
Song in the Dark Full Episode – Bonanza, Season #04, Episode #16
Gregory Walcott portrays Danny Morgan, a guitar-strumming “traveling troubadour,” in the episode Song in the Dark. Grateful for Danny’s past act of saving his life, Adam Cartwright reciprocates by offering him a job as a ranchhand. However, complications arise when Danny is accused of murdering Widow Baker, with the only witness claiming to have heard singing at the time of the crime. Adam must now navigate the task of proving Danny’s innocence or guilt.
Interestingly, Gregory Walcott’s singing in the episode was dubbed by Pernell Roberts, who portrays Adam Cartwright. Edward Andrews, Virginia Christine, and Mort Mills also appear in “Song in the Dark,” written by Judith and George W. George. The episode first aired on January 13, 1963.
Explore the plot and mesmerizing trivia, or enjoy watching the full episode below.
Table of Contents
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Main Cast
In the sixteenth episode of Bonanza’s fourth season, titled “Song in the Dark,” several recurring and supporting cast members appeared. Notable members of the cast include:
- Lorne Greene as Ben Cartwright
- Pernell Roberts as Adam Cartwright
- Dan Blocker as Eric ‘Hoss’ Cartwright
- Michael Landon as Joseph ‘Little Joe’ Cartwright
- Edward Andrews as Reverend William Johnson
- Gregory Walcott as Danny Morgan
- Virginia Christine as Mary Johnson
- Mort Mills as Deputy Sheriff Jeff Sykes
- Harry Swoger as Felix
- James Tartan as Townsman
Full Story Line for Song in the Dark
The Cartwrights’ neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, pay a visit to the Ponderosa to borrow a plow and bring unsettling news: the previous night, the Widow Baker, known for her gambling parlor, was found murdered in town. Shortly after, the sheriff arrives to question the Cartwrights’ hired hand, Danny Morgan, who was reportedly singing near the widow’s house. Suspicion arises when the sheriff notices fresh scratches on Danny’s forearm, leading to his arrest despite his protests of innocence.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Johnson becomes wary of her husband, Reverend Johnson, who disclosed the news of the widow’s murder. She stumbles upon a significant sum of money hidden inside a pulpit in their home, which the reverend intends to use for his church. Caught in the act, Mrs. Johnson confronts her husband, only to be threatened and accidentally injured in the ensuing altercation. Blaming Danny for his wife’s fall, Mr. Johnson manipulates the situation to frame him for another crime.
Adam, determined to uncover the truth, delves into Mr. Johnson’s past and discovers his twisted ambition to establish his church. As Adam confronts him, a confrontation ensues, destroying the pulpit and symbolically breaking Mr. Johnson’s delusions. In the resolution, Danny escapes the false accusations, riding off into the sunset singing, while the truth about Mr. Johnson’s crimes comes to light.
Full Script and Dialogue of Song in the Dark
♪ Rim, rim ♪ ♪ Under the red rock rim ♪ ♪ Under the red rock rim ♪ ♪ Nary a star shines down ♪ ♪ Down in the ground she lies ♪ ♪ Under an earthly mound ♪ ♪ That's where her spirit lies ♪ ♪ Rim, rim ♪ ♪ Under the red rock rim ♪ ♪ Under the red rock rim ♪ ♪ She was young, so fair ♪ ♪ Cheated and lied, you see... ♪ There he is, right on time again. Yup, the middle of the night. You know, we can thank our brother Adam for bringing in that singing troubadour to give the whole family insomnia. Roams around all night, strumming that blame guitar. Reckon where he goes. I know where I'd like him to go. ♪ Now every night he rides... ♪ Well, it ain't likely I'll doze off again tonight. Might as well get up. ♪ There in the sands so light ♪ ♪ So he could see her face. ♪ Hey, Joe, come here. Well, what's he doing? Looks like he hurt his arm somehow. Well, he didn't hurt it bad enough. He can still strum that guitar. Yeah. He keeps playing that same song. Yeah. It's a strange one. You know, the boys in the bunkhouse were telling me, he found a coyote in a trap the other day. He strangled it with his bare hands. Think we ought to talk to Pa about getting rid of him? Well, either that, or Adam's gonna have to tie him up at night. - I got to get some sleep. - Yeah. Me, too. ♪ She was so young, so fair ♪ ♪ Cheated and lied, you see ♪ ♪ So with a deadly care ♪ ♪ He set her spirit free. ♪ Morning, Adam. Ah, good morning, Dan. Hey, uh, you want that we should get started on the corral fence today? Oh, yeah. As soon as my, uh, brothers finish their leisurely breakfast. Whoa. Whoa. Well, morning, Mr. Johnson, Mary. - Good morning, Adam. - Hello there, Adam. - Let me give you a hand. - Thank you. Well, the missus finished making them preserves for your pa so we thought we'd bring them over to you, and return that plow you were nice enough to lend to us. - I thank you. - Oh, you're quite welcome. You know, Mary, if these preserves are as good as the ones you made last year, why, I think we're gonna praise you all winter long. Well, I-I... I hope you like 'em, Adam. - Here, let me help you, ma'am, with these. - Ah. Thank you, Danny. Hey, all of 'em at once? You don't know his strength. - Well, my goodness. - Thanks, Dan. Here, I'll-I'll show you where they go. I'll give you a hand with this plow. Hey. Hey, careful! Oh. Oh, well, music, instruments like that... Tools of the Devil. We drove through town on the way in here, Adam. The Devil sure worked his will in there last night. Oh? Good morning, Mr. Johnson. What's all this talk about the Devil on such a nice, bright, sunny morning? Well, I was just telling Adam here, there was a killing last night. Oh, yeah? Trouble in the saloon? No. This was a crime of passion. The widow Baker was murdered. Mm. But who would want to kill her? Poor woman. They got any idea who did it? No, not yet. The maid come in to clean up the parlor this morning, and there she was, dead. All she did was run a high-stake card game in a back parlor. And an honest one at that. Honest? Her with her gambling cards? The, uh, sheriff have any leads? No, sheriff's out of town, but the deputy, Jeff Sykes... He says it must have been a powerful man with mighty strong hands. Why do you say that? Well, because of the marks on her neck. You see, the... the widow was strangled to death. Well, thanks again, Mr. Cartwright, for the loan of the plow. Here, let me help you up, ma'am. Oh, thank you, Little Joe. Thank you for the preserves. You're welcome. - Good-bye to you. - Bye-bye. Howdy, Jeff. Howdy, Ben. You had some trouble in town. Yeah, Ben. I, uh... I'd like a word with Adam. Adam? Morning, Jeff. What can I do for you? About this, uh, fellow Morgan, Adam... What do you know about him? Oh... not much, except he did me a little favor a couple of years ago. What, uh... what kind of a favor? Oh, like, saving my life. Is that all you know about him? What's to know? Your friend, Danny, was heard last night singing around the widow Baker's just about the time she was strangled to death. Yeah, well, we heard about the widow. He's been heard singing at night all over the territory, so what does that prove? I want to see him, anyway. As you say. Hey, Dan? Danny, the, uh, sheriff wants to talk to you a minute. Sure. What about, Sheriff? Roll up them sleeves. Look at that arm. Those are some pretty deep scratches. I think you'd better come along with me. What for? Widow Baker didn't die easy. She fought for her life. We found bits of skin and blood underneath the fingernails. ♪ Lonely as he can be ♪ ♪ Riding on endlessly ♪ ♪ Lonely as he can be ♪ ♪ His spirit never free ♪ ♪ Rim, rim, under the red rock rim ♪ ♪ That's where to look for him ♪ ♪ Rim, rim, that's where to look for him ♪ ♪ Under the red rock rim ♪ ♪ Rim, rim. ♪ Widow Baker must have had about $10,000 hidden around that house of hers. She never used a bank account. That's a mighty good motive for robbery and murder... $10,000. Evening, Felix, Bubba. Howdy, William. You know, they should take that guitar away from him. He practicing for a harp. Not where he's going. A woman has just been strangled to death, gentlemen. I don't find that a very humorous situation. It's Adam Cartwright we have to thank for bringing a man like Morgan into our midst. Evening, Sheriff. Got a lot of help outside. Yeah, they got Morgan tried and hung before I even pressed a formal charge. Can I see him? Oh, I suppose you can, Adam. About the only thing I can get out of him is the words to that song. - Oh, Adam? - Oh. - Let me know when you're ready to leave. - Right. Well... you're in real trouble, Danny. I-I ain't done nothing, Adam. Where were you last night? Riding. Just riding. Looking at the stars and... watching Orion's belt. So now you hurt your arm on Orion's belt? My arm? Oh, my horse stumbled, and I... I sort of fell against some thorny briars. That's how it happened, Adam. I mean, I... I sort of stumbled. You remember the time your horse stumbled when you were crossing the Poker Flats? Yeah... I remember. Listen, Danny... You were heard around the widow's place last night. And the card game there broke up about 2:00 this morning. When some of the players were leaving, they heard you singing off in the night some place. Well, she gave me a dollar for fixing a fence for her yesterday. A whole dollar for just that fence. Well, singing a song was the least I could do for that whole dollar. How long were you outside the house? Sheriff's been asking me the same questions, Adam. Have you got to, too? Well, just trying to find out what really happened. I done told you, Adam... I ain't done nothin'. I ain't killed nobody. All righty. I may be a minority of one, but... I believe you. Sheriff? Hey, Adam... when are they gonna let me out of this place? We'll see what we can do. You get anything out of him? No, just that... he denies hurting anybody. Well, that ain't enough to prove him innocent. It doesn't prove him guilty, either. Hey, singing man... sing us another tune. Yeah, we're tired of that old one. - Make it a new one. - How about, uh, dancing from the end of a rope? Yeah, yeah, end of a rope. They could get pretty nasty. I can handle them. Just sitting there stewing and not eating your supper isn't gonna help anybody. Danny's locked in a cell while the respectable folk of Virginia City stand outside his window and tell him that he's gonna be hanged... and the sooner the better. It's not the kind of stuff you build an appetite on. Well, they're wrong, of course, but that doesn't necessarily make you all together right, either. He could be guilty. A voice in the dark, and a scratch on the arm is not proof. He came here looking for a stake. Well, $10,000 make a mighty big stake. Look, when he saved my life I was out of my head. There was $3,000 in my saddlebags. He knew it was there. He told me later. He could have taken all the money... left me there to die... and no one would have been any the wiser. Hmm. Maybe you're right. Some people are harder to figure than others. Yeah, he's different. But that doesn't automatically make him a dangerous killer. What are you doing out of jail? Well, I just couldn't take it no more, Adam. I was all closed in. Nothing but walls. I couldn't see the sky... not even one star. Well, how did you get out? Well, uh, the sheriff, when he brought me my supper... well, I, I grabbed him. Oh, Danny, you didn't hurt him, did ya? No, sir, I wouldn't hurt nobody. I just grabbed him and wrestled the keys away from him. Where'd you leave him? In the cell. I couldn't think of no other place. Well, he's all right, Adam. Honest. I just couldn't take it no more. Well, I ain't running away, Mr. Cartwright, nothing like that. I, I... I just couldn't stay locked up no more, Adam. Well, you're just gonna have to go back. Back to jail? Yeah, back to jail. Please, Adam, I... All right, don't worry about it. Go on out to the bunkhouse. Why'd you do that? Town's in an ugly mood. Adam, he broke jail. Look, it's gonna be better this way all around. Stays away one night, I'll take him back tomorrow. You're sure sticking your neck out. Way out. It's my neck. I'll take him some food, he didn't have any supper. Hey, how'd Danny get out of jail? He broke out. He broke out? How come you let him ride off? What? Yeah, I was coming out of the barn, I seen him riding off. If he's gone for good, you're gonna be in a lot of trouble, Adam. If he'd wanted to escape, he never would've come back here. Here, take care of that. I'm gonna ride in and tell the sheriff what's happened. - I'll go with you. - No, never mind. Danny's my problem, I'll take care of it. Tell 'em we'll start as soon as there's light. We'll meet here. Bob. Well, your innocent friend escaped. Locked me in my own jail. I know. You know? How could you know? My deputy just let me out. He came out to the ranch. Why didn't you bring him in? He didn't stay. Didn't stay? You mean, you let him go? I intend to bring him back in the morning. And believe me, he's not trying to escape. He just wandered off, but he'll be back. You're dang right he'll be back. I'm bringing him back with a posse. I was gonna wait till there's light, but now that I know where he's been, I'm riding just as soon as I get the men. Jeff, give him till morning. I know he'll come back. You brought him to this community. You've been aiding and abetting him ever since. Now stay out of it, Adam. From now on, I'll handle Morgan. It's only me. Danny Morgan, you... you-you just don't touch me. Stay away from me. I wouldn't touch you, Miss Johnson. Just-just stay away from me. You're afraid of me. Don't be afraid of me, Miss Johnson. Well, I was riding by, and I saw you standing here at the well. Just wanted a drink of fresh well water. Well, you're... you're supposed to be in jail. Oh, well... yes, ma'am, I know, but I, I just couldn't stay there no more. I couldn't see the sky, or the stars... I just couldn't stay there no more, ma'am. Especially at nighttime. I can't be closed in at nighttime. I've got to be out... where I can ride them hills. Yes, I... I've heard you, at night. Well, I hope I didn't bother you none, with my singing. Oh, no, you didn't. I... It, uh... it-it helps... with the loneliness. It gets lonely... without children. I guess I better get my pail. I'll do it. I like children, too, Miss Johnson. The little ones. Now they, they see the trees, and the grass... and the sky. They really see things when they look. I think I, I understand what you mean. Thank you. Good night, ma'am. Good night. Help him. Who was that? Was it that murderin' devil, Morgan? Answer me, Mary. Was that Morgan? - Well, uh... - It was, wasn't it? I'd recognize that white horse of his anywhere. He, he just stopped by for a drink of water. What's he doing out of jail? They arrested him today. I, I guess they must've let him out. Let him out? They can't let him out. He's a murderer. I guess the deputy knows what he's doing, William. This is probably those Cartwrights' doing. They run this whole country just to suit themselves. Letting a disciple of the Devil like that run around loose. William, please... Don't you realize the danger you were in? He could've done the same thing to you he done to that poor widow woman last night. Come on inside. We'll go up and give thanks to the Lord... for sparing your life. ♪♪ Let us pray. Thank you, O Lord, for protecting my dear wife in her hour of peril. And may it please Thy will that soon I may achieve that state of grace that will enable me to devote myself full-time in Thy behalf without any interference. Amen. Mary? Amen. Dearly beloved, for eight years this pulpit has been in my keeping. For eight years I have treasured it, brought it through adversity and danger, clear across this broad land. I-It's not right to keep that pulpit in this place. It's, it's a sacrilege. You ought to give it to a church. Church? Mary... it will have its own church. My church. A church that I shall build and I shall nourish, whose sheep only I shall choose, and, Mary, only the pure and clean will enter the doors because I will be standing guard and keep the sinners out. I thought churches were meant for sinners. You thought. To let a woman like that sinful widow Baker or that Danny Morgan enter a church, that's sacrilege. Mary, when Morgan hangs... then I think we can begin my ministry. I think we can start building next week. Next week? But how? Where is the money going to come from? Mary, Mary, you leave all that to me. You just pray that Morgan hangs. I'm going to go to the sheriff first thing in the morning and I'm going to insist they put Morgan back in jail. But what does Danny Morgan's hanging have to do with building the church? Sinners must die so the pure might prosper, Mary. But what if, if he's not guilty? Now, I, I-I don't think Danny Morgan could kill anybody. He's, he's too kind, he's, he's too gentle. You do as I say, woman. Pray that Morgan hangs. Lord... suffer no interference in the building of my church. I have waited so long, Lord, I have waited so long. ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Mary... I told you never to come in here without me. Where did all this money come from? $10,000. It's her money, isn't it? Hers? No, no, Mary, no, it's mine. Don't you see? I did it for us, to help us build our church. That poor woman. She was evil; the world is better off without her. You killed her. No, Mary, no. D-Don't you understand? Bad people need killing. God wants it that way. You murdered her. No, Mary, Mary, don't you see? The money helps us to do His will. The more we prosper, the closer we come to Him. You're insane. Don't say that, don't ever say that! Mary, I didn't want you to know anything about this. I didn't... but now that you do, you'll have to understand. I'll have to try and make you understand. I, I, I do, William, I, I-I do understand. No, you don't, Mary, no, you don't. I-I-I do, William, honestly I do. No, I can't risk anybody finding out, Mary, not even you, unless I'm sure they understand. I-I do. But you don't, nobody does, and it's so simple... Bad people must die. ♪♪ ♪ Now every night he rides ♪ ♪ To that deserted place ♪ ♪ There in the sands so wide ♪ ♪ Hoping to see ♪ ♪ Her face ♪ ♪ Rim, rim ♪ ♪ Under the red rock rim ♪ ♪ Under the red rock rim ♪ ♪ Lonely as he can be ♪ ♪ Riding on endlessly ♪ ♪ Lonely as he can be ♪ ♪ His spirit ♪ ♪ Never free ♪ ♪ Rim, rim, under the red rock rim ♪ ♪ That's where to look for him ♪ ♪ Rim, rim, that's where to look for him ♪ - ♪ Under the red rock... ♪ - You killed her! You murderer, you killed her! Where you been? Just riding, Adam. I thought I told you to wait in the bunkhouse. Why'd you leave? Well, I couldn't go to the bunkhouse, Adam. I know the way they'd look at me. The men think I killed the widow woman. Don't you have any sense at all? What do you care what they think? What's wrong with your arm? Nothing. Boy, you've been shot. Who did it? Well, it's happened, Adam, what everyone was afraid of. You killed her, you killed her. That'll be enough of that. Easy, Adam, his wife's dead. What? Her neck's broken. He stopped us as we were on our way out here. Murderer. Oh, oh, no. No. Why, yeah, I-I saw her tonight, but I just stopped to get a drink of water. I was out in the barn tending a sick calf. When I came back, he was standing over her. I shouted, "You killed her, you murderer." When he got on his horse, tried to get away, I shot him. You don't believe me, look at his arm. You killed my wife. No, no, no, I, I-I ain't never killed nobody. Honest, Adam. If he killed her, why did he come back here? Why didn't he light out? Who can tell what a killer will do? Come on, you. You'd better come along with me. Better go with him, Danny. You wouldn't put him back in jail, would you? No, no. You got to play God. How was the funeral? Well, Mr. Johnson got pretty emotional. Guess you were wise, not going. Whole town was there, including the deputy. You hear they're trying Danny today? They're sure in a hurry to hang him, aren't they? Adam, I know you think he's innocent. Thinking isn't, isn't enough. There's got to be some, some tangible evidence. Well, I think I'm evidence. He could have left me out there to die, and my money was just as good as the widow Baker's, but he didn't kill then and I don't believe he's killed now. Well, somebody killed that poor woman. She's dead and buried. Well, you know, there seems to be just two stories about all this... Danny's and Mr. Johnson's... And everybody assumes that it's Danny who's lying. You suggesting that Mr. Johnson killed his own wife? It's possible. It could just be that the upright, Bible-spouting Mr. Johnson, uh, hasn't told us everything he knows. Like you say, it could be, but it still has to be proved. You're gonna have to prove it in a hurry, too. Mr. Johnson won't be around much longer. He's got his ranch up for sale. He's kind of in a hurry, isn't he? I wonder why. God's will be done. But they'll pay, Mary. I promise you, they'll pay. That money was for us. But now I must go on alone... rooting out corruption wherever I find it. The money will help me in that fight. The evil in the human soul must be destroyed, and I will be the instrument that destroys it. ♪ She was young, so fair ♪ ♪ Cheated and lied, you see ♪ ♪ So with a deadly care ♪ ♪ He set her spirit free ♪ ♪ Rim, rim ♪ ♪ Under the red rock rim ♪ ♪ Under the red rock rim ♪ ♪ Now every night he rides ♪ ♪ To the deserted place ♪ ♪ There in the sands so wide ♪ ♪ To see... ♪ Where are you, Morgan? ♪ Rim, rim ♪ ♪ Under the red rock rim ♪ ♪ Under the red rock rim... ♪ ♪ Lonely as he can be... ♪ I saw him. Sheriff, when did you let him out? Now, hold on, Johnson. What are you talking about? But you did; you let him go, didn't you? That sinner, that murderer. Why? Let who go? Morgan, that's who. Danny Morgan. ♪ Rim, rim ♪ ♪ Under the red rock rim ♪ ♪ Under the red rock rim... ♪ You can hear for yourself. He's been here right along. Go on, take a look if you want to. ♪ Down in the ground she lies ♪ ♪ Under an earthly mound ♪ ♪ That's where her spirit lies... ♪ ♪ Rim, rim ♪ ♪ Under the red rock rim ♪ ♪ Under the red rock rim... ♪ That... I... I saw him outside my house, not a half an hour ago. ♪ Cheated and lied, you see... ♪ He couldn't get back here before me without his horse. Now, Johnson, why don't you just simmer down? You don't believe me? Well, I brought his horse back with me. Huh? Hold on, I'll show you. Come on, you can see for yourself. That's your horse, ain't it, Johnson? But... h-his horse was there. It... That big, white horse he always rides. I know, I brought him here myself. I tied him right up to that rail. Look, Mr. Johnson, I-I know you been under a terrible strain with that awful thing that happened to your poor wife and all. It can start a man to imagining things. It can happen to anybody. I saw him, and I heard him. Morgan's horse is in my stable where he's been all night. I put him there myself. The trial starts tomorrow. Morgan will hang; there's no doubt. And that will be the end of it. I saw him. I know I did. I shot him right off of that horse. I... No. My pulpit, my pulpit. Oh, I... I've got to get away. I've got to get away. He's the devil. I've got to take it to a safe place. Help me. Help me... build my church in a safe place. What-what do you want? What are you doing here? I need your help. Help? I have doubts, and I need your help. Doubts? What kind of doubts? About all that's happened. It's as though... It's as though the Devil himself were around tonight. Are you against the Devil? Yes, I am. I'm afraid of him. I need help to fight him. I need your help. Yes, yes, yes, then you, too, sense the forces of evil that are loose tonight? Yes, there are forces of evil loose here. Yes, on this night of evil, you come to me seeking help. Adam, you shall be my first convert. I shall. I shall be your convert. Adam, do you see this pulpit? - Yes. - It's a miracle pulpit, Adam, saved alone from a great fire. Oh, yes? Around it I shall build my miracle church, free of sinners. Oh, yes, a miracle church free from sinners. A glorious church, Adam, with magnificent windows, and only the pure in heart can enter there. Yes, a glorious church with magnificent windows, - and only the pure in heart. - Yes, yes. But wait. Huh? How shall we build this church? Don't you fear. I can do it. I have the strength. I have the faith. - Yes. - I have the power. Strength, faith and power! But we have no money. Don't worry about that. No? No, you can't build a church on words. There will be no glorious church with magnificent windows. Yes, yes, yes, I have money, Adam. No, no miracle church free of sinners because you only have debts. - No, no, I have money. - No, you don't have money. Yes, I do. I have $10,000. The widow Baker's $10,000? Yes, yes. No, no, I-I mean... Yes, yes, you killed for it, didn't you? Yes! No. No. It can't be. It's holy. It's done God's work for a hundred years. It-it can't... it can't be broken. But it is. Now... Now I can't build my church. It's wrong. It's all wrong. I'm wrong. Danny, come back to see us. Thank you, Hoss. Lots of luck, Danny. Bye, Danny. Thank you, Mr. Ben. Well, I've got to be going, Adam. Sure you won't change your mind and wait till tomorrow? No, I... I like traveling best in the dark. Well, if you ever need anything, come on back. If I do, I sure will, Adam. Good luck. Thank you. ♪ Rim, rim ♪ ♪ Under the red rock rim ♪ ♪ Nary a star shines down ♪ ♪ Down in the ground she lies ♪ ♪ Under an earthly mound ♪ ♪ That's where her spirit lies. ♪
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Bonanza provides wholesome entertainment, perfect for enjoying alone or with loved ones. Song in the Dark is the 116th episode of the series’ 430 installments. Produced by NBC, Bonanza aired from September 1959 to January 1973, spanning 14 seasons on the network.
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