It would not be an exaggeration to say that Bonanza was the ”mother of television drama”. Running from September 1959 to January 1973, it was the longest series in television history, covering relevant themes such as racism, love, loss, and family, all set on the beautiful Ponderosa Ranch.
The series ended suddenly following the death of Dan Blocker( Eric ”Hoss” Cartwright), and the show’s producers felt he was too central for the series to proceed without him.
Joe’s wife’s story was also critical in the decision to cancel the show. What happened to Little Joe’s wife in Bonanza is revealed in the episode premiere of the show’s final season.
Read on for all the details on what really happened to Alice Cartwright and what Bonnie Bedelia, the actor behind Alice’s character, is doing now, many years after the western television series.
Did Little Joe Marry on Bonanza?
Known for his long string of girlfriends and lovers, no one expected the hotheaded Joe Cartwright ever to get married and settle down. But, alas! he did find a nice girl and took her to the altar.
In a two-hour premiere episode of the 14th season of Bonanza, we see Joe fall in love with and marry Alice Harper.
Before the episode ends, Alice announces the good news about her pregnancy as the newlywed begins to settle and start their family.
What’s really interesting is that Joe wasn’t the one slated to marry. Rather, his bubbly, friendly brother Hoss was the one meant to get married.
But actor Dan Blocker who played Hoss Cartwright, died suddenly from a pulmonary embolism and blood clot complications after surgery to remove his gall bladder.
Hoss was a key character in the original cast set who helped round off the domineering male personalities on the show. His real-life death dealt a blow to the television series, resulting in its cancellation in November 1972 after the fourteenth season.
To keep up with the wedding storyline, show producers decided to have Joe and Alice marry, but this plot, too, would end in tragedy.
Little Joe’s Wife Died Shortly After They Married
Just when Ben Cartwright’s (Lorne Greene) youngest son, Little Joseph, began life as a married man, the worst happened, and he would, rightfully, never recover from the tragedy.
One day, when Joe was away, a ruthless gambler named Sloan badged into their home on the vast Ponderosa Ranch. It turns out that Alice’s brother, John, had been involved in a gambling deal and had failed to repay Sloan.
Sloan held John at gunpoint and went with his gang to Joe and Alice’s homestand. The gang demanded that Alice pays them the money on behalf of her brother John. But she refused to cooperate, which is when the gang beat her to death! To cover their crime, Sloan and his musclemen set Alice’s house ablaze, leaving her to burn to ashes.
Upon arriving home, Joe is meant by the scene of a house engulfed in flames. We see him screaming and calling out to his wife, hoping she will answer.
Joe attempted to force himself into the burning house but was unable to, seriously injuring himself in the process. In the end, Joe surrenders, leaving the house in flames.
