enjoying herself and Howard is persuaded to play while the band has a rest. Howard starts to sing but Johann comes in and calls him a thief, saying that he had taken all his money. Adam tries to stop Johann but Johann turns on him and hits out. Adam falls and bangs his head on the dais. Johann, furious, takes Howard’s guitar and smashes it. They exchange blows and then Howard, reeling back next to the holsters on the wall, grabs a gun and shoots Johann. Everyone runs out just as Joe and Roy arrive. Roy disarms Howard and checks that Johann is dead while Joe rushes over to his brother. Adam insists he’s alright. Roy arrests Howard for murder, leaving Hilda shocked and confused.

Howard stands at the jail window singing, “Poor Howard’s dead and gone, who’ll be here to sing his song" as the gallows are being erected outside.

Adam tries to see if Hilda is alright but she won’t answer the door; she just sits doing her embroidery. Adam tells his father that he can’t get her out of his mind, sitting in the dark house, hating Howard and him. Ben queries why she should hate Adam, but his son, as ever. blames himself for Johann’s death. He has his coat on and his guitar slung over his shoulder and Ben asks where he is going. Adam admits he’s going to see Howard and give Howard his guitar; after al, the man was about to die and should have some comfort and the guitar was the only thing that ever meant anything to him.

At the jail, Howard is making do with a mouth organ until Adam comes in and hands him the guitar. He sings “Hang me up high, boy” and then says ‘Thanks’. He asks about Hilda and asks Adam to beg for her forgiveness; whatever other lies he’d told, he really had cared for her. Adam asks how much of the rest was lies and Howard admits it all was; after all he had stolen and killed, lying didn't seem to make much difference. Adam has to admit to himself that he has made another bad judgment.

Even so, Adam does as Howard asked and goes to see Hilda and passes on the message. She admits she loved him, and Adam says: “He’s thrown his life away; don’t you do the same.” She shuts the door on him and Adam leaves. Hilda finds her brother’s gun and makes up her mind, heading for town,

Joe goes into the house to tell Adam that Hilda had just stopped him on the road to town with a message for Adam, asking him to please forgive her. Joe is puzzled, wondering what she meant by it, but Adam is scared; he knows and heads for town in a hurry.

At the jail, Hilda has slipped Howard a gun and he forces the deputy to let him out. He knocks the man out and locks him in the cell before taking the gun and going into the main office. Hilda passes him the guitar and Howard says thanks, he will never forget her. Hilda, shaken, says, “I’m coming with you.” But he won’t let her; she’ll get herself killed. Hilda insists she doesn’t care; she wants to be with him. But Howard shows his true, feelings shoving her in the back room: “I don’t want you; you’d just be in the way." As she cries against the door, he yells, "Nobody goes with me."

As Howard goes out of the jail, Roy is just returning with arms full of shopping and yells at Howard to hold it (not the most sensible thing to do as all it does is earn him a bullet). Then Adam rides in and, seeing Howard with his gun out, he yells at him. When Howard won’t stop, Adam shoots. He hits Howard, who sways but rides off round the corner to the livery stable. Adam sees Howard’s horse and dismounts, following Howard into the stable. Howard has his gun out but he doesn't shoot saying, "You make a fine big target, Adam." Adam turns to face him and Howard says, “I could have put the rest of these in your back.”

Adam asks, "Why didn't you?"

Howard says, "Who’ll be left to sing my songs when poor Howard’s dead and gone?” Then Howard dies.  Adam stares down at the body, still not understanding the man, and then goes out to reclaim his guitar and mount Sport.

Roy, with his arm in a sling, hands Hilda the papers for the sale of her ranch. He explains the bank will transfer her money to her address in Germany. Hilda says she still can’t understand how could Howard sing with such feeling and yet be what he was. Adam can’t explain either and tells her she must just forget. Hilda asks, “Is that why he lived? To be forgotten?” But just then they hear some of the children singing ‘Dead and Gone’ as a skipping song. Adam sees her onto the stage and then heads home.

REVIEWS:

“In some ways I like this episode but I can never forget that it is the last one Pernell did, which is sad, if, like me, you are an Adam fan. The song `Roads' is somehow very poignant but Adam never did find the road home in the series. Thank God for fan-fiction where he does.” Lyn Robinson

"Dead and Gone is one of those episodes I like generally, but I could have done with a little less singing in this one. I would have enjoyed one or maybe two songs, but this episode reminded me of one of those old Gene Autry movies where the cowboys seem to burst into song for no reason. I did like the brotherly interaction in this episode between Joe and Adam -- they kid each other, Joe is concerned for Adam, and so on. That's a nice touch in what was the last episode filmed with Adam. At least the relationship was portrayed in a positive light for one last time. It's too bad that they never filmed an episode with Adam leaving and Joe and Hoss' reaction to that departure. As Lyn said, thank goodness for fanfiction!” Susan Grote

“While not specifically one of my favorites because of the fact that Adam is really "gone" after this episode, I thought it was well-acted and heartbreaking to a certain extent.  I did not like the brother - he was a selfish and mean spirited individual.  His sister was so sad but seemed rather relieved to be going back to Germany in the end.  Adam seemed rather sad in a way, too.  He really tried to help Howard and the girl.  I enjoyed his banter and teasing with Joe - they seemed like two brothers who were very fond of each other.” Gail (whoa bunny, bonanza)

“I don't think I've seen this episode very often and I had a difficult time recalling it.  Reading this review makes me want to see it though.  I didn't realize this was PR's last episode.  Perhaps subconsciously I didn't want to watch Adam make his final appearance.  As I grow older, my heart begins to grow fonder of the "tall, dark and handsome".” Nancy

“This episode is a little depressing for me because you want to like Howard but they reveal his character flaws early on, and everything new we learn about him gets progressively worst. Just like real life sometimes. I enjoy some of the songs in this - Hang Me Up High, Smile As You Go By, etc. – but I think there is maybe a bit too much of it. Some of the songs fit nicely, but to me others (that lonely road song, for example) sound way too much like 20th century folk songs that they put in for Pernell's benefit. It also bugs me when instead of everyone going back to work like the ranch hands, Adam suggests he and Howard do a little singing and picking instead (to me this line sounds like Pernell speaking, not Adam). Makes it seem like Adam wanted to hire the guy just so he has a singing buddy. But despite all that, I do like this episode.” Sue W.