Inspired by some speculation in this thread, I wonder if my fellow Dopers have any opinions on Ben Cartwright’s culpability or lack thereof in the mysterious deaths of his wives.
You’ll all recall, I’m sure, that Ben, patriarch on Bonanza, had three different sons by three different mothers. (I’ve always wondered what the hell Little Joe’s mother was thinking when she said “I do.”) This seems suspicious to me.
I’ve prepared the flying Delorean for a trip back to the 1880s. But before the Time Corps magistrate will give me a warrant for Cartwright’s arrest, he wants to hear both pros and cons.
I’m not sure if I remember the circumstances of their deaths. Didn’t the mother of Hoss die during an indian attack? What was the “official” story on the other two?
Poor Ben! He was -not- responsible for the deaths of any of his wives … unless you want to count the “Cartwright Curse,” which affected girlfriends of the sons too, btw. I can’t remember how Adam’s mother died, she may have been the one who died in childbirth. Hoss’ mother was killed by an Indian’s arrow during an Indian attack, while they were on a wagon train heading west (to Nevada territory and eventually the Ponderosa). Hoss had just been born and was still an infant (albeit a large-size one!). Little Joe’s mother survived until Joe was about 5-6, then died after falling down a flight of stairs (I think). There are many good fan sites for Bonanza and most of them have sections that discuss Ben’s wives and their fates … I don’t have any links to them at this moment, though.
Adam’s mother was Elizabeth. She died of “the fever” soon after he was born.
Hoss’s mother was Inga. She was killed in an Indian attack soon after he was born.
Joe’s mother was Josephine, and Ben met her in New Orleans (obviously, none of the local women would have him after the first two). She was a widow who had been thrown out by her rich in-laws, and was working as a “saloon girl” (obviously, only a prostitute who didn’t know Ben’s background would marry him). She died in a shooting attack on the Ponderosa by a man hired by her ex-mother-in-law to kill her right after Joe was born.
I think it’s amazing how any of the Cartwright women managed to live long enough to procreate. As has been pointed out the curse extends to the sons, I think each of them got married at some point and lost their wives before they did reproduce. It seems the curse was stronger with the second generation.
Either that or Ben really is a misogynist and managed to do away with all his sons wives, too. Hmm, maybe if we investigated we’d find that Ben had a baby girl or two that ended up getting left in the woods to be eaten by Grizzlies.
I can’t find the thread in which I postulated the following theory: Ben Cartwright and Hop Sing were gay lovers. They decided to raise some children together, but of course in those days you couldn’t just go to an adoption agency and tell them, “Get some children for me and my gay, interracial lover to adopt.” So Ben, being pretty well off, was able to find a woman to marry him. After Adam was born, Ben and Hop Sing waited till she had a fever a few weeks later (a pretty common event in those days) and suffocated her and told everyone she had died of the fever. They buried her before anyone else got a chance to see the dead body. Then Ben married again and Hoss was born. This wife was killed in an “Indian raid” that was actually led by Hop Sing. Ben was eventually able to marry again, although people were beginning to get suspicious by this time. After Little Joe was born, Ben hired a gunfighter to shoot this wife and then spread the rumor that she was killed by her ex-mother-in-law.
If we legalize gay marriage and adoption, what will we do for TV shows in 2100?
Okay, gimme the warrant and I’ll bring 'em both back for questioning.
Also I seem to recall that Dawn Wells once guest-starred on Bonanza (as an Indian, because she sure didn’t LOOK white)…shall I bring her in on, um–hey, somebody gimme a charge here.
Is it against board rules to hijack my own thread?
Look. First, in the interest of fighting ignorance, we need to set the record straight here.
Ben’s first wife, Elizabeth (Adam’s mother) died after fighting a high feber. She was teh daughter of the man Ben served under as First Mate back in Boston, Captain Abel Morgan Stoddard. When the Captain was forced to retire, Ben married his daughter and left the sea. They had Adam, she died, Adam and Ben set off to the West. (Season 2, Episode 65.)
He met his second wife, Inger, while traveling west with five year old Adam, during a stop in the town where Inger and her brother Gunnar ran a store. Ben found a job in the saloon and stayed on while courting Inger. Shortly after having Hoss (real name Eric), they miss the wagon train they were supposed to join up with, and due to a issue their wagon train leader had with the Indians, there was a fight and Inger caught an arrow in the back. She dies, he carries on with Hoss and Adam. (Season 3, Episode 95.)
Joe’s mother, MARIE, was from New Orleans. She was the widow of one of Ben’s ranch hands and he had travelled there to tell her the news that her husband had died. She died when she was thrown from a horse on the Ponderosa. (Season 4, Episode 120.)
Nope. Adam was never married, nor was Hoss. While both came close, neither ever was. It was, however, unfortunate that their intended wives all ended up dead - I’m surprised the horses weren’t tripping over the dead girlfriends.
Joe was the only one to marrie - he married Alice Harper who was killed right after the wedding due to her brother’s criminal problems. She was pregnant at the time she was murdered in the fire in their home. (Season 14, Episode 416.) This episode was supposed to have Hoss as the one getting married but he up and died on 'em, so Little Joe ended up with it.
Anything else Bonanza related anyone needs to know? Yes, I can quote dialogue from some of the shows. And don’t get me started on the words to the theme song!
