Silent Thunder (1960) User Reviews (3)

Belinda Stevens

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 5 November 2010]

This particular Bonanza episode, Silent Thunder is a very touching story that borrows no small measure from the classic film Johnny Belinda where Jane Wyman won her Oscar. The part of the deaf mute girl is played very touchingly by Stella Stevens.

Michael Landon as Little Joe takes center stage in this story. He's got the Lew Ayres role. Of course Landon is not a medical man, but he's taken an interest in her in a kindly way and sees that she's a great deal brighter than her father Kenneth MacKenna would care to see.

MacKenna in the Charles Bickford role is a hard bitten mountain trapper who lives in isolation despite occasional visits. MacKenna has a whole lot of issues himself dealing with the death of his wife giving birth to Stevens.

For a while I thought the story was going to venture into Rain country when preacher James Griffith visited, but it stayed with the Johnny Belinda model as fellow trapper Albert Salmi who can't get his itch scratched in town starts looking at Stevens for that service.

Silent Thunder works because of what Stella Stevens does with the part. Stevens usually played some dumb sex kittens, in this television episode the woman proved she could do more than that.

Where did Michael Landon get his ideas?

[mitchrmp · 6/10 · 5 July 2014]

Characters: Sam and Ann Croft, Albie

Cartwright involved: Little Joe.

Missing: Adam and Hoss do not appear in this episode.

This is an interesting episode. I recall a Little House on the Prairie episode where Laura teaches a deaf friend sign language. Similar to this episode, he falls in love with her. He also almost gets hit by a wagon. I found myself comparing these two episodes.

I've decided I like LHOTP's version better. Why? Because I thought the whole "I get what your talking about" scene was absolutely cheesy and way over-played. I don't understand how she understood what he was doing. Laura showed door and window - things you can touch and then sign. Little Joe didn't have a clue. And the whole "Fell this and understand" concept...just cannot believe it...

1 dead

Another excellent episode

[glitterrose · 10/10 · 6 November 2021]

It's like I said for "The Ape" these are the "Bonanza" episodes I like the best. You have a Cartwright helping/trying to help another person. I do know this was slightly ripped off later on for "Little House on the Prairie" but I'll be honest and say I didn't care for that episode. I do care about this episode. Thought it was written better than the LH episode and just had better performances.

One truly has to give credit to Stella Stevens for her performance in this episode. I always thought it must be hard for an actor/actress to play drunk and some just can't do it. They think screaming their lines is on par with being drunk. Doesn't cut it. So here's an episode where you have a character where the actress can't express herself with her voice, you have to look at her facial expressions and Stella just nailed them. I don't think everybody could pull off a performance like this but Stella did a great job.

I thought Joe was a bit of a drama queen during the "I love you" scene. It made perfect sense for Annie to "fall" for Joe since he was actually compassionate to her. Her father certainly wasn't compassionate to her until the very end of the episode. I think she got more love from the sheep and the doll that Joe gave her.