Leon Benson Movies

This speculative horror film details the tribulations endured by a specially-selected test group of 11 people who are informed that they will be the only occupants of a nuclear fallout shelter built half a mile below the Earth's surface. Chosen by project coordinator Peter Macomber (Bradford Dillman) as a fair cross-section of humanity, the group includes a politician, a businessman, an athlete and an author. As it turns out, the "survivors" are unwitting participants in one of those contrived psychological experiments featured so often on programs like The Twilight Zone. To make matters worse, someone's left a vent open, releasing thousands of ravenous vampire bats. Produced in Mexico, this tepid psycho-thriller plays out like the aforementioned TV drama, albeit padded out to 100 minutes. Said padding seems comprised of equal parts dull dialogue and interminable battles with the winged foes -- which are admittedly quite realistic and make for some genuine creep-out scenes. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

Singer/songwriters Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, who composed many of The Monkees' best tunes, appear in this episode of The Flying Nun. While appearing in San Juan, the two performers are involved in a minor traffic accident caused by Sr. Bertrille, who willingly takes all the blame for the incident. The boys' lawyer insists upon suing Convent San Tanco, resulting in a outpouring of public outrage which nearly wrecks the singers' careers--to say nothing of Carlos' casino. Boyce and Hart perform their own compositions "I Thank You" and "Crazy Arms". Written by March 20, 1970, "When Generations Gap" first aired on March 20, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Having accumulated $67,000 from a gold strike, prospector Chris Keller (Christopher Connelly) finds himself the target of virtually every confidence trickster in the country. To save himself and his cash, Chris hides out at the Ponderosa, only to be lured into the open by lovely Charity McGill (Elaine Giftos). By an amazing coincidence, sweet Charity needs $65,000 to pay for her dear father's medical expenses. The Cartwrights are certain that Charity is yet another con artist-but is she? Ralph Waite of The Waltons fame appears in the supporting role of Hoby. Written by Preston Wood, "The Lady and the Mark" first aired February 1, 1970, then was chosen by NBC for an encore presentation in June of 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Tony De Costa is cast as Ramon, a Mexican youth who has suffered a lifetime of abuse at the hands of his father, and now is under the thumb of his cruel boss. Mad at the world, Ramon refuses to reveal the fact that he's discovered a rich gold vein. And then, inevitably, the boy is befriended by the kindly Cartwrights. Featured in the cast are Bruce Dern as Bayliss and Ross Hansen as Rader. Written by Robert Buckner and Preston Wood, "The Gold Mine" has seldom been seen since it originally aired on March 8, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Ben Cartwright finds himself in the uncomfortable position of choosing between two old and treasured friends, both of whom abuptly re-enter his life after 27 years. Charlie Sheppard (Robert Wilke), formerly Ben's prospecting partner, is now a wanted outlaw, while Jess Waddell (Morgan Woodward) has become a trigger-happy bounty hunter. The situation gets worse when Charlie is forced to kidnap Ben's son Hoss. Written by Barney Slater, "Old Friends" was intially broadcast on December 14, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Joe Cartwright's coquettish former fiancee Emily Anderson (Beth Brickell) returns to town, quickly wrapping the moonstruck Joe around her little finger once more. Unfortunately, Emily has neglected to inform Joe that she is now married to Deputy Marshal Wade McPhail (Ron Hayes). Furthermore, the girl is an habitual liar, and before long a wounded Joe has been accused of robbery and murder. Written by Preston Wood and Elliot Gilbert, "Emily" originally aired on March 23 1969. It is currently unavailable in most circulating Bonanza rerun packages. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Joe Cartwright and Candy head to Butlerville, there to help out Candy's old friend Jess Parker (Robert Pine). The town is run with an iron hand by Calvin Butler (Will Geer), who will stop at nothing to drive all "squatters" out of the territory. Having witnessed Butler's brutality first hand, Parker is prepared to testify against the despot in court-if he lives that long. Complicating matters are the fact that Butler is an old friend of Joe's father Ben, and that there is a long-standing romantic rivalry between Candy and Jess over Jess' wife Barbara. First broadcast on March 30, 1969, "The Running Man" was written by John and Ward Hawkins. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Passing themselves off as wealthy business owners, brother-and-sister swindlers Tobias and April Horn (Robert Hogan, Marj Dusay) hoodwink the Cartwrights into helping them rob the Virginia City bank. Humiliated at being taken in by the siblings, and angry that his father was wounded in the robbery, Joe Cartwright rides into the desert in pursuit of the Horns-only to be outmaneuvered every inch of the way by the crooks' partner in crime, former army scout John Spain (Anthony Zerbe). "A Ride in the Sun" was written by John Hawkins and Peter Germano. The episode was originally shown on May 11, 1969, bringing Bonanza's tenth TV season to a close. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Mildred Natwick guest-stars as the formidable Mrs. Wharton, a snobbish Englishwoman living by her wits and will in the Wild, Wild West. When the stage on which she is travelling is held up by outlaws, the snooty Mrs. Wharton must rely upon that "uncouth creature" Candy to retrieve her valuables. Candy soon discovers that Mrs. Wharton is a lot more resourceful and self-reliant than she appears to be. Loosely based on the real-life tour of the American West by British actress Mrs. Trollope, "Mrs. Wharton and the Lesser Breeds" was written by Preston Wood, and was first shown on January 19, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Over the protests of the Cartwrights, the Carttlemen's Association hires range detective Marcus Alley (Albert Salmi) to round up a gang of rustlers by any means necessary. Unfortunately, Alley is a psycho who shoots first and asks questions later-and as a result, several innocent people are killed. Also in the cast are Richard Carlson as Hollenbeck, Kenneth Tobey as Heath, Anna Navarro as Prudence and Myron Healey as Johannsen. First shown on January 21, 1968, "The Thirteenth Man" was written by Walter Black. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

When Sheriff Walker (Stuart Randall) of Muddy Creek is murdered, Ben and Joe Cartwright volunteer to guard prisoner Luke Harper (Joe Don Baker). Fearful of retaliation from Harper's gang, the townspeople refuse to assist Ben and Joe, going so far as to desert the town. The only remaining citizens are Walker's widow (Ann Doran), an old man (Jon Lormer) and his grandson Tommy (played by future Bonanza regular Mitch Vogel, and town trollop Casey Collins (Jean Hale). Written by Alf Harris (and, possibly, inspired by such theatrical westerns as Stagecoachand Rio Bravo), "The Real People of Muddy Creek" first aired on October 6, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Unbeknownst to Hoss Cartwright, the horse he has just purchased previously belonged to a murdered millionaire. As a result, Hoss is railroaded into jail on a murder-theft charge. Threatened with lynching by a band of townsfolk eager to get their hands on the dead man's missing money, Hoss breaks out of jail with the help of black cowboy Child Barnett (Yaphet Kotto), a man who has spent virtually his entire adult life on the run. Others in the cast are John Marley as Sheriff Millet, Harry Hickox as Mayor Bingham, Henry Beckman as Charlie, Bruce Kirby as Chad, and bandleader Frank DeVol as Brother Stoner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Mariette Hartley makes a return visit to Bonanza in the November 10, 1968 episode "The Survivors." This time, Hartley is cast as Alicia, a former captive of the Paiutes. During her captivity, Alicia had been forced to bear a son to one of the braves, and as a result is shunned by the townsfolk-and rejected by her husband Wayne Purcell (John Carter). It is up to the Cartwrights to defend Alicia in the face of raw, ugly bigotry. "The Survivors" was written by S.H. Barnett, Colin MacKenzie and John Hawkins. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide