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Episode Guide - The Gift of Water
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Title Gift of Water
Episode No: 87 Season: 3
Summary: A drought causes problems for farmers in the flatlands. While violence looms on the horizon, the Cartwrights work together to provide a solution.
You’ll like this if: You like wonderful family episodes showing the Cartwrights working together and demonstrating not only their compassion but practical skills and intelligence.
Synopsis: There is a drought in the ‘flatlands’ and the farmers there decide they have no choice but to move if they are to survive. Their choice of new home is the area around the Ponderosa. Although Ben is willing to help these families, he can’t give them all land to live on (something of a change for Ben) but he wants to help. However, other locals do not agree with his philanthropy and form a vigilante group to drive the would-be settlers off – by violence, if necessary. Naturally, the Cartwrights cannot allow this and, in a variety of ways, they work together to provide a solution…
Hoss meets a family called Ganther, who are determined to stay despite the drought, as Mr Ganther is sure there is water on the property. He has been digging a well, and when the sides cave in, Hoss rushes to his rescue, not heeding his own safety. Kind-hearted Hoss determines to help them, and eventually the whole family is drawn into the project.
First of all, seeing Adam use an auger, Hoss realises that it would be easier to drill for water, rather than to dig for it. This works for a while, until the dirt blocks the hole. Adam, watching Joe clean his gun, suggests using pipes to provide a casing for the hole. Again, this allows them to drill a little further down, but the earth becomes too hard for the combined efforts of Hoss, Mr Ganther and Adam (it has to be said that Adam does not exactly put his back into the job. Then again, Pernell’s bad back in real life may have contributed to this less-than convincing display). Joe comes up with the brilliant idea of building a walking beam and letting a mule do the hard work, joking that he gets the idea from watching his brothers behaving like mules! Finally, when faced with the problem of how to pump the water up from over 100 feet, Ben sees a paper windmill Lindy has made for Joe as a love token (wow! Lucky old Joe!) and a windmill is built over the well head. Success!!!
It is heartbreakingly hard work, not helped by the vigilantes who are determined to keep the farmers away from their lands. Luckily, just as Ben is leading the farmers up to the high country by the back roads, the well brings forth water and Hoss is able to ride out and give the good news that everyone in the flatlands can have their own supply of water.
Clothes: sadly, although there are numerous opportunities for some shirtless scenes or, even better, shirtless, wet Joe scenes, these are ignored by the scriptwriter. Consequently, we see the guys in their normal outfits.
JPM: none. But lots of brotherly joshing, which almost makes up for this sad lack. One of the highlights is when Hoss lovingly kicks Joe in the butt, sending him sprawling…Another is when Hoss easily picks Joe up and totes him around on his hip!
Token Female Interest: None. Although little Lindy Ganther does her best to charm Joe, he finds it only too easy to resist her! And I can’t say I blame him…
Assorted Extras: Look carefully at the lady driving the wagon: doesn’t she look familiar? She should do – for it is none other than Pernell’s stand-in, Betty Endicott! It’s easy to see why Betty never progressed very far in the acting profession, as she has a very distracting habit of flitting her eyes back and forward.
Where am I? One of the few early episodes which takes place almost entirely outwith the Ponderosa. Although I am slightly confused about this mythical “flatlands” that appears to be within about half a day’s ride of the Ponderosa…obviously the scriptwriter had never been anywhere near Tahoe!
Continuity; what continuity?: Who on earth takes cares of all the normal day-to-day chores on the ranch , as one by one all the Cartwrights start to spend all their time helping the Ganthers? Has the bunkhouse reappeared from one of its odd trips?
Although Adam gets the idea for using pipes from watching Joe clean his gun, he tells Mr Ganther that he thought of the idea when cleaning his rifle. Slight memory lapse there!
Have you been following the plot? Nice change of focus from the close-up, concentrating on the immediate impact on one individual family, to the longer view, showing the impact of the drought on a number of small farmers, who are only just managing to scrape by. The other ranchers around the Ponderosa area reveal themselves to be a thoroughly unpleasant and heartless lot, thinking only of themselves.
Ben says quite clearly that they have never had any use for windmills. So what was Adam having that temper tantrum about in The Savage then?
As in The Quest, we see that Joe has a real talent for designing machinery/structures. And Adam is more than happy to let him do this and approves his plans. Joe has a real talent for blacksmithing, too.
It was very convenient that the pipes were just lying about. It is mentioned that they were going to be used to put in a pump – did this idea get discarded, or did Adam order too much piping?
The Crucial questions no-one asks:
Roy Coffee is, once again, shown to be a less-than-effective sheriff. At one point, the vigilante group say they will lock him up in his own jail cells!! How come this man continues to draw a salary?
Why on earth is Lindy wearing trousers? This simply would not have happened.
Guest Stars
Majel Barrett, who plays Mrs Ganther, is better known as the wife of the late Gene Roddenberry, who created Star Trek. She reputedly got her part in the first ‘Trek’ pilot because she was going out with Gene. She later played Nurse Chapel and then Luxwanna Troi in The Next Generation, as well as providing the computer voice for all the recent Trek series and films. She also appears in episode 224 – Three Brides for Hoss.
James Doohan is best known as ‘Scotty’ from Star Trek – in fact, the only main star of Star Trek who wasn’t in Bonanza was William Shatner. Sadly, Jimmy died earlier this year at the grand old age of 85. This episode showcases another of his peculiar “accents”. Doohan also appears in The Legacy.
The irritating Lindy was played by Pam Smith, who starred in the movie ‘Misty’ playing Maureen Beebe. She then presumably outgrew her ‘cuteness’ and didn’t do anything else until a forgettable movie in the late 90s and promptly vanished again.
Kay Stewart was in the Bonanza Ep Vendetta, plus a huge number of guest appearances in other series over the years. She had her first film role in 1938.
Paul Birch was better known as the Marlboro Man and died of cancer in 1969 at only 57. He was in A Dublin Lad, The Phillip Diedsheimer Story as well as Gift of Water.
Royal Dano died in 1994. He acted in 94 movies and had more guest starring appearances than you could shake a stick at. Any show that was a hit, he took part in it. He usually played a bad guy, due to his less than pretty appearance. His movies include The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and Mobie Dick. He popped up a few times in Bonanza, too – in Man Without Land and The Reluctant Rebel.
You Can Quote Me On That
“I not only think – I believe”. Mr Ganther.
“There are times I am proud my name is Cartwright.” Joe to Adam.
“Doggone it, you’re still the brainiest one in the family!” Hoss to Adam.
“It’s such a simple idea, I’m surprised I didn’t think of it!” Hoss.
“That’s funny – I’m not!” Joe.
“Pa sent some food. He figured Hoss would have your cupboard cleaned out by now!” Joe.
“Come on, little buddy! We’ll make you a little red wagon so you can help us!” Adam to Joe.