It’s 1905 and the Cartwright clan has scattered, leaving two old-timers — Bronc Evans (Ben Johnson) and Jacob Briscoe (Richard Roundtree) — to run the Ponderosa.
But then Augustus Brandenburg shows up with an offer to pay $5 million for the ranch.
Bronc balks. He’s aware of Brandenburg’s reputation for strip mining and clear cutting timber from the land he acquires and wants to see neither happen on the Ponderosa.
But the possible sale brings the children of the Cartwrights back to the ranch.
Adam shows up from Australia; Benj and Sara from Boston; Josh shows up looking for Hoss, only to discover the dad he never knew has already died.
At first, the children are tempted to sell the ranch.
But then they find out about Brandenburg’s plan to mine the land for coal from his mistress, Laredo Stimmons (Linda Gray).
And it turns out Brandenburg has another reason — a long-held grudge — that makes acquiring the Ponderosa all-important to him.
Michael Landon Jr. as Benj Cartwright, balking at a return to the Ponderosa in Bonanza, The Return (1993)
Emily Warfield as Sara Cartwright, worried about the future of Ponderosa in Bonanza, The Return (1993)
Review:
For fans of the original TV series only. Anyone else is likely to be unimpressed.
In fact, the film features several flashbacks to the original series; Sara even finds a journal filled with snapshots (read publicity photos) of the original Cartwright cast.
Michael Landon Jr. is on hand to play the son of his real-life father. Dirk Blockner, son of the original Hoss, is on hand too. Though, oddly, the role of Hoss’s son falls to Brian Leckner instead.
Too much of this feel-good, blood-is thicker-than-anything telefilm feels contrived; the outcome obvious.
When Sara is thrown from a wagon and lapses into unconsciousness, the doc might worry and the family might fret. But there’s no need for the viewer to do the same. Indeed, just a couple of screen minutes later, she awakens perfectly fine.
For those Western fans wondering, Ben Johnson and Jack Elam were both in their 70s when this film was released. Richard Roundtree and Linda Gray were 50 and 49, respectively.
Brian Leckner of Josh Cartwright, who arrives at the Ponderosa looking for his father in Bonanza, The Return (1993)
Alistair McDougall as Adam Cartwright, returning to the Ponderosa from Australia in Bonanza, The Return (1993)
Directed by:
Jerry Jameson
Cast:
Ben Johnson … Bronc Evans
Michael Landon Jr. .. Benj Cartwright
Emily Warfield … Sara Cartwright
Brian Leckner … Josh Cartwright
Alistair McDougall … Adam Cartwright
Richard Roundtree … Jacob Briscoe
Jack Elam … Buckshot
Dick Blocker … Newspaperman Walter Fenster
Dean Stockwell … Augustus Brandenburg
Linda Gray … Laredo Stimmons
David Sage … Miller Swanson
Stewart Moss … Preston McAdam
John Ingle … Judge MacKenzie
Archie Lang … Dr. Green
Runtime: 93 min.
Ben Johnson as Bronc Evans, the man running the Ponderosa in Bonanza, The Return (1993)
Richard Roundtree as Jacob Briscoe, helping Bronc run the Ponderosa on Bonanza, The Return (1993)
Memorable lines:
Bronc Evans: “Save your lies for somebody else.”
Augustus Brandenburg: “Are you calling me a liar?”
Ben Cartwright: “It’s a new country … a new world. Everything’s changing.”
Bronc Evans: “Change, just for the sake of it, ain’t always good.”
Augustus Brandenburg: “A lawsuit! The damn Cartwrights. They’ve been nothing but trouble my whole life.”
Augustus Brandenburg to Sara Cartwright: “You know, when you sip your tea like that, you look just like your mother.”
Dean Stockwell as Augustus Brandenburg, the man who wants to acquire the Ponderosa on Bonanza, The Return (1993)
Linda Gray as Laredo Simmons, the saloon girl who rallies to the Ponderosa’s defense in Bonanza, The Return (1993)
Dirk Blocker as journalist Walter Fenster, asking to visit the Ponderosa for a story in Bonanza, The Return (1993)
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