Pernell Roberts

Roberts recognised the film's classic structure; his engaging outlaw, Sam Boone, counterpoints Scott's granite-faced Ben Brigade, maintaining the tension of whether they will work together or clash. He similarly played off James Coburn, who was making his film debut as Boone's quiet sidekick, Whit." (Independent.Co.U.K.news.February 1, 2010).

The same year he was cast in Bonanza.

Roberts played Ben Cartwright's eldest son, Adam, in the Western television series Bonanza — an architectural engineer with a university education, unlike his brothers. Adam has been variously described as urbane, intense, introspective, quiet, sullen and serious.

Roberts, having largely been "a stage actor, accustomed as he was to a rigorous diet of the classics" (Playbill January 26, 2010) and to freely move about from part to part, found the "transition to a television series," playing the same character, "without costume changes" a difficult one ("Bonanza" and "Trapper John" Star dies, January 25, 2010, Alan Duke, CNN). "It was perhaps not surprising that, despite enormous success, he bolted from "Bonanza" after the 1964-65 season, criticizing the show's simple-minded content and lack of minority actors ". It particularly distressed him that his character, a man in his 30's, had to defer continually to the wishes of his widowed father and he reportedly disliked the series itself, calling it — "junk" television and accused NBC of "perpetuating banality and contributing to the dehumanization of the industry." Read Less