Robert Altman had high hopes for Dan Blocker, as Dan was his top choice for the star of the film MASH. The producers of the film, however, did not have the same high opinion of Dan, and he ultimately did not get the role, despite Altmans requests.
MASH went on to be a massive success, even without Dan Blocker. But, can you imagine what it would have been like to see Dan in the film? Interestingly enough, Dan’s son, Dirk Blocker appeared on the TV series MASH as a wounded soldier. It seems MASH came full circle in this family.
Michael Landon's Obsession With 'Bonanza'
Michael Landon absolutely loved his job, and loved the show “Bonanza”. He was very loyal to the show, and was even seen in 402 of the 416 episodes.
Additionally, Michael Landon got his start in directing, as well as writing, while on the show. In fact, Michael Landon even wrote some of the cast’s favorite episodes. He directed some episodes as well. He was such a fan of the show, which made it really special for him to not only act in it, but have these other roles as director and writer as well.
Landon Wasn't Easy To Work With
While Landon was a big fan of the show, both as an actor and as a writer/director, this led to some trouble on set. It was said that during the last couple of seasons of filming, Michael Landon got increasingly harder to work with.
He did not want any new characters introduced into the cast of the show. He also had a specific vision for the show and the direction it was going in, so it was said that he would become difficult and delay the shoots for various reasons. He loved the show so much he wanted to take total control.
Dan Blocker's Death Is TV History
In 1972, just a few weeks before they started filming the last season of “Bonanza”, tragedy struck. Dan Blocker passed away. It was all very unexpected, and because it was so close to when they were beginning to film the next season, they had to figure out what to do. Dan’s character was already written into all of the episodes.
The writers, including Michael Landon, had to re-write the episodes to incorporate his death. This sad event made history, as it was the very first time in the history of television that a character’s death was mentioned on air!
Guest Stars Were Better Paid Than The Show’s Regular Cast
When “Bonanza” first premiered, the producers were not sure how the show was going to do. They did not know if people would like the show since the main cast members were not very well known actors. Essentially, they were unknowns.
Because of this, the production team continued to bring big stars onto the show for guest starring roles. They were hoping this would get more people to watch the show. The producers, of course, paid the stars more than the leads, even though they were only small parts. By season 2, however, ratings were high and the lead actors of “Bonanza” had become stars themselves!