David Canary Movies

Originally telecast on May 26, 1968 as Bonanza's 300th episode, "The Stronghold" finds Joe Cartwright and Ponderosa hand Candy chasing Josh and Mike Farrell (Michael Witney and Paul Mantee), the two men who swindled them out of a herd of cattle. Joe and Candy catch up with the duplicitous brothers at their hideout in Arizona, where a deadly game of cat-and-mouse ensues. The only hope for a happy ending lies with the Farrells, who are slowly but surely growing sick of each other's company. "The Stronghold" was written by John Hawkins and W.R. Burnett. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

On trial for murder, Hoss Cartwright may well be sent to the gallows on circumstantial evidence. Worse still, Hoss is suffering from amnesia, and doesn't know if he is guilty or innocent. The only person willing to take Hoss' case is legendary Sacramento defense attorney Barney Sturgess (Albert Dekker)-who is now the town drunk. First telecast on May 12, 1968-seven days after the mysterious, sordid and still-unsolved death of guest star Albert Dekker-"The Bottle Fighter" was written by John Hawkins, Colin Mackenzie and S.H. Barnett. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Bonanza inaugurated its tenth season on September 15, 1968, with the episode titled "Same Pines, Different Winds." Irene Tedrow is cast as tenacious widow Carrie Picket, who owns a parcel of land which she calls "her piney woods." Because her late husband never filed a legal claim for the property, Carrie is threatened with eviction by evil lumber tycoon Jason Milburn (Herb Voland). Joe Cartwright tries to come to Carrie's aid-only to be harshly rebuked by the old woman, who trusts absolutely no one. Also appearing are John Randolph as Doc and G. D. Spradlin as Jenk. "Same Pines, Different Winds" was written by Suzanna Clauser. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Though the title of this episode refers to the young lady played by Sheila Wells, the emphasis is on George's father, photographer Enos Blessing (Jack Albertson). Hired to provide an alibi for crooked lawyer Cato Troxell (Gerald Mohr), who plans to murder the judge (Fred Clark) responsible for hanging his brother, Blessing takes a group picture of the Ponderosa entourage, then doctors the photo to include Troxell. This little arrangement ultimately proves fatal for both Troxell and Blessing. Featured in the all-star supporting cast are Andy Devine and Patsy Kelly) as Roscoe and Mrs. Neely. Written by William H. Wright, "A Girl Named George" first aired on January 14, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Kim Hunter guest-stars as greedy Ada Halle, who holds a monopoly on all salt deposits in Spanish Wells. Charging exorbitant prices for her precious salt, Ada sparks a war between the haves (the wealthy cattlemen of the territory) and the have-nots (the small ranchers). Making things dicier is the fact that Ada is the fiancee of Ben Cartwright's old friend Cash Talbot (John Doucette). Originally telecast on February 4, 1968, "The Price of Salt" was written by B.W. Sandefur. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Season nine of Bonanza marks the introduction of a new recurring character; one of several developed by the series' producers as a potential replacement for former series star Pernell Roberts. David Canary makes his first appearance as enigmatic stranger Candy in "A Sense of Duty"; having passed muster in a guest role, Canary was signed on to play Candy on a more or less full-time basis, reemerging as a ranch hand on the Ponderosa spread owned by Ben Cartwright (Lorne Greene) in "Judgement at Olympus." Of the subsequent ninth season episodes, several are standouts. Burgess Meredith plays a former crook turned political reformer in "Six Black Horses"; James MacArthur, one year removed from Hawaii Five-O, is seen as the beleaguered heir to a prize horse in "Check Rein"; Jack Albertson is cast as an ill-fated photographer in "A Girl Named George," which also features veteran comic actors Andy Devine and Patsy Kelly; "The Late Ben Cartwright" features a musical background score incorporating passages later heard on Bonanza co-star Michael Landon's subsequent series Little House on the Prairie; and in "To Die in Darkness," the selfsame Michael Landon makes his directorial debut. Also, season nine saw Bonanza's 300th episode, "The Stronghold." Although the new rival CBS series The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour had significantly cut into Bonanza's ratings, the older show still finished big for its ninth season, tying with Gunsmoke and Family Affair as America's fourth most-watched program. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Schlockmeister Roger Corman produced this graphically violent chronicle of the Chicago gangster wars of the 1920s and the events that lead to the bloody title showdown between rival mobsters Al Capone (Jason Robards) and Bugs Moran (Ralph Meeker) that marked a brutal end to a terrifying era. Fred Steiner's film score is effectively mixed with popular songs from the 1920s, and the re-creation of gangster-era Chicago is a credit to the set designers. Historic and insightful narration is dramatically provided by Paul Frees, giving the film the flavor of a docudrama. Jean Hale plays Moran's gun moll, who is mercilessly kneed in the stomach while arguing over a fur coat. Though The St. Valentine's Day Massacre was heralded by critics at the time of its initial release, their opinion of the film has changed with each decade as they waver on the cinematic value of all of Corman's work. Audiences continue to relish the film, which is often shown on the anniversary of the bloody executions. Watch for Jack Nicholson as one of the unfortunate victims. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Jamison Fillmore (Richard Anderson), the crooked owner of a paddle-wheel steamboat, plans an aquatic escape after robbing the Ponderosa timber supplies and stealing a shipment of currency. Fillmore proves he's not kidding when he murders steamboat skipper Captain Larson (Karl Swenson), a friend of Ponderosa ranchhand Candy. Swearing revenge, Candy figures that the best way to catch a thief is to think like one. Also appearing are Sheila Larken as Julie, Kevin Hagen as Guy Gilray, and Christopher Dark as Testy. Filmed on location, "Showdown at Tahoe" was written by Thomas Thompson. The episode first aired on November 19, 1967, and was chosen for rebroadcast by NBC during the summer of 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A gang of outlaws, led by the sadistic Dibs (Richard Jaeckel), descends upon the Ponderosa. The crooks are determined to retrieve $60,000 in stolen money from their duplicitous partner Don Buckler (Ron Hayes), now wounded and under the care of the Cartwright boys. Eve McVeigh appears as housekeeper Harriet Guthrie, temporary replacement for the Cartwrights' longtime servant Hop Sing, while Joan Freeman is cast as Kelly. First shown on October 15, 1967, "Night of Reckoning" was written by Walter Black. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Future Hawaii 5-0 regular James MacArthur guest-stars as Jase Fredericks, who tries to protect his inheritance, and his life, from his selfish uncle Bingham (Ford Rainey). The Cartwrights become involved when the conflict between Jase and Bingham boils down to Jase's prize stallion. Patricia Hyland costars as Jase's wife Kathy. Originally broadcast on December 3, 1967, "Check Rein" was written by Robert I. Holt and Olney Sherman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The first hour-long network Western series telecast in color, Bonanza was also the granddaddy of all "property" Westerns, future examples of which included The Virginian, The Big Valley, and The High Chaparral. The series took place during and after the Civil War in Virginia City, NV. Lorne Greene starred as Ben Cartwright, silver-haired owner of the fabulous, half-million-acre Ponderosa Ranch. The industrious, independent Cartwright had been widowed three times, each of his wives providing him with a single son. Pernell Roberts played eldest son Adam, the brooding, intellectual offspring of Ben's first wife Elizabeth; Dan Blocker played middle son Hoss, the beefy, affable issue of Ben's second wife Inger; and Michael Landon played youngest son Little Joe, a hotheaded, temperamental lad who took after his mother, Ben's third wife Marie. The four Cartwrights comprised the principal cast during the series' first six seasons, with occasional appearances by Victor Sen Yung as the Ponderosa's Chinese cook Hop Sing; Ray Teal as Virginia City's taciturn lawman, Sheriff Roy Coffee; and Bing Russell (father of Kurt Russell) as deputy Clem Foster. When Pernell Roberts left the series at the outset of season seven, it was explained that Adam had gone to Europe to complete his education. Several attempts were made to replace Adam in the hearts and minds of the viewing public: Guy Williams of Zorro fame was seen briefly as cousin Will Cartwright; David Canary appeared as ranch foreman Canady (aka Candy) during seasons nine through 11, then again during season 14, Lou Frizzell showed up as Ben's friend Dusty Rhoades beginning in season 12, as did Mitch Vogel as Dusty's ward Jamie Hunter, a teenaged orphan; and during the series' final year, Tim Matheson weaved through the proceedings as ex-convict Griff King, whom Ben tried to give a second chance by taking him on as a ranch hand. Making its NBC debut on September 12, 1959, Bonanza spent its first two seasons on Saturday evenings, opposite CBS' Perry Mason.
Ratings improved tremendously when Bonanza shifted to Sunday evenings at 9 PM (EST) beginning in the 1961-1962 season; in fact, the series was America's number one show for three seasons in a row, from 1964 through 1967. It might have run forever had it not been for two calamitous events during the 1972-1973 season: the decision by NBC to reschedule the show to Tuesdays, and the unexpected death of longtime regular Dan Blocker. With ratings plummeting precipitously, the show was canceled on January 16, 1973 -- a rather ignominious climax for a classic Western series that was second only to Gunsmoke in longevity. Since that time, a number of attempts have been made to revive Bonanza, notably a trio of made-for-TV movies produced in 1988, 1993, and 1995; the latter two appearing after the deaths of Lorne Greene and Michael Landon. And during the 2001-2002 season, the PAX network aired the prequel series Ponderosa, which detailed the adventures of the four Cartwrights in the years before Bonanza took place. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide