She a Ho

I'm always happy to see actress Mariette Hartley. She never became a bankable star, but she's worked regularly, dependably giving very good performances on TV and on stage* for more than 50 years now.

Which is why I am shocked (!) to report that she's clearly a woman of easy virtue. Through my Bonanza obsession I've discovered that she romanced the nearly the entire Cartwright clan.

Season 6, flirting with Adam

Season 10, crushing on Ben

Season 12, preparing to break Hoss' heart

I do wonder how she avoided a lip lock with Little Joe, the swain of the Ponderosa. But that might be just as well, since Little Joe's women tended to die at the :58 mark.

I also found a completely charming interview with Hartley where she said she enjoyed working on the show because the four main actors were so irreverent ("they were all so dirty!"). She was amused that after her second appearance the producer got a letter from an irate fan, wondering how Ben didn't recognize the girl who tried to seduce him as the teacher who'd made eyes at Adam just five years before. Astonishing, really, when you consider that this was before streaming, DVDs, VHS or even Beta. Back in the day, Bonanza had a really slavish fan base.

*I saw her on stage in the touring company of Copenhagen (2001) and she was quite good.