
The Spotlight Full Episode – Bonanza, Season #06, Episode #33
Penned by Dick Carr, The Spotlight provides Viveca Lindfors with a prominent role as the long-retired opera diva Angela Drake. When appointed as the entertainment committee chairman for the Virginia City anniversary celebration, Ben convinces Angela to stage a comeback for an exceptional performance. Despite her joy at the opportunity, Angela agrees without revealing that she has lost her singing voice. Keen-eyed viewers will notice a subtle “inside joke” alluding to the recently departed series regular Pernell Roberts, with a nod to Shakespeare. The episode also features Ron Randell as Carleton, Winnie Coffin as Mrs. Brown, and Jean Determann as Mrs. Finch. Originally aired on May 16, 1965, “This episode was later rebroadcast as Bonanza’s Christmas offering for the 1965-66 season.
You’re encouraged to watch the entire episode provided below to uncover a comprehensive plot summary and captivating trivia.
Table of Contents
Watch the Full Episode of The Spotlight
Watch the Full Episode of The Spotlight:
Main Cast
Apart from the main cast, “The Spotlight,” the thirty-third episode of Bonanza Season 6 presents a diverse array of recurring and guest-supporting actors. The cast includes:
- Lorne Greene as Ben Cartwright
- Pernell Roberts as Adam Cartwright (credit only)
- Dan Blocker as Eric ‘Hoss’ Cartwright
- Michael Landon as Joseph ‘Little Joe’ Cartwright
- Viveca Lindfors as Angela Bergstrom
- Ron Randell as Carleton Ames
- Winnie Collins as Edna Brown (as Winnie Coffin)
- Ian Wolfe as Amos
- Robert Foulk as Townsman
- John Frederick as Charlie Caruthers
- Jeanne Determann as Mrs. Finch (as Jeanne Detterman)
- Victor Sen Yung as Hop Sing
- Billy M. Greene as Pianist
- George Bruggeman as Audience Member (uncredited)
- George DeNormand as Audience Member (uncredited)
- Betty Endicott as Audience – Brunette in Yellow Dress (uncredited)
- James Gonzalez as Talent Agent (uncredited)
- Martha Manor as Audience – Blonde Townswoman (uncredited)
- William Meader as Man Questioned During Search (uncredited)
- Hans Moebus as Audience Member (uncredited)
- Cosmo Sardo as Townsman (uncredited)
- Dean Savant as Stage Depot Clerk (uncredited)
Full Story Line for The Spotlight
Heading the entertainment for Virginia City’s anniversary celebration, Ben persuades a retired opera diva to return. Excited by the invitation, she overlooks, mentioning that her once beautiful singing voice is now a thing of the past.
Full Script and Dialogue of The Spotlight
It's about time you got here, Ben. What's the matter? Real trouble, inside. [PEOPLE ARGUING] MAN: I suggest that this town of Virginia City... Ladies and gentlemen, please, please. Well, we thought perhaps you weren't coming, Mr. Cartwright. Well, I'm sorry I'm late, Mrs. Brown. But now that I am here, would everybody please be seated? Speaking for the ladies of this town, I would like to make one point clear, Mr. Cartwright. We do not approve of the plans for celebrating the town anniversary next month. Well, Mrs. Brown, I thought this meeting had been called in order to make the plans for the anniversary celebration. Now, how can we disapprove of them if we haven't made them yet, heh? Because of last year and the year before that. The same thing. Riding and roping contests in the afternoon and a box social at night. - It never changes. CHARLIE: Why should it change? [ALL SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY] Everybody always has a good time. And I don't see any reason... Please, please, please. Charlie, I think Mrs. Brown has a point. Let's hear her out. The whole point is, Ben, you men enjoy the riding and roping while we women spend all our time preparing the food. Now, we don't mind that. We do it all the time. But an anniversary celebration ought to be something special, a treat for us as well as the men. Don't you agree? CHARLIE: Why should it change? - That's right. Everybody always has a good time. Look, Mrs. Brown, I think, has a valid point. Other towns put on plays. They give recitals. Perhaps we might even find a touring Shakespearean company. - Oh, now, enough is enough, Edna. - Heh. You're gonna ruin the whole shebang with your highfalutin ideas. Shakespeare. Ah! That was only a suggestion. And I suggest we keep the celebration just like it's always been. [ALL CHATTERING] - I don't see any... BEN: Order. Order. Now, wait a minute. Let's have a little order, ladies and gentlemen. We have a committee here of seven? Mrs. Brown, would you sit down, please? We're seven of us here. Let's have a vote. All those who are opposed to Mrs. Brown's suggestion, put up your right hand. All right. Now all those in favor of Mrs. Brown's suggestion, put up your right hand. That's 4-to-3. [GASPS] Thank you, Ben. All right, now that we've taken up your proposition and passed it, I think it behooves you to go out and get the best danged entertainment you can find. Me? I don't know a soul outside of Virginia City. But with your contacts, well, you're the logical one for the job. - Me? MAN: Why not? All those in favor of giving this job to Ben Cartwright, stand up. Well, now, don't feel bad, Ben. Maybe as a last resort you can get up on stage and read us some of that Shakespeare yourself. [ALL LAUGH] Shakespeare. You wanna read some Shakespeare, Buck? AMOS: Oh, Howdy, Ben. - How are you, Amos? - What can I do for you? Well, I, uh, heh, I don't rightly know. I, uh, I came in to see if I might find some, some idea for some entertainment, you know, for the anniversary celebration. Aren't we gonna have the usual riding and roping contests? Oh, sure, oh, sure, we're gonna have all of that. The entertainment committee thought they might like to go beyond that. You know, uh, have something... Well, I thought I might find some idea here among some old playbills or something. Wow. We've booked about everything you can think of. Uh, acrobats, dog acts... Oh, no, they were thinking of something a little more cultural, like, uh, you know, actors, opera singers, something like that. Something like that. Well, you might look over those old posters on the table. - Hmm? - Yeah. Uh, the boys will sure be disappointed if we don't have the riding and roping. Oh, we're gonna have all, heh, the riding and roping we can use but this is, uh, just for the ladies. - The ladies. - Mm-hm. Hmm, yeah. They're always after me to put on more opry. Oh, you find something, Ben? - Yeah, I might have at that. - Huh? Oh, that one. Had her booked in here three or four years ago. Then she canceled at the last minute. Heh, caused me no end of trouble replacing her. Yeah, I remember, heh. I was very disappointed when she didn't get here. She has a beautiful voice. - Oh, you've heard her? - Yeah. Well, that was a long time ago. Amos, where could I find her? Well, the booking and cancellation was made out of San Francisco. San Francisco. That's a long way. But I might just go there and try to find her. Bunch of the fellows got together, see, and that danged Charlie Caruthers, he done and nominated Pa. [BOTH LAUGH] Shh. - Hi, Pa. - Hello, boys. - How you doing, Pa? - Oh, pretty good. Glad to be home. Anything exciting happen in town? No, not that I can think of. You know, we, uh, heard that they're gonna paint the town hall all new for the celebration. Of course, that's just something we heard. BEN: Yeah, I heard that too. I sure hope that celebration this year is as good as it was last year. Hmm, it was a humdinger. - A humdinger. - HOSS: Hmm. And why shouldn't it be? Oh, no reason, Pa, uh, I mean, I just hope I win as many of the contests as I did last year. Yeah. Well, there's a lot more to life than just winning some riding and roping contests or vying for blue ribbons, you know. Well, that's for certain. You can say that again. Well, I mean, there's a lot of things. Like, Shakespeare, Hamlet and plays. Well, just a bunch of things like that. Right? Hoss, thou speakest the truth. [ALL LAUGHING] You heard, huh? Well, with a little bit of luck, we'll have the contest and the culture. You boys remember me talking about, uh, Angela Bergstrom? Why, that name is familiar. I just can't seem to place it. You know, that opera singer. About 15 years ago she was the toast of the musical world. Beautiful face, beautiful, gorgeous voice. I'll tell you, she was the only opera singer that made a stage-door Johnny out of me. Oh, you're joshing. Well, you mean you really were stuck on her? Ha-ha, I fell for her. Now, look at that. [JOE WHISTLES] BEN: Hey. - Mm-hm. I'll tell you, back in St. Louis, about 15 years ago, I had a front row center seat every night for two solid weeks. And you're thinking of inviting her to the celebration? Heh, it's a good idea, isn't it? Exactly what the ladies of Virginia City ordered, exactly. Yeah, but Pa, you ain't seen her in 15 years. Oh, she's still singing. Oh, she was booked in, uh, for the Opera House here about 3 years ago, and then she had to cancel out at the last moment. But, uh, she was booked out of San Francisco... So you're gonna go to San Francisco? Yeah, thought I might. I've sort of been postponing that trip to San Francisco on business anyway, and I thought I might just as well kill two birds with one stone. Well, Pa, what happens if you can't find her? Hoss, have you ever considered playing Hamlet? Oh, come on, - Ha-ha. - Before you get some silly idea. HOSS: To be, or not to be. JOE: No, we got rid of him. [SIGHS] [INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE] [INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE] [MOUTH ORGAN PLAYING] [CHILDREN CHATTERING AND LAUGHING] [GIRL SINGING SCALES] [PIANO PLAYING SCALES] Yes? Angela Bergstrom. Yes, that's me. What do you want? I'm Ben Cartwright. Ben! [BOTH LAUGHING] - Ben Cartwright. - Yeah. Oh, I'm overwhelmed. For a little while I thought my pride was gonna take a beating but, of course, how could you remember after so many years? Well, it just didn't connect, I mean, right off the street like this. Well, I had the devil's own time trying to find you too. I am so sorry. I have been moving around a lot lately. It's very difficult to find a place where they allow children to practice. - Won't you come in, please? - Thank you. Mary Ann, um, I think it's time for you to go home. Now, I want you to practice. Any great singer must learn to accompany herself. I don't wanna be a singer. Ha, ha, ha, but your mother wants you to be one, right? - So I want to see you on Wednesday. MARY: Yes, ma'am. - Same time. - Yes, ma'am. - Practice. - Yes, ma'am. [BOTH CHUCKLING] - Won't you sit down? - Thank you. - Can I fix you some, um, tea? - No, no thank you. I don't have too much time to stay. I've been spending all this time looking for your apartment. [BOTH CHUCKLE] I must say, you look as handsome as ever, Ben. You look lovelier. Oh, I don't know. A little older, - but what can you do about that? - Oh, nonsense. That voice of yours, that will never get old. Oh, the voice. Well, it's just a voice. You, uh, enjoy working with the children? Yes, I do. It's one of my pet theories. I think anybody who's, uh, had a certain amount of fame should teach the younger generation so they can benefit from your knowledge. Wait a minute, you're sounding as if you're from the old generation. You're too young to talk that way. You should be on the stage now, singing. Ha, ha. Well, I don't sing too much anymore. I'm sort of, um... Well, I'm sort of semi-retired. Do you know why I came all the way from Virginia City to San Francisco to find you? No. Heh. I thought, how wonderful it would be if you came to Virginia City to give a concert. We're having an anniversary celebration. You were almost there 3 or 4 years ago but had to cancel out. I thought wouldn't it be nice if you were to sing for us now. It wouldn't be like a professional engagement, but, you know, more like singing before friends. You could stay with us at the Ponderosa, and my sons are there, and it's so beautiful there now, and the mountains and the fresh air and the lake and the pine trees. Yes, it would be nice to get out of the city, wouldn't it? We'll roll out the red carpet from San Francisco to the Ponderosa for you. Well, I can't give you an answer now. I'll have to think about it. Well, I don't want an answer right now. It's still three weeks to go. Now, wait a minute, now you think about it and then you send me a telegram and say that you'll be there. Oh, just thinking of singing gives me the butterflies. - I promise you I will think about it. - All right, all right. Now, we'll be expecting that wire from you. And please, make it be "yes." I'll think about it. I'll let you know, Ben. - Bye. - Bye. - Pa's as nervous as a wolf in a cage. - Yeah. Ever since that Angela Bergstrom wrote him she's coming. Of course, you might be a little nervous too, Joe, if you got an old girlfriend about to show up. Girlfriend? Come on, will you, Hoss? This Bergstrom woman is no more than an artist that Pa's imported for the celebration, that's all. I don't know. May be more to it than you think. You've been reading too many books. I ain't read a book in I don't know when. All right, heh, you've been looking at the pictures, ha, ha, ha! I can't understand why that stage is so late. Pa, the stage from Genoa is always late. Oh, Angela is nervous enough about this trip without having the added annoyance of a late stage. What's she so nervous about? I thought she'd sung on stages all over the world. [LAUGHS] I'm not in the mood for any of your jokes. MAN: Hyah! [HOOFBEATS APPROACHING] Hey, here it comes. MAN: Hyah! Oh. ANGELA: I hope they have a wonderful trip. Oh, thank you, captain. And please don't forget, now, to give my love to General Forbes in West Point, heh. Remind him of our meeting in Rome. - Oh, Ben. - Hello, Angela. - Oh, heh, how marvelous to be here. - Heh, wonderful to see you. I have had such a trip. I think I would have died if it hadn't been for the captain, heh. Now, don't forget to give my love to General Forbes, huh? Have a nice trip. - Angela. - Oh, what a quaint little town. Oh, the mountains. Heh, it reminds me of Spain. It really does. - Heh, Angela, these are my two... - Oh, you look wonderful, heh. I don't think I've ever seen you dressed like this. You've always been so formally dressed. Now, Angela, these are my two boys. I want you to meet them. - Oh. - Little Joe and Hoss. - Miss Bergstrom. - How nice to meet you. - How do you do? - Heh. Howdy, ma'am. I'm gonna love it here among those strong, beautiful men. Heh, yeah. Uh, boys, will you get Miss Bergstrom's bags? And, Jake, make sure that the trunks are delivered to the house. This way. "Beautiful"? You're just not accustomed to cultured talk, little brother. [SCOFFS] That was actually my first encounter with military life, heh. Of course, I was thrilled to sing in Denver. When one is dedicated, one has to keep working all the time. I think I gave over a hundred concerts in 6 months. That's quite a lot, you know. Well, of course, I've always been in love with clothes. I wonder if there is ever a woman who isn't. Of course, we do dress for you men. You know that. But do I enjoy it! As a matter of fact, when I go to Paris, heh... - More coffee? - No, thank you. No. One cup is enough. I have trouble sleeping, I'm afraid. Oh, that reminds me. I remember when I was in Constantinople once. Of course, they have marvelous coffee there. I supposed I drank too much, heh. But anyhow I was singing at the, um... No, I was actually singing for the Royal Court, mind you. I didn't sleep a wink for a whole week, heh. Excuse me. I'm sorry I'm late for supper, ma'am. - But I had to fix some fences, heh. - Oh, that's all right. It's very nice to meet your family, Ben. Well, ma'am, it's sort of nice to meet you too. We've... [ANGELA LAUGHING] It reminds me of something very funny. I knew three brothers once in Philadelphia. You'll have to excuse me. And they were all, sort of, a little bit in love with me. You, uh, must have had a bunch of them stage-door johnnies around you, then. Pa used to be one of them too. Oh, heh. [CHUCKLES] Would you like to, um... Would you like to take a walk with me, Ben? I love the Western nights. I would, uh... I'd enjoy that very much. - Will you excuse us, boys? - Certainly. Certainly. Oh, boy. - That's quite a woman. - Oh, yes, she's quite a woman. She talks faster than a medicine man with a sheriff riding behind her. Pa don't seem to mind. No, he doesn't. You know, I got a hunch he's, uh, kind of acting the way he did sitting front row center 15 years ago. I don't know, Joe, most women are pretty much alike. They all do a lot of talking, especially when they're nervous. She'll be calm tomorrow. Oh, would you like to make a little bet? Say, uh, $5? [CHUCKLES] Sure, I'll bet you. I don't wanna take your money though, Joe. I know women. Ha-ha, you know women? [LAUGHING] Do you know, I love this place. It's beautiful. It reminds me of my own country, Sweden, except for one thing. Hop Sing, ha-ha. That's one thing we haven't got in my country. - Were you ever in Sweden, Ben? - No. No? You really must go there. It's really very much like here. Do you know, I used to grow up in a little village just like this. Reminds me of my first trip to Russia. Oh, it was so exciting. I met this absolutely enchanting prince. Now, what was his name again? Oh, well, it doesn't really matter, he was perfectly charming, anyhow, heh. He absolutely lived on vodka and caviar, heh. Can you imagine? I suppose it wasn't so good for my voice, but in those days, nothing seemed to matter. My voice could take almost anything. Well, it's a Spanish mantilla. Tsk, Tsk, Tarantella, you know? I picked it up in Madrid. Were you ever in Madrid, by the way, Ben? BEN: Once. Was she pretty? Well, uh, I was very interested in a bullfighter when I was there. His name was Alfonso Rodriguez. And he was very interested in my singing and I was very interested in his bullfighting. Well, when I did go to Paris... Those were in the good old days. I used to pick out the same dress in ten different colors. And then I would wear each dress whenever my mood was that color. Do you know what I mean? I have to tell you about my first trip to Russia. It was really fabulous. I met this enchanting friend. Now, what was his name? Oh, I guess it doesn't matter. He was a perfect angel, anyhow. I just can't remember his name. Anyhow, we lived on vodka and caviar for days, ha-ha. [PLAYING CHORDS] [CHUCKLES] Well, it's a lovely hall. It's a lovely hall, really. Well, we had it freshly painted just for tomorrow night. Oh, heh. That's the worst thing for the voice. Oh, I'm sorry, we didn't think of that. We're all looking forward to your concert, Miss Bergstrom, and we're so grateful to Mr. Cartwright for bringing you here. Oh, well, I'm delighted to be here and I was delighted when Ben asked me to come. I'm, uh, looking forward to the concert as much as you do. Ladies, we must be going now. - Goodbye. - Bye. - It was so nice meeting you. - Very nice meeting you. Goodbye. Goodbye, heh. And thank you for giving me such a lovely, warm welcome. Bye, ladies. You sure made a big hit with the ladies. Oh, they were all so nice, Ben, really. [ANGELA CLEARS THROAT] I'm glad you liked them. [COUGHS] I hope I am not catching a cold. - You're all right, aren't you? - Oh, yes, I feel fine. I love being here. I love your town. And I love being with you, Ben. Ooh. BEN: Hyah! You smell the pine? [SNIFFS] It's all your land, Ben, heh. I'm delighted that everything has gone so well for you. I'm especially proud of it today. Oh, why? Showing it to you. I'm gonna be real proud of you tomorrow night. Heh, my golly, I'm getting so excited about that concert. So is everybody else in town, heh [CHUCKLES] Oh, don't expect too much. My voice is not what it used to be. Oh, just to hear the voice of Angela Bergstrom... It's gonna be quite sufficient. You're very quiet. Well, it's about time, isn't it? Heh. I mean, I haven't stopped talking since I arrived here. Oh, heh. I was just thinking, um, when would you like me to get together with the accompanist? What do you mean? You mean you don't have... You don't have an accompanist for me? Well, I thought you were... I thought you were going to accompany yourself. Well, I couldn't do that. Well, I guess, ugh, I've been pretty stupid. Well, no. No, it wasn't stupid of you. I should have thought about it myself. We've got... We've got quite a problem on our hands, haven't we? Problems are made to be solved. I'm gonna take you back to the ranch because I'm gonna find an accompanist for us. You mean, you're gonna find a pianist here? If there's one around here to be found, I'm gonna find him. Nothing's gonna stop this concert from going on. Hyah! You've gotta be kidding. Couldn't you sort of play around her? Look, I can play five numbers, and they all sound like this. [PLAYING HONKY-TONK] Now, if by any chance that gal can sing the lyrics to this little number, we're in business. [PIANO PLAYING] [MOUTHING] What's the matter? Are you feeling sick? - No, I was just reading a poem, here. - Oh. And what's the name of it? It's just a poem. Yeah, I know it's a poem. I just wanna know what the name of it is. Hamlet. [LAUGHS] [HORSE NEIGHS] Hey, that must be Pa. - Hey, any luck? - No, not a bit. That's too bad. I'll take care of your horse. All right, thank you. Wait for me. - Good evening. - Good evening. I understand Miss Angela Bergstrom is staying here. - That's right. - May I speak to her, please? Well, I'm afraid Miss Bergstrom has retired for the night. Oh, it's, uh, important that I see her. Perhaps you might be able to see her first thing in the morning. I could tell her that you were here. - What is your name, sir? - Ames. Carleton Ames. You must be, uh, Ben Cartwright. Yes, I'm Ben Cartwright. Mr. Cartwright, I really must speak to her as soon as possible. Are you, uh, a friend of Miss Bergstrom's? I've been with Miss Bergstrom for years. - You've been with her? - Yes, sir. I was her accompanist. - Her accompanist? - Mm-hm. Mr. Ames, I want you to see her first thing in the morning. You're gonna stay the night here. Uh, bring the gentleman's bag in. Come on right in. I'm so happy to see you. Well, good morning. - Morning, Pa. - Morning, Pa. How is everybody this morning? - Great. - Fine. I'm just gonna have some coffee because I think, uh, you boys and I ought to go to work that east line so we can get into town by noon. Hey, what time do those contests start? Oh, uh, about 1:30. Mm, ah! Beautiful day, huh? [FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING] Good morning to you. Uh, Pa, me and Joe will go saddle the horses. You go ahead and do that. I'm sorry I didn't wait up for you last night. I was exhausted. I was simply exhausted, heh. - I have a wonderful idea. - Oh, you have? - Yes. - What is it? I was thinking, since I can't sing tonight, - Yeah. - I could give a talk for the ladies. I could talk to them about, uh, my travels, about my experiences abroad and things like that. Well, that's a, uh, very fine idea, Angela, but, uh, I really think that the ladies would love to hear that magnificent voice of yours. I know, but I mean if we can't find an accompanist, I mean, what are we going to do? Well... I mean, you haven't found one, have you? No, as a matter of fact, I haven't found one. Well, I didn't think that you could out here, heh. But I do have the most wonderful surprise for you, Angela. Oh, what's that? [DOOR CLOSES] You can come in now. Here she is. Hello, Angela. [BEN CHUCKLES] I know you and Mr. Ames are gonna have a lot to talk about because you wanna get ready for that concert, so I'm gonna let you two go right to it. I'll see you in a little while. [DOOR CLOSES] Angela. I'm sorry you feel that way. What do you want? I want to help you. Help me? A year ago, when I really needed you, then you deserted me. I, uh, don't think that I can ever forgive you for that. It's been a long time, I know. I can't tell you how many times I began to write. Well, I'm sure that's true. But, uh... Still, it doesn't, uh... It doesn't help me, does it? When I, uh... When I heard that you came here to sing I thought perhaps you would need me. Angela, I want to tell you that... Well... There's something I can now afford to say. I don't want to hear it. I suppose I have changed. But I'm very happy here. For the first time in my life, I realize that there is another life outside of our musical world. Ben has been wonderful to me. I want you to leave me alone. Angela, listen to me for one minute. ANGELA: I don't wanna hear it. But I want you to leave me alone. [DOOR CLOSES] - A lot of people in town. - Yeah, sure are. You gonna stay for the contest? Oh, I thought I'd watch the start, then head back to the ranch. All right. - Hey, there's Hoss. - Yeah. Hyah! [HOOFBEATS APPROACHING] HOSS: Hi, Pa. What are you doing here in a buckboard? You're not gonna rope a steer from a buckboard, are you, heh? Well, I had to bring in that Carleton Ames fellow this morning. Oh, he came in to try out that piano in the town hall, I guess? No. That's, uh, what I thought at first, but I had to bring him here to the stage line. What? He bought a ticket and caught a stage out of here about 30 minutes ago, heading west. Well, he can't do that. Give me that buckboard. Hyah! Hyah! Hyah! Hyah! BEN: Whoa! DRIVER: Whoa! What is this? What you after? I gotta talk to one of your passengers. - Ames. Carleton Ames. - Yes? Why'd you run out on me? I'm sorry, Mr. Cartwright, I was wrong in coming. Are you Angela's accompanist, or aren't you? Yes, but, uh... Then, get out of there and come back with me. No, sir, I'm sorry. My mind is made up. Look, either you come out of there or I'm coming in after you. Mr. Cartwright, you're making a mistake. This is not worth the effort. - Well, let me be the judge of that. - Ahh. Get him his bag. Hyah! Hyah! All right, if it's money, how much do you want? It isn't money. Angela didn't want me to stay, that's all. She can't sing without you. She needs you. No, she made it perfectly clear that she didn't need me anymore. I just don't understand why... You're even old friends, aren't you? As far as I'm concerned, it was more than friendship. You see, I've been in love with Angela Bergstrom, deeply in love, more years than I care to talk about. - Well, that's fine. Let's get back to her. - Don't you see? Angela doesn't know. That you're in love with her? No. That I went to New York to try and prove to myself that I had a career, a life of my own as a concert pianist, not just as an accompanist. It was a long and difficult period. But I made it. I've had a few recitals and I've been booked for a tour. Good. So I rushed from New York to San Francisco. When they told me she'd come up here, I followed to tell her the good news. - What did she say? - I didn't tell her. When I realized how she felt, I didn't want to interfere. So I thought the best thing for me is to leave the two of you alone. Now, wait a minute. What's that supposed to mean? I'm talking about you and Angela Bergstrom being in love. [LAUGHS] Oh, no. No, no, no. She's not in love with me. And I'm not in love with her, not that way, we're old friends. Why, I love being with her, but let me tell you something, Mr. Ames, the most important thing on my mind now is that concert. If we're not gonna get there, heh there isn't gonna be a concert. Mr. Cartwright, there never was to be a concert. What? Maybe Angela really does want to sing this time, but in the end she won't. Just like the other times. She lost her beautiful voice years ago. Hey, Pa, we was kind of worried about you. Hope you're not still concerned about that pianist fellow. It don't make a lot of difference, no how. - What do you mean? - Oh, Angela can't sing anyway. She got laryngitis, her throat's in real bad shape. Since there ain't gonna be no concert, that's why she let that fellow go away anyhow. Well, that's as good an excuse as any. What? As soon as I change clothes, we'll ride into town. JOE: Angela's already dressed. She figured she ought to make an appearance even though she can't sing. Well, that's very gracious of her. HOSS: Let's go get the buggy. JOE: Yeah. I'm so sorry, Ben, heh. My voice. Now, don't use your voice any more than you have to. The boys told me about your laryngitis. I feel terrible for you. I'm so happy that you're willing to come into town to explain the situation - to those people. - I'd be delighted. Shh, not another word. I'd better go change, it's getting late. Oh, Angela. Might get a little chilly later. Better take a scarf for your throat. Yes, I will. [PLAYING CHOPIN'S WALTZ IN C SHARP MINOR] Where are you going? Away from here. Why? He plays beautifully. He has become a great artist. But I am... But I am finished. Why do you say that? It's all so... It's all so humiliating. Oh, Angela. Angela, you're a great artist. You've worked and struggled. You've achieved great success and now your voice is tired. Isn't that right? What do you mean? Well, isn't that why you've been canceling your engagements? Why you have these sudden attacks of laryngitis? Is that what Carleton told you? [PEOPLE CLAPPING] Yes. That's what he told me. And he told me because he loves you and understands you and wants to help you. He loves me, heh. [CARLETON CONTINUES PLAYING WALTZ] That's a strange kind of loving, isn't it? Angela, he went to New York for more than a year, proved himself as a concert pianist so that he could come back to tell you that he loves you, that he can take care of you. Why don't you let him tell you? It's all too late. Too late? Angela, look at me. Look at me. You're a beautiful woman. You have many years, wonderful years with Carleton ahead of you. It's not too late. It's never too late. Never. [PEOPLE CLAPPING] MAN 1: More! MAN 2: More! MAN 3: More! MAN 1: More! MAN 2: More! MAN 3: More! MAN 1: Bravo! MAN 2: Bravo! MAN 1: Bravo! MAN 3: Encore! [ALL SHOUTING AND APPLAUDING] MAN 1: Bravo! MAN 2: Encore! MAN 3: More! MAN 2: Encore! Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much. Applause is always sweet to the ear of an artist. However, I think that the applause that I enjoyed most was given to another. For years... Years of joy and delight for me. I was privileged to share in the career of one of the great artists, one of the great ladies of this generation. Miss Angela Bergstrom. Heh, talent, as we've all heard tonight, is a God-given gift. I was blessed with that talent for many years. It took me to, um, many wonderful places and I met, um, many wonderful people. Always at my side was Mr. Ames, relegating his own artistry so that I could stand in the spotlight alone. My spotlight has faded and so has my talent. Mr. Ames has become a great artist and still he continues to support and stand by me. I, um, only hope now that I can repay him for his dedication with my own dedication. With my support, if he needs it. My loyalty, always. And, uh, my love... if he wants it. [CHUCKLES] Well, Pa, everything turned out mighty fine. All the ladies are happy. Yeah, they're really pleased. I didn't have to call on you to do your Hamlet piece after all, did I? [CHUCKLES] Listen, Pa, I got three of them soliloquies all memorized, see... Shh, he's gonna play again. Wait till next year. Oh, yeah, I can hardly wait.
Behind the Scenes of The Spotlight
One of the reasons Pernell Roberts departed Bonanza was his aspiration to return to the world of legitimate theater. That served as the inside joke.
In a clear nod to the recently departed Pernell Roberts, after Ben, Hoss, and Joe discuss introducing more “Culture” to the Virginia City anniversary party, including the possibility of Shakespeare, as Hoss and Joe are leaving, Hoss recites “To Be Or Not To Be.” At this moment, Michael Landon (whose relationship with Roberts was known to be strained) quips, “Nah, we got rid of him!”
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Bonanza offers wholesome entertainment suitable for solo viewing or family gatherings. The Spotlight is the 201st episode out of 430. NBC produced and broadcast Bonanza from September 1959 to January 1973, covering 14 seasons.
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