Bringing in a younger surrogate brother was not a bad idea. But the character was so whiny, and I have rarely seen a less appealing actor as a regular cast member on a successful TV series. What were they thinking?
shareI agree just watched episode called the grand swing.jamie disobeyed ben and wrecked the wagon causing the horse to be put down.
shareIt was a precursor to the "Wesley Crusher" misguided plot device.
Honestly, I would have thought that Jamie would have been grateful and well-behaved. He came from nothing, and basically fell in with a wealthy family. Plus Ben adopts the little rodent. How many orphans have it so good?
I remember watching Bonanza when I was a little kid. You would have thought I would have identified with Jamie as he was also a child, but instead he was "Goofus" to any "Gallant".
I agree. I can't watch Jamie episodes. His whining voice and perpetually bewildered look are awful. Horrible actor.
shareI remember that Mitch Vogel was later on "Little House" as a guest "star." He played a young boy who was romantically interested in Mary (of course, she was like 13 and he was like 15), but 11 year old Laura liked him too. Strife ensues. You never saw him again.
Thankfully.
Mitch Vogel ... You never saw him again.Yes, I remember Johnny Johnson. You did see him one more time 18 episodes later in To See the World (1975). It was a very different episode mostly involving Mr. Edwards. The episode you were referring to was The Love of Johnny Johnson (1974).
I Have to at least partly disagree. Vogel could act; he was surprisingly good in The Reivers. However, I do believe that he was possibly miscast here, and was certainly miscast in the Little House on the Prairie episodes.
shareIf you want to see how really good Mitch Vogel was, there's an episode of Gunsmoke that he was in that really shows his talent. David Wayne plays an alcoholic judge. The reason he's turned to booze is because he sentenced an innocent man to hang - Mitch Vogel's character's father and the judge's guilt has turned him into a drunk. Mitchel Vogel and David Wayne were wonderful in that episode.
Mitch Vogel's also on an episode of Bonanza long before Jamie was ever thought of. John Done Baker shoots a Sheriff dead right in front of the Cartwrights and Ben along with Little Joe, take him to jail waiting for another sheriff to come to town. But the entire town's scared of John Don Baker's family and all desert Ben and Little Joe in fear. Two women, one that works in the saloon and another who looks down on her profession, the telegraph operator and his grandson. Mitch Vogel's character, the grandson has a case of hero worship because he grandpa had killed people in the war. Near the end of the episode, the grandpa has to shoot one of the outlaws otherwise Little Joe was going to get killed. When he does, his grandson realizes that killing people isn't heroic. Mitch Vogel couldn't have been much more than 10 in that episode. He was also quite good in the role and when the producers went looking for someone to play Jamie, they probably remembered him from that episode.
I didn't like him on Bonanza but I agree about him being good in "The Reivers."
sharewhich is why the show was sometimes called "Little *beep* on the Prarie".
Wow! Such rudeness ~ now, as I recall, he's an actor taking direction and reciting dialog along with every move he makes being purposely choreographed, to fit into a/the scene, including his grins, grimacing, stance, gesturing, costume, pitch of his voice, etc., etc. What & who you watch on BONANZA is a child actor who was extremely awestruck & grateful to be selected for the role and he always said 'please & thank you' and 'yes sir & no sir', very nice family as well and ALWAYS tried to get the shot right the first time, no bad manners or attitude - fond memories, leave him alone.
shareI couldn't stand the Jaime character. To me he was almost as bad as Cousin Oliver. (from Brady Bunch)
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