Monkees In Texas

Written by Jack Winter

Directed by James Frawley

Produced by Robert Rafelson & Bert Schneider

Songs: “Words” by Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart, “Goin’ Down” by Diane Hilderbrand, Michael Nesmith, Micky Dolenz, David Jones and Peter Tork

Guest Appearances

Kate                                       Jacqueline Dewitt

Bart/Ben                                  Barton Maclaine

Red                                                   Len Lesser

Sneak                                             Rex Holman

Marshall                                   James J. Griffith

Bartender                                       Stuart Nisbet

$5000 Man                                        David Price

$3500 Man                                     Richard Klein

$1000 Man                                      Nyles Brown

Lucy                                   Bonnie J. Dewberry

Premiered on December 4, 1967

Summary

This episode begins with the guys arriving in Texas after a three day ride in a golf cart to visit Mike’s Aunt Kate who lives on a ranch.  As soon as they arrive, Aunt Kate and her daughter Lucy quickly ride up on horses and hurry in the house.  Convinced that they picked a bad time to visit, the foursome are about to leave until three masked riders in black ride up shooting and soon there's a gunfight leaving the guys are in the midde.  They retreat to the house where Kate doesn’t waste time in ordering Mike and the others to grab rifles and Micky grabs a Winchester ’73, Davy a Colt .45, Mike, a Smith and Wesson .38 and Peter a Vintage ’66.  They assist Kate in firing at the bandits except Peter who uses his fingers instead (he hates violence).  The masked bandits briefly stop their gunfire and the leader Black Bart gives Kate an ultimatum to sell them the ranch and then continues to attack with knives and even a kitchen sink set afire!

Davy puts the fire out by turning on the faucet and the three masked riders decide to depart for now and ride off.  Lucy warns that they’ll be back but the foursome want to leave before they do until Mike insists they got to stay to help his kinsfolk plus the bandits killed their golf cart.  Peter and Micky leave to get help from the marshall so Kate cautions them to appear more western since people in the area don’t take kindly to strangers.  Then Kate explains to Mike that Black Bart and his gang have been trying to run Kate off her ranch for about a year.  Meanwhile in town, Micky and Peter now dressed in a Lone Ranger and Tonto type gear with Micky as the Lone Stranger and Peter as Pronto ask help from the Marshall.  Hee tells them he won’t be available and advises them to go to the saloon and round up a posse of outlaws.  Back at Kate’s ranch, Ben Cartwheel and his two sons Mule and Little Moe who own half the valley soon come riding up and Ben orders Davy to water his horse which he does literally by using a sprout.  He then suggests that Kate sell her ranch to him so she won’t have to worry about Black Bart and his gang but Kate refuses.  Micky and Peter go to the saloon and ask for men with prices on their heads and the bartender points to three men who do (literally). They are spotted by Red and Sneak and Micky explains he wants hired guns.  One thing leads to another and Micky mistakely agrees to join Black Bart's gang.  At the ranch, Kate explains about her cattle dying because of some filthy dirt on her ranch and Mike decides to have the dirt analyzed.  While at the Black Bart’s hang out, as they're wainting for the boss ,Sneak informs Red that there’s one guy left at Kate’s ranch and now is the time to strike.  Micky sends Peter to warn Kate and Red says he’ll kill Micky if Peter isn’t back in ten minutes.

Peter arrives on horseback into Kate’s kitchen (there was nobody in the barn) to warn them that Black Bart and his gang are going to raid the ranch before heading back to save Micky.  Kate sends Davy to tell the Cartwheels and Davy rides over to the Cartwheel place on horseback backwards to inform them of the outlaw’s plans.  Meanwhile, Mike arrives at the saloon and goes to the assayer who’s also the bartender about the dirt who tells him its crude oil, the highest grade of black gold.  Back at the hideout, Ben Cartwheel who turns out to be Black Bart demands to know who's the traitor since one of them went to the Nesmith place to warn them and both Red and Sneak say “The Injun”.  Peter tries to escape but is stopped and Ben who orders the new member Micky to kill him but Micky refuses giving himself away.  After Mike informs Kate about the oil, Sneak warns Ben that Mike went to the assayers and that they all know the truth.  Mike tries to contact John Wayne on the phone but Kate hands him and Davy rifles for the raid.  Black Bart and his gang arrive with Micky and Peter also dressed in black and wearing masks in order to frame them for the crimes.  Black Bart insists they take Kate alive so they can give her one last chance to sell and if she refuses, they can just kill her and forge her signature.  Micky and Peter use this chance to ride off to the ranch to warn the others and Black Bart decides to let them go and kill them later in the raid.  Micky and Peter show up and warn everyone that Black Bart is actually Ben Cartwheel but Kate doesn’t believe it at first until they hear gunshots.  Soon everyone scurries inside the house as Black Bart and his crew ride up and start shooting.  To the musical romp “Words” there's a shootout in which the Monkees, Kate and Lucy end up defeating the bad guys driving them to ride off.

This episode ends with Micky doing a solo to the song “Goin’ Down”.

Trivia Notes

This episode is a spoof of four popular western series: “The Big Valley”,

“Bonanza”,“The Lone Ranger” and “Gunsmoke”.

In the original storyline, Micky and Peter are sobbing in each others arms

when Micky refuses to kill Peter.  Also in a see saw battle, the Monkees knock

off the bad guys one by one and unmask Black Bart as Ben Cartwheel.

The character Black Bart is named after a real life stagecoach robber from 1875-

1883 in which he left poetic notes at the robbery scene.

Late actor Barton MacLaine (Black Bart/Ben) is also well known as the second

actor to portray Gen. Martin Peterson in the TV classic “I Dream of Jeannie”. 

The first being Phil Ober who also appeared in the Monkees episode "Monkees Manhattan Style" .  MacLaine also appeared in an episode of Micky’s

old TV series “Circus Boy”.

This was the last acting job of the late Jacqueline Dewitt (Aunt Kate).

Actress Bonnie J. Dewberry (Lucy) is not credited in the closing credits. She also

appeared in an uncredited role of the episode "I Was A Teenage Monster".

Photographer Nurit Wilde and Mike’s one time mistress and mother to their

illegimate son musician Jason Nesmith cameos n his episode.