Bonanza Casting Lorne Greene Ben David Dortort originally considered Lee J. Cobb to portray Ben Cartwright in early 1959. However, the reply from Cobbs agent was that he didnt do television and a dead end. Ironically, Cobb had a change of mind and signed on to portray a wealthy rancher in the NBC TV-series based on Owen Wisters The Virginian in 1962, which ran for almost a decade on NBC. Some three days after first seeing him, David Dortort met Lorne Greene at a party, and he was mildly impressed with him, perhaps hiring him for the role of Ben Cartwright. Dortorts wife, Rose, insisted Lorne was indeed Ben Cartwright, and David finally agreed and went to see him when he was shooting an episode of Wagon Train. He was impressed with how Lorne held his own with Ward Bond (who he had considered to play Ben, and how he also liked to bully the other actors on the set), and that was what finally decided him to cast Lorne Greene as Ben Cartwright. Dortort recalled of Lorne, Lorne not only dominated Bond, but he made him look, by contrast, a weak, indecisive man. Regrettably, Greene and Bond shared no scenes in the episode. An astute businessman, Greene was grateful for his fourteen years years as Ben Cartwright. What Bonanza has given me is freedom without fear, he told reporters after NBC announced the shows cancellation in 1972. Actually, I was never fearful. I gave up a $70,000-a-year job as a newscaster to go into acting. But today I have a firm financial base to work from. I can only wish it for every actor. He made several lucrative investments-including some with Michael Landon and Dan Blocker. They bought a half-mile stretch of Malibu Beach for $2,000,000 million dollars, and after Dan died, Lorne and Michael donated it to the city of Malibu, and named it the Dan Blocker Beach, in memory of him. For his second wife Nancy, and their daughter, Lorne was able to maintain homes in Los Angeles, Incline Village, Lake Tahoe, and Mesa, Arizona, the latter a replica of the Ponderosa he had built in 1965. The replica house was built for promotional purposes only, and after a short time, Lorne abandoned the investment, which was adjacent to the Mesa golf couse. The house still stands today. At the same time, he was also a generous and socially conscious individual who devoted both time and money to the causes he believed in, including an Indian scholarship fund which was also supported by Greenes one-time oldest TV son, Pernell Roberts. Filmography Churchills Island (1941) as narrator War clouds in the Pacific (1941) as narrator Inside Fighting China (1941) as narrator Fighting Sea-Fleas (1944) as narrator Studio Ones 1984 (1948) as OBrien Othello (1953) (television) as Othello The Philip Morris Playhouse (one episode, 1953) — Joe Omnibus (one episode, 1953) — Ed Bailey Danger (one episode, 1954) — Stranger The Silver Chalice (1954) — Saint Peter Justice (one episode, 1954, The Desperate One) You Are There (three episodes, 1954–1955) — Ludwig van Beethoven, Charles Stewart Parnell Tight Spot (1955) — Benjamin Costain Climax! (one episode, 1955) — Dr. Charles Saunders The Elgin Hour (one episode, 1955) — Vernon Dyall Studio 57 (one episode, 1955) — Gentry Morton Alfred Hitchcock Presents (one episode, 1956) — Mr. X Autumn Leaves (1956) — Mr. Hanson The Alcoa Hour (one episode, 1956) — Sheriff Gash Armstrong Circle Theater (one episode, 1956) — Angelina The United States Steel Hour (one episode, 1956) — Dallas Sailor of Fortune (26 episodes, 1955–1956) as Capt. Grant Mitch Mitchell Producers Showcase (three episodes, 1955–1957) — Julius Caesar, Gorgas Kraft Television Theater (one episode, 1957) — Col. Matthews Playhouse 90 (one episode, 1957) — Lowell Williams Studio One (five episodes, 1953–1957) Peyton Place (1957) — Prosecutor The Hard Man (1957) — Rice Martin The Gift of Love (1958) — Grant Allan Suspicion (one episode, 1958) Shirley Temples Storybook (one episode, 1958) — King Bertrand The Last of the Fast Guns (1958) — Michael OReilly The Buccaneer (1958) — Mercier The Trap (1959) — Davis Bonanza (431 episodes, 1959–1973) — Ben Cartwright The Third Man (one episode, 1959) The Gale Storm Show (one episode, 1959) — Constable Barnaby Mike Hammer (two episodes, 1959) — Carl Kunard, Emmett Gates Bronco (one episode, 1959) — Capt. Amos Carr Wagon Train (one episode, 1959) as Christopher Webb Cheyenne (two episodes, 1960) — Colonel Bell Destiny of a Spy (1969) — Peter Vanin Swing Out, Sweet Land (1970) — George Washington The Harness (1971) — Peter Randall The Special London Bridge Special (1972) — Fiddler on the Roof Nippon Chinbotsu (1973) — Ambassador Warren Richards Griff (13 episodes, 1973–1974) — Wade Griffin Rex Harrison Presents Stories of Love (1974) Earthquake (1974) — Sam Royce Nevada Smith (1975) — Jonas Cord Man on the Outside (1975) — Wade Griffin Arthur Haileys the Money changers (1976) — George Quarter main Roots (two episodes, 1977) — John Reynolds SST: Death Flight (1977) — Marshall Cole The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries (two episodes, 1977) — Inspector Hans Stavlin The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald (1977) — Matthew Arnold Watson The Bastard (1978) — Bishop Francis The Little Brown Burro (1978) — Storyteller (voice) Battlestar Galactica (21 episodes, 1978–1979) — Commander Adama The Love Boat (three episodes, 1979–1982) — Buck Hamilton, Buddy Bowers Klondike Fever (1980) — Sam Steele Galactica 1980 (ten episodes, 1980) as Commander Adama Living Legend: The King of Rock and Roll (1980) Pink Lady (one episode, 1980) Vega$ (two episodes, 1980) — Emil Remick A Time for Miracles (1980) — Bishop John Carroll Aloha Paradise (one episode, 1981) — Businessman A Gift of Music (1981) — Host Code Red (1981) — Battalion Chief Joe Rorchek Ozu no mahôtsukai (1982) — The Wizard (voice) Code Red (12 episodes, 1981–1982) — Battalion Chief Joe Rorchek Police Squad! (one episode, 1982) — Stabbed Man Heidis Song (1982) — Grandfather (voice) Highway to Heaven (one episode, 1985) — Fred Fusco Noahs Ark (1986) — Noah (voice) Vasectomy: A Delicate Matter (1986) — Theo Marshall The Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory (1987) — Gen. Sam Houston Discography Albums Year Album US Label 1961 Robin Hood of El Dorado — MGM 1962 Bonanza Ponderosa Party Time — RCA 1963 Young at Heart — Christmas on the Ponderosa — 1964 Peter and the Wolf — Welcome to the Ponderosa 35 1965 The Man — American West — Have a Happy Holiday 54 1966 Portrait of the West — Singles Year Single Album CAN Country US US Country US AC 1962 My Sons My Sons — Robin Hood of El Dorado 1963 Im the Same Ole Me — single only 1964 Ringo — Welcome to the Ponderosa 1965 The Man — The Man Ol Tin Cup — Welcome to the Ponderosa 1966 Five Card Stud — American West Daddys Little Girl — singles only Waco 1969 Its All in the Game 1970 Daddy (Im Proud to Be Your Son) First Word 1976 Spirit of America
Posted on: Thu, 22 May 2014 15:58:37 +0000
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