Summary:  A unique solution to a difficult situation?
Rating:  General Audiences  (2,150 words)

The Way it Happened? 

“DAMN IT MIKE!” Pernell muttered as Don McDougall shouted, “CUT!”

Cast members and crew hurried forward in hopes of rendering any aid needed to one of their stars.

Using his hands and arms to ward off any assistance, Pernell rose to his feet with an exasperated, if not painful, expression on his face.  The whole crew knew they were pushing it by having Mike lift Pernell, but they felt it was needed as part of the close-up footage.

“Look, it’s not my fault!” Mike offered, shrugging his shoulders as an acceptance of his guilt.

“Then whose fault is it?” Pernell retorted; his right hand slowly massaging his lower back.

“Ah, Pernell, he can’t help it,” Dan tried to lessen the anger of their castmate.

Facing off to the larger man, “Oh, he can’t, can’t he.”

“Listen, I tried to lift you but from that position on the ground, it’s as awkward as…  I tried to let you down gently,” inserting himself between his two friends, pushing them farther apart with his arms. “The writers should have realized there’d be a problem when they rewrote the dang script!”

Moving forward from where he had stopped near some of the props, “Michael is correct.”

“Of course, you’d…” Pernell cut off quickly at seeing Lorne’s expression.  He knew it wasn’t really Mike’s fault, but still his pride, and his back.

Once within the group, Lorne spoke directly to Pernell.  “Look, you’re eight years older than Michael, have at least three inches in height,” he paused until the man nodded, “and what…,” Lorne’s eyebrows rose, “thirty pounds heavier?”

The actor who portrayed his eldest son nodded once more, and his anger seemed to deflate.

Continuing, “The script was originally written for Michael’s character to be the one to slip out of camp to get water for us, and for Adam to be the rescuer after Little Joe was shot.”

“Yeah.”  Mike then offered, somewhat petulantly, “And, it would have worked too.”

“Hush now, Mike,” Dan shoved into the smaller man with his elbow.  “You can’t really blame Pernell for the script change.  I mean, he can’t help it if his back is acting up.  You saw it, as well as the rest of us, how stiffly he was moving as he tried to sneak away.”

“Thankfully, most of your fans will think you’re just making sure none of us are looking your direction while you’re casually sauntering away,” Lorne stated before asking, “How is your back?”

“Once I get on a heating pad for a while, it’ll be better.”

Standing near the group, Don, who had yet to offer any comments, said, “I guess Mike can be thankful that Elliott didn’t change the scene to involve Hoss instead of Adam.  It could have been practical.  Just be thankful he didn’t write it to have Mike lift Dan.  If Mike can’t lift Pernell, there’s no way he could lift Dan.”

“You’re a real laugh Don,” Dan harangued.

Mike turned to look at the director.  “Yeah, a real laugh.  It doesn’t matter which version of the script we use, no offense Dan, but using Hoss’ character just wouldn’t work.  First, Hoss wouldn’t be that foolish.”

“Like Adam’s really that foolish?” Lorne quickly covered his mouth and words with a cough.

Ignoring his on-screen father, and pointing back to the larger man, “Even if Hoss was the rescuer, at…at his size the Indians would have no trouble shooting him before he ever reached his mark to rescue me.  So,” Mike held up his left hand, with his thumb holding down his ring and little fingers, just to emphasize his point, “we’d be down two Cartwrights.”

“Guess it wouldn’t work to swap Mike’s role out for Dan to do, either?” Don inquired.

“What do you think?” Mike sarcastically answered.

“Mike, that was a rhetorical question,” Pernell clarified.

Exclaiming, “I know!” Mike threw his hands up over his shoulders and head.  “NBC states that only stuntmen can do the stunt work, which leaves everyone but Henry and me out of consideration.”

“So, how do we fix this?” asked Don.  “We can’t ask Mike to carry Henry.  He weighs almost the same as Pernell.  And with the rest of the scenes, it’s just not practical to go back to the original script only to have Henry stand in for Pernell while carrying Mike, there’s just too many action scenes yet to film.  And with Pernell’s back, I don’t want to make matters worse!  So, it makes sense for his character to be the one shot.”

“I suggest we take an early lunch,” Lorne offered.  “It’ll give us time to come up with a solution.”

“I guess,” Don offered.  “Pernell, why don’t you head back to your trailer to change outfits.  Get into clothes that don’t have,” waggling a hand towards the man dressed in black, “blood on them.”

“LUNCH!” Don dejectedly yelled and headed towards his own trailer.

#####

“Hey Pernell, wait up a moment,” Mike called out, as he followed his co-star towards their trailers.

“What is it, Mike?” turning around, his posture exposed his discomfort.

“Look, I’m really sorry about dropping you,” reaching out a hand.

“I know,” Pernell accepted the handshake and apology.

“Do you have any ideas on how to fix this?”

Pernell quietly answered, “They’ve already rewritten the script due to my back, carrying the canteens is about as much as I can lift right now.  And there’s no way you can carry me because of NBC.”  Crossing his arms before pinching the bridge of his nose, he eventually asked, “What about Betty?”

Thinking for a moment, “Endicott?  The stunt gal who’s generally cast as an uncredited saloon girl?”

“That’s her.  What if we have her as my stand-in for this part of the scene?  Return to the original script and have her carry you.”  Shaking his head and mumbling to himself, “No, we still have the height and weight disparity.”

Quick to answer over Pernell’s mumbling, “Won’t work, there’s still the post rescue scenes for you to be involved in, if my character is the one shot.  Remember?”

“Yeah,” Pernell signed.  “Guess Adam stays the one who’s shot, and you rescue me, or rather Betty.”

“How much does she weigh?”

Dropping both arms to his side in a typical Adam mannerism, “Mike, you never ask a woman her age and definitely, never her weight.”

Chagrined, “Yeah.”  Giving his costar an honest look, “You don’t look so thrilled.”

“I know, and it’s my idea.  It’s just that…she’s barely over five feet tall!”

Trying to hide a smirk over the twelve inches difference between the actor and his potential stand-in, “Do you think she’d do it?”

“I think so. As you mentioned, she’s already an uncredited cast member and a stunt performer for the show.  Besides, she asked me a little while ago, if there was ever a time, I needed a stand-in, like for scenes riding away from the camera, if I’d mind if she subbed for me.”

Nodding his head and thinking about how it could work.  “Do you think we can convince Don to shoot the scene farther away than originally staged?  That, and if I fire the gun a few times, the smoke might help hide the fact I’m not really carrying you.”

“Restaging the scene would help.  And I don’t see why Don wouldn’t agree.”

“I can’t believe she came to you.” Mike laughed, but then sobered up, “What if Don doesn’t agree?”

Believing their ideas were the answer to their situation, “Then we get James involved.”

“The AP?” Mike asked.

“Yeah, he was there when Betty approached me, saying Lorne already had a stand-in since he wasn’t really that comfortable on horses. She also knows the trouble I had while riding those first two horses they brought in during the pilot; though she said she’d be comfortable in riding Scout.  Anyway, James said it was fine with him.” Pernell look around cautiously and quietly asked, “I don’t suppose you have Betty’s phone number?”

Embarrassed, Mike answered, “If I did, don’t you think I would have gone and immediately called her when you first asked about her?”

“Point taken.” Placing a hand to his younger co-star’s shoulder, “Listen, let me get changed, then I’ll go talk to Don, have him contact Betty or her agent, see if we can get her here later today.”

“Good.  I’ll let Lorne and Dan know our idea.  Then, I’ll get with wardrobe to arrange a set of black pants and shirt in her size, and tell makeup they’ll need to do something about her hair.  Especially if she might be a regular for you.”  Almost turning to get on with his errands, “Oh, and Pernell, after you talk with Don, get on that heating pad until Betty arrives!”

#####

“ACTION!”

Carrying the canteens, Henry Wills seamlessly slipped into the role of Adam Cartwright, running towards the waterhole and fell right on cue in reaction to the sound of the rifle shot.  The stunt was flawless, tumbling and ending up exactly as the scene was choreographed.

Pernell quickly resumed his role and positioned himself on the ground, blood glistening on his shirt.

Mike, with pistol in hand, ran.  Darting left and right, seeking cover among the scrub brush that littered the landscape as his character “Little Joe” attempted to rescue his brother, Adam, all while trying to avoid being shot by Cochise and his braves.

In close up, positioning to lift Pernell from the ground, Mike was acutely aware that his friend tried not to tense up as he prepared for the lift; after all, his character was supposed to be unconscious. Before Mike could do more than that, Don shouted “CUT!  Get Betty into the scene!”

“You okay Pernell?” Mike inquired as he offered a hand to help him up.

“Yeah, thanks.”

John Banse escorted Betty, helping her assume the position from where Pernell had just slowly risen.  John turned, looking to make sure the camera rig had been moved farther back from where it was in the previously filmed scene.  Running to get out of the camera shot, he yelled, “Places everyone!”

Returning to his kneeling position, Mike kissed Betty’s hand before placing her right arm around his neck and whispered, “Hiya, sweetheart.”

“Annnnnnd ACTION!” Don shouted as he leaned forward in his seat to make sure all went according to the revised script.

Mike easily lifted Betty and teased, “I’ll try to be as gentle as possible.”

“Just get me out of this scene in once piece,” Betty answered.  “The things I do for you two.”

She flinched in reaction to the multiple times Mike returned fire with his revolver.

“Easy there,” he huffed out at his exertion.  “I gotcha.”

Once the actors were to their next mark and Betty safely set to the ground, Don yelled “CUT!  Great job everyone!”

Walking to where Mike, Lorne, Dan, DeForest, and Betty stood, Pernell carefully took her hand and leaned forward to give his stand-in a brief kiss on her cheek.

“Thanks Betty,” he whispered, releasing her hand.

As she unbuckled the gun belt from her waist and handed it, and the gun it contained, to the prop master, she teasingly answered, “Just don’t let it get out that I stood in for you.”

Mike spoke, “You know how the networks are; the episode maybe airs twice.  Once during the regular season and a possibly a second time during summer reruns.  And as far away as the camera was, none of the viewers will know the difference.  I’m sure no one but those of us on set will ever know the truth.”

“Shucks,” Dan guffawed while wrapping an arm around her shoulders, “Even if it did get out, no one would believe someone as sweet as you could pass for a lug like him.”  Those around him laughed.

“That’s a wrap!”  Don shouted, while approaching the group of actors.  Continuing to speak loudly so everyone on the set could hear, “We’ll see everyone back here tomorrow morning, bright and early!”  Lowering his voice, “Except you Betty.  I really do appreciate you coming in on such short notice.”

“I’m just glad that no one thought of having Henry dress as Little Joe and Mike dress as Adam to shoot the scene,” she laughed as she left the group of dumfounded men; eagerly pulling off the wig, then fluffing her hair, while at the same time looking forward to getting out of the all-black attire.  “Don,” calling over her shoulder, “I’ll be looking forward to that little bonus in my paycheck!”

#####

The following morning, Pernell assumed his position, comfortably laying on the ground, feigning unconsciousness; a hidden pad helped ease the pains in his back.

“Don’t that beat all,” Dan laughed.  “All Pernell has to do for the rest of this shoot is lie around.”

“Hey!  I’m wounded here!”

The end

Production Note:  No actors or stand-ins/stunt doubles were harmed during the filming of the above scenes.

For those who didn’t know, it is a fact that Betty Endicott was a stand-in for Pernell in this scene.  She had previously approached Pernell with the request, and Jim Lane approved the deal.  Another report states that Michael and Pernell worked out the re-staging during lunch.

Author’s note:  After recently rewatching this episode and knowing the Betty was Pernell’s stand-in, I was inspired to write this story.  It may not have actually happened this way, but I claim creative license.  This story has undergone numerous edits as I kept searching for confirmation of various behind-the-scenes facts I found online that conflicted with what my muse said.  I hope you enjoyed reading!

The Honor of Cochise

Originally aired:  October 8, 1961

Cast and Crew appearing/referenced in this story:

Lorne Greene, Ben Cartwright

Pernell Roberts, Adam Cartwright

Dan Blocker, Hoss Cartwright

Michael Landon, Little Joe Cartwright

DeForest Kelley, Army Captain Moss Johnson

Don McDougall, director

John Banse, production supervisor

Betty Endicott, stand-in double for Pernell Roberts

Henry Wills, stunt double for Pernell Roberts

James W. Lane, associate producer (AP)

Cochise, portrayed by Jeff Marrow

Elliott Arnold, writer

Note on Horses:

According to the Bonanza Horse Biographies: Sport, the first two horses brought in for Adam to ride during the pilot were named Candy and Beauty.  They were sent back to the stables due to difficulties on set.  There are varying accounts of the name of the third horse brought in for Adam to ride, but he worked well until the end of the third season when he became unruly on set that even Henry Wills couldn’t calm him down.  He too was sent back to Fat Jones Stables and a replacement brought in.  Of the two horses known for Sport’s role, were both sorrel geldings, the first had three white stockings, while his replacement had four.

For other interesting information on the series, readers can visit:  Bonanza: Scenery of the Ponderosa
Note, it’s been a while since this site was updated.