EPISODE:  Warbonnet

Reviewed by Heidi (Netherlands)

Episode number: 403, Season: 13, Date of broadcasting: December 26, 1971
 

Guest stars: Chief Dan George, Forrest Tucker, Linda Cristal

Written by: Arthur Heinemann, Charles Goldwad, Robert Blood
Directed by: Arthur H. Nadel

SUMMARY:

Joe walks around and stumbles, falls but gets up again. Then the sky begins to turn around him. He tries to climb a small hill but fails, and rolls down until he stops and lies still. A young Indian finds Joe unconscious, discovers his revolver, looks at it and takes it along with him. Then he goes to his grandpa, who is a chief. The young one goes to sit a bit further away and takes out the revolver out of his pocket. While he inspects the revolver the Chief comes to him and wants him to hand over the revolver. Together they go to Joe and they take him down to their camp.

When Joe wakes up, the Chief goes to him and gives him water to drink. They talk and introduced themselves to each other.

When Joe discovers that his wallet is gone and he says that he also has lost his horse, saddle and revolver, the chief, Red Cloud, says, “White man not wise. Loses horse, saddle, money and revolver in desert.”  He leaves Joe alone. The grandson of Red Cloud, Swift Eagle, swears that he didn’t take Joe’s wallet. Red Cloud says that he must give the revolver back and tell Joe what he did. Swift Eagle looks unhappy about that.

The next day the three ride to the nearest town. Suddenly, Red Cloud says that Joe and Swift Eagle must go to town. Red Cloud stays behind.

Arriving in town, Swift Eagle asks where Joe wants to go to. “To the sheriff,” Joe says.

“Why do you need the sheriff?” Swift Eagle asks nervously.

“To borrow money from the sheriff,” Joe explains.

Swift Eagle brings Joe to the sheriff. Joe dismounts and talks to two men: the sheriff and saloon owner. Frank Ryan. The sheriff does nothing and is peevish. Ryan lends Joe some money.

Joe freshens himself up and hears all about Ryan from the barber. He talks five quarters in one hour.

In the saloon, Ryan and Joe have a conversation about Indians. While Ryan tells Joe about taking the warbonnet that is hanging on the wall, one of the saloon girls delivers two beers. She gives Ryan a strange look.

In the meantime, Swift Eagle rides back to Red Cloud and tells him that he found the warbonnet.

A bit later on, as Joe is getting some money, he sees Red Cloud and Swift Eagle riding into town. He decides to follow them. Red Cloud and Swift Eagle go into the saloon and Red Cloud grabs the bonnet. The cowboys in the saloon give the two Indians a bad time. One wants to hit Red Cloud but Joe steps in. The cowboys take the warbonnet and give the bonnet back to Ryan, who hangs it up again. Ryan lets the sheriff arrest the Indians until they can be taken to the reservation again.

In the cell, Red Cloud says to Joe and the sheriff that he doesn‘t need help. At his own request, Joe gets into the cell (with his notorious black gloves on) to talk to them. Red Cloud says that the bonnet is his and that it was taken from him 15 years ago. Joe promises to inform his father about the problem.

At the saloon, Ryan stands near the bonnet and thinks. Teresa, the saloon girl, defends the Indians but another saloon girl, May, defends Ryan. May gets sent home by Ryan. Ryan wants to talk to Teresa. He tells her that he misses her. She sits down and they have a serious talk about their relationship. 

Ben and Hoss talk to an Indian agent who refuses to cooperate. In the end Ben suggests that his son Joe will bring Red Cloud and Swift Eagle to the reservation. The agent agrees.

Red Cloud and Swift Eagle get released in to the custody of Joe. The sheriff makes Joe read and sign a paper while the Indians go to the livery stable. But instead of the stable, Red Cloud and Swift Eagle go to the saloon.

Ryan gets angry as Red Cloud challenges him to a fight. The stake is the bonnet. Joe refuses to let Red Cloud fight Ryan but Red Cloud says he will fight anyway. When Joe asks them to wait, the Indians promise to stay in the room the next day.

Ryan doesn’t know what to do, as he doesn’t want to fight Red Cloud. May wants it and so does her friends. Teresa tries to convince Ryan to give Red Cloud the bonnet. Finally Ryan decides to fight but he won’t be the one to die.

Joe tries to talk to the sheriff but the sheriff refuses to interfere. He says that he hasn’t heard of any fights.

In the morning, Joe comes into the saloon and wants to know where Ryan is. May says that he is in his office. Joe gets into a fight with Ryan’s men. The sheriff takes Joe to jail as Ryan and Teresa watch.

Outside, Red Cloud and Swift Eagle appear and everyone is watching. May and the cowboys stir everything up. When Teresa comes downstairs, Ryan looks at her and then goes outside. The tension rises when Ryan and Red Cloud stand opposite each other, each with their own lance. Joe calls from jail to stop but it is no use, as no one listens to him. At the high point, Ryan breaks his lance.  He says, “The bonnet is yours.” He confesses that he didn’t take it legally.

Teresa comes out with the bonnet and gives it to Ryan. Ryan then tells the real story of how he stole the warbonnet. May disappears with disgust into the saloon while Ryan gives the bonnet to Red Cloud. Ryan walks back to the saloon where May yells at him. Teresa gives her a piece of her mind and vice versa. Ryan fires May.

Joe comes into the saloon and gives back the money he owes Ryan. He tells Theresa that Ryan is a “heck of a man”. Watched by Ryan and Teresa, Red Cloud, Swift Eagle and Joe leave town. Red Cloud is proudly wearing his warbonnet.

REVIEWS:

“I am not that keen on episodes which only feature one Cartwright as a rule, but I do like this one. The supporting cast is good and Linda Cristal, in particular, gives a  lively performance, showing why she was cast to play Victoria in High Chaparral. Joe looks gorgeous, as Joe always does, and does a great job sticking up for the Indians. I was pleased to see the warbonnet being returned, without any bloodshed, and Ryan confessing that he'd stolen it, and not taken it in battle, as he'd pretended to have done. Not a bad ep, IMHO.” Little Joe forever Lynne

“The best part of the ep, of course, is sweaty Joe. But I love the end when Ryan gives the chief the warbonnet back.” Ginny

“I like this episode for several reasons: the supporting cast is great, the story line is interesting and unusual because a Cartwright doesn't "save the day", and we get a nice bit of "hurt/comfort" with Joe at the beginning (although I do think he would have been more comfortable without his shirt...).  I think the story line in this episode is very well done. Joe likes both Ryan and Red Cloud, and he gets increasing frustrated because he can't seem to get either of them to be reasonable and call off the fight. In the end, it's not Joe who stops the fight but Ryan, who shows his true courage.” Susan Grote

“I liked this ep even though it was a bit different and was glad it was resolved the way it was. It was a nicely written piece of work.” Deb

“This was one of those later episodes that is rarely shown. It’s a real contrast to many earlier seasons where the Indians were riding wild and shooting arrows into the Cartwrights. Warbonnet shows how the Indians were more sympathetically portrayed as honorable people and victims of selfish lying whites stealing their land and their respect. It was a decade later.” Robin