Name: The Dark Past
Genre: Western
Released: 1964-05-03
Duration: 1 h
Rating: 7.5
Cast: Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker

Dennis Hopper delivers a great performance as a bounty hunter, a man without friends or needing any so he says. The big surprise for the Cartwrights is that Hopper is the son of a preacher that Lorne Greene knew from the old days.

But Hopper has abandoned that and his quarry is outlaw Ron Starr whose wife ran away and is back in Virginia City. He figures that if he hangs around Susan Seaforth Hayes long enough Starr will surface.

All I'll say is that things don't quite go according to Hopper's plans. And he finds he needs friends like the Cartwright's in time of need.

Susan Seaforth Hayes does well too as the very naive girl. I have to say that folks like the Cartwrights don't come along that often in life to lend a helping hand.

Hopper's scenes with Michael Landon are very good as Little Joe shows the upbringing he's had that Hopper has rejected.

All around good episode.

The Western genre features stories set primarily in the 19th-century American Old West and often depict the rugged frontier life, exploring themes of individualism, justice, morality, and the clash between civilization and the untamed wilderness. The genre has its roots in the historical context of westward expansion and the challenges faced by pioneers, settlers, outlaws, and lawmen.

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Dev's line of work seems ordained given his past. When his quarry's wife turns out to be pregnant, he uses that to trap him, even if it might risk Little Joe's life.

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The Dark Past

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