The Last Vote

EPISODE: The Last Vote

Episode #309, Season 10, first aired October 20^th 1968

Guest stars: Wally Cox, Tom Bosley

Written by: Robert Vincent Wright

Directed by: Joseph Pevney

SUMMARY:

This episode was one of only about 20 that I had on tape, from when the BBC showed a few in the 1980s, and so I watched it rather a lot -- whenever I wanted a BONANZA fix.

In this ep, we witness a rare sight: Hoss and Joe have fallen out and are driving Ben mad with their constant bickering. Hop Sing has packed his bags and is just about to leave to catch a slow boat to China, and is only persuaded to stay when Ben promises there will be no more arguments.

No sooner are the words out of his mouth then Ben has to go and break up yet another fight between the boys. In order to hold on to his sanity -- and his cook -- Ben gives the boys the day off and suggests they go into town. They both take a different route and head for VC, leaving Ben muttering that he wished he had daughters. (Being a mother of two girls, I dispute that statement, as I know, to my cost, that they can fight just as much.)

However, the boys meet up in town and their discord with one another spills over into the build-up to the election of a new Mayor for Virginia City. Hoss and Joe make a bet on who will wind the election. The two candidates are Titus Simpson and Phineas Burke, two long-time friends who don’t care about the election outcome. Joe and Hoss persuade the two men that the outcome of the election is very important, and become campaign managers for the two candidates. Mind you, there is a trip to San Francisco -- with the loser paying all the expenses -- at stake, so it’s not just community spirit that drives them on.

Back on the Ponderosa, all is calm. Ben is sitting in his armchair, reading a book and Joe and Hoss are at opposite ends of the room, both writing furiously. Ben laughingly asks Hoss if he is writing his memoirs and Hoss explains that he is writing a speech for Phineas Burke. Joe then tells Pa that he is writing one for Titus Simpson. Ben says that having opposing political views in a family is all right and Joe agrees, saying it is the American way.

Ben congratulates his sons on taking an interest and then says they need to get to bed, as they have a lot of work to do the next day. The boys then explain that they are working as campaign managers for the candidates in the forthcoming election and so won’t have time to do their chores on the ranch. Ben accepts it (rather well, I think) and heads off to bed.

Hoss feels bad about leaving Pa short-handed, but Joe says they will make it up to him after the election and give Pa some time off -- unless Hoss is trying to weasel out of the bet. Hoss says he isn’t and they both return to their speech writing, ignoring Hop Sing when he brings them in some coffee.

The next day the boys are in town, nailing up posters for their chosen candidate, aided by the two guys who used to be friends and are now enemies.

Joe then helps to build a podium in the middle of the street, on which Titus will make his campaign speech. The two of them are discussing the election when a man lands close to where they are standing, having been thrown out of the saloon. When told by Joe that he is one of Burkes’ supporters, Titus tells Deputy Clem that the man in the street is the one who started the fight, even though he doesn’t really know. Joe looks worried and says that maybe Titus is going too far, but Titus says that Joe is the one who made him see what a bad lot Phineas is and he has to make sure that Burke doesn’t get elected. Joe tries to talk to Titus and get him to tone down the speech, as he feels that it sounds much worse than it did when he wrote it. But the man is all fired up and all he says is that he has to get a new suit so as to create the right image. (Joe gets that sick look on his face, the one he usually gets when he is in trouble with Pa.)

Back at the store, Phineas is practicing his speech and Hoss comes in to tell him that he is to deliver it at 2pm. Phineas expresses doubt about his ability to deliver the speech, but Hoss tells him that there will be a large crowd who will be behind him and he’s not to worry. He leaves Phineas to his practicing.

We then see Ben out at the ranch. (Guess what? He’s putting a wheel on a wagon) Clem comes out and asks Ben to come into town, as Joe and Hoss are stirring up a ruckus. There have been twenty-six fights and four busted store windows in the last few days. Ben says that maybe the boys are expressing their youthful exuberance, but that dissension is what keeps the country strong -- it’s the American way. Clem says that they are breaking up lifelong friendships, but has to admit that they aren’t doing anything illegal. Ben refuses to get involved and goes back to mending his wagon (what do they do to those wagons to keep breaking the wheels, have Ben Hur type chariot races?)

Joe (wearing a tie, but still in his usual uniform, plus his black gloves) leads Titus to the podium and introduces his candidate. Just as Titus is about to speak, Hoss and Phineas arrive in a wagon, and Hoss is banging on a huge drum, drowning out Titus.

Joe insists that Titus should be allowed to speak and he starts to, but falters over his words, and whispers to Joe that he’s forgotten his speech.

Then Hoss introduces Phineas, who is even worse, and is unable to say a word, as he is too scared.

Joe gets the crowd back on his side by saying that Titus is too choked up to speak and makes a speech on Titus’ behalf. Hoss does the same for Phineas, saying that he is even more choked up than Titus, meaning that he is the better choice.

A band comes marching out of one of the buildings and we are treated to the sight of Joe conducting it from the podium. Hoss yells that Joe is using dirty politics. The two former friends start another argument, which soon escalates into a fight and half the town gets involved, with Hoss and Joe almost hitting one another at one point.

The two candidates find their voices, when no one is listening, and deliver their speeches.

Clem wants to break up the fighting, but the judge feels that it is good for the election and tries to stop him. This ends with Clem bumping into a man carrying a tray of pies and with the deputy sheriff face down in the pies, a real bit of slapstick.

It’s finally the day of the election and fights are still bubbling close to the surface, as people queue up to vote. Everyone who can vote (men only) has done so and even though there is two more hours to go until the poll closes, the judge and Clem decide to count the votes. They call in Hoss and Joe to witness the count and discover that it is a tie -- 302 votes each.

The judge says there will have to be another election, the following week, and Hoss says that Pa won’t be happy about that. They then realize that Ben hasn’t voted and so Hoss and Joe ride out to get him. (To the tune of the William Tell Overture)

Ben tells his sons that as the two of them were involved in the campaign, he has decided not to vote, but they point out that he has the deciding vote. If he doesn’t vote, there will be another election and they will have to be campaign managers again. At this point Ben decides to vote and so Joe saddles Buck, in the name of Titus Simpson, and Hoss fetches Pa’s hat in the name of Phineas Burke.

In town, Hoss asks Ben who he is going to vote for and Ben says that the way a man votes is his own business. Joe agrees, but says that in this case, everyone will know and Hoss adds that they need to know to see who has won the bet. (We are treated to an MP sighting here).

Ben then realizes why they were so keen on getting involved in the election and when he hears what is at stake, he declares that he is the one going to San Francisco and they are the ones staying home to work. He tells them to go and apologizes to all the people they have upset while he goes to vote. Hoss remarks that they have both lost, no matter which way Pa votes.

At the store, Phineas and Titus realize how foolish they have been and confess that they voted for each other. They both blame themselves for breaking up their 20-year friendship and then decide that it was the Cartwright brothers who were really at fault (which it was). Just then, the boys come in to apologizes and are chased out by Titus and Phineas, brandishing brooms (we get a lovely view of Joe’s butt, just before he is pushed off the boardwalk.)

Ben enters the saloon, which is being used as the polling station, and goes over to the booth, watched by a room full of people. He hovers over the ballot paper with a pencil, unable to make up his mind, and then resorts to tossing a coin in order to make his choice. We see the people outside the booth watching the coin, as it keeps flying through the air, but we never do find out whom he votes for.

REVIEWS:

“Even though it may have been a bit over done, I always loved the comedic episodes.” Miss Maggie

“The bickering between Hoss and Joe is humorous. Hop Sing is just hysterically with his ranting and raving and threatening. One of favorite scenes is the candidates’ speeches and the fight that breaks loose after the band shows up. I love Ben's philosophy of letting the boys work things out among themselves…. The last scene has to be my favorite, though, Ben tossing that coin again and again and again. Nope we never do find out who wins but laugh trying.” Nancy

”I forgot how sometimes how intensely Joe and Hoss could get into it. Two things that kind of surprise me. First is when Little Joe throws the ax at Hoss. Second is when Hoss, as ell as Joe, argue at the dinner breakfast table. Hoss loves to eat and he loves Hop Sing's cooking. I didn't think that anything would sidetrack Hoss from Hop Sing's cooking." Michael

“This was never one of my favorites... it was never really funny enough for a comedy. I cringed when they act like little kids. Perhaps, the episode needed Adam to round it out. He could act cynical or play one brother against the other and give Ben those "See, aren't I the GOOD son, Pa," looks to really balance it out Little Joe and Hoss being goofy.” Robin

“I like parts of this episode -- seeing Joe and Hoss fussing and feuding with each other, watching Pa giving the boys their comeuppance at the end, and the amusing scene where everyone is watching Pa continuously tossing the coin into the air. I'm not much of a fan of slapstick, though, so the whole bit where the speeches dissolve into fights and pies in the face doesn't really tickle me.” Susan Grote

“This wasn't one of my favorite episodes, but I do like it. Virginia City sure was put into an uproar, simply because Joe and Hoss wanted to compete with one another. I liked how Ben refused to go into town to stop the boys since Clem had to admit they had done nothing illegal (and I've always wondered what the problem was with their wagon wheels, too, btw). I also liked how, even though they were fussing with each other, when the fight was going on Joe and Hoss didn't hit one another. They may have been having a little friendly competition (ok, not so friendly) but they didn't resort to physically doing anything to each other. It was also good the way Ben won in the end and he was the one who would be taking the vacation to San Francisco, and not the town troublemakers! :)” Leesa

“This is a nice light episode, for me not broadly hilarious but still amusing throughout. Perfect casting of Tom Bosley and Wally Cox as the two mild-mannered candidates. I have a few favorite little moments, such as when the flying axe barely misses Hoss, and Joe says, "What are you yelling for? You're still alive, aren't you?" And there's a neat little camera shot when Joe is about to introduce Titus on the podium: we hear a pounding sound and Joe stops mid-sentence and turns toward the sound, then there's a sharp cut to a high-angle shot of the team of horses, camera shaky like a hand-held, holding there just long enough for the wagon with Hoss and his bass drum to come into the shot, then quickly zooming back to a longer shot showing the whole street as the wagon continues around the corner.” Sue W.