John Hawkins Movies

Victor French returns to the series in the role of Isaiah Edwards. When his adopted son John a copy boy with a big Chicago newspaper, dies under mysterious circumstances, Edwards is comforted through his grief by his old friend Charles (Michael Landon). By and by, several clues indicate that John was murdered -- whereupon Charles and Isaiah head to the Windy City, there to join forces with a crusading editor to bring the killer or killers to justice. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of a two-part story, Mary Ingalls (Melissa Sue Anderson) is in dire need of a life-saving operation. Lacking the necessary funds, Mary's father, Charles (Michael Landon), signs up for a high-paying -- and highly-dangerous -- new job. Working shoulder to shoulder with his neighbor Mr. Edwards (Victor French), Charles becomes a "powder monkey," part of a team blasting a tunnel for the railroad. Inevitably, disaster befalls Charles and Edwards in the form of a sudden cave-in. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the two-hour finale of Little House on the Prairie's third season, the Ingalls family faces yet another crisis when their crops are destroyed. In desperation, Charles Ingalls (Michael Landon) packs up his brood and heads to the nearby gold mines, hoping for better luck. Surprisingly, the family strikes it rich -- and not surprisingly, the sudden influx of wealth all but destroys them. This episode marked the final appearance of Victor French as Mr. Edwards until his return to the series several years later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this episode from the television series Little House on the Prairie, Charles and Caroline Ingalls (Michael Landon and Karen Grassle) are traveling with their daughters, Laura (Melissa Gilbert), Mary (Melissa Sue Anderson), and Carrie (Lindsay Greenbush), when they're caught in the middle of a freak blizzard. Seeking shelter in an abandoned cabin, the Ingalls family soon discovers they have no food, and Charles ventures out to find provisions. As he searches for food, Charles finds a Sioux Indian and a lost traveler; the Indian, who for some reason never speaks, helps to save the family, but Charles finds he has to defend the Indian against the racist taunts of the other man he helped to rescue. "Survival" was first aired on February 26, 1975. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

One of the most successful and beloved of all TV family drama series, the weekly, 60-minute Little House on the Prairie was based on the autobiographical books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Michael Landon, the series' executive producer and occasional writer/director, headed the cast as Charles Ingalls, a Wisconsin farmer who moved himself and his family to the small town of Walnut Grove, MN, in the early 1870s. Karen Grassle co-starred as Charles' wife, Caroline; Melissa Sue Anderson was seen as eldest daughter Mary; Melissa Gilbert played middle daughter Laura (aka "Half-Pint"); and twins Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush shared the role of youngest daughter Carrie. As the series progressed, there were several more additions to the Ingalls household: Caroline bore a fourth daughter named Grace (played by twins Wendi and Brenda Turnbaugh); Charles and Caroline adopted an orphan named Albert (Matthew Laborteaux), and later took in another brace of orphans named Cassandra and James Cooper (Jason Bateman, Missy Francis); and during the series' final season, grown-up daughter Laura took charge of her niece Jenny (Shannon Doherty). Inasmuch as the series remained on NBC for nine seasons, it hardly needs saying that the two oldest Ingalls daughters literally grew up in full view of millions of fans. Mary eventually went blind due to a progressive disease, whereupon she relocated to a school for the blind in the Dakota Territory. There she met and fell in love with her teacher, likewise blind, named Adam Kendall (Linwood Boomer). They would later marry and have a child, who was killed in a fire. Ultimately, Adam regained his sight and relocated himself and his wife to New York, there to practice law. As for Laura, she became a schoolteacher in Walnut Grove, and in this capacity met another teacher, Almanzo Wilder (Dean Butler); they too would marry and have a child, named Rose.

Others in the large supporting cast included Victor French as the Ingalls' neighbor and friend Isaiah Edwards and Bonnie Bartlett as Mrs. Grace Edwards; Katherine MacGregor as the ridiculously haughty town gossip Harriet Oleson; Richard Bull as Harriet's good-natured storekeeper husband, Nels; Alison Arngrim as the Olesons' bratty daughter, Nellie (who, upon growing up and "reforming," wed a Jewish boy named Percival [Steve Tracy]); and Allison Balson as Harriet and Nels' equally obnoxious adopted daughter Nancy. Other cast included Merlin Olsen as headstrong farmer Jonathan Garvey, and Hersha Parady and Patrick Laborteaux as Garvey's wife, Alice, and son, Andy; Karl Swenson as Lars Hanson, owner of Walnut Grove's mill; Charlotte Stewart as schoolteacher Miss Beadle; Dabbs Greer as Reverend Alden; Jonathan Gilbert as Dr. Baker; Ketty Lester as Hester Sue Terhune, head instructor at the blind school established in Walnut Grove by Mary and Adam; and, in the final season, Michael Landon's daughter Leslie Landon as new schoolmarm Etta Plum.

In the course of the series, the Ingalls and several of their neighbors briefly moved to Dakota Territory when Walnut Grove was devastated by a series of financial reverses, but they all returned to rebuild the town and restore its economy. And in the ninth and final season, Michael Landon and Karen Grassle relinquished their starring roles (though Landon remained on the project as executive producer) and Melissa Gilbert (Laura Ingalls Wilder) was promoted to the leading role. At that time, the series' title was changed to Little House: A New Beginning, and Stan Ivar and Pamela Roylance became regular cast members as John and Sarah Carter, the couple who moved into the Ingalls' now-vacant family farm. After Little House on the Prairie completed its run in the spring of 1983, three two-hour specials were produced for the 1983-1984 television season to tie up loose plot ends. The series has managed to sustain its popularity in syndicated rerun form, and as a fixture of the PAX TV network and a number of top cable-TV services. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Fresh from his nine-year stint on The Beverly Hillbillies, Buddy Ebsen is cast as Ponderosa hired hand Cactus Murphy, fired for incompetence by Ben Cartwright. His dander up, the old hand challenges Ben to do all the work Cactus does in a week-and without using the Cartwright money or power to his advantage. Taking up the cudgel, Ben signs on to his own spread as a wrangler named "Ben Brown"-and does he learn a painful lesson! Richard Farnsworth appears in the supporting role of Tate. First broadcast on January 16, 1972, "The Saddle Stiff" was written by Samuel A. Peeples and John Hawkins. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Rip Torn guest-stars as Will Hewitt, a former soldier who was blinded in the last battle of the Civil War. Determined to solve the murder of his brother, Hewitt is given a helping hand by Ben Cartwright's adopted son Jamie. The teleplay by John Hawkins and Robert Pirosh is capped by a truly surprising denoument. Also in the cast are Don Knight as Clayton, Loretta Leversee as Laurie, Charles Maxwell as Keeley, and James Chandler as McKey. "Blind Hunch" first aired on November 21, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Virginia City Bank refuses to lend money to a group of Sierra Nevade ranchers who lost most of their stock during a particularly brutal winter. Ben Cartwright tries to come to the aid of the imperiled ranchers by bringing in a new breed of cattle from Montana, a breed capable of surviving the cold. Leading the cattle to Sawtooth, Ben conducts an experiment that lasts through the winter months and into early spring. On the verge of success, Ben is threatened with sabotage from a ruthless rival, forcing the Cartwright patriarch to place his trust in mercurial ranch hand Howie Landis (Glenn Corbett). Written by John Hawkins, Robert Pirosh, and Jack Rummler, "Winter Kill" originally aired on March 28, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Dean Jagger guest-stars as General Ira Cloninger, a legendary Indian fighter. The General hopes to ride into the Nevada governor's office on the coattails of his long-standing friendship with Ben Cartwright. The fly in the ointment is San Francisco reporter Freed (Laurence Luckinbill), who in investigating charges that Cloninger is a genocidal murderer. Aided by Ben's son Joe, Freed draws ever closer to the awful truth, which largely lies in the eyewitness testimony of Nez Perce Indian chief Sam Greybuck (Ruben Moreno). Originally broadcast on February 21, 1971, "Shadow of a Hero" was written by John Hawkins, B.W. Sandefur and Mel Goldberg. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Inheriting a fortune from an Indian benefactor, Candy fulfills his long-standing ambition to quit the Ponderosa. Before long, Candy has accepted an executive position with a prosperous-looking land promoter (Walter Brooke). But when he discovers that his boss is a crook, Candy enlists the aid of the Cartwrights to turn the tables on the duplicitious promoter. Written by John Hawkins, "The Big Jackpot" has seldom been aired since its original network playdate of January 18, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Neville Brand guest-stars as Pepper Shannon, a stage robber whose career has been blown up to "heroic" proportions by the dime-novel brigade. Unfortunately, Ben Cartwright's adopted son Jamie idolizes Shannon, who has allowed Jamie to "capture" him to avoid being shot by his enemies. It is only after Shannon is framed for murder that the disillusioned Jamie realizes that his hero is a lily-livered coward. Also in the cast are Walter Brooke as Corey, Dan Tobin as Mills, and Arthur Peterson as Donovan. Written by John Hawkins, George Scheneck and William Marks, "The Luck of Pepper Shannon" originally aired on November 22, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Bonanza's twelfth season commenced on September 13, 1970 with the episode titled "The Night Virginia City Died." Several Virginia City buildings have burned to the ground; the townsfolk are in an uproar, and the local constabulary is apparently helpless. Meanwhile, the Cartwrights have befriended a pretty young stranger named Janie (Angel Tompkins), the new sweetheart of Deputy Clem (Bing Russell). Only the audience knows that the profoundly disturbed Janie is the elusive arsonist whom everyone is seeking. Written by John Hawkins, this episode was specially contrived to "destroy" the old Virginia City sets at the Paramount studios so that the Bonanza company could move into its new home at Warner Bros. "The Night Virginia City Died" also boasted a new Bonanza theme song by David Rose, which would endure until the old theme was brought back by popular demand in 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide