By Jeremy Roberts

Ed note: Bonanza and The High Chaparral were both created by David Dortort. Because of this ‘family resemblance’ many actors and production crew worked on both sets, and fans are interested in both shows.

Premiering September 12th, 1959, on NBC, Bonanza was television’s first full hour western series filmed in color.  For western series, it is second only to Gunsmoke, running an amazing 14 seasons (1959-1973), and producing a grand total of 431 episodes.

Facing possible cancellation after its first season [the writing was clichéd on most of the scripts and the characters were not well-rounded, except for “Hoss Cartwright”], Bonanza was saved by network executives, since they were particularly keen on promoting new RCA color television sets to an audience still using black and white sets (RCA was NBC’s corporate parent).

Given a new lease on life, Bonanza settled into the Top 5 by 1961 [staying there until 1971], becoming the most popular series of the 1960s.  In fact, Bonanza ranked No. 1 from 1964–1967 in the Nielsen ratings, and it still airs regularly around the world.

Bonanza’s premise: a three-time widower, Ben Cartwright [portrayed by Canadian actor Lorne Greene], was one of the largest landowners in Nevada.  Calling his sprawling home The Ponderosa, Ben had three sons [each from a different mother], who helped him on his ranch. Plenty of adventure was always thrown in for good measure.

Greene was the ultimate authority figure. He possessed a deep, resonating voice that lent itself well to radio and various forms of narration during his long career. “The Prime of Life” [1963], “Love Me Not” [1964], “A Good Night’s Rest” [1965], “To Die In Darkness” [1968], and “Search In Limbo” [1972] all feature excellent, nuanced performances from the actor in dramatic, romantic, and comedic settings.

His eldest son was Adam, portrayed by Waycross, Georgia, native Pernell Roberts.  He was essentially the more serious and level-headed of the brothers, very similar to his Pa. The finest example of Roberts’ acting range is in “The Crucible,” a 1962 episode where guest star Lee Marvin [playing a desert hermit] torments him so severely that Adam is virtually reduced to a crying, helpless animal at its conclusion. It is one of the greatest episodes of the series, period.

Roberts unfortunately left the series at the end of the 1964–1965 season in order to seek more quality roles and return to his first passion, theatre. Actor David Canary eventually replaced him as affable ranch hand Candy Canady, who was taken in by the Cartwrights.

Mind you, Bonanza was the No. 1 show in America at this time. Roberts would ultimately become a punch line for numerous comedians, including Johnny Carson, as he found little mainstream success until his comeback in 1979 with the medical drama Trapper John, M.D., on CBS. He outlived all of his Ponderosa family, succumbing to pancreatic cancer in January 2010 at age 81.

Next, actor Dan Blocker portrayed middle son Hoss Cartwright.  Hoss was a very big man, able to win any fight, yet his heart was as large as his empowering frame. It’s difficult to list his best episodes, as there were so many. Blocker was probably the first cast member to totally inhabit his role during the early seasons. Viewers really believed Blocker was Hoss.

Two episodes from the first season which demonstrate his fine acting skills are “The Newcomers” [the romantic scenes between Hoss and the talented Inger Stevens are heartbreaking] and [“Feet of Clay” [the scene where child actor David Ladd cries, beating Hoss’ chest uncontrollably].

Blocker passed away unexpectedly during a gall bladder operation in 1972, which ultimately led to the show’s cancellation midway through its 14th season in January 1973.  Many fans consider Hoss to be the heart of the show.

Actor Michael Landon rounded out the main cast as Little Joe, Ben’s youngest son.  Often letting his emotions get the best of him, Little Joe was quick to fight, and many girls fell for his handsome, charming attributes. “The Truckee Strip” [1959] may have been the earliest example of these endearing characteristics. His sense of loyalty was paramount, and if a friend was wronged, the villain had better watch out [e.g. “The Last Haircut”, 1963].

During later seasons of Bonanza, Landon developed his writing and directing skills, always wringing the emotion out of any scene he oversaw. Tragic, gut-wrenching episodes like “He Was Only Seven” and “Forever” [both from 1972] should be required viewing for first-time directors and writers. However, as an example of Landon’s impressive versatility, witness the hilarious dry wit found in “Dead Wrong” [1969].

Landon went on to even greater fame in the series Little House on the Prairie and Highway to Heaven, staying on television continually from 1959 until his death in 1991, a remarkable achievement and probable record in the television industry.

So, why is Bonanza still successful over 50 years later?  First of all, when younger generations watch Bonanza, the vivid color and cinematography of the series create a timeless quality.  The show simply does not look 50 years old.

The opening credits cue a crucial, eye-catching moment as a map of the Ponderosa appears. However, it quickly erupts into a mass of burning flames. While this is happening, the instrumental theme song, driven by Wrecking Crew member Tommy Tedesco’s ringing electric guitar, roars along at full throttle [Johnny Cash later had a hit single with a vocal version]. As you can see, it’s easy to get immediately hooked.

Consider this: Bonanza had its fair share of fistfights and gunfights, but the show always centered on the family bond between the four Cartwrights. Even if an attractive lady fell in love with one of the Cartwrights, the audience always knew the family would never split up. Incidentally, a number of girlfriends succumbed to bullets from a bad man’s revolver or met with a debilitating illness.

Today families can still watch Bonanza without worrying about excessive violence, profanity, or sexual themes. A strong sense of morality maintained the show’s backbone. Episodes were not strictly shoot-em-ups, either.

Bonanza was innovative in devoting full episodes to comedy that actually worked, often focused on Blocker and Landon’s strong sense of comedic timing [i.e. “Hoss and the Leprechauns” (1964), “Ponderosa Birdman” (1965), “Ponderosa Explosion”, “Maestro Hoss” (both 1967) or “The Last Vote” (1968)].

Little Joe would always encourage his older brother in these harebrained, sometimes get-rich schemes, while Pa Cartwright played the consummate straight men. Joe’s impish laughter, displayed on occasion, was especially contagious, too.

Racism was addressed on Bonanza during a time when it was not fashionable to do so, ranging from the persecution of Chinese workers [“The Fear Merchants”, 1959] to the horrific effects of slavery.

For example, Michael Landon wrote and directed an episode entitled “The Wish” [1969] that dealt with Hoss trying to help a black family combat prejudice after the Civil War’s conclusion, one that Landon called his favorite of the entire series.

The writing and direction were also commendable. Storylines were never convoluted, always following a logical progression.  The majority of episodes did not follow a serial format like many modern-era programs, ensuring channel surfers to perhaps pause and view an episode without having to dwell on the back-story.

The four main leads were all highly skilled, proficient actors, able to make the audience believe and identify on some level with whatever situation they faced.  For example, when Little Joe had terrible nightmares due to his fear of heights [“Between Heaven and Earth”, 1964], the viewer felt his anguish.

Notable guest stars are also a draw for audiences.  It is amazing to spot all the stars that did some of their earliest work on Bonanza, including Telly Savalas, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Jodie Foster, Marlo Thomas, Dennis Hopper, Jack Lord, or Carroll O’Connor. In a lost art form, each guest star with a significant role was featured in the opening credits, posing in costume with their name then listed underneath.

The current popularity of Bonanza shows no sign of wavering.  Much of the credit should be given to creator and producer David Dortort and his extraordinary vision for the show. By the way, he also created another popular western series centered on a family, their vast ranch, and their many adventures entitled The High Chaparral [1967–1971].

The first season of Bonanza finally arrived on DVD in 2009 to commemorate its 50th anniversary. In a gesture meant to squeeze more money out of fans, each season is split into halves with 16 episodes per release. Thus far, only the first and second seasons are available. At 14 seasons, it is difficult to determine how many years it will take for the full show to be available. Consequently, unofficial DVDs are rampant, especially of the first two seasons [a number of those episodes are in the public domain].

TV Land is the primary home of this classic show. Two newer, smaller networks with limited but growing affiliates [My Family TV and Me-TV] also carry the series. Unfortunately, over 150 episodes between 1965 and 1973 [the years after Roberts’ departure] are not part of the syndication package and are rarely shown. A number of episodes, including the later seasons, can be seen on YouTube.

Bonanza is the epitome of television excellence, and thanks to syndication, new generations will continue to discover this classic western series for years to come.

Vintage reprint from 1969

Just to set the record straight, Mark Slade is his real name, although any actor’s agent probably would give up half of his ten percent to take credit for it.

It’s not that Mark Slade, who is in his third year as Billy Blue on The High Chaparral, is sensitive about it. It’s just that so many people are curious to know.

It’s my real name,” says the young man who achieved stardom in his first two years on the Western series, “and it was my father’s name and my grandfather’s.”

A native of Salem, mass, the eldest of four children, Mark was well on his way toward a career as a cartoonist or a ventriloquist when he was sidetracked into acting. It was while he was a student at Worchester Academy prep school that he filled in for an ailing cast member of “The Male Animal.” That did it. Though he had worked for the sports department of his hometown newspaper drawing caricatures, and his comic strip “Sea Breeze” enjoyed a lengthy run in the Danvers (Mass.) Herald, he decided to leave for New York to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

After nearly two years of training and tryouts, he garnered his first major role – in Joshua Logan’s Broadway production of “There Was A Little Girl” which starred Jane Fonda.

Spotted in the show by Elia Kazan, Mark was brought to Hollywood in 1960 for the feature film, “Splendor in the Grass.”

By his own admission, his career went into a nosedive for some months until an appearance in the television series “My Three Sons” sparked the trend toward more and better rules in motion pictures and television. Mark also credits his rule as the baby-faced narcotics pusher in a “Mr. Novak” episode to gaining him the recognition he needed in the business. He also portrayed the seasick radio operator in “The Wackiest Ship in the Army.”

Mark married the former Melinda Riccilli on Jan 6, 1968. On March 21, 1969, Morgan Van Blacom Slade was born to the young parents who make their home in Sherman Oaks,
Calif.

Nightfall by Susan McCray™ (www.nightfallbysusanmccray.com), an original hand blended eau de parfum made from 100% natural ingredients, was featured in this year’s “Everybody Wins at The Oscars®” Nominee Bag provided by Distinctive Assets. The fragrance featuring a delicate fusion of white floral and citrus essential oils—such as white rose, jasmine, and bergamot—is from Susan McCray, Michael Landon’s trusted “starmaker,” casting all of his iconic television shows and discovering such talents as Melissa Gilbert, Shannen Doherty, Paul Walker and Jason Bateman. McCray named her remarkable Eau de Parfum, Nightfall by Susan McCray™, as a tribute to a composition written by her Academy Award®-winning father, Harry Sukman.

Nightfall by Susan McCray™ was in the gift bag presented to non-winning Academy Award® nominees in the categories of Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Director. Esteemed names on this prestigious list include: George Clooney, Jean Dujardin, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, Demian Bichir Glenn Close, Viola Davis, Rooney Mara, Michelle Williams, Meryl Streep, Kenneth Branagh, Jonah Hill, Christopher Plummer, Nick Nolte, Max von Sydow, Octavia Spencer, Janet McTeer, Melissa McCarthy, Jessica Chastain, Berenice Bejo, Michael Hazanavicius, Alexander Payne, Martin Scorsese, Terrence Malick and Woody Allen. Host Billy Crystal will also received the “Everybody Wins at The Oscars®” Nominee Bag.

McCray says, “ I couldn’t be happier to have Nightfall by Susan McCray™ participating in the gift bag given to this year’s non-winning Academy Award Nominees. I have my father’s Oscar on my mantle, so I feel that there is a special connection between my fragrance and this most prestigious Hollywood fete that I was actually able to attend as a young girl when my father won his precious statuette.”

Vintage newspaper advertisement from 1971

Holly Collier

The High Chaparral family sends condolences to the family of Holly Collier, who passed away on March 4.

A Hollywood casting director, Holly Hire met future husband Don Collier during an audition for a Ford truck commercial. The couple married at Old City Hall in Tucson and made the city their home.

Our thoughts are with Don and his family during this time of loss.

Milt Hamerman
September 30, 1924 – February 24, 2012

Milt Hamerman, retired legendary casting director and talent executive for Universal Studios Television (and The High Chaparral), passed away peacefully of natural causes. He is survived by his daughters Paula and Lonnie, his son-in-law Ken Freundlich, and his sister Shirley Weiner.

“Milt was my mentor … he showed me how to become the casting director I became and for that I will always be grateful. Milt was a kind, funny, and most talented man who used his creative gifts to give so many talented people opportunities that made them stars. My husband, producer Kent McCray and I not only loved working with him on Bonanza and The High Chaparral, we loved knowing him as a friend for many years. We send our deepest condolences to his family.”
~Susan McCray

 

Henry Darrow’s much anticipated biography Lightning in the Bottle is officially published and available for order.

Unsigned copies of the trailblazing actor’s first seventy-five years of life, stage and screen, written by Jan Pippins and Henry Darrow, can be ordered on Amazon.com, or internationally using the localized Amazon sites (Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.fr, etc)

Fans who want a copy personally autographed by Henry Darrow can order at HenryDarrowBook.com at a special introductory price. The website also has exclusive photos from Henry’s private collection.

Henry’s fans will enjoy this in-depth look at his life and career, filled with stories about the business of Hollywood and the acting profession. High Chaparral fans will be fascinated at the in-depth view of his years as Manolito Montoya and the back-stage glimpses about making the show such as this one:

Darrow’s first horse, Diablo, wasn’t quite as good at avoiding Leif Erickson. In the initial scene where Darrow would do serious riding, he mounted up quickly and galloped through the yard to the ranch-house. Handsome black Diablo was reactive and fast. “All of a sudden, there was Leif Erickson on foot and I thought, oh my God, I’m going to run over him!” Darrow yanked the reins to turn Diablo, but wasn’t quick enough. The animal’s hip slammed into Erickson, tossing him in the air. “And that’s how I broke Leif’s wrist,” he says. “Somewhere, there’s a picture of him upside down just before he landed.” Erickson recovered with no hard feelings, but for as long as Chaparral aired, whenever anyone was on foot and Darrow rode up, he swears they took a step backward.

For more from Lightning in the Bottle, order your copy and enjoy!

Do you live in Australia, New Zealand, or somewhere that makes traveling there practical?

A High Chaparral Reunion located in Australia is possibility. Help us find out if there are Oz fans who would attend if an event is planned – take a short survey so we can find out possible interest

Click here to take the Aussie survey

Thanks for your help – and see you at the next Reunion!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

W St.Germain

Back in Nov 2010, we looked at continuity errors in High Chaparral and since I’ve been spotting them in other shows of late, I thought we’d go back to look at a few I didn’t mention. I love finding them! They make me smile because I can’t help thinking of something like a scene from Bewitched where things vanish and reappear or hair suddenly tidies itself in the middle of a fight only to mess itself up again later. You can almost picture old Aunt Clara muddling up her spells – only it’s happening on High Chaparral. I wonder what a confused Chaparral witch might be named and what mishaps she might cause? Horses running backwards, doors opening and shutting themselves or maybe making someone vanish altogether only to reappear later.

Although we have no dotty witches at the Chaparral, strange things do happen from time to time and it’s always amusing when we spot these inconsistencies. One I love to see is what I call The Flintstones Run Around. Remember that stone aged family? Whenever one of the characters ran, the scene would be filmed in a barrel that spun round and round so Fred (or whoever) passed the same potted plant or row of houses twenty times before he got to wherever he was going. Most of the old cartoons did that.

In the otherwise serious, A Time to Laugh, a Time to Cry episode, Mano has a brief Flintstone moment when he rushes through the same set of doors twice to reach Don Sebastian’s study. At least he didn’t do it twenty times, like poor old Fred does. I expect that they ended filming with that scene and picked up at the same spot the next day, forgetting that he’d already shot through the doors once.

Though I’ve never seen a horse run backwards at any time, we do get a giggle wondering about the strange things that happen to horses. In To Stand for Something More for some reason, Pedro heads out in one direction riding Blue’s palomino Soapy, while Blue heads off in another direction riding Pedro’s horse. Yet when Blue returns to the Chaparral, he’s back on Soapy. I think maybe the mistake was made when they didn’t take their own horses in the first place.

This isn’t the only incidence where horses change color so keep your eyes open next time you watch. We see another example of it in Only the Bad Come to Sonora when one of our three bandits rides a black horse for most of the episode. When they leave town to head for the desert, the horse has turned brown. But not to worry, he turns black again once they arrive in the desert.

Maybe that particular horse carried the same heat sensitive Himalayan gene which causes the Siamese cats (and mice and rabbits) to be darker at cooler areas such as ear tips, and light at warmer areas. Yes I know, horses don’t get the gene doing that to them but wouldn’t it be fun if they could change color according to their body temperatures? Some of you might remember the horse of a different color in The Wizard of Oz. I can’t picture that rainbow specimen in the Old West, can you? If it was possible, Victoria’s horse would definitely be rose or lavender colored and of course Blue’s could only be blue!

In that same episode we also see the three bandits turn into five for one scene but all is soon well again. The two mystery men disappear as quickly as they appeared. I like to think they were time travelers who ran into HC’s plane of existence for a moment then caught the slipstream back out of it. A similar moment of déjà vu also occurs in The Promised Land when the villagers who are going about their business in the opening scenes are in exactly the same positions at the end of the show. Like our old friends the recurring lightning bolt and hissing rattlesnake, we have another case of recycled footage there. But then, wouldn’t that make High Chaparral ahead of its time? After all, aren’t we all told to recycle!

Did You Know?
In the episode, The Buffalo Soldiers, the men who played the soldiers were a group of individuals who re-enacted 19th Century Cavalry maneuvers as a way to preserve history. Some of them were also descendants of real the Buffalo Soldiers who were depicted in that episode of The High Chaparral.

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Season 4 Release of
High Chaparral Available
for Order.

English/German audio

Studiocanal, the German film distributor who has released The High Chaparral seasons 1-3, announced season 4 is available order on Amazon Germany.

The DVDs seasons 1-3 are currently available on Amazon Germany.

The Studiocanal DVDs are in PAL (European) format with both German and English language versions in Dolby sound. In the U.S an all region/all format DVD player is required to read the PAL formatted discs.

Many newer model players are all region. Check the manufacturer/model documentation to be certain. Computer DVD players will often play back a PAL formatted disk so the episodes can be watched that way if the TV DVD player won’t accept the PAL format.

For fans who want to purchase a region-free DVD player, World-Import offers a guarantee of players that will play any region disk.

Netherlands DVD High Chaparral Release

Art-S Home Entertainment, a Netherlands-based DVD company, announced it will release Season 1 of The High Chaparral in May 2012.

The DVDs are planned to be to contain both English and Dutch soundtracks and will be digitally re mastered, uncut and on region-free disks.

by Carlos Sanchez
After I saw almost all the episodes, I thought about what a wonderful experience could be to meet some of the actors, remember I said to myself… “No Carlos, you aren’t  crazy, that’s so difficult”. But I also knew it could happen, because I had been reading the High Chaparral web page a few days ago and I read all the info about the reunions. I was still saying it wouldn’t come true. After some weeks I met Rudy Ramos thru an email, I wrote to him on his web page, I was like in shock (really surprised), then he wrote me back, when I got these email I was jumping like a kid, like I was! It was so amazing, then I met Ginny Shook she is a Rudy’s good friend, I remembered she told me something like, “Hi Carlos, I’m sorry I write you back a little late, every day Rudy ask me if I already sent the email to you….” Some weeks or days later (I don’t remember) I met Penny McQueen, because she was and still is like the manager of all the reunions, so she knew everything about the next reunion (2009); it was all the first part, everything was thru internet, I never thought they were kidding me, never.

I kept reading about the High Chaparral on internet and different web pages but I had a big problem, I didn’t speak english, just a little bit so Penny suggested me to write an email to Plinio (from Chile) he knew many things about the High Chaparral and he speaks Spanish so it was incredible!!!

Since January 2009 I was looking for the American Visa, that’s something hard to get… We had the date in September but we didn’t know that we will have the American Visa for the reunion, thanks God we got it for ten years!! Sadly I was still in the High School and we couldn’t be in the reunion in 2009.  When these reunion started I was at home, days before it I had sent many good wishes to all the fans, I know my spirit was there, the reunion in 2009 was a week before than the last one.

In November after the reunion Plinio and others fans/friends sent to me some pictures, it was incredible because they didn’t send to me just the pictures, they wrote to me something like a letter explaining all those pictures, for some minutes I felt I had been there (My English was improving), after that I knew I should wait FOUR YEARS for the next reunion, those four years were the shortest!!! I used and I still use to write to some friends who I met them because the High Chaparral, I won’t write their names because I’m sure I’m going to miss one.

Since January I had been talking with some of those friends, it was great and bad at the same time because some friends were in the reunion and some couldn’t go. In September I was counting the days and so nervous because my English, I have been studying English since I was six but to speak English here is so different than to speak English in US or in a country where people speak English. In October I used to had dreams with the High Chaparral and when I woke up, I said something like “Hey where am I? I’m at home, oh so it was a dream LOL!”.

We left our city on October 19, we were one night in Caracas and finally we left to US on October 20 to Houston and then to Tucson, the flights were excellent, the flight to Tucson was so fun, because we left from Houston at 2:40pm, we read the plane ticket and we had to arrived at 3:25, we thought it should be like 40 minutes flying… Well I was talking with my mom and we had flown for a hour and a half, we also thought the plane had something wrong, but minutes after I asked a lady next to me, because we didn’t know that Houston and Tucson have different time, the difference is TWO HOURS!! So the last flight was three hours wooowww…

 

Finally we arrived in Tucson at 3:30pm (Tucson Time) we talked with a taxi driver lucky he spoke Spanish… Arriving to the Hotel I had a huge pain in my stomach, when we arrived the lady who was in the reception didn’t speak Spanish, my mom doesn’t speak English so I should to speak English.. Well the pain was ok, when we were almost opening the room’s door I heard two times… “Hi Carlos!” When I look besides me I SAW BRENDA AND GINGER!!!  It was so amazing! I didn’t know what I could say LOL. Something like an hour after we should to go to the Nightfall, we had much fun there! My mom and Brenda were who had much fun than us, they were so scared, everybody were but I think my mom and Brenda were the winners of SCARED PEOPLE.

Then we ate together, while we were eating Plinio, Luisa (Plinio’s wife), Luis and Karla (Luis’wife) arrived!!! It was so amazing too, we were all together eating in the same table it was like Thanksgiving day… After we ate we were walking around Old Tucson Studios and we went again to the Hotel for rest.

 

On Friday we woke up early in the morning for breakfast (all the breakfast were great!)  and for the first meeting, Penny talked about John Cannon, she said that John’s dream was to do a reunion with many people from different countries that speak different languages, different opinions, at least LIKE THE HIGH CHAPARRAL REUNION!

 

 

There we met Don Collier, Kent McCray and many fans, if my mind doesn’t make me jokes, Rudy and Henry couldn’t be there (but they were in the sponsors’ dinner, Friday night).

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the sponsors’ dinner the room was decorated with many things about High Chaparral and cowboys,  pictures on the tables and many good things.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Saturday we woke up at 7am for breakfast I was so excited because Old Tucson Studios, we were with a lady who was talking about the houses and different films which were filmed there.

 

 

 

 

 

After five or eight minutes walking the lady said, now turn left and these house you see over there is THE HIGH CHAPARRAL, THE RANCH HOUSE!!!

 

 

 

 

 

We were taking photos all the day, we lunch in a beautiful and cold building.

On Sunday SADLY THE LAST DAY like Friday and Saturday we woke up early for breakfast and we went to the signature time, we took many photos there, because the time I couldn’t say goodbye to many new friends.

All those days the weather was excellent, in the afternoons hot, at night and mornings cold… I liked so much Tucson! I hope to be there for the reunion in 2013, thank you for made our first time in US WONDERFUL!!! And Penny, Crystal, Rusty, Ginny, Susan. Vickey,  ladies like you there are a few in the whole world! THANK YOU! If I missed something, excuse me, if you want to watch all the photos which I took I shared it on my facebook wall. Like I use to say to all my friends “KEEP IN TOUCH” .

SUEÑO HECHO REALIDAD

Luego de ver casi todos los episodios, pensé en que maravillosa experiencia seria conocer a alguno de los actores, recuerdo que me dije… “No Carlos, no eres loco, eso es muy difícil”. Pero al mismo tiempo sabia que eso podría suceder, porque había leído la página web de el Gran Chaparral y había leído sobre las reuniones, sin embargo seguía pensando que eso no podría volverse realidad. Luego de unas semanas conocí a Rudy Ramos por email, le escribí a través de su página web, estaba en shock porque había conseguido la pagina de Viento, días después él me respondió a mi correo, cuando revise quienes me habían escrito y vi el nombre de Rudy, woww… Estaba saltando como un niño, fue increíble! Después conocí a Ginny Shook, ella es una buena amiga de Rudy, recuerdo que ella me dijo que estaba apenada porque no me había podido escribir antes, Rudy le preguntaba todos los días si me había respondido; semanas o días después (no recuerdo muy bien) conocí a Penny McQueen, porque ella era y sigue siendo la organizadora de las reuniones, sabía todo sobre la siguiente reunión (2009), ese fue el primer paso, todo absolutamente todo fue atreves del internet, jamás pensé que ellos me estaban bromeando o que era algo falso, jamás.

Continué leyendo sobre el Gran Chaparral en internet y diferentes páginas web pero tenía un gran problema, no hablaba inglés, solo un poco entonces Penny me sugirió que le escribiera a Plinio (de Chile) el sabia muchas cosas sobre el Gran Chaparral y habla español, por tanto era maravilloso!!!

Desde enero de 2009 estuve pendiente y haciendo las respectivas diligencias (con mi mamá) para obtener la visa americana, eso es un poco difícil de obtener… Nuestra cita fue en septiembre pero no sabíamos que la tendríamos para la reunión, gracias a Dios nos aprobaron la visa por diez años! Lamentablemente aún estaba en la secundaria y no pudimos ir a la reunión en el 2009. Cuando se realizó la reunión en 2009 nueve yo estaba en casa, días antes envíe muchos buenos deseos para todos los fans, sé que mi espíritu estuvo allí, dicha reunión se realizó una semana antes que la de este año.

En Noviembre luego de la reunión Plinio y otros amigos fans me enviaron algunas fotos, fue muy divertido porque ellos no me enviaron solo las fotos, ellos me explicaron cada foto, por unos minutos me sentí como si hubiese estado allí (Mi inglés estaba mejorando), luego de eso debí esperar CUATRO AÑOS para la siguiente reunión, esos cuatro años fueron los más cortos!! Solía y suelo escribirles a varios amigos que los conocí gracias al Chaparral, no los nombraré porque estoy seguro que se me olvidará alguno.

Desde enero había estado hablando con esos amigos, fue fino y a la vez no porque algunos amigos estuvieron en la reunión y otros no. En Septiembre estaba contando los días y estaba un poco nervioso por mi inglés, he estudiado inglés desde que tenía seis años de edad pero hablar inglés con latinos es muy diferente que hablar inglés con americanos o personas que su idioma natal es el inglés. En Octubre solía soñar con el Chaparral y cuando despertaba decía “Hey dónde estoy? Estoy en casa, entonces eso fue un sueño!!!”.

Nosotros salimos  de San Cristóbal el 19 de octubre, estuvimos una noche en Caracas y por fin salimos para Estados Unidos el 20 de octubre, primero para Houston y luego Tucson a las 2:40pm, leímos el boleto y debíamos llegar a Tucson a las 3:25pm, pensamos que volaríamos como 40 minutos… Estaba hablando con mi mamá y habíamos volado por una hora y media, en un momento pensamos que el avión estaba malo, pero minutos después le pregunte a una señora que estaba al lado mío, porque no sabíamos si Houston y Tucson tenían diferentes horas, la señora nos dice SI LA DIFERENCIA ES DE DOS HORAS!! Entonces el vuelo era de tres horas woooww.. Por fin llegamos a Tucson a las 3:30pm (Hora de Tucson) hablamos con el taxista (por suerte hablaba español) y nos fuimos al hotel… Llegando al hotel me empezó a doler el estómago, cuando llegamos al hotel la recepcionista no hablaba español, solo inglés, mi mamá no habla inglés por lo tanto me tocaba hablarle en inglés para que nos entendiera.. Por fin me estaba pasando el dolor, cuando estábamos casi abriendo la puerta de la habitación escuché dos veces… “Hola Carlos!” Cuando vi detrás mío vi a GINGER Y BRENDA!!   Fue muy agradable e increíble, no sabia que decirles… Jajaja; mas o menos una hora después debíamos ir para el Nightfal, nos divertimos bastante! Mi mamá y Brenda se divirtieron mucho más que el resto, estaban muy asustadas! Todos estábamos asustados pero ellas dos fueron las ganadoras de LAS PERSONAS MÁS ASUSTADAS…

Luego comimos juntos, mientras estábamos comiendo llegaron Plinio (De Chile), Luisa (La esposa de Plinio), Luis (De Guatemala) y Karla (La esposa de Luis)!! Fue demasiado bacán, estuvimos todos comiendo en la misma mesa como el Día de Acción de Gracias… Luego de comer estuvimos caminando por los alrededores de Old Tucson Studios, por último nos regresamos al hotel para descansar.

El viernes nos levantamos temprano para desayunar y luego irnos a la primera reunión de los fans con los actores, Penny habló sobre John Cannon, ella comentó el sueño de Cannon fue reunir personas, de diferentes países, que hablaran diferentes idiomas, diferentes puntos de vistas, en fin COMO LA REUNION DE EL GRAN CHAPARRAL!!

En el mismo salón conocimos a Don Collier, Kent McCray y muchos fans, si mi mente no me engaña, Rudy y Henry no pudieron estar allí (pero estuvieron en la cena Sponsors’, en la noche).

Para la cena Sponsors’(Cena de Patrocinadores) el salón estaba decorado con cosas alusivas al Chaparral y vaqueros, fotos sobre las mesas de la serie y muchas otras cosas.

El sábado nos levantamos a las 7am para desayunar e irnos para Old Tucson Studios, estaba muy emocionado porque ese día íbamos a conocer el RANCHO CANNON! Estábamos con una guía de Old Tucson quien nos indicaba por donde estábamos pasando, luego de cinco u ocho minutos caminando la guía dijo… Ahora giren hacia la izquierda y esa casa que ustedes ven allá es LA CASA DEL RANCHO CANNON!!

Fue fantástico! Estuvimos tomando fotos todo el día, almorzamos en una sala muy bonita dentro de Old Tucson, estaba my fresco ahí dentro.

El domingo LAMENTABLEMENTE ERA EL ULTIMO DIA como el viernes y el sábado nos levantamos temprano para desayunar e irnos para la sesión de fotos y autógrafos, tomamos muchas fotos, por cuestión de tiempo no me pude despedir de muchos amigos.

Esos días el clima fue excelente, en las tardes caliente, en las noches y en las mañanas frío/fresco… Me gustó mucho Tucson!! Espero estar en la reunión en el 2013, muchas gracias por hacer nuestra primera visita a Estados Unidos MARAVILLOSA!!! Penny, Crystal, Rusty, Ginny, Susan, Vickey señoras como ustedes hay muy pocas en el mundo! GRACIAS, si olvidé comentar algo, discúlpenme, si desean ver más fotos de la reunión, las tengo en mi muro de facebook, como suelo decirles a mis amigos “ESTAMOS EN CONTACTO”