ponderosaexplosion

Michael Landon was at his full peak of best health at the time he wrote, filmed and assembled the pilot film in November and December of 1990. The story and characters are somewhat more realistic and edgier and Landon himself has elements of the last 3 characters he played ( Bonanza-Joe, Little House-Charles, Highway to Heaven-Jonathan ) in the new character of Jeff Hayes. Landon himself, in his own self is very evident in the character of Jeff. His master technique of acting is certainly very well evoking in this pilot film. His new hairstyles, trimmed-down muscular build and his own clothing ( except the MGM wardrobe prison garb ) and the 90's suburb-settings are more then a sign he did not look back to the past for limitless creativity, but the future. He was working out several weeks at the gym and at MGM, before he filmed this and many assumed this was made when he was sick with cancer, which is a big misconception to many of his fans. Untrue. Filming of the first 12 episodes was set for early June 1991, but tragedy occured some months before that would make this new series impossible. It's a showcase of something that would have been, perhaps his most satisfying role, had he not fell sick some 4 months later in February 1991, with pancreatic cancer, then diagnosed with it in April after sensing he was not well, spanning 5 months through July 1, 1991, to his demise. The US pilot was aired on CBS a few months after he died, in September 1991 and later reran in 1992. Since then on cable television and dish TV. Perhaps a most disturbing scene is in the first act of the film, he is walking down a Los Angeles street at night--and for the first time in his career--he is not accompanied by a sidekick, as with Victor French, Dan Blocker or Merlin Olson. Somewhat detached, seeing him alone in a scene, where most of the time, he's in the presence of another lead actor, as a co-hero. Ten months earlier in January 1990, while on Larry King, he recalled how a "Bonanza" remake would be impossible, since his closet co-stars had all died ( Pernell Roberts excluded, who is still living ), and some of the reality of these tragedies surface in US, in a subtle sense. Michael is there--but he should have his old-co-stars with him at some point of a scene--a modern and somber reminder time has marched on and they have been lost in death. He made an appearance on Entertainment Tonight-the Christmas 1990 edition and sadly the next one would be in April 1991, when he held the press conference at his Malibu home, announcing his grim illness to the world on television. He can never be replaced as the Master of Family Television and a good man, in every sense of the word.

This film has tested the sands of time and even more, it inspired Michael Landon to do his excellent variation for the Bonanza TV series made in 1972, and later aired on January 16, 1973, entitled "The Hunter", starring Michael Landon and Tom Skerritt. Neat, errie, and with little dialogue. The best and only remake of The Most Dangerous Game ever feated, and with total and sheer genius, as the original 1932 feature film. The differences are The Hunter is in living color and is remade 40 years later in 1972. I would say the 1932 to 1972 gap of 40 years is purely coincidence. The carry-over to TV is motion-picture quality in Panavision at Arizona, which provides a beautiful and equally haunting landscape. Landon as the prey and Skerritt as "the hunter" is enough to make anyone's hair stand up and become entangled in the 46 min presentation. It's more nightmarish and so realistic, and given the short runningtime of 46 minutes, a masterpiece. Originally recreated by Landon himself. I would imagine he was highly impressed when he saw this 1932 film on TV in the 1960's.