Pernell Roberts, 'Bonanza' and 'Trapper John' star, dies

[Faygo Kid]

Source: CNN Entertainment

Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Actor Pernell Roberts, who played the eldest Cartwright brother in TV's "Bonanza," died at his Malibu, California, home Sunday at 81, his lawyer said.

Younger TV viewers may remember Roberts from the lead role in "Trapper John, M.D.," a medical drama that aired on CBS for seven years, ending in 1986.

Roberts spent the first decade of his acting career on stage -- including Broadway -- before he was cast in 1959 as Adam Cartwright, the handsome and smart son of rancher Ben Cartwright (Lorne Greene.)

His character was serious and introspective, in contrast to younger half-brothers Hoss (Dan Blocker) and Little Joe (Michael Landon). . .

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/TV/01/25/pernell.roberts.obit/index.html?eref=igoogle_cnn

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Adam was my favorite on Bonanza; when he was featured in an episode, you knew it would be high quality. Good actor. Don't know his politics; don't much care.

[Bill219]

1. Trapper John MD was one of my favorite shows when I was a kid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTjo2L8k67k

[Hepburn]

13. Ditto

:cry:

RIP, Trapper John

[wtmusic]

2. The last of the Cartwrights nt

[BrklynLiberal]

4. oh my..you are right.

The rest of the "family" already died...

[BrklynLiberal]

3. Wow! He was 81!!! I remember him from both shows.

I enjoyed watching him....

Boy..am I getting old......x(

[Art_from_Ark]

8. I remember Bonanza was at one time sponsored by Chevrolet

and after the opening credits there was a branding iron in the shape of the Chevrolet insignia that would burn a hole in the map of Virginia City. But I think Adam had left the show by that time.

I always wondered why, with all those eligible bachelors at the Ponderosa, none of them ever got married. Or did Adam get married?

[Beartracks]

18. Here's Wikipedia's remark on Cartwright romance:...

... "A recurring situation (which also occurs in the TV western The Big Valley), was that every time one of the Cartwrights became seriously involved with a woman, she died from a malady, was slain, or left with someone else."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonanza

The article, however, does note that during disagreements which eventually resulted in Roberts leaving the show in 1965, the producer was hoping to keep Roberts on by offering to "have a married Adam appear less frequently, thus making him a semi-regular."

Alas, I guess such a marriage never "officially" happened. I have no idea if any such marriage was ever referenced by the other characters who remained at the Ponderosa.

[JenniferJuniper]

26. Pernell wanted Adam to marry a black or Native American woman.

Yeah, I'm sure that was going to happen on NBC in 1964, four years before the Star Trek kiss between Kirk and Uhura.

So, of course, they found him a blonde woman. It didn't really work out. I think she ran off with his cousin on their wedding day.

[JenniferJuniper]

25. Here's a Bonanza Chevy commercial with Pernell

about a minute in:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_Ywc-o4V5c

He doesn't seem to be enjoying himself too much.

Adam just left; they never really talked about him again. So maybe he got married. I'm pretty sure Joe got married sometime after the show had turned into the precursor to Little Joe on the Prairie. I don't remember how, but she must have died tragically, because she was only in an episode or two.

[MineralMan]

17. Indeed. We're all getting old, if we remember him.

Scary, huh?

[WhiteTara]

5. RIP Pernell

I loved watching you as Adam Cartwright

[tonysam]

6. It seems more and more performers from the classic television shows I grew up with

are dying off.

Twenty years ago, it was Hollywood's Golden Age performers; in the past ten years it has been classic television performers.

[Faygo Kid]

7. I know. Boomer icons are all dying off. Inevitable, I suppose.

Well, generations come and go. But so many TV stars from when we were kids or teens are now gone. We still have many good ones left, though.

[tonysam]

23. There has been three recently.

Gene Barry, Connie Hines, and now Pernell Roberts.

[BumRushDaShow]

9. RIP

Bonanza was always on in my household when I was a wee one...

[Faygo Kid]

11. I wasn't so small, and switched over to Smothers Brothers at 16 as soon as they came on.

Love them to this day, and they did a great takeoff on Bonanza with Cass Elliott as "Hass" (you can imagine - a censor's nightmare, as usual). Still, catching a good episode of Bonanza on TV Land when I am not at work (rare) remains a guilty pleasure.

[Stinky The Clown]

10. Wow .... 81.

Rest well, Pernell.

[SlingBlade]

12. I remember him from Bonanza, I can even recall seeing the

episode where he left the show.

RIP Pernell Roberts

[Sebastian Doyle]

14. Never knew he was a Liberal

Roberts walked alongside the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in the historic 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery in Alabama, the family said.

"On the set of 'Bonanza,' he protested the use of all white crews and guest stars, finding some support but never enough to satisfy his sense of outrage," the statement said.

Rest in peace, Mr. Roberts :(

[xultar]

15. RIP Dear Heart. I so love you!!!!!!!!

[hlthe2b]

16. They are all gone now.... sadly...

But will stay forever young on tv, I guess.

I remember when Hoss (Dan Blocker) died-- so unexpected and then a few years later, Michael Landon. End of an era.

[pleah]

19. damn. RIP

[Lint Head]

20. I met Lorne Greene when he was touring record stores to

promote his 45 'Ringo' in the 1960's. He was very nice. I was in H.S. I loved Bonanza.

[dmr]

21. I had such a little girl crush on him

and then James Drury, the "Virginian". Guess I like dark, handsome men back then! lol

I loved "Trapper John". We had a local channel that aired it once a week not long ago. I tried to remember to catch it.

Boy, has TV ever changed.

[Samantha]

22. Oh, so did I

I thought I would die when it was announced he was leaving Bonanza.

What a wonderful actor.

Sam

[JenniferJuniper]

24. Hated Bonanza; Loved Adam Cartwright

I'm another one who only remembers the original run of Bonanza from the 70's, long after Adam had fled the Ponderosa. My uncle was just back from Vietnam and living with us, and my mother wouldn't let us watch the Smothers Brothers because he wanted to watch Bonanza. It was awful. (although as ever, Tim Matheson was a cutie.)

Then sometime during the 80's I stumbled upon the show in syndication and and was shocked to see Trapper John MD ride up with the others. A dark, handsome, young Trapper John MD with the most beautiful hazel eyes I ever did see.

I know Roberts hated the show (finding it both racist and sexist), felt himself ill-used, and a had an attitude problem on the set. But I think maybe his slightly moody, sullen attitude - combined with the fact that he was by far the best actor on the show - added a weight and depth to it that was sorely lacking when he left. He was the original goth cowboy in black, basically a good guy, but you could never be sure what was lurking below the surface.

I'm sure the last thing he would want to be remembered for is his role as Adam Cartwright. Just as I'm sure he understood all to well that he would be. I hope he had a happy life.