
The Search Full Episode – Bonanza, Season #06, Episode #21
Pernell Roberts takes on a dual role in the February 14, 1965 episode of Bonanza. Adam Cartwright uncovers that his identical doppelgänger, Tom Burns, impersonates him to deceive others and solicit money under pretenses. He is joined by a saloon girl named Ann (portrayed by Lola Albright). Adam endeavors to locate his counterpart but only encounters threats from Tom’s alleged killer. This gripping episode titled The Search was penned by series regular Frank Cleaver.
You can explore the entire episode by watching it below to understand the plot and uncover fascinating trivia comprehensively.
Table of Contents
Watch the Full Episode of The Search
Watch the Full Episode of The Search:
Main Cast
Besides the main cast, “The Search,” the twenty-first episode of Bonanza Season 6 highlights various recurring and guest-supporting actors. The following are featured in the episode:
- Lorne Greene as Ben Cartwright (credit only)
- Pernell Roberts as Adam Cartwright
- Dan Blocker as Eric ‘Hoss’ Cartwright
- Michael Landon as Joseph ‘Little Joe’ Cartwright
- Lola Albright as Ann
- Kelly Thordsen as Sheriff Conners
- Elaine Devry as Valerie
- John Harding as Jason
- Howard Wright as Abe Jenkins
- C. Lindsay Workman as Weems (as Lindsay Workman)
- Phil Chambers as Store Owner
- Victor Adamson as Townsman (uncredited)
- John Bose as Townsman (uncredited)
- Bill Clark as Barfly (uncredited)
- Chester Hayes as Barfly (uncredited)
- Bill Hickman as Big Cowboy (uncredited)
- Bob Hoy as Little Cowboy (uncredited)
- Michael Jeffers as Barfly (uncredited)
- Richard LaMarr as Barfly (uncredited)
- Ernesto Molinari as Barfly (uncredited)
- Murray Pollack as Bartender (uncredited)
Full Story Line for The Search
A doppelgänger of Adam Cartwright uses his likeness to swindle money for personal gain. Seeking justice, Adam enlists the help of saloon girl Ann to hunt down the imposter, Tom Burns. However, their pursuit takes an unexpected turn when they encounter the individual believed to have murdered Tom.
Full Script and Dialogue of The Search
Would you mind giving me a hand? Huh? - Thank you. - Not at all, little brother, not at all. Saw away. Oh, I thought I said "a hand." [HOSS LAUGHS] You know, Joe, If you'd put a little hog lard on that blade, it'd sure make things easier. Really? Remind me to render you down sometime. [BOTH LAUGH] You know, sure enough, Joe, if you put a little more offset on that blade, it would make things easier, sure enough. Would you cut that out! ABE: Hey! You almost hit me. JOE: Hey, I'm sorry, Mr. Jenkins. HOSS: Howdy there, Abe. - Howdy, Hoss. Joe. Your brother, Adam, around? He's in the house, be out in a minute. What brings you all the way out here, Abe? This is a far piece from home. I know it, but I got some business with your brother. Oh, yeah? What kind? Now, look here, sonny, my business is with your brother. Would you just go fetch him, please? Yes, sir. How's Adam feeling, Hoss? - Why, fine, I reckon, Abe. You? - Oh, all right. Adam wasn't feeling so good last time I seen him. When was that? Not more than a week ago, up to my place. Oh, Abe. I think you're mistaken, Abe. I'm not. Well, Abe. What are you doing in this neck of the woods? - I heard you wanted to talk to me. - Yeah. Abe says last time he saw you, you was in pretty bad shape, Adam. [CHUCKLES] Oh, is this some attempt at a feeble little joke? You in on this, Abe? I don't know what you're talking about. But I'm right glad to see you looking all right again. How'd you like that horse I give you? Horse? Yeah, the best one I had. Valuable animal. Now, I ain't trying to heckle you none, Adam. I had to come to Virginia City anyhow and I thought I'd drop by. Not that I don't trust you'll be getting around to pay me but... Abe, what are you talking about? Well, the horse I give you when you come to me all beat up and broke. Beat up and broke? Yeah. I gave you the horse, don't you remember? On the promise you'd give me $50 when you got back home? I haven't left this ranch for the last ten days. Ask Hoss. Right? That's right, Abe. Why, I don't understand. It had to be you or some fellow that looked just like you. That's right. It was a fellow that looked like me. When I called him Adam, he answered back just as nice as you please. Well, why not? If he were beat up and broke and you were offering a horse to a fellow named Adam. But I give him the horse because I thought it was you. Oh, it ain't fair. Adam, Abe's right. Dab-burnit, if he gave a horse to a jasper that looks like you, it ain't his fault. He was just trying to you a favor. - If... - Will you shut up? Which way did this fellow head when he left your place? Well, he took the road to Virginia City. All right. I'll go into town, see if I can trace this fellow down. You'll get your money one way or the other. Well... Hey, Adam, why don't you leave this jasper be. He's liable to marry you a wife or something. [ADAM CHUCKLES] [ABE & HOSS LAUGH] Hey, Abe, how about a cup of coffee? - Yeah. - Okay. MAN: Well, thanks a lot. Say hello to the family. Oh, hi, Adam. What are you doing back so soon? What do you mean "so soon"? Well, from them supplies and clothes you picked up the other day, I figured you'd be away a couple of weeks. You don't say so? - What did the bill come to? - Oh, uh... A couple of hundred, as I recall. Oh, do you want your mail? I think I saw something in your box this morning. No, a little later. I have to go over to the bank. - Morning, Mr. Weems. - Hmm? Oh, good morning, Adam. How was Placerville? - Placerville? - Yes. The place where you cashed that draft. Oh. How much was that? Five hundred dollars. Heh. You should know that, you drew it. No, I didn't. But I'm glad my friend who did was so conservative. I don't understand, Adam. Someday I'll explain, Mr. Weems. Oh, by the way, don't accept any more drafts without two Cartwright signatures. Just as you say, Adam. Oh, I got that mail for you. What's the matter? Bad news? ADAM: Uh... I don't know. Look, do me a favor. If anybody comes in from the Ponderosa to pick up the mail, tell them I've gone to Placerville to seek my image. MAN: Your what? ADAM: Never mind. They'll know what I mean. Tom. He's not so tough. - No chance. - Throw him out. SHERIFF: That's enough. That's enough. What are you doing back here, Cartwright? I told you to get out and stay out. I come in here minding my own business, these creeps jumped me. You arrest them, I'll proffer charges. I'll make an arrest, all right. - You. - Now, just a minute. Come on, let's go. ANN: Sheriff? Sheriff. You were real lucky last time, Ann. Now, don't push me. Let's go. You just wire Sheriff Coffee in Virginia City, he'll prove that I'm Adam Cartwright. I already know you're Adam Cartwright. The other fellow just looks like me and he uses my name. Yeah, I know, let's go. [SHERIFF CHUCKLES] Boy, I'll tell you one thing. You or this other fellow, you sure spin some tall tales. Last time you were behind these bars, you or that twin of yours tried to justify killing a man. Killing a man? In the same bar you were fighting in. As a matter of fact, the two men you were fighting with is a friend of the man you killed. As if you didn't know that. Well, why didn't you keep my friend in jail or hang him if he killed a man? If you wanna play a game, I can't see any harm in it. I released you because Ann, the barmaid, said it was in self-defense. That the other man attacked you first, and she was backed up by the bartender. All right, then supposing I were this man... Which I am not. Why arrest me again? For your own protection, that's why. Those two men would have killed you. Heh. They might even yet. I wouldn't want that to happen in my town. You know, the man you killed was a no-good gunslinger. But no stranger like you comes into my town and takes a man's life, no-good gunslinger or not. I told you that before, and I told you never to come back here. Look, why don't you just... send a wire to Sheriff Coffee in Virginia City. Maybe there's a reward for this Adam Cartwright. Or maybe it'll prove that you got the wrong man. Why not. You know, either a very clever man or a very stupid man would try to get away with something like this. Or a very honest man. What happened? Why did you come back? I'm sorry, you, uh... You've got me confused with somebody else. Don't play games with me. The sheriff will be back any minute, Tom. Tom? I thought we were friends. But if you don't need me anymore, well... No, wait. I'm not playing games with you. My name is Cartwright. Adam Cartwright. I know. And Tom Burns. Whoever Tom Burns is... he's just a man who looks like me. Apparently enough so to be my twin. Come over here. Please. Now, look at me. Really look at me. You look... you look different. Tell that to the sheriff, will you? Hm? Are you after him too? Who? Tom Burns. Well, if he's the man who's been using my name and my bank account, yeah. Go ahead, tell him. Tell me what? Nothing. Did you send the wire to Virginia City? SHERIFF: I sent the wire. Sheriff, you ever hear of a man named Tom Burns? Tom Burns? That's right. I think he may be the one that's been using my name. Is that a fact now? No, but it's a possibility. Do you know him? Well, let's just say I know of him. Same as I know of a man calls himself Cartwright. Tell me something, Cartwright. If you had a choice, which would you rather be? Tom Burns or Adam Cartwright? I've told you... I know what you told me. But let's look at it from my angle. This Cartwright, to me, is a man that's killed another man. In addition to this, and according to yourself, he's also a horse rustler, a thief, in a sense, he's a bank robber. Pretty unsavory character, wouldn't you say? Put that way, yeah. It's the only way I can put it because that's all I know about any Cartwright. You take this Tom Burns here, he's got more angles any Cartwright ever dreamed of. According to this this report, he's a convict. An ex-convict, that is. He was sent to prison for embezzling from his own bank. And two days before his release, he up and kills his cellmate. He really murdered him. Because there wasn't anybody around like Ann to justify it for him. How do you like that background? Pretty unsavory. I guess I better wire the prison just in case I got Tom Burns right here. You make up your mind who you wanna be? I guess I'll stick to being Adam Cartwright. I don't blame you. I would too. Seems to be the less of the two evils. But either way, you're in a lot of trouble, Cartwright. [SIGHS] [SIGHS] SHERIFF: Yes, sir, you two really look alike. Well, I'm grateful that you were fair enough to wire Sheriff Coffee. Getting kind of late, I think I'll put up at the hotel and get an early start in the morning. Oh, Cartwright. When you get back to Virginia City, will you give my regards to that sheriff? Smart of him to get me to ask you where your Chinese cook was born. To prove that you're the real Adam Cartwright. Well, I'll give your regards to Roy. You still going after that Burns fellow? You know, he's pretty dangerous. He's already killed two men in two weeks. He's probably still using my name too. Well, thanks again, sheriff. Good luck. [FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING] [KNOCKING ON DOOR] [GUN COCKS AND KNOCKING CONTINUES] Come in. May I talk to you? Yeah. Sit down. Excuse me. Thank you. The sheriff came by the saloon and he tells me that you really are Adam Cartwright. You knew that. Not really. Well, you know it now. How long you known this Tom Burns? Since the other night when he rode into town. That was just a few days ago. You can't possibly get to know a man that well in such a short time. Oh, yes, you can. When he talks to you constantly for two days, you can get to know him real well. I don't know why he told me so many things. Unless it was because he'd just gotten out of prison and I was willing to listen. I don't know, but he talked... and I believed him. [CHUCKLES] He was innocent in the first place and should never have gone to prison, right? The sheriff says you're still going to look for Tom. Why? Well, because he stole in my name, he killed in my name and... who knows what else. But he meant no harm. He had to do those things. People who hated him forced him to do those things. He's a good man. [CHUCKLES] A good man. A convict, a thief, a killer. He's not. He's not! He... His partner framed him. He even paid his cellmate to kill him when he was going to get out of prison. And... You don't believe me. Well, I believe that you believe it. But no, I don't. So you're going to persecute him too, just like all the others. Well, I'm gonna try to stop him from using my name, yeah. I could tell you where to find him. Will you? He's going to meet his wife at a certain place. - Oh, he's married? - Mm-hm. You married? No. If I tell you, will you help him? Well, if I find him, it won't be to help him. You're so much like Tom, I thought perhaps you'd understand. Remember, I only look like him. Good night. Good night. [HORSE NEIGHS] I hope you're a good cook, I'm hungry. You're also very foolish. Dangerous country for a girl to go riding around alone. Well, I'm not alone now. What do you want this time? I've decided to tell you where you can find Tom Burns. On one condition. I told you I couldn't help him. Oh, it isn't that condition. It's just that I wanna come with you, and you said yourself this is very dangerous country for a woman alone. What are running around after him for? Why help him? You know he's married to another woman. I know, it's silly, I guess, especially for somebody that's been around as long as I have, but... I don't know how to explain it. Well, nobody has talked to me that way for a long time, and I haven't been able to talk to a man that way for a long time. Not since I was very, very young. And I don't care that he's married and that nothing can happen for us. But I still believe in him and I wanna help him. And I want to find out if his wife believed in him and if she helped him. Well, we'll talk about it while we eat. Grab yourself a plate over there. And he said that his partner, this Jason Everts, kept in touch with him, the same way his wife did, by letter. All during the five years he was in prison. And then two days before he was to get out, another prisoner tried to kill him. But Burns killed him instead, huh? Yes, but in self-defense. And the man confessed just before he died that he had been hired to do it. Confessed to whom? Well, to Tom, of course. He was the only one there. And then Tom escaped right after that because, well, he had no proof that the other man had attacked him first. He knew he'd never get out of jail. And so Tom jumped to the conclusion that his partner, Jason Everts, had hired this man to kill him, huh? He didn't jump to anything. He had proof. What proof? Well, when he got a horse and new clothes, using your name, he went to Placerville and he wired his partner for help. The help came in the form of the hired gunman at the saloon. And Tom killed him. In self-defense. Excuse me, I don't me to be rude, but, you know, you sure have a way of jumping... Coming to a lot of conclusions with very little evidence. Well, by now, Tom may have the final proof. Or as you call it the final conclusion. That's why I wanna go along with you because I wanna find out. Well, where is he? Well, when the sheriff let him out of jail at Placerville, he hid from the friends of the dead gunman in my room. He had me send a wire to his wife, Valerie, asking her to meet him at an old house outside of his hometown, a place called Lubock. Well, what was he planning? He just hoped that with his wife's help, he could prove that Jason Everts had framed him and was trying to kill him. [CHUCKLES] This Burns fellow sure depends a lot on help from women. Well, is anything wrong with that? No. Tell you what, though, I'll sleep on what you've told me and... I'll make up my mind in the morning. It may not be very comfortable, but you'll be warm. Thank you. Good night. Good night. Ah. I thought the smell of coffee would get you up. If it didn't, I was counting on the bacon. Hope you like your bacon crisp. Lady, I love my bacon crisp. [ADAM WHISTLES] ANN: Oh. Very good. Here's some coffee. Tell me, you doing all this cooking to prove that you're a better cook or are you trying to influence my decision about taking you with me? Neither. I know I'm a better cook. I also know that you're a man who cannot be bribed. Even by good food. I cooked breakfast merely because I was awake first and because I'm a woman. Yes, that you are. And that's why I've decided to take you with me. Because I'm a good cook or because I'm a woman? No, because I think you're an honest woman and I'm beginning to believe in your concern for Tom Burns, even though I don't believe in him. Thank you. Is this it? I guess so. It's the only one we've come across in this area, so it must be. It doesn't look exactly the way he described it, but... Well, what he remembered was five years ago. Well, let's see if there's any signs he was here. It's a cinch nobody's been here for a while. Oh, yes, there has. What do you mean? Smell the air. [ADAM SNIFFS] Smells just stale to me. Another woman's been here. I can smell her perfume. How can you tell? I can't tell if you're wearing perfume. That's because I'm not. But she was. Tom's wife, she's been here. Well, she's not here now. Neither she nor Tom. But she was here, and I have a feeling something's wrong. Like the feeling about Tom being innocent? - Yes, I... - Look, please, not again. We haven't eaten since this morning, so you fix up something to eat and I'll look outside for signs, see if anybody's been coming or going. Well, all right, but I just know something's wrong. It's getting burnt. Where...? Where have you been? The food is overdone. It's practically burnt up. I'm sorry. No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. I guess I'm just overtired and nervous. Did you find anything? Yeah, you were right. There were two people here. Only one went away. One? You know, this Tom Burns, the fellow who looks like me, last time you saw him, was he wearing a light tan jacket? - Yes. You found him? - Yeah. I found him, he's dead. I found him in a grave up there in a cave. - No. - With a nice fresh bullet hole in the back of his new jacket. No, no, no, it can't be. It can't be. I'm afraid there's very little doubt. Then she killed him. His wife, she murdered him! Well, now that's a pretty strong statement based on the smelling of some perfume. It's not just that. Don't you see? It had to be her. I sent her that wire myself. All the time he thought it was his partner who was betraying him. It was his wife. He walked into this trap like an innocent lamb and she shot him because the other two tries failed. Don't you see? Well, that's a pretty theory and it's probably right. But the whole thing is over and done. What do you mean? Tom Burns is dead. The search is over, at least my part of it anyway. Just like that. Why not? Sure, why not? The imposter is dead. The man who used the name of Adam Cartwright to buy a few extra days of life is dead. The search is ended and so now Adam Cartwright can go back to his own untroubled, unruffled, unbetrayed life. Oh, come on now, Ann. All I'm trying to say is that you became emotionally involved with this man, and you thought you were in love with him even when you found out he was married to somebody else. And to me, he's just a man who stole my name and now he's dead. Murdered, you mean. Betrayed. Look, Adam, you didn't have to become involved. Not really, you know. You could have sent wires and left it to the law officers. I could have shrugged him off too, but we didn't. And now it's become a kind of a responsibility. See? You know, for a woman, you sure do talk a lot. Oh, Tom. Oh. I'm sorry. I used his name, I don't know why. Well, it's because, despite all the philosophy, you're still in love with him and that's what's driving you. I'm sorry. Drop the gun belt. Excuse me, Ann. You know, Cartwright, this is gonna be a double pleasure. First, we get the payoff that Mike missed, then we pay you off for killing him. Stop yapping and get it over with. He's only good to us dead. What's the hurry? Ah! Unh! All right, get out, both of you. Come on. Thanks. That's about the closest I've ever been. You needed help. Like Tom needed help. I'll just get some food. I can't have guys like that jumping out of the woodwork at me thinking I'm Tom Burns. I'm gonna have to settle it. You're right. A man deserves a conclusion to his life. If he can't do it and another man can, then... it's like you said, it's a kind of a responsibility. Thank you, Adam. [KNOCKING ON DOOR] Well? ANN: Hello. What do you think of it? What? My new dress, silly. It was a wonderful bargain. Very pretty. What about this Everts fellow? Oh, he's at the bank, all right. I saw him. I got your clothes. You sure this is like the one Burns was wearing? It's as close as I could get. Okay, I'll see you at the bank in ten minutes. ANN: You, uh... You don't really like my dress, do you? I said it was very pretty. You know, you're the only man I have ever allowed to buy me a dress. Well, you didn't have very much choice, did you? JASON: And bring me the O'Brien file. - Yes, Mr. Jason. Mr. Jason, I'll need your signature on these. Mr. Jason? What? [KNOCKING ON DOOR] - What are you doing here? - I've got to see you, Valerie. It's of the utmost importance. You fool. After all our talk and you come here in the middle of the day... - Something upsetting just happen... - Upsetting. Lately, every little thing makes you hysterical, like a woman. Tom Burns is still alive. That's ridiculous. Really, Jason, you're going to pieces. - Now, will you get out of here...? - He's alive I tell you, and in town. I saw him. - That's impossible. - No. He came to the bank to look at me. I saw him. And you spoke with him? - No. He disappeared before I... - Of course, because he wasn't there. He's dead, Jason. - Dead. - Yeah. The way he was supposed to be dead at that prison. The way he was dead at Placerville. Those were blunders, mistakes. But this time it's true. I'm positive, Jason. I told you what happened. Nevertheless, I saw him. We're going out to that shack and I'm gonna prove to you once and for all... - No. No, no, I... Valerie, I... - Shut up and listen to me. We're going out there tonight. I'll pick you up just after dark. We'll have to take a chance that nobody will see us together. If only we'd gone away when we had the chance. Oh, Jason, don't bring up ancient history. It's been over between us for years. - Only with you. - Nevertheless, it's over. It's become a partnership, Jason. Just a financial partnership. JASON: But now we can get married. VALERIE: Really? When you say you've just seen Tom with your own eyes? You see? That proves it, I was right. It proves nothing. It was just a conversation they can deny. Well, obviously they were in this thing together. Look, whatever emotional involvement they might have had together is over. And there's nothing we can do to prove that it ever existed, and Valerie's gonna keep it that way. What about the money? Well, as Tom's wife or widow, she has a perfectly legal right to share in any of the bank's profits. Well, so you go out and get the sheriff and you show him the grave and you prove that Tom was murdered. And that's all you'll prove, not who did it. What's the matter with you? You sound like you're on their side. I am just trying to point out the fact that we don't have a leg to stand on when it comes to actually proving whether or not they're guilty of anything. When I believed in Tom's innocence I didn't have anything to go on either. Faith does not always move mountains. Adam, I think that... I think if you believe something hard enough, you can help make it come true. And I think that if you believe something hard enough, you can make it come untrue. What do you mean? I'll have to show you. All right, let's go. ADAM: Now, we'll have to wait till after dark. It won't be dark for two hours yet. Well, we'll just have to wait. Come on. Now we'll settle this for good. This isn't really necessary, Valerie. Oh, yes, it is. We're gonna lay this ghost of your imagination right here, before you repeat your hysterical story to someone else. Now dig. Please, Valerie. I said dig. [SHOVEL CLANGING] It's Tom. I knew it. I knew he wasn't dead. Shut up, you fool. I told you he was still alive. It was all her idea, Tom. The money from the bank, bribing your cellmate, everything. Stop talking. It's a trick, Jason. I'm sorry, Tom. It was Valerie who shot you. Her, not me. It was always... [GUNSHOT] [GUNSHOT] Don't do it. We heard everything, and we saw it. Poor Tom. All these years... believing in you. You still here? I thought when you left my office, you'd be on your way home. Yeah, well, I planned to, but I wanted to have a farewell drink with a certain lady. And it looks to me like she's exercising that feminine prerogative of being late, very late. Looks like it's worth it, though. Bartender, the lady needs a drink. Well, new dresses don't seem able to influence you at all. It's very pretty. If I recall, that's the same thing you said last time. Tom would have... - To Tom. - To Tom. And to you. I'm sorry Tom couldn't know what you did for him. I just believed in him, that's all. Someday you'll find another man to believe in. Sure. Goodbye, Ann. Bye, Adam. Thanks. Adam. Adam. I'll never forget you. Either of you. Thank you. Goodbye.
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Bonanza is a beautiful, family-friendly show for solo viewing or enjoying with loved ones. The Search marks the 189th episode out of 430 in the series. Produced by NBC, Bonanza aired on their network from September 1959 to January 1973, spanning 14 seasons.
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