Franchot Tone made a guest starring appearance as Denver McKee in the episode of the same name that aired on October 15, 1960.
Denver McKee is a United States Deputy Marshall who is looking forward to the return of his daughter, Connie, who has been away at school in the East.
While Denver dotes on his daughter and enjoys her homecoming, crimes are being committed more and more frequently around the Ponderosa. Denver leads a posse to track down the suspects. Although he's always liked Mr. McKee, Ben Cartwright begins to suspect that the old Deputy Marshall may not be exactly who the townspeople believe him to be.
I enjoyed Franchot's portrayal of Denver McKee. Although audiences often think of Franchot as a suave, tuxedo-ed, New York-bred gentleman, he fits right in with the other folks at the Ponderosa and gives an outstanding performance.
The Denver McKee episode is #6 on Season 2 of Bonanza. The DVD of Bonanza Season 2 can be purchased at:
At the time of this writing, Bonanza is also available to stream online at HuluPlus.
Tone's performance was brilliant. He used facial and vocal nuances and expressions, honed during his many years on the big screen, to great advantage. This was one of Bonanza's best episodes.
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