Talking about Westerns. Well, I was even if you weren't. I want to tell you stories about Michael Landon (aka Little Joe Cartwright). He was a frequent guest on the Johnny Carson show which is where I probably heard these stories, but I can't do justice to them. When you read them in print, you don't get to see his smile or hear his laugh.
I loved Michael's laugh. It was from the heart and infectious. He had a great sense of humor and loved to tell funny stories about the cast of Bonanza. Michael also liked poking fun at them.
I once heard him tell a story about the four "Cartwrights" (Lorne Green,Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon)trying to one-up each other when they first began the series. He said none of them knew how to ride when they started, but they each kept picking bigger and bigger horses so they would be sitting taller than the others in the opening scene. When they actually got on the horses, they quickly realized the folly of pride.
A year or two later, I heard Michael tell the same story, but he substituted hats for horses.
One of my favorite stories was about Lorne Greene. Michael claimed that Lorne loved being recognized by fans. If he was out in public and nobody acknowledged him, he would start humming the Ponderosa theme song, louder and louder, until he got the accolades he thought he deserved.
OK, how many of you are now humming along with me? I hope you're not as off key as I am.
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