
The Saga of Squaw Charlie Full Episode – Bonanza, Season #06, Episode #14
Charlie, played by Anthony Caruso, is portrayed as an elderly and weathered Native American enduring constant ridicule and mistreatment from the judgmental townsfolk. Despite his hardships, Charlie finds solace in the company of just two individuals: Ben Cartwright and a young girl named Angela, portrayed by Vicki Ros. However, tensions reach a boiling point when Angela suddenly disappears, resulting in Charlie being wrongly accused of her murder. Enhancing the drama, Virginia Christine, celebrated for her unforgettable portrayal as “Mrs. Olsen” in Folger Coffee commercials, graces the screen as Martha alongside former B-western star Don Barry, intensifying the intrigue. Originally aired on December 27, 1964, The Saga of Squaw Charlie was penned by Warren Douglas. This episode delves into themes of prejudice, friendship, and the quest for justice.
Explore the plot details, along with intriguing trivia, or enjoy watching the complete episode below.
Table of Contents
Watch the Full Episode of The Saga of Squaw Charlie
Watch the Full Episode of The Saga of Squaw Charlie:
Main Cast
Besides the main cast, “The Saga of Squaw Charlie,” the fourteenth episode of Bonanza Season 6 highlights various recurring and guest-supporting actors. The following are featured in the episode:
- Lorne Greene as Ben Cartwright
- Pernell Roberts as Adam Cartwright
- Dan Blocker as Eric ‘Hoss’ Cartwright
- Michael Landon as Joseph ‘Little Joe’ Cartwright
- Anthony Caruso as Squaw Charlie
- Don ‘Red’ Barry as Bud Claggett (as Donald Barry)
- Virginia Christine as Martha Hale
- Ray Teal as Sheriff Roy Coffee
- Vicki Cos as Angela Hale (as Vickie Cos)
- William Tannen as Lem
- Myron Healey as Buck
- John Barton as Townsman (uncredited)
- Jimmie Booth as Townsman (uncredited)
- Albert Cavens as Townsman (uncredited)
- Bill Clark as Townsman (uncredited)
- Gene Coogan as Townsman (uncredited)
- Bill Coontz as Townsman (uncredited)
- Rudy Doucette as Townsman (uncredited)
- Betty Endicott as Townswoman (uncredited)
- Art Felix as Townsman (uncredited)
- Herman Hack as Townsman (uncredited)
- Bob LaWandt as Townsman (uncredited)
- Martha Manor as Townswoman (uncredited)
- Billy McCoy as Townsman (uncredited)
- Rod McGaughy as Townsman (uncredited)
- John Mitchum as Hank (uncredited)
- Ernesto Molinari as Townsman (uncredited)
- Fred Rapport as Townsman (uncredited)
- Jack Tornek as Townsman (uncredited)
Full Story Line for The Saga of Squaw Charlie
Apart from the Cartwright family and a young girl, Squaw Charlie finds himself isolated due to his Indigenous heritage.
When the girl disappears, the entire town turns against him even though the evidence implicating him is solely circumstantial.
Full Script and Dialogue of The Saga of Squaw Charlie
Hey, hey, Jimmy. Jimmy, come here, look. Look, it's old lady Charlie. Come on. Grab some nuts. Come on, let's go. Oh, come on, Charlie. You can move faster than that. - Old lady Charlie. - Old lady Charlie. Hey. BOY 2: Come on, Charlie. - Come on, move. BOY 1: Old Charlie's about the bravest dang Injun in the whole Paiute tribe. Leastwise, he's the fastest runner in the whole territory. Old lady Charlie. Old lady Charlie. Old lady Charlie. - Old lady Charlie. - Charlie! - Angela, you come back here! - Stop that. Do you hear me? - Angela. - Stop that. Old lady Charlie. You stay away from my friend Charlie. Will you stop it? Will you stop it? You're just coming along with me, young lady. Bye, Charlie. Old lady Charlie. Old lady Charlie. - Old lady Charlie. - All right, you kids, break this up. Old lady Charlie. - I told you before, you break it up. - Old lady Charlie. - Old lady... - Shut up! You kids ought to be ashamed of yourself, acting like a bunch of jackasses. Now I'm gonna tan me some hides if you ain't off this street by the time I count five. One, two, three, four... All right, Charlie, they won't bother you no more. Leastwise, not today. Taking care of Charlie is taking up a lot of your time. Well, maybe so, Adam. The white man sure is funny. Now, if an Indian chooses to fight him, he's a murdering savage. If he don't, he's a yellow-livered coward, a squaw. Kind of hard to understand, ain't it? He was judged by his own people, not us. Well, it's none of our business. Still owe you a drink. No, thanks. I got work to do. Don't do it, Lem. You are nothing but trouble, are you? Now, you want to go in that saloon and get a drink, you go on. Go on. Get your hat and go on. Adam, like you say, it's just ain't our problem, is it? I'll say one thing for you, Charlie. You know a good horse when you see one. Sure. It's a good horse. I don't think that's what Little Joe meant, Charlie, I think he meant to say that when you steal one, you steal a good one. Charlie no steal horse. No? What were you doing? Just exercising him? Or didn't you see the brand? Charlie, if you'd wanted a horse, how come you didn't ask us for it? - Why did you just take it? - Charlie not steal horse. Find horse stuck in mud, free him. - I don't see no mud on him now. - Charlie clean him good. Then take him to friend Ben Cartwright, after take reeds to hut. Are you sure you didn't have any other plans for him? No. Charlie tell truth. Oh, having a meeting? Found Charlie taking one of our horses. - Hello, Charlie. - Hello, Ben Cartwright. Well? Does Ben Cartwright believe Charlie steal horse of friend? No. He would not believe it. You make Charlie feel good. Charlie, I think the boys made an honest mistake. Yeah, maybe so. Just an honest mistake. Why don't you boys ride on ahead? Charlie and I, we've got a little visiting to do. Ben Cartwright, you come with Charlie. I show you mud hole. No, Charlie, you don't have to do that. I believe you, heh. Please, I show you where horse stuck in mud. Come. See? Moccasin, horse, broken reed. Yeah. Yeah, no wonder the horse got stuck. Haven't seen the water this high in years. All that good rain we've been having, Charlie, that means the grazing will be the best I can remember. The land is beautiful. Big and beautiful. Charlie must go. Take reeds to little girl. I teach to weave Paiute basket. Charlie! Go on, I want you to have that horse, he's yours. Charlie not take. Please. Thank Ben Cartwright but not take horse. Charlie. You and your people, you believe that if you save a life, for the rest of time you're responsible for that life, isn't that so? Well, you saved that horse's life, didn't you? Charlie! Charlie, what a beautiful horse. Where did you get him? Hello, little one. Horse is gift from friend. Now we can take rides together. Can't we, Charlie? Let's take one now. As soon as you finish your basket. Now, come. Now, let us see what your little fingers will remember. You know, Charlie, I wish I didn't have to go to school. I learn much more just being with you. What Charlie can teach you is of no use in your world. That's not true, Charlie. Besides, my world's gonna be just the same as yours. Little one, your world and my world can never be the same. Mama. I thought I'd find you here. How many times do I have to tell you to stay away from that filthy savage? He isn't a savage! He's Charlie. He's my friend! Just go get in that buggy right now, young lady. - Go. - He's my friend! - Get in that buggy. Get... - He's my friend! You dirty, low-down animal, you leave her alone or I'll horsewhip you. Mrs. Hale, Angela. When are you men gonna do something about that filthy Indian back there? I beg your pardon, ma'am? Look, I'm just a widow woman, but if I was a man, I'd have run him out of the territory a long time ago. Charlie been bothering you, ma'am? Well, he's a bad influence, especially on children like Angela here. Look how he lives back there in that hovel like a savage. - Charlie's my friend! - Will you shut up? We agree with everything you say, Mrs. Hale, but unfortunately there ain't no law against being an Indian. Huh. Well, if I were a man, I'd make one. Come on, giddyap, let's go. She's sure riled up, ain't she, boss? Yeah, a lot of people feel like that about Charlie. Like you said, there ain't no law. Ran into Mrs. Hale down the road, Charlie, said she's got a complaint against you. Says you're a bad influence on the kids in town. Say, where did old Charlie get a good-looking horse like that? Look at that brand. That's Cartwright's Ponderosa. So now it's horse stealing, huh, squaw? Answer the man, squaw. Where did you get the horse, squaw? Horse is gift from friend. A gift. Well, that's a likely story. You know, Injun, there, uh... There is a law against horse stealing. Bud? Maybe a little exercise will get the truth out of him. Try him. How about it, Injun? You wanna tell us about the horse? Like I say, friend... Once more around, Bud. Charlie? You come with me to the sheriff, Charlie, we'll file a complaint against these fellas and make it stick. Complaint? That Injun had this horse. - Look at it. It's got your brand on it. - I know. I gave it to him. - You gave it to him? - That's right. Now, why don't you ride on? You're beginning to make me feel sick. - Look, Cartwright... - Shut up. Now, be reasonable, Ben, we were only trying to look after your interests. Sure you were. By trying to kill him? Well, what's he to you? We should have chased him out of town and back to his tribe a long time ago. What's the matter, Claggett? Does it bother your conscience to see an Indian sitting on some land that once used to belong to his people? You graze the land and drink the water too, Ben. Yes, I do. And I also belong to a committee that's trying to get Washington to give the Paiutes back some of their land. - Give it back? - That's right. We didn't take the land from them. No, you didn't. But you sure act as if you knew it didn't belong to them anymore. All right. All right, Indian-lover, that's up to you. But it's a good thing for the territory that most people think like I do than like you do. Let's move. I'm sorry, Charlie. After you left I got the feeling you'd probably have some trouble riding into Virginia City on a Ponderosa brand horse. I made out a bill of sale for you. Here. Those men will make trouble for you, Ben Cartwright. Charlie does not wanna cause you trouble. No, they aren't gonna make any trouble for me. You stay out of their way for a while, you hear? Ben Cartwright. You know, we gotta do something about that Injun. Well, who pays any real attention to old Charlie? Ben Cartwright for one, Sheriff Coffee. And as you should remember, Adam Cartwright. Yep. I ain't forgotten that Injun-lover. You know, that Charlie is real cunning, never fighting back, talking about the land of his ancestors, impresses some people. Well, a dead Charlie ain't gonna impress nobody. Don't be stupid. There's other ways of handling him. Now, who gets picked up and blamed for everything that's missing in Virginia City? - Yeah. Huh, Charlie. - Well, that's right, Squaw Charlie. I've made you trouble. Haven't I, Charlie? Oh, no. Since Charlie come live with your people, you have made the sun shine in Charlie's heart. Why do people pick on you? Why don't they love you as I do? Maybe it's like book say, "Only pure heart can see no evil." Heh, maybe only children. But those children in town were yelling at you. Oh. Oh, those children don't listen to their heart. They try to be like their elders whose eyes grow blind as they grow older. Well, I won't be like that when I grow up. I'll still love you. And I will help your people just like you're trying to do. It is good, little one. And you will help my people. Now you must go. But I'll come back! You must never come back here, ever. Why? Why? Why can't I be your friend forever and ever? Little one, you can be my friend. But you must understand one thing, as you grow older, sometimes to be friend you must hurt a friend. Now, go. - Little one? - Yes, Charlie. You will finish basket? Yes, Charlie. I will finish the basket. Look, Pa, we're sorry we jumped on him so fast, - but he looked suspicious. - He looked suspicious. Well, that's the whole point. Anytime anything goes wrong, anytime a crime is committed, you take one look at Charlie, he looks suspicious so he must be guilty. Pa, we're sorry. We didn't mean no harm. Incidentally on the practical side, how's the Indian Committee coming along? Oh, should be hearing from Washington any day now. I'll get it. - Howdy, Ben. - Hey, Roy. Come on in. What are you doing around here this part of day? Ben, Little Angela Hale has disappeared. Angela? And there's a hot-headed mob in town that's blaming it on Charlie. Blaming Charlie? They ought to know better than that. He wouldn't harm that little girl. But they're sure it was Charlie. On account of Angela's mother really ripped into him today with some kind of hard words. A search party's out now, but come dark and they ain't found her, I'm gonna have an awful tough time keeping that mob away from Charlie. I believe I better pick him up for safekeeping. That's what we were talking about. Exactly. Something goes wrong, blame Charlie. You better pick him up. - I'll see you in town. - All right, fine. Thanks, Ben. I'll saddle the horses. I'm going with you. All right. We'll go along with you too, Pa. No, I think you boys better join the search for Angela. She's probably riding that little pony of hers, should be easy to track. All right, Charlie, now. Let's try it once more. Was there anybody around when she left that could have seen her? Charlie see her leave. Charlie send her away. Something bad happened to her. It is Charlie's fault. No, it's not your fault. Probably nothing happened to her, anyway. So she was upset when she left? There was much unhappiness, much sorrow. Maybe she just ran off to be alone for a while. No. No, something bad has happened to little one. Charlie feel it here. You let me out, Ben Cartwright. There's a crowd gathering out there, they'll tear you apart. She is Charlie's friend. Charlie find her, bring her back. - You let me out, Ben Cartwright. - I can't. Well, they're gathering over at the town hall. Charlie. Charlie. I told you, they'll tear you apart out there. I'm gonna have to lock you up for your own protection. - Come on, Charlie. - You're not Charlie's friend. Roy, we better get over there before they come over here. Keep an eye on Charlie. Excuse me, would you, Armand? Thanks. Excuse us, let us through, please. Why don't you let us through, will you, boys? All right. All right. Let us through, Billy. All right, thank you. Thank you. Folks, I want you all to go home. None of you know for sure that anything has happened to little Angela, for all we know, she just wandered off into the woods. You know, I've known most of you for a long time. And for as long as I've known you, you've always been fair and just and honorable people. - Get to the point, Cartwright. - All right, I will. The point is that you are convicting a man without a shred of evidence that he's guilty. Well, if he's so innocent, how come he's in jail? Yeah. Wait a minute, folks. I'll answer that. Charlie's in jail to protect him from a mob like this. Now, I suggest that we all go home and let Sheriff Coffee handle this. - I'm asking you as a friend. - Friend? It's your friendship for the squaw man that's caused all this, Cartwright. It's your friendship that's kept him out of jail a long time before now. I say we try the Indian. Try him now. - Cartwright. - Now, wait a minute. I'm gonna warn you all. If there's any violence, I'll blow the man in half that's responsible for it. We want that Indian, Roy, one way or another, we want that Indian. I would like to hear what Mrs. Hale has to say about this. Mrs. Hale? I don't wanna see no lynching, Roy. But I want to see justice done, and I want to see it done now. You'll see justice done, believe me, with a judge and a jury. But first, we've got to determine whether or not a crime has been committed. She said now, Roy. What does that mean? You want a trial right here and now? - That's right. - Well, that's ridiculous. There is no proof that anything has happened to Angela or that Charlie had anything to do with it. And even if you did have proof, Charlie would certainly be entitled to time enough to prepare a defense. What defense did my child have? How much time did she have to prepare herself? Mrs. Hale, I think you're being a little unreasonable. There are search parties out right now looking for Angela. You might at least give them a chance to get back here with some kind of news. Why don't you shut up, Cartwright? This trial is simple. If he's innocent, we find him innocent. If he's guilty, we hang him. Now, listen, Bud. Now, listen, Charlie is staying in my jail and nobody is touching him until I get some real proof. Oh, no. Oh, dear God in heaven. No. Oh, no. Roy. - Where did you pick these up? - Down by the marsh. The marsh where Charlie gets his reeds. I hope you're satisfied now. Roy, they said to tell you they're ready, whether you are or not. Thanks, Bob. If things get out of hand, will you let Charlie go before they get to him? Ben, if I did a thing like that, that mob would tear us apart. That's exactly what they are, a mob, capable of anything. It's Charlie's only chance. He could track Angela down, you know that. He deserves that chance and we better give it to him. - Well, I'd like... - Listen to me, Roy. If those search parties find Angela alive and well, and Charlie dead, we won't be able to live with ourselves, you know that. - Ben, I gotta think about that. - You think about it hard and deep. Adam, you stay here. Now, keep an eye on me, I'll give you a signal. If I take my hat off, you let him go. Mrs. Hale. Mrs. Hale, did you see me this afternoon? Down on the south road. Down on the south road. You was on your way home from Squaw Charlie's. You had little Angela with you. And you was upset about something, what was it? Squaw Charlie. You told me he was a bad influence on the children in town, especially little Angela. Did you recognize these, Mrs. Hale? They belong to my little girl. And this basket? That's the one she was working on down at Charlie's today. Mrs. Hale, did little Angela take this basket home with her this afternoon? That means that sometime between the time that little Angela disappeared and Buck found these, she went back to Squaw Charlie's to get this basket. And he was the last person to see her alive. Mrs. Hale, that's only circumstantial evidence. Circumstantial? An innocent little girl, beloved by her mother, is gone. Her blood stains these articles. They were found down by the marsh. I told her time and time again not to go down there with him, but she didn't listen. And now she's dead. There's no proof of that. We've got all the proof we need. I'm not a vindictive woman, but a brutal crime has been committed here. A little tiny girl has been destroyed. And my heart is just as dead as my child's. I'm gonna turn you loose, Charlie. If you don't find her, we're all in trouble, big trouble. Do not worry. Charlie will find her. There can only be one verdict. And it's up to you, good people of Virginia City, to deliver it. Now, I think I know what it's gonna be. But you tell me. Guilty! Hold on, folks. Hold on. Hold on! Hold on, folks. I don't recognize anything legal about these proceedings at all. Claggett, you think you can take Charlie, you're coming through my gun. And mine. Come on, Roy. You've got till sundown, do you hear? Then we're coming after that Indian and you ain't got enough guns to stop us! Dag burn it, nothing, Joe. Well, let's try on down by the lake area. It'll be sunset in an hour. May be our last if Charlie doesn't get back. The Injun's gone. - You sure? - No one in the cell. That's them Cartwright's doing. - They'll pay, and they'll pay plenty. - Wait a minute. Where you going? To tell the crowd. Don't be a fool, what good would that do us? We want Charlie dead. And that crowd can't hang him if he's gone. I got a hunch Charlie's trying to track that kid down himself. And we can't have Charlie or that kid to get back here and talk. Oh, we can't kill a kid, boss. Look, we're in this up to here: Now, would rather it be you? Lem, get out to that shack before Charlie does. Go on, go on. Let's quiet that crowd down a little before they find out Charlie's gone and start rushing around trying to find him before Lem does. Lem, over here. The kid in the shack? She ain't going nowhere. She's sick. She's lying in there like she's half-dead. Claggett better hurry up and get this thing over with. That's what I'm here for. Now, the Indian's escaped. It will take him a while to track us down here, but he will, being Indian. And when he gets here, Bud wants him killed. - Meantime, I'll take care of the kid. - Hey, now, wait a minute. I don't want no part of killing a kid. But it looks like you got no choice, Hank. Hank! Angela? Little one. Angela! Where are you? Angela! Here they come. Lem should be back by now. What could have happened to him? All right, Roy. The sun's going down, you gonna give us our hanging or ain't you? We ain't gonna wait any longer, Roy. We ain't gonna wait any longer, Roy. You're gonna have to wait. There isn't gonna be any hanging because there's no one here to hang. Charlie's gone. We let him go. You let him go? That's right, Martha. We let him go. You didn't give us any choice. Oh, God, no. The man says there isn't anyone here to hang. The man's wrong, ain't he, fellas? - Yeah! Wait. Listen to me, please. My baby. My baby. Well, there he is, fellas, what are we waiting for? I said, wait. What are we gonna do now? We're gonna shut his mouth, that's what we're gonna do. You filthy, dirty, murdering savage. She's not dead. Little one sick. It's too much for her. Mommy. Angela. Angela. Oh, Angela. Pick up that gun. - No, Ben. - Go for it. I didn't know, Ben, I thought he killed her. - Go for it! - I'm sorry, Ben. I'm sorry. You knew, Claggett. You knew if she was dead, it wasn't Charlie that killed her, it was you, because Charlie found her at your line shack before we got there. No, honest. I didn't know. I'm sorry, Ben. I didn't know. All right, come on. You don't deserve it, but you're gonna get that legal trial that you tried so hard to deny Charlie. Come on, Buck. I'm sorry, Charlie. Oh, I'm so sorry. - Let's get him to a doctor, quick. - No. No. Squaw Charlie almost no more. There never was a Squaw Charlie, only a good, honest, brave Red Eagle. I'm proud he's my friend. Red Eagle? Red Eagle. Charlie has not heard in long time. Charlie sorry he cannot do all things he want for his people. I promise you. I promise you that your people will get some of their land back. Will...? Will good friend Ben Cartwright tell Charlie one more time, Great Spirit and the green grass and valley and still water? The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy... Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Behind the Scenes of The Saga of Squaw Charlie
This episode was never aired on German television but can be accessed through the Sixth Season DVD box set.
Looking for More Bonanza Episodes?
Bonanza offers wholesome entertainment suitable for solo viewing or family gatherings. The Saga of Squaw Charlie marks the 182nd episode out of 430 in the series. Produced by NBC, Bonanza aired on the network from September 1959 to January 1973, spanning 14 seasons.
You can find more about any of the 430 Bonanza episodes here>>