The High Chaparral Episode 1.7

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Produced by Buck Houghton
Directed by William F. Claxton
Written by Michael Fessier
Originally Broadcast: October 1, 1967

Story Line: After losing their weapons to Mrs. MacLeish in a misunderstanding, Buck, Blue, and Mano continue to Tucson for supplies. While John Cannon awaits his trio's return with the goods, Buck promptly enters a poker game with cowhand Kansas and loses the supply money, Manolito courts Perlita, who rolls him for his money, and Billy Blue sets out with little Rag-Tag Tina to buy the fanciest pair of boots in Tucson. Problems grow until Fergus MacLeish intervenes on their behalf.

Character Highlights: Light-hearted episode that introduces many incidental, recurring characters. They include Fergus MacLeish, Bart Kellogg, Perlita, and her fiancé, Carlos Mendoza. Buck acts as the subtle intervener between John and Blue and the not-so-subtle intervener between John and Victoria. The episode starts with them addressing each other as "Mr. and Mrs. Cannon", but ends with John calling her "Victoria" and telling her how important she is to him. Excellent bar room scenes with Bart and our trio. Perlita and Mano have some very playful scenes one-upping each other while both toying with Carlos. This episode starts to team Mano with Buck more than with Blue.

Complete Episode Synopsis

A trip to Tucson for ranch supplies becomes cause for fighting among John and Blue and Victoria and John. Blue needs a new pair of boots, which his father begrudges him, and Victoria resents the fact that John unilaterally made out the list of supplies without consulting her. Buck tells John, "You are so dumb and blind and donkey stupid that sometimes I think you're me!" John finally relents and allows Blue to go to Tucson for the boots, but he is without a clue as to how to iron out the problem with Victoria.

Buck and John discuss the trip to Tucson.

The boys hightail it away from the
MacLeish place.

Buck, Blue and Manolito take the buckboard the next morning in high spirits for some R&R in Tucson. Along the way, they spot a known "bad hombre" on his way to the MacLeish place, a nearby ranch. On the possibility that the Scotsman might have some of his native drink to offer, the three head to the MacLeish ranch, ostensibly to lend assistance to Mrs. MacLeish. The lady in question, however, has already dispatched the desperado to his maker and is in no mood to be hospitable. She forces the boys at gunpoint to drop their "weepons" and they must ride to Tucson unarmed.

The saloon is the first stop when they arrive in Tucson. A leisurely drink is interrupted by the entrance of Bart Kellogg, a wild cowboy in search of a good fight. He challenges Blue and Manolito, who want no part of him, but Buck rises to the challenge. Buck wins, and the good-natured Bart and he enjoy several rounds of drinks. Another acquaintance of Buck's, Kansas, arrives and wants Buck to play poker with him, thinking that he can win back the money that he had recently lost to Buck. After Bart passes out, Buck sits down to play some serious poker.

Buck gets down to serious poker.

Blue tries on boots under Tina's supervision.

Meanwhile, Blue and Manolito part ways, Blue to the general store, and Mano to Perlita's house. Tina, a little local girl, latches on to Blue and advises him through a series of nods or head shakes on his boots purchase. In thanks, he gives her a dime for some candy. Manolito is in pursuit of sweets of a different kind, and brings a bottle of mescal to Perlita's door. Perlita shoves her fiance, Carlos, out the back door and warmly welcomes Mano.

When Blue returns to the saloon, Buck has lost all of the money for supplies to Kansas, and he is broke. He persuades Kansas to accept Blue's new boots for ten dollars' worth of credit, and proceeds to lose them, too. The two find Manolito, who has twenty dollars of his own, but he finds that Perlita has stolen the money. He runs back to her house and holds a knife to Carlos' throat until Perlita gives it back.

Mano persuades Carlos to return his money.

Mano finally wins back the money to redeem
Blue's boots.

Equipped with the twenty dollars, Manolito sits down with Kansas and wins back the money, plus all that Kansas has. When Kansas accuses him of cheating, Bart wakes up and convinces Kansas otherwise with the help of his gun. The boys head for home but are waylaid by Kansas, who demands everything they have, including Blue's new boots again.

When it looks like the boys will be walking back to the High Chaparral, Fergus MacLeish comes to the rescue, and all is restored. They arrive home to find John and Victoria still at odds, but Buck had purchased a little gift for John to give his wife, and after a speech centering on how glad he is that Victoria is with him, all is forgiven.

(Synopsis by Lisa McKenzie)

John makes up with Victoria.

Production Manager: Kent McCray
Music by Harry Sukman; Theme by David Rose
Director of Photography: Harkness Smith;
Color Consultant: Edward P. Ancona
Unit Production Manager: Andrew J. Durkus
Assistant Director: Ray DeCamp
Stunt Coordinator: Henry Wills
Story Editor: Ward Hawkins
Art Direction: Hal Pereira, McClure Capps
Edited by Archie Marshek, A.C.E.

Set Decoration: Robert Benton, Bill F. Calvert
Post Production Co-ordinator: Bill Wistrom
Casting: Russell Trust
Sound Recording: Joe Edmondson, Joel Moss
Make-up Supervision: Wally Westmore, S.M.A.
Hair Style Supervision: Nelly Manley, C.H.S.
Titles by Cinefx
Location Scenes filmed at Old Tucson, Tucson, Arizona
Filmed at Paramount Studios, Hollywood, California

Guest Stars:	Richard Devon as Kansas	Marie Gomez as Perlita	Debra Domasin as Tina
Henry Wills as Henchman	Matilda Calnan as Mrs. MacLeish	Gene Rutherford as Bart Kellogg	Christopher Cary as Fergus MacLeish
	Vaughn Taylor as Asa Simmons	Ned Romero as Carlos Mendoza	John Milford as Hardicker