Alias Joe Cartwright

Series: Bonanza - Episode 151 - Alias Joe Cartwright - A stubborn, career army sergeant appears to be his only hope when Little Joe is arrested after being robbed and knocked unconscious by a look-a-like escaped army prisoner and is unable to convince the fort commander that he isn't the man who has been sentenced to face the firing squad.

Alias Joe Cartwright
Director: Lewis Allen
Writer: Robert Vincent Wright
Stars: Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, Dan Blocker
Genre: Western
Country: USA
Language: English
Release Date: 26 January 1964 USA
Filming Locations: Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Storyline:
A deft blend of comedy and suspense, "Alias Joe Cartwright" affords series regular Michael Landon the opportunity to play a dual role: His usual characterization of Joe Cartwright, and murderous Army deserter Angus Borden. Mistaken for Borden, Joe is sentenced to a firing squad by martinet Captain Merced (Douglas Dick). But Sgt. O'Rourke (Keenan Wynn) suspects something is amiss, especially when Merced makes it clear that he knows Joe is innocent but is determined to go through with the execution anyway. Throughout the episode O'Rourke's favorite patsy, the hapless Private Peters (Joseph Turkel), runs himself ragged trying to find out if Joe is indeed who he claims to be. Written on rottentomatoes.com

Reviews:
"Michael Landon takes center stage in this episode of Bonanza as Little Joe has his clothes, horse, and identity stolen by an army deserter played by none other than Michael Landon.

When Sergeant Keenan Wynn and an army patrol find Little Joe on the trail with different clothes and an army horse, he's taken to the fort where the Captain Douglas Dick says it's him. Joe manages to persuade Keenan Wynn to try and contact the Ponderosa to verify his identity.

Landon might not have made it, but for Keenan Wynn's help and for the fact the doppleganger Landon got a bit greedy and decided to hang around and try to cash a bank letter of credit that Lorne Greene gave his son to cash with banker Hugh Sanders.